In today’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus is presented by his parents in the Temple. Present in the temple, at the time our Lord Jesus Christ was brought in, was Simeon of Jerusalem, a devout, just, elderly man. Simeon was said to have been waiting for the “Consolation of Israel”, the indescribable joy of the prophesied deliverance that the Messiah had been waited for to bring to Israel. Anna was a prophetess who followed in the company of such prophetesses as Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah in the Old Testament. Living in the Temple, Anna the prophetess had served the Lord faithfully and actively with fasting and prayer day and night, for many years. She did not excuse herself with the frailty of old age; nor consider herself too lonely or too old to actively serve the Lord. Annas life of constant prayer and fasting led to yet another bigger and more glorious, blessed experience of evangelism, happiness and thanksgiving. At the dedication service, Anna the prophetess picked up the chance and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and had the honor of happily carrying the news of the Child, the Lord Jesus Christ, to “all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem,” to the faithful remaining in Jerusalem. In our daily, evening prayers we continue to confess and confirm in our hearts and minds that the Lord Jesus Christ is still today the salvation, God has prepared for all people, that the Lord Jesus Christ is still the Light to the gentiles, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is still the Glory of Israel in the same manner as Simeon the just elderly man had spiritually proclaimed and Anna the elderly prophetess had given thanks unto God for; and carried the pertaining Good News. May we all consider carefully the inspiring example of continuous prayer, fasting, thanksgiving and evangelism personified in and by the very aged Anna the prophetess. May we all, including the elderly among us, follow her footsteps in actively serving God in the many wonderful ways available, in anticipation of the glorious Eternal Life.