Today’s Gospel story of Simeon encountering Jesus in the temple is one of recognition. Simeon had been waiting for a long time to meet the Promised Messiah, the Chosen One, the very Son of God. 

In the second reading today, we hear about how Jesus took on our form… and in every way possible. The author states that he shared in our blood and flesh. In other words, he was just like us. And he looked like us. How then, especially when he was a young child, could anyone have recognized that this small boy from Nazareth was, in fact, The One?

Yet, somehow Simeon recognized… and then felt great joy and peace, and understood that his life was now complete. What a great and impressive act of faith this was.

There were lots of other people in the temple that day, all standing in the place where people specifically go to encounter God. Yet, presumably, no one other than Simeon recognized. In the full version of this same Gospel reading, however, there was a woman named Anna who also did recognize.

If divinity was in your midst in, let’s say this church, wouldn’t you want to be more like Anna and Simeon than anybody else in the temple that day?

And so, what do we know about Anna and Simeon? According to the reading, Simeon was righteous and devout and also that Anna never left the temple; she worshiped all night and day there, never leaving.

So that’s it then. We all need to move in here, to this church. Next Sunday, bring sleeping bags and some snacks because after Mass, you’re not leaving. We’ll camp out and stay put here waiting, just like Anna.

Who’s in?

OK, let’s go to Plan B then.

I have been listening to the “Bible in a Year” podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz and since it’s still early in the year, I haven’t gotten very far. But there are some consistent themes that emerge right away in all of sacred scripture. And I mean right away.

Starting with the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve failed, it seems as though one story after the next is about how we are broken, fractured, and not at all like Simeon and Anna. We are quite imperfect.

Yet, the Bible stories also demonstrate just how much God brings forth goodness and light, hope and understanding, within these stories of hurt, pain, and suffering. The most dominant and consistent theme that emerges from these early sections is that God is with us. He is right here. We are not abandoned. No matter what.

I haven’t gotten too far into the Old Testament, but I’m pretty sure that this pattern is going to continue all the way up to the birth of Christ. And then throughout his life and ministry. And then in the early Church. And right up to today.

Goodness and light comes out of our brokenness.

Perhaps the key to recognizing the divinity in our midst then is just to accept… and trust… in God’s never-ending promise to us. The promise that dates back to the very beginning of the revelation story – and that is that despite our brokenness and imperfection, he won’t abandon us. In fact, he’ll send his son as a Good Shepherd to make that point quite dramatically.

I’m sure you’ve heard the notion that rather than thinking we need to see in order to believe, God’s consistent message to us seems to be that we need to believe first in order to see. 

Maybe this is Anna’s and Simeon’s superpower, their secret sauce, and their key to success… that they truly, truly trusted.

And so, what must you and I do in order to truly, truly trust? So that we too can see?

To be continued next week…