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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