Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 
    Anna  lived with her husband seven years from her virginity  (Lk 2:36), meaning that she was married for 
seven years after she ceased to be a virgin and so also after she ceased to be a Temple virgin. If her marriage 
took place at the customary age for Temple virgins, then she was married at the age of 14 years. 
    Notice that the important events in Anna's life occurred after some multiple of seven years. And these 
events did coincide with Sabbatical years, so that these lengths  of time would have been not only easily 
remembered, but also seen as having special religious meaning. A Temple virgin, born in a Sabbatical year (99 
B.C.
, beginning in Nisan), left the Temple to be married in a Sabbatical year (85 
B.C.
), was widowed in a 
Sabbatical year (78 
B.C.
), lived as a widow for the same length of time she lived as a virgin, 14 years, until the 
Sabbatical year followed by the Jubilee year (64/63 
B.C.
, Sabbatical [Nisan to Nisan]; 64/63 
B.C.
, Jubilee 
[Tishri to Tishri] ), then she served God 49 more years, until the next Jubilee when the long awaited Messiah 
was born, entered the Temple of Jerusalem, and was seen by Anna, who had waited so long for that one 
blessed day (in 15/14 
B.C.
, a Jubilee year). 
    The lengths of time in her life are also full of meaning. Two Sabbatical years (14 years) as a virgin, one 
Sabbatical year (7 years) as a wife, two more Sabbatical years (14 years) as a widow, and then from one Jubilee 
year to the next spent serving God in the Temple (49 years) until the Messiah arrived. The total length of time 
is 84 years Anna's age in Luke 2:37. The length of time is also 12 Sabbatical years (12 x 7 = 84). The 
Sabbatical and Jubilee years looked forward to the arrival of the Messiah, and Anna's life looked forward to 
the arrival of the Messiah. So it was fitting that the events of Anna's life should coincide with the Sabbatical 
and Jubilee years. 
Christian Sabbatical and Jubilee Years 
    One of the earliest Church Councils declared that Christians do not have to follow the majority of the 
Jewish laws found in the Old Testament (Acts 15). Christians must always follow the moral law and the 
teachings of the Church. And Christians must still  abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity 
and from what is strangled and from blood.  (Acts 15:20). But we do not have to follow the other laws of 
Moses, such as keeping a year of rest for the land in the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. This judgment was of 
particular interest to Christians at that time, for this decision was made in the year 
A.D.
 35, at the time of a 
Sabbatical year (
A.D.
 34/35) followed by a Jubilee year (
A.D.
 35/36). 
    Though Christians do not have to follow many aspects of the Jewish Law, we are still bound by all of the 
teachings on Faith and Morals found in the Old Testament. The ancient laws about Sabbatical and Jubilee 
years teach us to dedicate our time, efforts, and attention to God. The example of the Jews in ancient times, 
when they kept the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, teaches us to trust God and to set aside time to intensify our 
worship of God. 
    Catholics keep a Jubilee year when one is declared by the leadership of the Church. At such times, there are 
no Jubilee laws preventing Christians from working the land or from doing other work (nor should there be). 
The Church should continue to set aside particular years as Jubilee years. But Christians should also keep 
Sabbatical years. I offer the following suggestions to the Church concerning Christian Sabbatical and Jubilee 
years. 
Suggestions to the Church 
    Every seventh year should be a Sabbatical year in the Church. The Sabbatical year should be a year with 
special emphasis on repentance and renewal. The Sabbatical year should be a year of increase in prayer, self 
denial, and works  of mercy. The Sabbatical year should be like the Sabbath day, a time dedicated to the 
worship of God. As in the Christian Jubilee year, there would be no additional laws or restrictions placed on 
Christians, only encouragement and opportunity to move closer to God. 
    The cycle of seven years should be counted beginning with the Christian Sabbatical year of 
A.D.
 2009. That 
year will have special significance in the salvific history of the Church. This timing of the Christian Sabbatical 
years also follows from the ancient timing of the Jewish Sabbatical years, (when the year was counted from 
Nisan in the spring). So, for example, Wacholder has a Sabbatical year from autumn of 44 
B.C.
 to autumn of 
43 
B.C.
 But if the Sabbatical year at that time in Jewish history was from Nisan to Nisan, the year would begin 
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