There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
- from Luke 2:36-28
 
Luke loves to do this: throughout his Gospel he loves to lay down parallel stories of men and women encountering God. He did it earlier with Zechariah and Elizabeth and will do it time and time again throughout his collection of writings.
 
In a world that so often only listens to the voices of the famous and powerful, taking time to hear the stories of folk who live on the margins of society can prove challenging. But it is so helpful. As Noel Castellanos said: “The margins are the center of God’s concern.”
 
Anna had spent decades as a widow, living in the temple, and worshipping God. She would have almost certainly been poor. She wasn’t from a famous or powerful tribe. And yet she had an opportunity to connect with Jesus and his family.
 
Decades later, people from Jesus’ family (the likely origin of this scene) would have remembered Anna’s interaction with Jesus. They didn’t record her words in the same way they recorded Simeon’s words in yesterday’s passage. But they remembered the moment when she met Jesus.
 
Anna’s story reminds us that a heart tuned to the worship of God can make for memorable moments of connection with God. She reminds us that our very presence can be a gift. She reminds us God can fulfill hopes long-held. She reminds us of much we already know but easily forget in the busyness of life.
 
What reminders do you need today as you walk with God? What old truths, half-remembered do you need to have recalled to your mind? Ask God to help you remember.