Pope Francis on February 2, 2020, pointed to four players in the great drama of the Presentation of the Lord who demonstrated the “twofold attitudes” of “movement and wonder”.
The Holy Father’s comments came in his commentary before praying the noonday Angelus with the crowds of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. The four players? Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna.
“It is Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna, who represent models of hospitality and of donation of their life to God,” the Pope said. “These four were not the same; they were all different, but all were seeking God and all allowed themselves to be guided by the Lord. The evangelist Luke describes all four of them in a twofold attitude: an attitude of movement and an attitude of wonder.”
The Holy Father explained that they demonstrated “movement”. Mary and Joseph had to travel to reach the temple. Simeon was moved by the Spirit, while Anna served in the temple. And each of the four was filled with wonder.
“Mary and Joseph ‘marveled at what was said about Him [of Jesus]’ (v. 33),” Francis said. “Marvel is also an explicit reaction of the elderly Simeon, who in the Child Jesus sees with his eyes the salvation wrought by God in favor of His people: that salvation that he awaited for years. And the same is true for Anna who ‘gave thanks to God’ (v. 38) and went to point out Jesus to the people.”
The Pope gave a charming description of Anna: “She was a holy chatterbox; she chatted well, she chatted about good things, not bad things. She spoke, she proclaimed, she was a saint who went here and there, making them see Jesus.”
Go here for the Pope’s full Angelus commentary
Go here for the Pope’s February 1 homily for 24th World Day For Consecrated Life
