Luke 2:22-40

Luke 2:22-40

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 also a prophetess, Anna,

the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She was advanced in years,

having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,

and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.

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.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions

of the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;

and the favor of God was upon him.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, Lord God, I praise you and thank you for your great mercy. Help me to grow and become strong. Fill me with your wisdom and be gracious toward me.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Waiting for the Lord: When we contemplate the mystery of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, we have to remember that the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary of the Second Temple, had been empty for several centuries. When the Temple was built under King Solomon, the glory cloud of the Lord filled the Holy of Holies, and the Ark of the Covenant was housed in the innermost sanctuary. But the rebuilt second Temple didn’t have either. And so, the people of Israel were waiting for the return of the glory of the Lord. This attitude of “waiting for the Lord” is exemplified in today’s Gospel by Simeon and Anna. It is also a fundamental Christian attitude, as we too are “waiting for the Lord.” Just as Simeon and Anna welcomed the Christ in his first, humble advent, we are waiting and are to be ready to welcome Jesus Christ in his second, glorious advent. In the words of Pope Saint John Paul II: “Simeon and Anna represent the expectation of all Israel. It is granted to them to meet the One whom the prophets had foretold for centuries. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the two elderly people see the long-awaited Messiah in the Child that Mary and Joseph have brought to the temple as prescribed by the law of the Lord” (February 2, 2000).

2. Simeon: We can assume that Simeon was elderly, and we are told that “he should not see death until he had seen the Christ the Lord.” He was attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and went to the temple 40 days after the birth of Jesus. “Simeon's words have a prophetic tone:  the old man looks at the past and foretells the future. He says: ‘Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for mine eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel’ (Luke 2:29-32). Simeon expresses the fulfilment of the expectation that was his reason for living” (John Paul II, February 2, 2000). Simeon was a man of the Old Covenant, a man of the Temple of Jerusalem, who expressed his conviction that this Light of revelation was meant not only for Israel, but also for pagans and all the peoples of the earth. “With him, the ‘aged’ world receives in its arms the splendor of God’s eternal ‘youth.’ However, the shadow of the Cross already looms in the background, because the darkness will reject that Light. Indeed, turning to Mary, Simeon prophesies: ‘This child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed’ (Luke 2:34-35)” (John Paul II, February 2, 1998). Simeon, in his old age, was granted to see the promises of the Old Covenant fulfilled. In the Gospel, there is a mysterious encounter between Simeon and Mary, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. “Together, the ageing prophet and the young mother give thanks for this Light which has kept the darkness from prevailing. It is the Light which shines in the heart of human life: Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world, "a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of his people Israel.” (see John Paul II, February 2, 1999).

3. Anna the Prophetess: While we assume that Simeon was old, we are certain that Anna was elderly. She was either 84 years old or 105 years old. She had lived the majority of her life as a widow. In this way, she represents Israel, who was waiting for her bridegroom, the royal Messiah, to appear. As a prophetess, she interpreted the deep meaning of the historical events and of God’s message concealed within them. “Her long widowhood devoted to worship in the temple, fidelity to weekly fasting and participation in the expectation of those who yearned for the redemption of Israel culminated in her meeting with the Child Jesus” (Benedict XVI, February 2, 2006). Simeon and Anna both understood that the baby they saw was the Awaited One (Benedict XVI, February 2, 2011). “In contemplating the Child Jesus, Simeon and Anna foresee his destiny of death and Resurrection for the salvation of all peoples and they proclaim this mystery as universal salvation” (Benedict XVI, February 2, 2011). Ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit who brings consolation to Israel and motivates the steps and moves the hearts of those who await him. “He is the Spirit who prompted the prophetic words of Simeon and Anna, words of blessing and praise of God, of faith in his Anointed One, of thanksgiving, for at last our eyes could see and our arms embrace ‘your salvation’ (see Luke 2:30)” (Benedict XVI, February 2, 2013). 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, merciful and faithful High Priest, console me and speak

tender words of mercy towards me. As I contemplate you as a baby presented in the Temple,

grant me a child-like simplicity and the joy of dwelling forever in the Father’s house.

Living the Word of God: “Like Simeon and Anna, take Jesus from the arms of his most holy Mother and, filled with joy for the gift of your vocation, bring him to everyone. Christ is salvation and hope for every person! Proclaim him by your life dedicated entirely to the kingdom of God and the world's salvation” (John Paul II, February 2, 2001).