Fr. Ed Dougherty,
M.M., The Christophers’ Board of Directors
On February 2nd, the first Sunday of this month, we celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and on February 3rd, we celebrate the feasts of Saint Simeon and Saint Anna, who both feature prominently in the Presentation narrative. In the Gospel of Luke, we learn that Simeon and Anna were two elderly people who were at the Presentation and recognized the significance of the moment, both seeing what even the priests did not. Anna is referred to as a “prophetess” who worships at the temple “with fasting and prayer night and day.” It says of Anna, “Coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God and spoke of Him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Regarding Simeon, we read, “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Then it says that on this day Simeon was “inspired by the spirit” to come into the temple. After encountering the Holy Family, he took the baby Jesus in his arms and declared, “Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy words; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Thy people Israel.”
With this declaration, Simeon announces not only the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit’s promise to him but also the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah where God says, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Simeon and Anna’s respective roles in the Presentation scene are a testament to God’s love for the elderly and those who occupy humble positions in the world. We know from what is said about Anna that she is at least 84 years old—and Simeon is so aged that he declares himself ready to “depart in peace” upon the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit’s promise. They do not have the exalted status of the priests of the temple, yet God chooses them to proclaim the importance of the moment, exemplifying how He loves to work through the humble of heart and desires to raise up the elderly as heralds of wisdom.
The Holy Family’s submission to the purification law calling for the Presentation of Jesus in the temple echoes Christ’s submission to baptism by John the Baptist. Even though Jesus did not need to be purified as an infant or cleansed of sin in baptism, these things were done to demonstrate the path for others to follow.
Today, those two events are echoed in the infant baptism we perform as our first Sacrament. The roles of Simeon and Anna are reflected in the beautiful celebrations surrounding baptism, when grandparents so often occupy a place of honor as entire families gather to celebrate new life and pledge to help a child grow in the faith.
The Presentation narrative provides a glimpse of this dynamic in the life of Christ as the Holy Family is met by these two elders of the community, who come forth to announce the importance of the moment and show us all the path to follow. It’s a path that calls us at once to exalt Christ, to celebrate new life, and to raise children to follow in the footsteps of Christ on the path to salvation.
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