We heard the prophet Malachi make the prophecy: “Suddenly there will come to the Temple the Lord whom you seek and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.” And St. Luke writes about the fulfillment of that prophecy in today’s Gospel from Luke.
In Simeon and Anna, we are invited to experience the longing of God’s people for the promised Messiah. The prophets through the centuries have fed that longing. And today’s Psalm response prepares us for what is to come: “Lift up, O gates, your lintels, that the King of glory may come in.”
The King of glory is carried through the gates into the Temple in the arms of Mary and Joseph. No splendid entrance! And yet Simeon recognizes the hoped-for Messiah in the person of this baby. The Spirit of God has drawn Simeon to the child Jesus. At that moment, a glimpse of the glory that has come to earth is heard in the response of Simeon: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples.” What a blessed encounter!
But we also hear words that are meant to prepare Mary and Joseph and us for what is to come. The Messiah will suffer and die for the salvation of the world.
As we pray with these Scriptures, what might we learn?
As the Lord has come among us in a humble, gentle way, he is encouraging us to be his humble, gentle presence in the world around us. As Simeon and Anna longed for the coming Messiah, we too might take the quiet time needed to get in touch with our longing for all that Jesus will bring to us.
As Simeon thanked the Lord for fulfilling his promise, we too might develop a deeper sense of gratitude for all the gifts that our loving God has graced for us each day.
Give thanks for our loving God who enters our temple every day.
