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 turtle-doves 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.’
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
-from Luke 2:22-40
Today we observe the Feast of the Presentation. In Jesus’s day, it was Jewish practice that a mother was to stay in seclusion for forty days after giving birth to a son. On the fortieth day from Jesus’s birth, Mary and Joseph brought their infant child to the Temple to mark the end of her seclusion and to offer sacrifice on behalf of this, her first born son. There they encountered the aged Simeon, a man described by Luke as “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…” and spoke the words quoted above which have come to be known as the Nunc Dimittas and is often said or sung at the service of Evening Prayer.
Luke’s is the only one of the four gospels that tells us in any detail about Jesus’ upbringing. We are told that as he grew older, he spent much time in the Temple studying with the learned scholars and being immersed in Temple culture and ritual. Reading this story and reflecting on the little bit we know about Jesus’ childhood brings home to me how important it is for parents to bring their children to church so their child can be grounded in faith. Just as important is the marking of daily life and special events with rituals like the one Mary and Joseph were observing, rituals that recognize the sacred and the holy and the presence of God in everyday life. In these days of too busy schedules, too much technology, and too little time for contemplation, little room for mystery remains. I remember as a young father, Hill Riddle pointing out to me what he called, “the violence of the over-scheduled life.” That really hit home. Both my kids and I were completely over-scheduled, and it did indeed feel like a kind of violence.
One antidote to the anxiety of the urgency of daily life is the observance of ritual. When we can mark time by daily or weekly or monthly rituals, we can recover the mystery of life and the transcendence of everyday experience. Greeting the morning with gratitude, celebrating the goodness of food, family, and friendship at meals, celebrating rites of passage as Joseph and Mary and Jesus were doing. Simeon’s words to Mary and Joseph are at the center of this scene, but they stand in a powerful context: obedience to the Law, celebration of their child’s birth, worship in the Temple, and recognition that God’s promises were being fulfilled. Mary and Joseph would remember that blessing for the rest of their lives.
What rituals do you have in your life? How do you create routines that remind you of the sacred in the ordinary? How do you make expression of thanks to God for the goodness of your life a daily practice? You can be assured that the creation and observance of these small rituals will from time to time give you a glimpse into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Musical Reflection - Nunc Dimittis by Orlando Gibbons VOCES8
Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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