When Our Lord was presented in the temple, the prophetess Anna confirmed His divinity... and her age at this hallowed event signified much more!
"BEDE, in Luke 2: In a mystical sense Anna stands for the Church, which in this present world is as it were widowed by the death of her Spouse. Even the number of the years of her widowhood designates the time in which the Church, continuing on in the body, sojourns afar from her Lord. Seven times twelve makes fourscore and four [84]. And seven relates to the full course of this world, which was wrought in seven days. But twelve belongs to the completeness of the apostolic teachings. Whosoever therefore, whether the universal church, or anyone of the faithful, devotes the whole course of life to apostolic labours, is praised as serving the Lord for fourscore and four years."
Source: "The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers" (From the Catena Aurea's for the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas), Volume I, page 168; Henry Regnery Company (copyright 1955); Imprimatur: Cornelius Ep. Corcagiensis; Nihil Obstat: Jacobus Canonicus Bastible, Censor Deputatus
Photo by John Rodenn Castillo