Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - Year B

 

The readings for Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph may be found at:  

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/123123.cfm

This weekend, we prepare for the coming of a new year.

We also celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph with this week’s gospel passage recounting the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.

You may also recognize this scene as the Fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary.

As I prepared to preach this weekend, I wanted to focus on the holy family and how we are all part of a family and how we are all called to holiness.

But, instead I kept coming back to Simeon.  Who was this guy?

Someone so central to our Lord’s presentation in the temple and yet a bit of a mystery.

As St. Luke tells us, Simeon came into the temple in the Spirit, took Jesus in 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.”

Who was Simeon, that after holding this baby - 

who at that time only Joseph and Mary recognized as the son of God - 

How is it that this guy sees Jesus, holds Him up to the Father and basically says, 

I’m ok to die now.  Take me.

In and of itself this is remarkable, but tradition tells us more.

Tradition says Simeon was one of the seventy translators of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek which began around the third century before Christ and was completed a little more than 130 years before Christ was born. 

Simeon was one of those translators.

We also just heard that Simeon was at the temple for the presentation of Jesus.

I’m not the best at math, but that means Simeon was really old!

Tradition says Simeon was 270 years old when Jesus was presented in the temple and that he lived to 370.

But let’s not focus on how Simeon could possibly live to that old age.

I think the better question is, What does it mean for us that Simeon was that old? 

What is tradition trying to tell us? 

I think it says that Simeon had been made a promise that he would see the messiah.

And that promise was fulfilled. Nearly three hundred years later. 

Three hundred years!

Simeon must have lived those days, years, decades and centuries with hope, trust, expectation, and anticipation. 

Every day - left waiting and wondering. 

Is this the day? 

Is this the day I will see salvation?

Is this the day I will give up hope? 

Is this the day it happens?

Is this the day I despair that it didn’t?

After waiting 270 years to see Jesus and uttering the words “You may let your servant go in peace”, 

Simeon waited another 100 years to die.

Now, we all know what it’s like to wait – 

waiting for life to change, for the grief to go away, 

for a prayer to be answered, for joy to return, 

for forgiveness and reconciliation, for clarity about a decision, 

for healing and new life. 

We all wait and hope for things.

And we place many of these hopes and expectations on God. 

I think we all come here with some hope, some need, some expectation. 

We come here trusting and anticipating the promise that God is present and working in our lives 

even if we can’t see it or clearly understand what He is doing day over day.

That’s why they call it faith.

It’s been said that 90% of success in life is just showing up.

Like Simeon at the temple, it’s important we continue to show up for God.

Especially, when it is hard to do it.

With New Years Day almost here, I thought it might be useful to offer up a few resolutions for consideration on how we can continue to show up for God:

• Commit to Daily Prayer.  Dedicate some time each day to prayer or reciting the Rosary to deepen our relationship with God.

• Go to the Saints.  Learn about the lives of the saints and their examples of faith, and consider how their experiences can inspire and guide us.

• Consider following a one-year Bible reading plan, like the one from Father Mike Schmitz on YouTube to engage and reflect on God's word throughout the year for just a few minutes a day.

• Watch the TV show “The Chosen” to be reminded that Jesus was a real person and that those he told to follow him were regular, broken people just like us.

• Go back to Confession.  Commit to a regular examination of conscience and sacramental confession, especially if you go to communion regularly.

• Go to Jesus.  Spend a few minutes with Jesus in the Eucharist at Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each Wednesday here at St. Gabriel’s between 3pm and 7pm.  

What Simeon experienced can be ours too - 

The fulfillment of God’s promise to us - 

if we keep at it, don’t give up and continue each day to show up for God.