Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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 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.”
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 presentation
1) The consolation of Israel. That is what Simeon also hoped for. Consolation for his homeland because he loved his land. Today I want you to think about your homeland, your country – what are you doing for your homeland? I know that politicians are to blame for many things. But politicians are a product of society, the society that you are also a part of. And when I think about this, I also understand that I am to blame for what happens in my country, in my land and among my people. Today I invite you to look at your homeland and to become aware that love for your country is also shown or not shown in tiny actions, for example, when you throw litter out of your car window, maybe you do not realize that when there is a storm and your town is flooded, it is because of all the garbage in the drains. Using your neighbor´s electricity may be a temporary solution, but it also speaks of your character. To mistreat a waiter at a restaurant or to feel superior to that waiter who serves you also shows that our small actions can hurt our homeland. It’s clear that our society needs consolation now as well. Today do something positive for your country, even if it is the simple gesture of looking at your flag and praying to God for your community, your people, your country.
2) Light. Today we light candles in mass. This reminds us that we are here to illuminate and contribute. We are called to bring light where there is so much darkness. It is the Lord who moves us and calls us to always go forth with the truth and that, in the face of so much darkness around us, there is and will always be something that will make things clearer. May Mary help us to see clearly those things that we do not understand in our lives.
3) Anna. In her we see the figure of the worshiper and what it means to be a servant of the Lord through prayer. I will not stop insisting that you pay attention to your time to pray. Do less and pray more. May your dialogue with God be like your heartbeat and may you be able to keep Him present throughout the day. May your prayer come alive and your life become prayer.
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Heaven is our goal!
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