Reflection for Monday December 29 Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity: Luke 2:22-35

Gospel: Luke 2:22-35

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.”

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Reflection:

Do we know how it feels to place our hope in no one but the Lord Jesus? Simeon, the man from Jerusalem, certainly knew this profound and grace-filled experience. Upon seeing the Child Jesus, he was ready to depart from this world in peace. His hope and salvation rested on no one but Jesus. Today, we are invited to ask ourselves: Is Jesus truly the Hope and Salvation of our lives?

Simeon was searching for Jesus, and guided by the Holy Spirit, he was led to find Him in the temple, where the Child was being offered to God by His parents. Like Simeon, do we search for Jesus? Do we truly thirst for Him? When our longing is sincere and our hearts are open, we, too, will surely find Jesus.

Yet many of us do not even bother to search for Him. We say we are busy, and we hardly make time for Jesus in our daily lives. And so, what happens to us? We slowly become burdened with many fears—the fear of sickness, the fear of suffering, the fear of death—and even more troubling, we lose our fear of sin. Simeon, in our Gospel reading, was not afraid of anything, not even death, because he had already found Jesus. Having encountered the Savior, his heart was at peace.

As we continue our journey in this world, we often chase after many worldly things—riches, power, achievements, higher learning, and recognition. We hope these will give us security and fulfillment. Yet none of these can give us true peace of mind; oftentimes, they only leave us restless and empty within.

Perhaps it is time for a change. Why not pause, take a step back, and stop running after things that cannot save us? Why not begin, once again, our search for Jesus? He is not far away. He is just around the bend, quietly waiting for us, ready to be found.

As the Lord assures us in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Are we willing, like Simeon, to seek Jesus with our whole heart so that, when we finally find Him, we too may live—and even face death—in peace? — Marino J. Dasmarinas