When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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This will be our only encounter with Simeon in scripture. But he appears for a very particular reason. Simeon teaches us the value of trust.
Although it feels at times like God is delayed, Simeon reminds us that God is faithful; the Lord acts in our lives.
But God’s timing is different from ours. As we hear in the Psalms, “In your eyes, a thousand years are like a day gone by.”
God isn’t in a rush.
In Simeon’s case, the Lord promised that he would appear to him before his death. Although the Lord waited until Simeon was frail, he kept his promise. He acted. He appeared in the child Jesus.
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Simeon’s experience of waiting reminds me a bit of this last year at Saint Pius X. You prayed for a pastor for almost six months.
It must’ve felt like a thousand years, but for God, “a thousand years are like a day gone by.”
I wonder how many of us didn’t give up hope; how many trusted like Simeon that God would act?
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Perhaps we’re waiting on another prayer to be answered. An illness to be cured; a vaccine; a job; a relationship to be mended.
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It’s hard being patient. But good things come to those who wait. The key is remembering that for God, “a thousand years are like a day gone by.”
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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While I hope everyone experienced some joy this Christmas, 2020 was different.
2020 was a COVID Christmas. Most of our shopping was probably done online, as we avoided large crowds, wore face masks, and tried to be socially distant.
Dinner tables were downsized as we could only gather with our closest family members or friends. The rest we had to see on FaceTime or Zoom.
Then there were the permanently empty seats left at the Christmas table, spots once occupied by a parent, a spouse, or even a child.
While Christmas is meant to be a joyful season, for some it’s a mixed bag.
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Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
We remember and pray for the infants murdered by King Herod in his ruthless search for Jesus. It’s a stunning, jarring feast. It’s almost impossible to imagine a king issuing a death warrant for children.
But we celebrate this feast to remind us that there’s both light and darkness at work in our world – and by extension, both joy and sorrow at Christmas.
While Jesus survived Herod’s wrath that year, others didn’t.
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This feast always makes me more sensitive to the suffering of others, those who taste more sorrow than joy.
I think of those spending the holidays in a hospital bed with COVID, cancer, or another illness; those who remain quarantined in nursing homes, isolated from their families.
Those who lost loved ones this year; and those who spend the holidays working double-shifts to put bread on the table.
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While I hope we’ve all been joyful this Christmas, we must also remember those who struggle. May we shoulder their burdens; dry their tears; break their isolation; and come to their aid.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Sometimes a single word defines an era. In the case of 2020, the word has been, “pandemic.”
On March 11, the World Health Organization officially declared that, “COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.”
On that day, online searches for the word’s definition spiked 115,806% compared to the same day a year ago.
The word pandemic comes from the Greek, “pan-demos,” meaning, “all of the people.”
All of us have been affected by this virus. And with the continued spike in cases, there’s also been a surge in fear, anxiety, and isolation.
Some have simply called 2020, “the year that never was.”
Or, worse, “the year of darkness.”
Darkness because of social distance; darkness because of isolation; darkness because of months of online learning; darkness because of unemployment, the fear, and division this horrible virus has unleashed.
2020 has been the year of darkness.
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In the Gospel, we hear about the birth of Christ, something that also happens in the darkness, in the night.
The first people to encounter Jesus laying in a manger are the shepherds. They were busy keeping watch over their flock when suddenly the Good News was revealed to them.
An angel shatters the darkness of the night, announcing, “Do not be afraid; for behold I proclaim to you good news of great joy! … Today a savior has been born.”
What happened to the shepherds changed their experience of the darkness, of the night.
While they once feared danger lurking in the darkness – the attack of wild animals that could scatter their sheep, the chaos provoked by sudden storms, or the sinister plans of thieves looking to plunder and steal – the shepherds now have a reason to rejoice in the darkness.
“A savior has been born.” Meaning, there is someone else at work in the night.
Tonight, a child is born, whose name is Emmanuel, meaning, “God with us.”
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This is the first message proclaimed at Christmas.
God has visited us in the night.
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In the words of Saint John of the Cross, “When you are in darkness and cannot see anything or find a way out, then the only thing you can do is to put your hand into the hand of someone who can see and who can lead you out into the light.”
God extends his hand to the shepherds that first Christmas night.
And he continues reaching out to us today.
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Looking back over 2020, when was I in darkness? Did I ever feel lost in the night?
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I think of students struggling to learn online, missing their friends at school. Teachers digging deep, trying to keep their students’ spirits up. Parents without an income. Loved ones quarantined in nursing homes. Families who’ve lost loved ones to COVID or cancer.
Or the six months this parish journeyed without a pastor. Together, you wandered into the unknown, into the night.
But looking back, can we see where God was working in our lives?
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Some have said to me, “As strange as it sounds, COVID’s brought some unexpected blessings. I’ve had more time with my family. We’ve returned to the dinner table.”
Or, “I’ve re-discovered my faith. Being quarantined made me pause and pray.”
We’ve also seen the resilience of the human spirit. Think about the daily heroism we witness from frontline medical workers, custodians, delivery drivers, cashiers, and those who stock our grocery shelves with food.
People whom we might not have noticed before, but are now considered “essential.”
I’m sure we’ve all encountered someone like them who brought us light; a small act of kindness in the night, reminding us of Emmanuel, God with us.
This is our faith: God often makes himself known to us in both the heroism and ordinary kindness of our neighbor.
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I’ve often prayed the prayer of Saint Francis, which seems so appropriate tonight. Through the centuries, Francis has invited Christians to remember their calling.
In his words, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope.”
We might add, “Lord, let me be like the angel that first Christmas night. Where there is darkness, let me bring joy. Let me bring light.”
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This is my prayer for all of us this Christmas. May we be like the angels, agents of light, bringing hope and healing to all we meet.
Remembering that no matter what lies ahead in 2021, there is someone else working in the night.
