When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him 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:
“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of 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.” Lk 2:22-35
Today, the Good News reveals to us the third of the 3 Evangelical Canticles, the Canticle of Simeon. The other two are the Magnificat (Canticle of Mary) and the Benedictus (Canticle of Zachary/Zacharias-John the Baptist’s father) found earlier in Luke’s Gospel. The song of Simeon or Nunc Dimmitis (dost dismiss my servant) was inspired by the Holy Spirit who filled Simeon and revealed to him that he would not die until he met the savior of the world. Now, that is big time stuff! If you are doubting your faith, losing faith, or need more proof that Jesus is the Messiah, this is good stuff. The peace Simeon must have felt was full of joy. He had been waiting a long time (again in the Bible Jesus teaches us that waiting or long-suffering is rewarded/not the Internet world of instant gratification) The song is filled with verses from the Old Testament prophecies: ”Thus, in the following verses, “Because my eyes have seen thy salvation” alludes to Isaiah 52:10, rendered afterwards by St. Luke (3:6), “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God”. Verse 31, “Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples” accords with the Psalmist (97:2); and verse 32, “A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel”, recalls Isaiah 42:6.” -The Catholic Encyclpedia (Nunc Dimmitis)
Now put yourself in the shoes of Mary and Joseph. They are being devout Jews and following the laws of the Torah set before them and consecrated Jesus to the Temple. Simeon and later Anna speak about Jesus in a way the Luke says, “The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him.” Then, Simeon foretells Mary’s heart being pierced with swords (7 Dolorous/Sorrows of Mary) that will take place mostly at the Passion of Christ where she is helpless and following the will of God she must watch her Son suffer a torturous death and be nailed to a cross. All of this must remind us that our sins were the cause of this pain. This baby, “is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel”. Are you rising or falling with the Savior of humanity that is being revealed to us today? If you’re like me it is probably a little bit of both, but “with God anything is possible” cling to His graces in the Sacraments, prayer, Mass, fulfilling your vocation, and good works.
Today’s challenge: On Jan. 9th begin the journey of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, http://www.quies.org/True-Consecration-33-Day.pdf, it may just change your life forever I know it has mine!
Put a Liturgy of the Hours app on your phone or tablet or Google it and bookmark it on your computer, say it throughout the day.
Become a saint!
Christian YOLO
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