December 29, 2018 Saturday, 5th Day in the Octave of Christmas 1ST Reading: 1 John 2:3-11. Gospel: Luke 2:22-35
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to 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 Messiah 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 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.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life Experience)
Simeon saw the Messiah before he died. He even held him in his arms and hugged him tight in joy and thanksgiving. It wasn’t by mere chance. Today’s Gospel reading tells us that, “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord”. Not that he deserved this as a matter of right. But at least “this man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him”.
While we will never see the second person of the Trinity in human form as Simeon did, learning to see God here on earth prepares us for that day when we shall see God face to face. God’s pure and unmediated radiance would be too glaring to creatures like us. It is important that we train ourselves gradually for such full beatific vision. This is possible through the maximum exercise of our faith by which we recognize God in the poor, the least and the abandoned. This presupposes the same righteousness that Simeon practiced in his lifetime.
Let us learn to recognize God veiled in the woes of humanity. When he is no longer so veiled, the fullness of his radiance will be very intense to the untrained eye. The person himself will flee from the presence of God lest he goes blind. What a waste of earthly life then! – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M. Email: [email protected].
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