Anna confesses to the Lord in the Temple

St Luke Chapter II : Verses 36-40

Contents

• Luke ii. 36-40.  Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Annotations
• Douay-Rheims : 1582 text & notes

Luke ii. 36-40.

Anna [bottom left) confesses to the Lord.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity.

Et erat Anna prophetissa, filia Phanuel, de tribu Aser : hæc processerat in diebus multis, et vixerat cum viro suo annis septem a virginitate sua.

37 And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day.

Et hæc vidua usque ad annos octoginta quatuor : quæ non discedebat de templo, jejuniis, et obsecrationibus serviens nocte ac die.

38 Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel.

Et hæc, ipsa hora superveniens, confitebatur Domino : et loquebatur de illo omnibus, qui exspectabant redemptionem Israel.

39 And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth.

Et ut perfecerunt omnia secundum legem Domini, reversi sunt in Galilæam in civitatem suam Nazareth.

40 And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him.

Puer autem crescebat, et confortabatur plenus sapientia : et gratia Dei erat in illo.

Annotations

    36. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. She was an old woman, so that she was prompted by no youthful fervour, but bore testimony to Christ in a mature and grave manner. “Anna” in Hebrew signifies grace—of which Anna was full. The name “Grace” is still often borne by women, and was the name of her who at Firando, in Japan, generously met a glorious death, together with her four children and her whole household, for the faith of Christ.

    a prophetess—that is, a teacher, says Francis Lucas—one who instructed the young women in the law of God and in piety; for at this time the Jews had no prophets who foretold future events. But that Anna foretold the hidden things of the future is clear from v. 38, where she prophesied about Christ. For, though the Jews had no prophets until the time of Christ, yet God raised up prophets at that time, such as John, Zachary, Elizabeth, and Simeon. Hence S. Ambrose says,

 “The birth of the Lord received testimony not only from the angels, from the shepherds, and from His parents, but also from the aged and good; every age, and both sexes, and the wondrous nature of events, build up our faith. A virgin conceives—the barren brings forth—the dumb speaks—Elizabeth prophesies,—the wise man adores—he that is shut up in the womb exults—the widow confesses—the just man is waiting for His coming.”

    the daughter of Phanuel. Phanuel was a well-known man at that time. “Phanuel” in Hebrew signifies “the face of God”—his daughter is “Anna”—grace; for grace proceeds from the face and from the mouth of God, and is breathed into the faithful. The place where Jacob saw God face to face, was called by him Peniel or “Phanuel,” Gen. xxxii. 30,

    She was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity—that is, from the time when she became of marriageable age; for infants, who have not yet reached this age, are not properly virgins. Again, from the time of her marriage which she contracted as a virgin. They were wont to marry soon after attaining puberty—in their fifteenth year, the age at which the Blessed Virgin was married to Joseph. Hence we gather (1) that Anna was married once, and that in the first years of her puberty; (2) that, before her marriage, she lived chastely; (3) that, when, after seven years of her married life, her husband died, becoming a widow at the early age of twenty-two, she, with remarkable continency, in the flower of her life remained a widow until the age of eighty-four, or, as S. Ambrose interprets, until the eighty-fourth year of her widowhood. If this last interpretation be correct, she must, when she met Christ, have been one hundred and six years old. It seems that God prolonged the life of Anna to this great age with the special design that she might see and bear testimony to Christ, even as He prolonged that of Simeon.

    37. And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; (of age, or, according to S. Ambrose, of her widowhood), who departed not from the Temple. Not that she lived in the Temple, but she frequented it, and spent much time in it. So think Toletus, Jansenius, and Maldonatus. Others, however, think that she actually dwelt in the Temple; for hard by the Temple there were houses of religious women who served God “night and day”—as there afterwards were of deaconesses in the Christian Church, and still are of nuns. This appears from Exod. xxxviii. 8; 2 Maccabees iii. 20; and 1 Sam. ii. 22. These religious women were some virgins, and some widows, of which latter it seems that Anna was one, as Canisius (Marialis, lib. i. xii.) argues.

    by fastings and prayers serving night and day.—that is, serving God, as the Arabic renders it. The Greek λατρεύουσα, worshipping with “latria”—latria being due to God only. Hence is plain the falsehood of the teaching of the heretics, that fasting is only a mortification of the body, and no worship of God, except in so far as it is understood to mean prayer; for S. Luke here says that Anna served God both with fastings and prayers. By means of her fastings and prayers she served God “night and day.” S. Chrysostom (Hom. 42, ad pop.) eloquently commends prayer made by night: “Behold,” he says, “the company of the stars, the deep silence, the great calm, and admire the dispensation of thy Lord. For then is the mind purer, lighter, and more subtle, more sublime and agile. The darkness itself and the great silence have the power of inducing compunction. And if thou lookest upon the sky, dotted with numberless stars as with eyes … bend thy knees, groan, pray thy Lord to be propitious to thee. He is the more appeased by prayers made in the night, when thou makest the time of rest the time of thy struggles. Remember the King, what words he said: “I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears.” So Christ used to give the day to preaching, the night to prayer, Luke vi. 12. So too S. Paul, Acts xvi. 25, and 2 Tim. i. 3. So S. Anthony, S. Hilarion, and the other anchorites; nay, the Church also, as is plain from the “Nocturns” which monks still chant by night.

    38. Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; In Greek ἀνθωμολογεῖτο, confessed to God in her turn, as though singing in answer to Simeon from the choir set apart for the other sex, praised the Lord, and gave Him thanks for the gift of Christ and His birth.

     and spoke of him—of the Lord Christ, whom she had there present. Not only did Anna praise God, but she began to discourse to others of Jesus, asserting Him to be the Christ, and exhorting all to believe in Him.

    to all that looked for the redemption of Israel. The Redeemer Christ, who redeems from sin, death, Satan, and Hell, Israel, that is, the people of the faithful who believe in Him.

    Allegorically, Christ, when born, appeared to three groups of persons in three ways—

    (1) to the shepherds, at the indication of an angel; 

    (2) to the magi, under the guidance of a star; 

    (3) to Simeon and Anna, guided by the Holy Ghost. Again, the shepherds saw Christ, the Magi adored Him, but Simeon and Anna embraced Him. So we first recognise Christ, then adore Him, and then, when we are no longer children in virtue, but old men, embrace Him with arms of love. So Jansenius teaches.

    39. And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth. And from thence, fearing the Infanticide Herod, they fled, with the Child Jesus, into Egypt. The massacre of the innocents took place, says Euthymius, Toletus, and others, a little after the purification of the Virgin, and about the time of the Passover. S. Augustine, however (de Consens. Evang., lib. ii. cap. v.), Jansenius, and Francis Lucas, think that they fled immediately from Jerusalem, and returning thence nine years after, went back to Nazareth, as S. Luke here says. See Commentary on S. Matt. ii.13. Moreover, they returned to Nazareth, before their flight, in order to arrange their affairs there, and to prepare what was necessary for the long journey to Egypt. And there was abundance of time for their flight, since the interval between the 2nd of February—the date of the Purification,  and the Passover, when the massacre is said to have taken place—is about two mouths.

    40. And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom;  The Greek, Syriac, and Arabic add “in spirit,” and Euthymius explains it that Christ did not receive greater spiritual strength inwardly day by day, since He was full of grace and the Holy Ghost from the first moment of His conception, but that He exhibited this strength more and more outwardly by word and work. The Latin version, the Latin fathers, and the interpreter reject “in spirit,” as also Origen and Titus among the Greeks.

    full of wisdom; The Greek πληρούμενον means both to be being filled and to be full, so as to be equivalent to πλήρης. The Arabic renders “was being filled again with wisdom,” the Syriac “was being filled with wisdom.” So also Origen, Theophylact, Euthymius, and Titus on this passage, and S. Ambrose (de Incarn. Dom. Sact. cap. vii.) Theophylact explains—Not acquiring wisdom (for what could be more perfect than He who was perfect from the beginning?) but discovering it little by little. For had He manifested all His wisdom whilst he was small in stature, He would have appeared, as it were, monstrous, and as though not really a child, but a phantasm of a child.

    and the grace of God was in him. In the Greek ἐπʼ αὐτόν. All the favour, goodwill, care, and love of God the Father towards the Child Jesus, as His Son, brooded, as it were, over Him from out of the heavens, to adorn Him with gifts and graces, to guide and dispose Him in all His actions, that all might see that He was ruled, and in all things directed by God, and that His actions were not so much human as Divine. So says Euthymius. In a similar manner it is said of John the Baptist, “What an one, think ye, shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.” Luke i. 66.

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text & notes

 

36. And there was Anne a prophetiſſe, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aſer: she was farre striken in daies, and had liued with her hus­band ſeuen yeres from her virginitie.

37 And ſhe was a widow vntil eightie and foure yeres: who departed not from the temple, by faſtings and praiers ſeruing night and day. 

38. And she at the same houre ſodenly comming in, con­feſſed to our Lord: and ſpake of him to al that expected the redemption of Israel. 

39. And after they had wholy done al things according to the law of our Lord, they returned into Galilee, into their citie Nazareth.

40. And the childe grew, and waxed strong in spirit: strong: ful of wiſe­dom, and the grace of God was in him.

37. By faſtings and praiers ſeruing.) Seruing, in the Greeke is λατρεύουσα, that is, doing diuine worſhip vnto God, as by praier, so also by faſting, ſo that faſting is λατρεία, that is, an act of religion whereby we doe worſhip God, as we doe by praier, and not vſed only to ſubdew our fleſh, much leſſe (as Heretikes would haue it) as a matter of policie.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.