Word to the Wise
Monday, December 29, 2008 - Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas
[1 John 2:3-11 and Luke 2:22-35]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 quotation above is the opening line of a beautiful "canticle" uttered by Simeon on the occasion of Jesus' presentation in the temple. Although the account, which forms the gospel for today (and yesterday!), reveals a bit of confusion about the Jewish law, Luke's concern is not with those details but with revelation about Jesus. By the time Luke wrote his gospel, the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed and the inhabitants of the city had been scattered. The Christian community was experiencing persecution. The story of the presentation in the temple is written with the meaning and identity of Jesus' entire life in mind. Simeon gives praise to God for the hope represented in the Child Jesus, but then he also prophesies the rejection of Jesus later on with a warning to Mary that she will suffer like all disciples. The Jewish people continue to hope for the Messiah to come and restore Israel. Christians continue to hope for the second coming of the Messiah to restore all things to God. These hopes are the power that sustains in the midst of a world in which great suffering is the lot of a majority! The sheer size and scale of the suffering is almost more than any of us can understand. Each morning, the radio announces a conflict somewhere that creates another humanitarian crisis! The scale of the violence is mind-boggling. Hope makes sense only in a context of this kind, and it can only be truly communicated through our practical actions of love and charity. We cannot afford to be intimidated. The story of the sparrow comes to mind, which I have told before, who tried to keep the sky from falling by sticking her little legs up and pushing with all her might. When asked how she could believe that her little legs could hold up the sky, she replied: "One does what one can!" So must we! AMEN