5TH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

. . . awaiting the consolation of Israel.

Have you ever noticed those people at the airport who hold up a sign with someone’s name on it? They are waiting for someone whom they have never seen to step off an airplane. But even with the sign, they are still looking at every person and asking themselves, Is he the one? Is she the person I’m waiting for?

That’s a little like what Simeon was doing in this passage—only he didn’t have a sign. He went to the Temple all the time, looked around at all the people there, and asked the Holy Spirit, Is this one the Messiah?

And then one day he spotted a couple with a baby, and he knew that this child was the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25).

How did Simeon know? Was it because he was “righteous and devout” (Luke 2:25)? That may have played a part. But more importantly, he was expectant. The Holy Spirit had told Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died, and Simeon took that promise seriously. So he kept coming to the Temple, asking the Spirit to open his eyes so that he would recognize the Lord when he appeared.

Even though we aren’t waiting to see Jesus in the Temple, we can still have this same expectant attitude every day as we wait for him to reveal himself to us. We can look for his peace in an otherwise tumultuous situation. We can try to recognize his hand at work when a door opens to share our faith. Or we can find him present in the kindness of a friend who reaches out to spend time with us. And most important, we can find him in the quiet of our prayer and the joy of our Eucharistic celebrations.

Wherever you find yourself today, try to be like Simeon. Even if you are really busy or confronted with unexpected happenings, keep looking and waiting for Jesus to reveal himself. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and to help you be attentive. And even if you forget and get caught up in the activities of the day, you can always take a minute before bedtime and ask the Lord to show you the ways in which he was present. The more expectant you are in looking and waiting for him, the more you’ll see his hand in your life.

“Lord, thank you for helping me to recognize your presence today.”

1 John 2:3-11
Psalm 96:1-3, 5-6
Luke 2:22-35