Let's grow old gracefully and productively. .

* Let's grow old gracefully and productively. 

* Anna.

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Let's grow old gracefully and productively. 

There are some people who when growing old become apprehensive, anxious, afraid, insecure and even bitter. But there are also others who when growing old who grow old gracefully and productively. 

Paolo Picasso lived to be 91 years old. During the last 20 years of his life, he remained productive and energetic, persistently experimenting with new art forms and ideas. At 92, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad is still actively involved in politics to save Malaysia from being ruined by the hands of the corrupted government leaders. At 88, Michaelangelo did architectural plans for the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. At 94, Bertrand Russell was active in international peace drives. At 80, George Burns won an academy Award.

Likewise, in today's gospel reading we have Anna who was very active in the temple as a prophetess. Although she was widowed after seven years of marriage, she was neither bitter, nor resentful nor rebellious towards God. She, however grew closer to God in her old age through constant prayer in the temple and in her private. Her piety, so much so gave her joy and peace in the twilight of her life.

The psalmist urges the people to turn to God in a relationship of praise and thanksgiving. Acknowledging who God is enables the believer to have a relationship with God. The response should be a joyful lifting up of one's heart, mind, and soul to God.

In our first reading from St John we are again reminded to keep faithful to God and to live according to his will by avoiding the obstacles which the world places before us. The spirit of goodwill which marks this joyful season must permeate our lives not just for these few weeks each year but every day of our lives. It is a challenge to live this way but a challenge which we can live up to because we have the love of God to support us.

Why, my dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, there are some people who are afraid of getting old or feel bitter when they are old is because of their perspective about life and death, and attitude towards other people. If one cannot see beyond  this life, then there will be fear and even despair. But if we have faith like Anna who saw God as a loving God in spite of her trials and tribulations, then the future will be full of hope. Some psychologists say that if during our life time we are just concerned about ourselves and are indifferent to the needs of others, then we grow old there will be a feeling of insecurity and bitterness.

Hence, Anna from the beginning was already actively serving, teaching and praying with the people. No wonder in her old age her life was full of gratitude and love. And as we continue our celebration of Christmas, we are invited to see beyond the Infant in swaddling clothes. Not only to just see the Baby in the manger, but also see the Savior who was born for our Salvation.

Think about it, my dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ and let us all commit ourselves anew to the Lord, and seek Him with all of our hearts' strength, with all of our minds and focus. Let us all rediscover the true joy of our hearts, that is also the true joy of Christmas, none other than the Lord Jesus, Who have chosen to come and dwell with us, that we may come to know Him personally.

May the Lord be with us always, journeying with us, so that eventually we may find our way to Him and His salvation, that we may be reunited with Him and live happily with Him forever after. May God bless us always, and be with all of our endeavours. Amen.

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Saturday, 30th DECEMBER
Luke 2:36–40

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanu-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

Anna was a holy woman. She was a soul of prayer and of penance. That made it possible for her to discover Jesus among all the people who visited the temple. She saw the Baby in the arms of Mary and she recognised Him. How many people were oblivious to the presence of God in their midst! How many passed by Mary, Joseph and Jesus and didn't recognise them. But Anna did.

To be able to recognise someone you need to know that person first. And we get to know Jesus in the Eucharist and in our daily conversation with Him. But after meeting Jesus and giving thanks to God, Anna didn't keep her joy to herself. The Gospel says that she spoke of him to all. She went around sharing her joy of having found Jesus and of knowing that our redemption had begun. She became the first 'apostle' to teach others about Jesus.

Anna didn't think it was enough to give thanks to God for having found the Messiah. She didn't think it was enough to tell a few people about it. The Gospel says she spoke about Him to everyone. In an interview with St Teresa of Calcutta someone asked her if she and her sisters talked about God with the sick and poor. 'Naturally!' she replied; 'we teach them to pray, try to bring them to God through the sacrament of confession.' The journalist made the point that we don't always have to talk about Jesus. The holy nun answered: 'What else do we have to talk about, then? We would not be missionaries if we didn't talk about Jesus. We would be acting for something… but we act for Someone!'

Mary, Queen of the Apostles, intercede for me to have that daring to be able to talk about your Son to everyone, with words and deeds.

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Commentary of the day :

Saint Peter Chrysologus (c.406-450), Bishop of Ravenna, Doctor of the Church
Sermon 147, on the mystery of the Incarnation

Now at last Anna sees God in his Temple

As for this God whom the world cannot contain, how could man comprehend him, shortsighted as he is? Love is not worried about knowing whether something is certain or convenient or possible. Love... pays no attention to limits. It does not comfort itself with the claim that it is impossible; difficulties cannot stop it... Love cannot not see what it loves... How can we believe ourselves loved by God without contemplating him? Thus love that desires to see God, even if not rationalized, is inspired by the heart's intuition. Hence Moses dared to say: "If I have found favor with you, show me your face" (Ex 33:13f.), and the psalmist: "Show me your face" (cf.Ps 80[79]:4)...

God, then, knowing our desire to see him, found a means of making himself visible which would be greatly to the gain of earth's inhabitants without, for all that, involving a lowering with regard to heaven. How could the creature God had made on earth in his own likeness pass into heaven by means of baseness? "Let us make man in our image and likeness" he had said (Gn 1:26)... If God had borrowed an angel's form from heaven he would have remained just as invisible; on the other hand, if he had become incarnate on earth in a nature inferior to that of ours, he would have demeaned the divinity and cast man down rather than lifting him up. So, my beloved, let no one consider the fact that he came to men by means of a man or that he found this means amongst us of being our seeing him to be an insult to God.

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