Today's Gospel in Art: There was a prophetess, Anne, now eighty-four years old

An Old Woman with a Rosary, by Paul Cézanne © National Gallery, London

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 30th December 2021 - Luke 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.

Reflection on the Painting

Today's portrait by Paul Cézanne is not of Anna the Prophetess, but it could well be her. We see a contemplative, prayerful lady holding a rosary. Her eyes lack focus, and she is staring, pensively. According to the writer Joachim Gasquet (1873-1921), the old lady was a former nun who had escaped from a convent, and failed to build a new life for herself until Paul Cézanne took her on as a maid. Gasquet who was good friends with Cézanne found this very painting in 1896 at Paul's house near Aix-en-Provence. It was simply thrown on a floor with a pipe lying on top of it amongst other bits of scrap.

The prophetess Anna may well have looked somewhat like the lady in our painting. She was a woman of prayer, a widow and faithful in her dedication to giving praise to God in the Temple, every day. She was primarily a woman of great hope and living in joyful expectation that God would fulfil all his promises.

It is interesting Luke makes a point in our Gospel reading to mention Anna's age: 84 years old. When we advance in age and grow older, the hurts and disappointments of life can easily make us somewhat cynical, bitter and hopeless. Anna's hope in God therefore is all the more beautiful. After a life of hardship and being widowed, she still placed all her love and trust in God. Do we grow in hope as we get older? Or are we becoming just that little more sarcastic and even bitter with life?

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/1038
Christian Art - www.christian.art/