In today's Gospel, the Prophetess Anna teaches us of the dispositions we must have if we are to truly receive the Christmas mystery.
For Anna this day would receive the Christ child in her arms and praise God for the deliverance of her people.
But Anna was able to receive this grace because she showed herself someone who was truly repentant of her sins.
For the Scripture tells us that she spent her days in worship, that is, in fasting and prayer.
And so she gave to the one true God that worship known as Latria, which is reserved for God alone.
And she did so boldly.
Both by her prayers and by her works, that is, she spent her time in fasting and prayer,
showing God that she was truly thankful that her people had hope and that this day she would see the deliverer from our sins.
And so she truly showed herself to be one disposed to receive the fullness of the Christmas mystery.
And hence she would receive quite literally in her arms the Christ child.
But it is more important that she always...
...preserve the love of God by remaining in the grace of the Holy Spirit.
And so she was filled with the Holy Spirit because she was truly repentant.
But she also shows that her whole life was one that was put in the service of others.
For as a prophetess, she was a teacher indeed.
Tradition tells us that she was amongst those women in the temple who taught the mother of God herself.
When at the age of three, Our Lady was brought to the temple.
And so Anna, after the death of her husband...
...sacrificed herself entirely, teaching the young of the temple the mystery of salvation...
...and to look forward to the Savior to come.
And so when he came, she was able to recognize him.
Most particularly, she was able to recognize him through the intercession of the Virgin Mary.
For in recognizing the mother, she knew quite well who the son was.
For Anna was one of those who was privileged to know at a very early age...
...in the life of the Blessed Virgin...
...that she would consecrate herself as a virgin to God.
And so Our Lady would remain a virgin before, during, and after the birth of the Christ child.
And this Anna had known.
And so she truly knew that the one who was brought to the temple this day...
...was the one that she was thankful for her whole life.
That she, like Simeon, had seen the salvation of the Lord.
And so we rejoice with Anna this day as we also strive...
...by imitating her life.
That is, praying for our salvation and the salvation of others...
...and doing the works necessary.
For we know that one of the errors that has crept into Christianity...
...is that it is not necessary for us to do works in order to be saved.
And yet, we see in the example of all those who are held up...
...as the models of virtue in the New Testament...
...Anna, Simeon, the Apostles, St. Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary...
...the Christ child, all.
Had the combination.
They work strenuously, most in reparation for our sins.
Our Lord and His Mother.
In order that they may repair also for our sins in that most extraordinary way.
And they spent their times, they spent a great amount of their time in prayer.
And so, it is as it were necessary that we pray and do works.
But they must be the works of Christ.
And so, that is why we must pray.
In order that we are always certain that we are doing...
...the works of Christ.
So that His mission can go forward until the end of time.
And so, let us ask the prophetess Anna to intercede for us.
So that we too, in imitating her, may give Latria to the one true God.
As we teach all peoples of the mystery of Christmas.
And of the love God has shown for us this day.
When He has come into the world, visibly present amongst us.
So that all of us may receive Him in our arms.
But most especially...
...that we may receive Him by grace in our hearts.
And there, in imitating those like Anna...
...by a life of prayer, by a life of sacrifice...
...we may sustain that presence of the Christ child in our hearts.
In order that we may see Him by vision in the life to come.
And so, we truly have much to rejoice for.
We truly have much to be thankful for this day.
For the Deliverer has truly come.
And so, let us strive to show Him how grateful we are...
...for what He has done for us.
For the Deliverer has truly come.
And is trulyICOide to us.
We symbolize You all.
Amen.