SIMEON
29
December Lk. 2,22 – 35
Simeon was a
prophet, devout and righteous, docile and sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and
prompting. He knew immediately that the Child of Mary was the Messiah, the
consolation of Israel. As a prophet, his heart was attuned to the work of God in
his generation. As God’s plan unfolded, his heart leapt for joy and adoration
at the glory of God’s wisdom and revelation. Simeon is a wonderful model for us
as one who was truly governed by God’s Holy Spirit. We, like him, are called to
live so as to respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Simeon was able to be
an instrument of prophecy because he was not dominated by his own thoughts and
ideas about the Messiah. The humility and obscurity of Jesus’ coming did not offend
him, and he embraced God’s revelation with a glad and willing heart. Every prophet
desires to know what God is saying to his or her generation, and is eager to usher
in the Kingdom of heaven.
We can almost
taste the sense of wonder, marvel and astonishment that Joseph and Mary
experienced. The joy at Simeon’s revelation must have sustained them as they
grappled to understand the meaning of Simeon’s prophecy. The knowledge that
their Son would be a sign of contradiction, one who would cause the rise and
the falling of many and reveal the hearts of people, could not have been an easy
message to bear.
The suggestion
that Joseph and Mary simply absorbed these things without the understandable
anguish that would accompany such an announcement is unrealistic. We don’t know
the impact that Simeon’s word had on Mary. No mother likes to hear that her
child will suffer, and Mary must have wrestled with what it would mean that her
own grief would be like a sword piercing her heart. The drama of our salvation
is lived out on the backcloth of a profound humanity, embracing both the wonder
of hope and the dark clouds of fear and dread. The Holy Spirit wants to bring
us deeper and further into the mystery of Jesus’ birth. We can be confident
that as we humbly approach the throne of grace for wisdom and light, the sword
of the Spirit will pierce our own hearts.
PRAYER
Most Holy Spirit, create in me the heart
of a prophet. Grant me a spirit of humility and service and make me sensitive
and docile to your guidance and leading. Make me like your servant, Simeon, prepare
and long or your coming. Amen.
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