Today’s readings are among the most beautiful of the Christmas Season. The fact that Jesus is Light of the World cannot be emphasized enough! The darkness that existed before his arrival cannot even be imagined by us - who live in his light! The darkness overcame the world - and there was no way out - no ray of hope - until Jesus was born!
The night of Christ’s birth was the Grand Illumination! Light was born! and the world would never be the same again! There was now reason to have hope! There was a Guiding Light for the path which we must travel!
In the first reading St. John makes it very clear that those who live in the light, love; there is no other way around it! If you love one another as Jesus taught and demonstrated then you will be bathed in and live in light all the days of your life; if you don’t, if you hate people, if you do not love, everyone, then you will stumble around in darkness all the days of your life, and end in eternal darkness!
In the wonderful gospel passage Simeon - a pious old man who was chosen by God beforehand to do this very thing- receives Jesus when he is presented to the Lord. Simeon had been praying to be the one to do just this: to receive the baby Jesus and to begin his role of Savior of the Jewish people, and Savior of the World. Simeon’s incredibly beautiful and simple prayer is hailed by the ages; it is recited every night at Night Prayer in the Divine Office: “Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: 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.”
Simeon also prophesied the magnitude of the mission of Jesus: he is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, a sign that would be contradicted his entire life (because he was the Good existing now in the land of the Bad). He also prophesied that Mary would share sorrowfully in the life’s work of her son as only a mother could! She would stand by her son and encourage him unflinchingly and unceasingly, come what may!
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice: splendor and majesty go before our God, praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary - and at this Mass we are present there! Thank you God!
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