instruere...inlustrare...delectare Disputations

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Where does God's presence need to be made known?

There are a couple of prayers in Morning Prayer for the Feast of the Presentation that suggested something new to me:
You are the consolation of Israel, recognised by the righteous man Simeon when he saw you in the temple:
make us recognise you in our brethren.
Lord, may our eyes see your salvation.

You are the hope of the nations, preached by the prophetess Anna to all who looked for the redemption of Israel:
teach us to speak properly of you.
Lord, may our eyes see your salvation.
I sometimes wonder about Anna. We get more of a biography of her than of many people mentioned in the Gospels, yet not one word of her prophecy or preaching.

Maybe -- and don't bother checking Luke for scriptural support, because I'm just making this up -- one reason Simeon and Anna are both mentioned is to signify the dual role of prophecy: to speak to the Church and to speak to the nations. Simeon blessed and encouraged the Holy Family. Anna spoke to all who were awaiting the redemption of Israel.

The Church needs both kinds of prophets -- or maybe I should say both kinds of prophecies, since each of us is able, in some way, to do both.

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