When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to present him as in infant, they encountered two wisdom figures – Simeon and Anna.  We’re told in the Gospel that these two individuals spent a great deal of time in the temple (and had done so for years!) awaiting the Messiah.  They lived lives of prayer, all the while very alert and attentive to the many people they encountered each day.  They had honed their skills of awareness, so that when they met Jesus they KNEW he was the One!

Our newest ministry here at Little Flower Parish (Toledo) is the Simeon and Anna Ministry.  Our parishioners who are 65+ years of age are invited for a luncheon and short presentation each First Friday of the month. As I shared with them in January, it is our way of saying thank you to them for the wisdom and witness they provide for the rest of the parish and to help them continue on their faith journey. Not only do they carry a history of the parish, they teach us how to be aware of Jesus in our daily encounters in a wise, holy and integrated way.

The wisdom figures here in the parish as well as those among my Sisters give me so much to strive for and to look forward to!  Who are the wisdom figures in your life who serve as models and mentors for you?