Simeon and Anna

 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD"), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of the Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  So he came by the Spirit into the temple.  And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

"Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel."

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.  Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was of a great age, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.  And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

- Luke 2:22-38

Yesterday, we read that it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.   Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you:  You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.  And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.


Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD"), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."  My study bible tells us that Mary fulfills the law (Leviticus 12) by bringing Jesus to the temple on the fortieth day.  The law required that an offering of an unblemished lamb be brought or if the mother is not able to bring a lamb, then she brings a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons (Leviticus 12:6-8).  The quotation refers to Exodus 13:2, 12, 15.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of the Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  My study bible say that Simeon represents humanity in waiting for the Consolation of Israel.  He fulfills Psalm 91:16, in which God makes a promise to the one who loves Him:  "With length of days I will satisfy him,/And show him My salvation."

So he came by the Spirit into the temple.  And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: . . .   We look at Isaiah's reception of the burning coal from the angel in Isaiah 6:6-7, and compare it with Simeon's reception of Christ.  My study bible says, "In both cases, a prophet receives the life-giving fire of the offering -- Isaiah received the type, and Simeon receives the fulfillment."

"Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word;  For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel."  This canticle is sung daily at Vespers for many denominations.  "Since salvation has been born into all the world," says my study bible, "all peoples can embrace death (see Philippians 1:23).  For the Christian, death is no longer frightful, but a gateway to everlasting peace."

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.  Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."  The "fall and rising of many in Israel" becomes a statement about the sword being brought that is the sword of Christ's truth; it's about the second coming that is promised in the first, and the reckoning of the world.  My study bible says, "for the believer, it will be a resurrection to life; for the unbeliever, it will be a falling into judgment (John 5:29)."  This sword that will pierce Mary's own soul is the anguish she will experience as she witnesses her Son's death.  Her soul will be pierced in grief.  Ultimately, it is the "thoughts of many hearts" that are revealed through the mission of Christ.

 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was of a great age, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.  And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.  My study bible says of this passage that both men and women are called to proclaim Christ's redemption, and women are the first to proclaim His Resurrection (Luke 24:9). 

In all our recent readings from passages that "surround" the birth of Jesus, the advent of the Light that comes into the world, we have had mysterious movings of the hand of God, the work of the Holy Spirit.  Coming in song and hymns and praise, in prophecy, and light and glory, great things are being shaken up and introduced into the world.  It is coming into what is now a "dry and parched" land, in which things are not as they should be given the spiritual history of Israel.  There is a "king of Judea" who was not born a Jew but rather converted for expediency's sake, in order to take the throne as "ordained" by the Romans.  It has been many, many years since there has been a prophet in Israel.  But now, the light breaks, and even babes in the womb leap at the entrance of Mary who carried the fetus Jesus.  Prophecy returns to Israel in an astounding way:  a child leaps in its mother's womb, a woman (Elizabeth) declares spontaneously that her kinswoman (Mary) is carrying "my Lord" in her womb.  There is the song of Mary that bursts forth, the song that comes from the formerly mute Zacharias, and everything begins with the announcement of angels appearing to human beings:  see the announcement to Zacharias here and here, the Annunciation to Mary, and the angels who appear to the shepherds in the fields.  In today's reading we have Simeon's song and the spontaneous declaration of Anna, two elderly people who have awaited the Consolation of Light and Living Water in a parched land, with great faith.  The Holy Spirit is at work through everyone in these scenes, it is a time of truth and revelation, in the beauty of song and poetry and prophecy.  This is how Jesus' life begins, but the world interferes a little, too.  We see the difference in that there was no room at the inn for these parents, in the "fall and rising" of many, in the sword that will pierce Mary's heart.  Let us remember it is God's holy plan -- especially when our own may go so awry as well.  Let us persist with faith, and the patience asked of us in God's time.

Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?

So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and his mother did not know it; but supposing him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

- Luke 2:39-52

For the last reading of this Christmastide season, I have chosen these passages in Luke, that tell us about Jesus' boyhood, growing up with His parents. This is the one source in the Bible that teaches us about this period of Jesus' life.

So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. A note in my study bible reads: "The Incarnation means that Jesus experiences normal human physical, emotional and intellectual growth, but under the special overshadowing grace of God which fills Him with wisdom and strength." In this question for the centuries, we wonder about what it must have been like for Jesus growing up. Was He aware of His identity? How do the human and the divine interact within Him? This is a great mystery, and it forms and shapes much of church history, this debate about Jesus' nature. But this is what accepted Scripture teaches us: He "grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him."

His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. My study bible says: "Pilgrimages to Jerusalem on three great feasts, Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, were customary for all except those who lived at great distances. Entire clans and villages would travel together." We get a picture of life for these people at this time: social and family life revolve around community tradition. Great groups of people travel for the festivals together. It sounds quite like a very fulfilled life, of great community activity, in which all participated, including the children, and all were included. So we also understand that travel was nothing new for Jesus either. He would have been a part of caravans going to the feasts in Jerusalem at least three times a year. His town, Nazareth, although small, lay on the Roman road to Jerusalem. Galilee itself was a great mix of cultures; near Nazareth were metropolitan centers with a great mix of populations and languages. So, all in all, we can have considered Jesus to have experienced quite a busy and diverse life in childhood, filled with both the importance of Jewish life and tradition as well as exposure to the Gentile world. Surrounding Nazareth is varied geography, from hilltops to mountains to the Mediterranean coast. Tradition tells us that Jesus (and most of His apostles) come from backgrounds in which a trade and craft were important: Jesus is from a family of craftsmen and carpenters, His friends and apostles such as Simon Peter and his brother Andrew and James and John the sons of Zebedee were Galilean fishermen. All in all we have a picture of a very social and active community life, with Jesus exposed to all manner of worldly life, and varied experiences and activities.

And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and his mother did not know it; but supposing him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. So, we have a picture here of a rather typical twelve year old in some sense. The family travels - most likely with many relatives, friends and neighbors - to Jerusalem for the feast. But the twelve-year-old Jesus stays behind, and his parents don't know it. They presume him to be among relatives or neighbors, traveling somewhere with them in this large company of people. One can imagine it is a very social time. This type of community life is traditional, although different from what many of us may experience today. But the story itself is rather typical -- perhaps we all might recall an occasion on which a child was temporarily lost, or stayed behind, while his or her parents assumed he or she was with family or friends. In this case, Joseph and Mary must return to Jerusalem to find Him. That, one might think, would prove unforgettable and traumatic for the parents.

Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." Three days of searching in Jerusalem -- I really have to pause and think about this. Our Lord has given His parents quite a time. One might wonder what sort of example parents will find in Jesus when they wish to teach their children about obedience! Jesus is high-spirited if nothing else, and also in at least one sense a rather typical highly-intelligent twelve year old: He's given his parents a great deal of anxiety, and three days of fear and searching. Indeed, their perspective is to ask "Why have You done this to us?" But of course, this story teaches us that Jesus is also not typical at all. He hasn't run away but He is instead where His heart has led Him, to the heart of Jewish life and the teachers in the temple. His conversation is extraordinary, and it is a setting in which love is at work, in which Jesus is showing that He is indeed "strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and has the grace of God upon Him."

And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. My study bible notes here: "My Father's business means God's will in preparation for Jesus' ministry. This is the first statement about God as Jesus' Father. What He does is righteous, but His parents do not understand it at the time." Jesus answers as an extraordinary Child who does not speak as a child but as an adult. At twelve, perhaps, He has made a sign here of his impending adulthood. He is taking responsibility and growing up. Who indeed, is His Father? Where did this idea come from? How has He astonished the teachers in the temple with His wisdom? And at the same time, His parents don't understand Him at all; they can't fathom His reply. All of this is part of the mystery of Jesus' personality and persona, His identity. But it is the beginning of a pattern. Jesus will shake up the world. He will not be a person without controversy, to say the least; and he is not merely a "perfect child" who is always obedient to authority. But Jesus' obedience is always to a higher authority, and His single-mindedness is to the mission with which He is entrusted, bearing the wisdom that will astonish and continues to be, for us, the good news. This Child has begun His mission and is already aware of this identity. Whatever "rules" He may break are done in service to the God of all, who has given the Law itself. Moreover, He shows Himself to be a Child fully-formed in love of His heritage and Jewish tradition.

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. My study bible notes that, "Jesus is subject to His parents, showing humble obedience to His earthly mother and father." And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. A note here reads: "Jesus increases in wisdom, stature and favor with God and men, bringing into plain view the wisdom and grace inherent in Him. In His Incarnation Jesus makes humanity completely His own, including progress in wisdom and grace. He experiences and sanctifies every stage of human life. Since He is at once both God and man, He increases humanly in the grace and wisdom which are already fully His in His divine nature. Indeed, that growth of His humanity prefigures our own growth into union with Him."

I quite love the concepts espoused by that last note in my study bible: Jesus "sanctifies every stage of human life." It is as if the grace and wisdom in Him teach Him all about His own divine nature. In some sense, then, part of Jesus' life mirrors an example for our own: through God's help, we too can grow in wisdom and grace in our humanity. As He grew to accept His own divinity, which is what these Gospels are all about in His public ministry, so we can gradually grow to understand ourselves into union with Him. As human beings, we have the opportunity to understand ourselves as a part of His mystical Body, and servants of His will in our own lives. So, let us consider the Boy who stayed behind in order to "be about His Father's business." Why and how do we make choices in our lives? Do we mirror His? Can we take time out to develop and grow in the shadow of grace and wisdom? Do we understand that God is the Father of all, and that Christ - who calls us friends - is here for us to do the same, to grow as He did? Let us consider, then, making room for the Father's business in our own lives, and what it means in light of today's reading to "follow Him." Jesus' divine nature grows and becomes revealed not simply for the sake of the glory of the Father and the Son, but for us - just as His life and sacrifice will be to anoint us with His Spirit. In our busy lives today, midst the bustle of commerce and activity, how do we take time to follow Him and be about the business He asks of us, to seek the wisdom and grace that are His gifts to us? Like His mother, let us also ponder these things in our hearts, and let them enlighten us there.

Anna the prophetess

Maestà: The Presentation in the Temple - Duccio di Buoninsegna

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

- Luke 2:36-38

For today's reading I am continuing with Christmastide as a theme, and I have chosen Luke's Gospel section regarding Anna the Prophetess. This reading follows the verses about Simeon and his beautiful inspired Canticle (see Nunc Dimittis - Simeon's Song).

I find these verses quite poetic, and their inclusion in Luke's Gospel a wonderful part of our tradition. First we have Simeon, who as an aged man has awaited all of his life the Consolation of Israel. We were told that "it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." So we have an elderly man, looking toward the light of the Christ, whose hope is fulfilled in the temple. And also in the temple is Anna, the subject of today's reading.

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years. . . Like Simeon, Anna is also aged. We are told "she was of great age." Also like Simeon, she is touched by the Holy Spirit - she is a prophetess. She fulfills, therefore, a special role in the great economy of God. Her age and her circumstances would deeply limit that role in human social circles: she had been married but seven years, a widow for eighty-four! Yet, Anna plays an important role. Moreoever, we are told she is the daughter of Phanuel. While we do not know about Anna's father, we understand the name, which means "Face of God." In the Book of Enoch, Phanuel is a name given to an archangel. And Asher means "Happy." So, with this brief information, in a setting in which all names are important and filled with meaning, we are given some great hints about Anna. And there is poetry in these hints, because from her external circumstances, the information we understand is quite different in contrast to these meanings in the names. She is extremely aged and hasn't been a part of family life for eighty-four years - and therefore not ranking very much in a social sense. She is of the tribe of Asher. Asher was considered one of the Ten Lost tribes of Israel since the Assyrian Conquest. So, given her personal circumstances, Anna is "lost" in terms of secular community life both as an individual woman and as a member of the tribe of Asher.

But if we put this information together, we are given a great picture of the reality of God's blessings and work in the world. The name of Phanuel, reminding us of an archangel called the "Face of God," gives us a hint about Anna in relation to the Gospels. In Matthew's Gospel, we are told the story of Jesus teaching His disciples to come before God "as little children" and practice humility before God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." Anna, of great age, is one of those who come before God in humility, whose angel always sees the face of "my Father who is in heaven." Rather than simply a woman of great age, Anna is in fact one of the "little ones" whom Jesus praises. And rather than being "lost" and without a family, we are told that Anna serves a great function.

. . .who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. My study bible notes that "God reveals Himself to those who do not depart from Him. This woman has served God for many years, and she is prepared to meet her Messiah. For the elderly and lonely who wonder what they can do to serve God, Anna's fastings and prayers are a wonderful example." Anna is a stunning example of how all belong to the family of God, an illustration of a repeated teaching in the Gospels - that those who may be excluded from the social structures are always included at the table of God, and particularly illustrated here, in the home of God. Anna has a function and an important role, and she is rewarded for this role.

And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Because she is there, always serving in the temple, she is ready for the great blessing, the gift of the Christ in the Child who is in the temple on this day of Dedication. Like Simeon, she is blessed with this revelation in her old age, and it gives her one more new and important role to play: she went out and "spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Anna becomes an evangelist, spreading the good news.

"Anna" is also the name "Hannah" in the Hebrew, and it means "favored one." So, Anna the prophetess becomes another "favored woman" of the bible. The Hannah before her was childless and well into old age, a beloved and devoted wife, when God favored her with her child Samuel. Mary's Magnificat, the inspired prayer that begins, "My soul magnifies the Lord" is a reflection of Hannah's before her. Anna and Mary meet in the temple, the mother of the Babe and the woman of great age who has served and waited upon God night and day. But in this scene, the Child becomes the Child for both of them. He is the Child that both of them have been awaiting. Just as He is the Consolation for Simeon, so He is also the good news for Anna. In this story, we have the good news for all the people, but especially for the outcast, whose shame consists in some form of social failure. As Elizabeth puts it, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." There is no "outcast" with God, but only those who are like the beautiful "little ones" whose angels always behold the face of God. They are the humble who serve, who have life and joy and consolation. The figures fill the bible in this image, from Hannah, to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, to Anna the prophetess. All find hope in this Child. All are a part of the love of God, and the work of the Spirit is evident in the life of each one. In the "greatly aged" face of Anna, we imagine the joy that lights her eyes, and the gift of Life Itself brought to her by the Spirit, in her life of great service. (I love the figure of Anna, with her hand raised and the smile on her face, in the painting above.) May we all live with such consolation, and the joy of that light, and her good news. The Gospels bring us the great stories of these women, and we should understand them for the great blessings and good news they bear for each one of us, and to all who "look for redemption" today.

Nunc Dimittis - Simeon's Song

Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD"), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

"Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,

According to Your word;

For my eyes have seen Your salvation

Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel."

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

- Luke 2:22-35

As we continue through Christmastide, today we come to the Dedication in the Temple, as reported by Luke. Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD"), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." A note here in my study bible indicates "Days of . . . purification: Forty days after birth (see Lev. 12:2,4), Jesus is brought to the temple to be blessed according to Jewish tradition. In the Orthodox Church women and their infants, male or female, also come for a blessing on the fortieth day." In the Eastern Church, the blessing (and in some traditions - such as the Armenian - baptism) is a way of introducing the child into the community. So we can think of a parallel with Jesus: the child is brought into the community and becomes a part of that community. In this case, we understand that Jesus is fully a part of His Jewish heritage and community life and is brought up in accordance with the Law and the Scriptures.

And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. A note here reads, "The Consolation of Israel: the joy of the deliverance that the Messiah is expected to bring to Israel." We could think of Simeon as a metaphor for Israel - an ancient people long awaiting the Deliverer, in faith. Simeon's age is important, it seems to me, for all of us. He lives in hope, just as we are to live in expectation and hope, regardless of our age or what we have seen in life. This is a great secret to spiritual reality, to the life of those who would be devoted to spiritual understanding.

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. Simeon is a devout man, a man fully enmeshed in prayer in his life, living with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Like so many others (as we mentioned in yesterday's reading and commentary) who people this story surrounding Jesus' birth into the world, Simeon experiences great grace in his life, and the action and participation of the Holy Spirit. The "Lord's Christ" is the Christ of God the Father. The Christ is the "Anointed One." In some way, we have in this passage the revelation of Trinity: God the Father, the Son as the Child and Christ, the Holy Spirit working through Simeon.

And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel." My study bible notes that, "This 'Canticle of Simeon,' called the Nunc Dimittis (the first words of the prayer in Latin), is still sung daily at evening prayers in the Orthodox Church, as the contemporary confession and experience of all worshiping Christians. Christ is still the salvation God prepared for all peoples, the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel." Of course, this canticle is found in many branches of the Church during evening prayers, and its beauty still shines to us. It is the beauty of the light brought to the "old" eyes of Simeon, someone who has awaited this Day, as have his people. The prayer of awaiting is a prayer from ancient times, culminating in the aged eyes of Simeon, who realizes his hope in the Child. Yet, it is even more than this: "For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel." It is a light, Simeon understands, which is salvation before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of . . . Israel." The glory of Israel, or the people of God, will be this revelation to the Gentiles. The light and hope of Simeon is not only of his people, but for the whole world - all people in all times. This is quite a hope to be realized!

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." My study bible says, "At the time of the Passion of Christ, Mary will suffer the sword of pain which (according to tradition) she escaped in childbirth. Seeing her Son on the Cross, her soul will be pierced in grief." Again, Simeon speaks through the Holy Spirit, revealing spiritual reality to Joseph and Mary. The sign of Jesus' crucifixion will be "spoken against" - a curse, a scandal - but necessary so that "the thoughts of man hearts may be revealed." In Simeon's prophetic words we find the first indication of what it is to mean that Jesus' life will be a stumbling block, and bear the power of judgment in the response of all people to this event, revealing the thoughts of many hearts.

Repeated themes of age, expectation, the pain of life and its spiritual consolation are in our reading today. We think of the hope of Mary and Joseph. Both of them have been given to understand that this is a special Child - but all is revealed to them as life goes on, a light given, just as it is revealed to us through this story. No one begins this story in complete knowledge and understanding of events that are to unfold. Spiritual prophecy does not work that way: Simeon's prophetic words are the first indication of the pain that Mary will bear, the hardships that will come even to the life of the Son, the Lord's Christ. Simeon, as an old man, has awaited this moment all of his life and now it is fulfilled. His canticle blesses the Child, and praises Him, but the experience of life is also there, and the warning of the experiences to come. So let us consider then, along with our understanding of a long life in the world and the experience of pain that can bring, what it is to await in hope. What is it to live a long life in expectation, and spiritual fulfillment? Simeon sees the culmination of his hopes, the consolation he awaits as fulfillment of Scripture. But what about in our world? We who have this story, lived out 2,000 years ago, how do we await that consolation and that light of expectation? We live in hope of His return, but also in the understanding that this grace which pervades this story, and especially the life and character of Simeon, is something which is also given to us. It has been poured out upon all flesh -- the Anointed One, the Christ, has also anointed us. So to live out in long life the expectation and consolation of this moment is to live also in God's peace, in prayer and communion with the Holy Spirit and the receipt of God's grace. In this powerful understanding, the sad death of Jesus on the Cross has a potent meaning, a reason and purpose, and so can the sad or difficult events of a long life for each of us. It is not that we seek suffering or hidden meaning - but rather that we respond to suffering and the awful shadows of hardship and pain in this world by seeking that Spirit and Its response and consolation for us. I cannot speak to each individual for every pain or hardship, but there is a place for each of us to seek that for ourselves. May you all find yours, in the heart of the prayer, in union with the Holy Spirit and in the light of His life. And may we all live in hope, throughout our lives. Simeon sings an inspired song, and I hope so may we all. This is my prayer for all of us.

His name was called Jesus

El Greco - The Adoration of the Name of Jesus

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

- Luke 2:15-21

Today we continue the readings from yesterday, and we are given the readings for the celebration of Feast of the Holy Name. In yesterday's reading, we read of the "good tidings of great joy" which were announced to the shepherds in the fields, and the sign given to the shepherds of the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloth, the multitude of angels that appeared to them. See Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! Today's reading for the Feast of the Holy Name continues where yesterday's ended in Luke's Gospel.

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. A note in my study bible tells us that "the lowly shepherds become the first to share the message of salvation with others." I think it's important to reflect on the understanding of the Shepherd (or The Good Shepherd) as one of the many names of Christ. This was an image He chose for Himself quite positively as reported in Scripture. Shepherds, here in Luke's Gospel, figure as the earliest bearers of the good news (besides the angels, the messengers from heaven); in some way, we can consider them the first Evangelists who bring the good news to the community.

And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. The shepherds spread the good news to the community, and everyone marvels at the story: the multitude of angels that appeared, glorifying and praising God, the telling of the Sign of the Babe they would find, and the great announcement of good news by the angels, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" These are the "good tidings of great joy" the shepherds cannot contain among themselves, and must share with others. We have so many symbolically represented spiritual realities here, gifts of this child, of grace: glory, peace, joy, good tidings, goodwill toward men. These are all gifts of the Spirit, things precious in our lives, shared with us and among us. This Babe is bearer of each of these things for us and so much more. They are saving qualities that make life worth living, giving life its savor for us, making it sweet, and bringing light as a gift into the darkness, illuminating our lives in the world.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. This powerful poetic turn in the Gospel makes us see the breadth and then the great depth of this news. The shepherds spread the word to the community, bringing it to the world, but Mary "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." The word, the good news, is not just for celebration and the wide world, but it is also there for its tremendous depths in us, in our interior. This word does not only illumine the life of the whole world, but it shines a light deep into our own interior depths, giving meaning not just to community but also to individual, as we are each children of God, our Creator. Mary has served as the great example down the century, the young woman who said yes to all that was given her by God, the mother who cared for this Child come to us all as a Babe. To "keep these things and to ponder them in the heart" is a form of prayer, of union, allowing grace to plant itself and grow within ourselves. We need both - the communal celebration of the good news, and also the relationship to this word in the depth of our hearts. Together they make us complete human beings with all the benefits of the gifts borne by grace to us in this world.

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. They have done their work, as bearers of the great news, and return home "glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." The shepherds understand the great grace they've been given, the blessing added to their lives. They form the picture of our community as Christians, those for whom this great news, this experience, is shared, and celebrated in glorifying and praising God for what we have been told. They are a picture of us, we who are fortunate to receive it all, and the joy and beauty therein. It is "marvelous" indeed, that which feeds us life abundantly.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. My study bible notes: "Because He fulfills the Law, Jesus receives circumcision according to the precepts of the Mosaic Law -- which He follows during His life and ministry. After the Resurrection, baptism replaced circumcision as the universal sacrament of salvation and initiation into the Church. In the Orthodox Church it is an ancient tradition to name a child on the eighth day." Let us consider then the name of Jesus: it means "God is Salvation" and it focuses us on Jesus' saving mission. We read in John 3:17, "For God did not send His Son to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." This is the powerful message, and the good news contained in this name, given by Gabriel to Mary, and told to Joseph by an angel in a dream.

We return to the shepherds, the sign of the Child born in a cave for domestic animals, and the understanding of the Holy Name. Jesus will call Himself the Good Shepherd - He will teach us that His sheep know His voice. We are given, by God's grace through this child, joy, good news, a saving grace, peace and goodwill. Like the shepherds, we can share in this joy and good news and peace and goodwill. It is our gift which we share with one another, brought into the world through the Babe born into the cave of this world. In the iconic symbolism we discussed in yesterday's reading and commentary, the Babe is born in our world which, without that light, can truly become a tomb for each of us, a place of limitation, and false boundaries and darkness, a kind of hell. The light is born in that darkness, for us -- for our communities and for each of us in our hearts, just as the good news of marvelous portent was pondered in Mary's heart. Grace - in forms such as that voice that comes to each of His sheep - brings us light and joy and peace and goodwill "not as the world gives." This saving light shining in the darkness gives us life, and teaches us what it is to have life abundantly. Today, let us consider the gifts we receive, and the saving reality of this Name in our lives. How many gifts can you count?

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

- Luke 2:1-14

As we continue our readings for Christmastide, today we visit Luke's account of the birth of Christ. Yesterday, we read about Joseph and his betrothed wife Mary, and the angel's announcement to Joseph in Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus. See St. Joseph - And he called His name Jesus.

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. My study bible notes here that "Octavian, who as emperor was called Caesar Augustus, ruled the Roman Empire at the zenith of its expansion and power (31 B.C. - A.D. 14). The registration is for the purpose of taxation." Given the historical setting provided by Luke, scholars calculate that the census most likely began about 6-5 B.C.

So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. A note here reads: "Though Mary is with child, the Gospel does not call her Joseph's wife but rather his betrothed wife, for she is still a virgin. Some manuscripts read simply 'his betrothed.' Although betrothal was binding in the Jewish tradition, the couple did not engage in sexual relations during this period." We read in yesterday's reading of the character of Joseph, a kind man who would not put his betrothed in a position of public scandal -- and also of the annunciation of the angel to Joseph in a dream, telling him about the Child and mother. Joseph travels with his family to the historical city of his ancestors for registration, the city of David. In yesterday's reading, Joseph is called "son of David" by the angel, due to his Davidic ancestry. In today's reading, we learn they travel from Nazareth.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. A note here reads: "The firstborn Son is 'holy to the LORD' (v. 23) and has special significance as primary heir and carrier of patriarchal blessings. Firstborn does not necessarily mean others will be born after Him, but only that no child was born before Him. Manger: a feeding trough for livestock. The hills around Bethlehem held many caves where domestic animals were kept by night. It was in such a humble cave that Jesus was born." One imagines the people - others also of the ancestral lineage of David - crowding into Bethlehem for the census. I have read that many homes were built in front of such caves, which were used for livestock as an attachment to the property. This idea of Jesus' birth in such a cave is ancient tradition in the Church; writings dating from the second century speak of this tradition. My friend, Deacon Shant Kazanjian of the Armenian Apostolic Church, spoke to me about the ancient icons of the birth of Jesus, and this picture of a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a stone manger - represented not as a trough but as a table, as a sort of altar - and inside of a cave. Theologically, it is a picture of Christ being born into our world, as one of us: the cave is like a tomb (indeed, like the tomb in which He will be buried after the Crucifixion), the swaddling cloths like those in which contemporary dead were buried after anointing. Even the gifts of the Magi, which we will read about later, contain elements for burial (the myrrh for anointing, the frankincense for prayers). In effect, Christ is born into the depths of our world, overshadowed by death, to become one of us, and to bring light into the darkness. The stone manger, as a sort of table, is representative of an altar on which He is given to us as grace giving this Gift to the world, who will also become the sacrifice for all of us, so that we may have life abundantly. This is the way the ancient Church understood this birth.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. A note reads: "Not to kings, priests or biblical scholars, but to Shepherds living out in the fields do the angels announce the birth of Him who would be Lamb of God and Shepherd of the sheep." These fields have traditionally been identified as somewhere near the Bethlehem suburb of Beit Sahour, overlooking the hill country there. Jesus, of course, will call Himself the Good Shepherd, and those who hear His voice are His sheep. The identification of Jesus with the shepherds at His birth will remain an essential symbol for Christianity, and play a distinct role in its theology throughout the centuries.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. A note here reads, "The appearance of the angel and the radiance of the glory of the Lord underscores the divine event that is taking place, the birth of the eternal Son of God in His human nature." Once again, we encounter the element of grace at work through the action of angelic messengers in this story. This time it is an announcement to the shepherds. The nativity story is filled with such encounters, some of which we've read about in recent readings: to Zacharias, to Mary, to Joseph, and now to the shepherds in the fields.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. My study bible says here: "Christ means 'the Anointed One,' the Messiah. The title Lord shows He is God; Savior shows that He will save His people from the power of sin and death." This birth, this powerful event in which Christ is born into the midst of our world, is not something to fear. The power of grace brought into the world and working in it is something for which we experience great joy, its news good tidings for everyone. This Lord is not coming to judge, but to save, a great Gift to the whole world.

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" A note here says, "Christ comes to bring peace and goodwill toward men, for He is the incarnate love of God, reconciling humanity to God and people to each other." The Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, is a sign to them, a sign to the shepherds, who represent us all, doing our best to care for all that we love, in stewardship in God's world. God brings the most vulnerable of children, a Babe, as His gift to us, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. He will be the sacrifice given for us, the Son given to us, so that we all may have life.

The shepherds represent all of us who need that light and the saving guidance it brings, so that we may have life in abundance, and all that includes, even peace and joy and goodwill. I think it's quite powerful that this image of the shepherds brings us not only a single angelic messenger making an announcement, but suddenly "a multitude of the heavenly host." This is impossible for me to imagine. And there is more, they are "praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'" What we have is at once an image of angelic presence in heaven itself, worshiping and glorifying God, and the great Gift of the Son in our midst. This heavenly event is an eternal reality, but it is ever-present to us, as it is to those shepherds at this moment in earth's history, when we receive our Gift. God's grace makes the heavenly presence a reality available to us, and we celebrate this Gift each Sunday along with that heavenly angelic presence. But first, it manifested before those shepherds who received the Good News, the Sign, the good tidings of great joy. The song of praise will be echoed in the words of Christ at the Last Supper, as He promises that He gives us His peace, and teaches us to love one another as He has loved us. The Gift that is given in this birth of the Babe is a Gift He will institute for us as the Eucharist, that keeps on giving to us, as we "do this in remembrance of Him." That Babe in the cave is born to us as God, as a Gift from God, as Son, as light that comes into the darkness for us. Through angelic messenger, and a whole multitude of the heavenly host, we are proclaimed recipients of this good news, this great joy, this saving grace. But without the love and care of those who hear, who receive this grace and good news, such as Mary and Joseph, where would He be? Where would this story be? How would we have these good tidings of great joy? As He is born the most vulnerable Babe, let us remember our part in God's grace, the part of the shepherds and all those concerned with this story. That role continues in a lineage of grace right through to our times. Where would we be without those who also hear and receive and do their part, with grace working through them? We each do our part as bearers and receivers of this great news, of the light that comes into the darkness.