Luke 2:36-38
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
"It's all thanks to the grace of God," a man said to the son of his friend when welcoming him into the spacious home he had recently purchased.
Unbeknownst to him, his friend's son had been veering toward atheism, and those very words of gratitude only pushed him further.
"Why did God bless your family so much more than mine?" the boy silently thought. He had lived most of his life in poverty, and while his parents kept the faith, the boy could no longer accept a God who appeared to play favorites.
In today's Gospel, the prophetess Anna has had a difficult life, having long been a widow – not an easy position for a woman in ancient Israel. Yet she rejoices at the blessings heaped upon Mary. She exhibits the opposite of the old saying, "nothing hurts so much as the success of someone close to you."
I expect I'm not the only one who has found himself questioning why God isn't more "equal" in the graces he bestows. But is the problem that God doesn't abide by human standards of equality, or rather that I ought to be better at rejoicing when graces are granted to my neighbor?
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Donald Amodeo, Pastoral Year
Home parish: St. Mary's
Did you know...
Donald Amodeo is in his fifth year of seminary formation and is currently assigned to St. Paul's Catholic Church in St. Pete. He is the author of the afterlife adventure: Dead & Godless.
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
