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Gospel: Luke 2: 22-40
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus 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:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for 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.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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I once knew someone who placed his shoes underneath his bed.
Although they remained within arm’s reach, he’d make sure they were pushed far enough underneath that he’d have to kneel down to retrieve them.
Such a simple gesture put him on his knees twice a day, reminding him to pray both in the morning and at night.
***
In the Gospel, the prophet Simeon makes a dramatic discovery.
There are hundreds – if not thousands – of people passing through the temple that day. But when Simeon sees the Child Jesus, he realizes this is the long-awaited Messiah.
To anyone other than Mary and Joseph, Jesus was an ordinary baby. In fact, many who will come to know Jesus throughout his life will see no more than that – an ordinary person.
Why did Simeon see something – someone – that others didn’t?
I’m sure there are plenty of answers, but one of them must be this:
He prayed.
***
Prayer allows us to see the world differently, as if there’s a fourth dimension.
We recognize Christ present in others; we recognize Christ present within ourselves; and we recognize his guidance throughout our lives.
Prayer can be tremendously fruitful. But sometimes we struggle finding time for it, or even understanding how to do it.
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Consider sliding your shoes a few inches underneath your bed. Then you’ll find yourself in a prayerful position twice a day. If you’re not sure what to do next, just ask the Lord.
That itself is prayer.
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Image credits: (1) Bed Time Prayers by Mike Ivey (2) Simeon, Buildingontheword., Fr. George Smiga (3) Store Space Self Storage
