
Year C 02/02/2025 Lk 2, 22-40
Today’s gospel reminds us of when we were brought to church for baptism. We hear about a young Jewish couple bringing their child to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. There is a similarity between what parents do in bringing their child for baptism and what Mary and Joseph do in the gospel. The fundamental spiritual movement is the same: parents presenting their child to the Lord in thanksgiving.
In many cases grandparents are able to be present. Just as grandparents brought their children to the Lord for baptism, their children, now adults, bring their child to the Lord in the same spirit of gratitude. Although there is no reference to Jesus’ grandparents being present there is reference to two elderly people, Anna and Simeon, who could have been grandparents. Anna is eighty-four years of age, having been a widow for much of her adult life. It is also made clear that Simeon was well on in years. He was looking forward to Israel’s comforting.
Seeing the child Jesus, he becomes aware that he has finally set his eyes on the one who is to bring God’s comfort not just to Israel but to all the nations. He is moved to pray, ‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised’. He has seen what he had always hoped to see and he is now ready to leave this world. Simeon has been described as the patron saint of all who, having found meaning at last in their lives, are ready to let go and surrender all to the Lord. It is fitting that Simeon’s prayer, coming at the end of his life, is now part of the Night Prayer of the Church each evening.
The gospel indicates that this young couple and their child are greatly blessed by the presence of this elderly couple, both of whom are clearly people of God, people of prayer and whose prayerful presence graces the lives of others. One hopes and believes that the lives of children and their parents are blessed by the prayerful presence of the children’s grandparents. Simeon and Anna represent continuity with great figures from Israel’s past, likewise, grandparents often represent continuity with all that is best in the Church’s tradition.
By their presence, they hold the faith that is both ever ancient and ever new as St Augustine put it, and they offer their faith to the generations who follow them. Simeon proclaims to Mary and Joseph the true identity of their child, ‘a light to enlighten the pagans, and the glory of your people, Israel’. Anna spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. Isn’t this a wonderful meeting of the generations?
The young couple and their child touched the lives of these two elderly people in a wonderful way.
Simeon and Anna, in their turn, touched the lives of this young couple and their child in an equally wonderful way. Within the church, we need all the generations finding much to receive from and give to one another across the generations.
Mary and Joseph, learned from Simeon that they were carrying God’s light, the one who would be the light of the world. We are all called to be carriers of the Lord’s light to each other, at every stage of life’s journey, from childhood to advanced years. All generations need to journey together in faith, giving and receiving from one another if the Lord’s light is to shine in its full splendour before the world.
by Fr Thomas O'Brien a.a
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