Scripture for
today: Luke 2:22-38
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to
present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be
consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in
accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in
Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting
the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been
revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had
seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when
the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in
regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master,
you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have
seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a
light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. The
child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon
blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for
the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted
– and you yourself a sword will pierce – so that the thoughts of many hearts
may be revealed.” There was a prophetess, Anna…she never left the temple, but
worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that
very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were
awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
It is said of
Simeon and Anna: Simeon and Anna were two venerable elderly people
dedicated to prayer and fasting and so their strong religious spirit rendered
them able to recognize the Messiah. On this day, the Church demonstrates its
gratitude to all those in the community that dedicate themselves in a
privileged way to prayer, to those who have a particular religious vocation to
the contemplative life. In the figure of the venerable Simeon, Jesus’
presentation in the temple, also reminds us that prayer and contemplation are
not just a waste of time or an obstacle to charity. On the contrary, time could
not be better spent than in prayer as true Christian charity is a consequence
of a solid interior life. Only those who pray and offer penance, like Simeon
and Anna, are open to the breath of the Spirit. They know how to recognize the
Lord in the circumstances in which He manifests Himself because they possess an
ample interior vision, and they have learned how to love with the heart of the
One whose very name is Charity. (www.catholicculture.org)
My thoughts: This
week we have been looking at various ways that God can speak to His people.
Here we see, in Simeon and Anna, what we ourselves must do to be prepared for
God to speak to us. Simeon and Anna knew Jesus when they saw Him, because they
were dedicated to prayer and fasting. Simeon knew the movement of the Holy
Spirit because he allowed himself to be “open to the breath of the Spirit.” If
we cannot figure out why we never hear God speaking to us, maybe we need to
spend more time in silence, in prayer and fasting, and in contemplating His
word. It is impossible to recognize someone you do not know, and difficult to
hear the words of someone you seldom encounter.
Our prayer to God: Collect: Almighty ever-living
God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was
presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your
grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure. Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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