And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day.

“For the Holy Spirit dwelt not by chance in her. For the highest blessing, if any can possess it, is the grace of virginity, but if this cannot be, and it chance to a woman to lose her husband, let her remain a widow, which indeed not only after the death of her husband, but even while he is living, she ought to have in her mind, that supposing it should not happen, her will and determination might be crowned by the Lord, and her words should be, “This I vow, and promise, that if a certain condition of this life be mine, (which yet I wish not,) I will do nothing else but remain inviolate and a widow.” Most justly then was this holy woman thought worthy to receive the gift of prophecy, because by long chastity and long fastings she had ascended to this height of virtue, as it follows, Who departed not from the temple with fastings and prayers, &c.”

“And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years (of age, or, according to S. Ambrose, of her widowhood), which departed not from the Temple. Not that she lived in the Temple, but she frequented it, and spent much time in it. So think Toletus, Jansenius, and Maldonatus. Others, however, think that she actually dwelt in the Temple ; for hard by the Temple there were houses of religious women who served God “ night and day ” — as Digitized by Google 126 there afterwards were of deaconesses in the Christian Church, and still are of nuns. This appears from Exod. xxxviii. 8 ; 2 Maccabees iii. 20; and 1 Sam. il 22. These religious women were some virgins, and some widows, of which latter it seems that Anna was one, as Canisius ( Marialis , lib. i. xii.) argues. But served God with fastings and prayers night and day — that is, serving God, as the Arabic renders it The Greek Xarpvouea, worshipping with “ latria ” — latria being due to God only. Hence is plain the falsehood of the teaching of the heretics, that fasting is only a mortification of the body, and no worship of God, except in so far as it is understood to mean prayer ; for S. Luke here says that Anna served God both with fastings and prayers. By means of her fastings and prayers she served God “night and day.* S- Chrysostom ( Horn . 42, ad pop.) eloquently commends prayer made by night : “ Behold,” he says, “ the company of the stars, the deep silence, the great calm, and admire the dispensation of thy Lord. For then is the mind purer, lighter, and more subtle^ more sublime and agile. The darkness itself and the great silence have the power of inducing compunction. And if thou lookest upon the sky, dotted with numberless stars as with eyes . . . bend thy knees, groan, pray thy Lord to be propitious to thee. He is the more appeased by prayers made in the night, when thou makest the time of rest the time of thy struggles. Remember the King, what words he said : " I am weary of my groaning, every night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my tears.” So Christ used to give the day to preaching, the night to prayer, Luke vL 12. So too S. Paul, Acts xvi. 25, and 2 Tim. i* 3. So SL Anthony, S. Hilarion, and the other anchorites ; nay, the Church also, as is plain from the “Nocturas” which monks still chant by night”

“And she coming in that instant,.... That the parents of Christ brought him into the temple; just as Simeon was embracing him in his arms, and blessing God for him, and saying the things concerning him he had done; and who also came at that juncture, as he did, under the impulse, and by the direction of the Spirit of God, gave thanks likewise unto the Lord: praised him, as he had done, that he had sent the promised, and long looked for Messiah and Saviour; and that she had lived to see his blessed face, and this happy day; and that she should be directed to come in at this instant, and be favoured with this singular mercy of seeing the new born Saviour, and his honoured parents: and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem; this she either did at this time; they in Jerusalem that looked, and diligently waited for, and earnestly desired the Messiah, and spiritual redemption and salvation by him, being now assembled together in the temple; or afterwards, as she had opportunity of conversing with them, when she acquainted them with what she had heard and seen. By "the redemption" they were looking for, is meant, the Redeemer; as by salvation, the Saviour, in Luk 2:30. Some versions, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic read, "the redemption of Jerusalem"; not literally, but spiritually, understood, even the redemption of the church of Christ, which is often so called: and others, as the Persic version, "the redemption of Israel"; that is, of spiritual Israel: some read "in Israel"; so one copy of Stephens's.”

“Departed not from the temple - Attended constantly at the hours of prayer, which were nine in the morning and three in the afternoon. See Act 2:15; Act 3:1. It does not appear that women had any other functions to perform in that holy place. With fastings - She accompanied her devotion with frequent fastings, probably not oftener than twice in the week; for this was the custom of the most rigid Pharisees: see Luk 18:12.”