Dec. 29th.Lectionary # 203.

Scripture: Dec.29. Lectionary # 203: I John 2:3-11. Psalm 96:1-2,2-3.5-6. Luke 2:22-35: We are listening to many of the events contained in the Infance Narratives of Matthew and Luke. These are divinely inspired accounts that give us an insight into the spirituality of the early Church writers who recorded the events, words, and doings of Jesus from his earliest years. Today, we go back to his fortieth day after his birth. He is being presented by his parents in the Temple for a ritual of purification even though all three are pure in all meanings of that word, but they are fulfilling the righteousness of the Torah expressed through such actions of reverence and worship of returning to the Lord what has been given to them as pious parents. Some Catholic mothers and certainly great grandmothers and grandmothers have presented their children and consecrated them to God by offering them at the side chapel of the Virgin Mary thus, in a way, there is a tradition carried on by what Joseph and Mary did for the child Jesus. In this beautiful passage we see Simeon who is also a pious person coming oftne maybe even daily to the Temple. He observes all who come ago while at the same time offering his own praise to the glory of God. He had the insight and the grace to come while Joseph and Mary were presenting Jesus to the Father. Simeon recognized the child he was hoping to see as the Messiah; his hopes come true and he blesses the child, the parents, and prophesies about the future of this wonderful son of Mary who is also Son of God. Simeon's prayer is very short and it forms the latter part of our Compline or Night Prayer as it is said in the liturgy of the hours. We thank Simeon for handing this on through the remebrance of the Evangelist Luke who treasures all these things in his heart and then hands them on to us in his beautiful Infancy Narratve (Luke chapters one and two). Simeon is the first outside of the parents of Jesus to embrace him in his arms while making this prayer: Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel." Amen