Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Luke 2: 22-40
There is a common expression in English, bucket list. What is on your bucket list? The phrase is best translated into Spanish as a list of desires. There are things that people want to do, most especially before they die. Bucket lists can include places to travel like Rome during the holy year; it could include activities like sky diving; learning something new, like a language or how to play a guitar. It is good to have a bucket list.
When my dad was dying the doctor asked him if there was anything that he wanted to do or see before he died. Something to give him a goal so that he could extend his life for a few months: the wedding of a grandchild; birth of a baby, etc. My dad said that he wanted to see his 90th birthday. He was 82 at the time. The doctor told him to shoot for something a bit more realistic.
In the Gospel today we meet two eldery people who both had their bucket lists: Simeon and Anna. Simeon’s wish was that he would not see death until he saw the Christ Child. Anna had the same desire; she waited in the temple day and night until she would see Jesus.
Simeon was so filled with joy that when he saw the child Jesus he took him into his arms and prayed this beautiful prayer the Nunc Dimittis. The prayer that the Church says everynight before going to bed. “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, LIGHT revelation to the Gentiles.” Anna gave thanks to God for the opportunity to see Jesus the Messiah.
Today we celebrate the feast of the presentation. The traditional end to the Christmas season. 40 days ago we celebrated Christmas and today we remember Joseph and Mary presentating Jesus in the temple. That is why we bring our baby Jesus’ to church today. It is still a custom for some to not bring their new borns to church until the baby is 40 days old. Today we also bless candles, remembering Simeon’s words that Jesus is the light of revelation to the nations, to all of us.
Today is another Epiphany, it is another revelation of Jesus to the world, another revelation of Jesus to each one of us.
I don’t know what is our your bucket list, I don’t know what you want to see or do in your life time but hopefully like Simeon and Anna we have the desire to see Jesus the messiah in our lives. Obviously we see Jesus in the Eucharist that we are celebrating, we see Jesus in all of the sacraments. We can also or at least hear Jesus in the proclamation of the word.
But as baptized Christians we not only see in the sacraments, we are also called to be light to the nations. That is why we bless our candles and enter in procession today. Not for our own sake, but for the sake of others. As we have received the light let us be the light as well. Let the light of faith shine brightly in our lives!
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