and the true light is already shining.
Simeon is able to recognize this light.
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.
Our eyes are privileged to see it too. Do we recognize it? If we look at Simeon we can see how he is prepared to recognize the light when he sees it. What is his secret?
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
This sums it up. He is righteous, which means he keeps the commandments. "Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." If we abandon the commandments we lose the truth. We become less able to tell light from darkness. He gives us his word and if we choose not to keep it our minds grow dark. It is as though we are given an ear to appreciate the highest music but allow ourselves to grow deaf by raucous noise. More base fulfillments cause us to detour from deeper joys.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
This is how Simeon is righteous. It is always a possibility for us. The word is given to us. It is spoken to us. We just have to hold on to it. We have to be good soil for it. We cling to it and abide in it. It isn't as though we find ourselves in darkness and silence and need to create light on our own or craft the word with or own cleverness. Just as a blind man cannot teach himself to see and a deaf man cannot teach himself to hear, so to does a spiritual blind or deaf man have a predicament of which he cannot heal himself. But while the physically ill are not always physically healed the spiritually ill always receive the healing they need if they ask for it.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him (cf. Jam. 1:5).
Jesus does not want us to live in darkness. He does not leave us in silence and isolation. He does not leave us abandoned. He speaks the word which opens our ears (cf. Mar. 7:34). He wants to enlightens the eyes of our hearts so that we may see the hope to which he calls us (cf. Eph. 1:18). When he does this, when we allow him to do it and do not reject the word, his Holy Spirit is upon us as it is upon Simeon. The Holy Spirit tells us that God does want to meet us in real life. He tells us where to find him. We just need to cling to the word. But even if we do sin and let the word by taken from us we know that "we have an Advocate with the Father" (cf. 1 Joh. 2:1). He wants to be seen and heard even more than we want to see or hear him.
Mary and Joseph embody the way to cling to this word. They hear the message proclaimed to them and they accept it and embrace it. In turn they embrace the word made flesh. The hold him close. They keep him safe when Herod wants to take him from them and kill him. From her fiat onward Mary embraces the word that is spoken to her by God. She treasures it in her heart. Because the word remains in her she is able to accept it and recognize the light in it even when it is not all sweetness.
Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
We are invited to step more fully into the light this morning. We all let our senses be dulled in ways large or small. We rejoice that God wants to bring us his light anew this morning. This is the Christmas promise he makes to us. The light shines and the darkness cannot overcome it. Let us look to the one who is himself the light of mankind. And when we see, when our hearts are enlightened and our ears are opened by his power, we must proclaim!
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
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