Luke 2: 22-35
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Recognizing What is in Front of Us
After twenty years of teaching, there’s a strange experience that comes with running into former students out in the wild. They look almost familiar. I know I know them—but I’m not quite sure how. Were you in my class? A retreat leader? A frequent visitor to the dean’s office? I sense a connection, but the details are fuzzy—especially when they’re well into their twenties, a foot taller, and sporting a full beard (I work at an all-boys school).
In today’s Gospel, Simeon has a very different experience. He doesn’t just sense something familiar; he immediately recognizes the Divine, not in a grown, accomplished adult—but in a lowly infant, carried quietly into the temple by ordinary parents offering their modest sacrifice.
Simeon reminds us that the holiest moments are rarely flashy. His witness nudges us to live with a deeper attentiveness, trusting that grace is often revealed not in what impresses us, but in what is right in front of us. We just need to be patient and humble enough to recognize it.
—Jackie Schulte is the Interim Head of School and Dean of Faculty Formation at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska.
Prayer
Lord,
slow us down enough to recognize you when you’re right in front of us.
Give us Simeon’s patience to wait,
and his humility to receive you as you are—not as we expect you to be.
Help us notice your presence in ordinary moments
and trust that you are already at work.
Amen.
—Jackie Schulte
Pray with the Pope
Pray with the monthly prayer intentions of the pope.