Yesterday and today we read the story of the Presentation in the Temple. Yesterday's episode concerned the elderly man, Simeon. Today, we read the story of an elderly widow, a prophetess named Anna. We see in this story one of the traits of St Luke's Gospel: where possible, he equates men and women in their reception of the Good News and in their acceptance of Jesus.

Whenever Israel experienced exile, some of the people abandoned their faith in God and accepted the religion and style of life of their captors, while many remained faithful. This group of unconditionally faithful Israelites was known as "a remnant", the "Poor of Yahweh". They constituted the true Israel and after the exile returned to the Holy Land. They kept alive God's word and promises. In Luke's vision of salvation history, the "remnant" is symbolized and realized in the seven people he names at the beginning of his Gospel: Zechariah, Elizabeth, their son John, Simeon and Anna, Joseph and Mary. Jesus, the Messiah, was born among these seven holy people, these "Poor of Yahweh", He was born to be king but He was born within an atmosphere of great spiritual humility and religious fervour.