Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 2, 2020
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my 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.”
Domers of recent vintage may recall a top 25 Bookstore Basketball team named Nunc Dimittis. That Latin phrase comes from the beginning of Simeon’s song of praise in this Gospel: “Now you dismiss…” The Bookstore team was typically composed of tall Holy Cross priests, who were familiar with the phrase because religious offer Simeon’s words in their evening prayer every day. The ball-playing priests took the line as a commission to “dismiss” their competition, which they regularly did.
In his joy at holding the child Jesus in his arms, Simeon experiences the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit’s promise that he would live to see the Messiah, and humbly praises the Lord. This is an opportunity for us to share in Simeon’s joy: Our faith is not based on an ideology—it is a response to the living, loving presence of God among us.
The late Father Henri Nouwen taught that just as humanity awaited the birth of a Savior—a Messiah—now the rest of creation awaits the revelation of Christ through the Church. So, how do we exemplify Jesus alive in the world today? Perhaps we can share the faith and vigilance of Simeon and Anna—what Father Nouwen called “active waiting.”
To develop our capacity for this “active waiting” we might tap into our childhood to recall the excitement of awaiting the birth of a baby sister or brother, for Christmas morning, or for Mom or Dad to get home from work so that we could show off good grades or a newly received trophy. Such recollection enhances our spiritual lives by engaging our emotions and memory.
Waiting for Jesus is not fruitless—it makes us better disciples, ready to recognize him and respond to him, like Simeon. Because we have experienced God’s merciful presence, we wait with conviction and well-founded hope.
In our efforts to personify compassion and forgiveness today, may we be alert to how encounters with God often come through the simple faithfulness Simeon showed. Let us ready ourselves to welcome the Lord in our joy, in our need, and in our discipleship.
Prayer
Lord, the prophet Simeon saw you and knew at once that you were the Messiah, the Promised One. He foresaw that you would be a light to the nations, and the glory of the people of Israel. But he also knew that you would be rejected by many. Protect us, Lord, so that we may never reject you or your message of salvation. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today’s feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a hinge upon which we pivot our gaze from Christmas and the Incarnation to Easter and Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.
This day falls 40 days after Christmas, and in the older liturgical calendars, the Presentation of the Lord closed the Christmas season (it now concludes with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord). The roots of this feast are found in Scripture, which tells of Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the Temple to follow Jewish law.
The law prescribed two rites following a birth. In one, the new mother was to offer a sacrifice of a lamb and a dove in thanksgiving for a safe delivery (those who were poor, like Mary and Joseph, were allowed to offer two doves, which they did). This offering was also intended for the purification of the mother and it took place 40 days after the birth of a male (80 days after the birth of a female).
In the other rite, which was to symbolically offer the new child to the Lord, the parents presented the child in the Temple and then ransomed him or her with money. In what must be one of the great paradoxes in history, Mary and Joseph “redeemed” Jesus with the traditional five shekels..
The Scriptural accounts of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple tell of the meeting with Simeon, the aged man who had been promised by God that he would see the Messiah before his own death. Along with the prophetess Anna, Simeon represents the hope of devout Jews who were waiting for God’s rule.
Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, and, after giving thanks to God, makes a prophecy to Mary. His words call to mind the suffering that Jesus will endure for our redemption, and the confusion and sorrow that go with it. The ancient Church used this scene to transition from celebrating Jesus’ Incarnation to preparing to enter the Paschal Mystery in the Lenten and Easter seasons.
The celebration of this feast began in the ancient Church—it appears to have begun in the fourth century, and was celebrated as the culmination of the Christmas season during the Middle Ages.
This feast was always celebrated with candles (and used to be known as Candlemas) because of Simeon’s recognition that in the person of Jesus, God has given us salvation—“a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people, Israel.” The scene with Simeon is depicted in the Basilica, as shown in today's featured image.
On this feast of the presentation of the Lord, let us join Simeon in recognizing our salvation in Jesus, the light of the world!