Monday of Christmas 2

He was ready to go (Lk 2:29). Why shouldn’t he be? He had been ready since God the Holy Spirit placed on him the promise of the Messiah. He had seen the worst of life: the weakness and inconstancy of humans. He knew what it was to be betrayed.

In the end, all that was left was the temple. He knew the Lord would never go back on His promises to him. So he waited patiently where the Lord would be (Lk 2:27). He waited for years in weakness and strength, in trembling and steadfastness, in seeing and not seeing, in confidence and vacillations.

Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus into the temple. He who is the true temple of God enters the temple. He who is the real thing enters the shadow overshadowing it with His glory. The creaking old building of the temple was slated for demolition in favor of the living temple with His people. He who is the temple makes our bodies His temple. This is why St. Paul says: “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1Co 6:19–20). And of course, this is one of the reasons why Christians have respect for the human body; not to abuse it, not even in our funeral rites.

Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray

“Upon all this that righteous man, waxing bold, received into his aged arms Him who in infancy was yet the Ancient of days, and blessed God, and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel’ (Lk 2:29–32). It is as though he said, I have received from You a joy unmixed with pain. O Lord, receive me rejoicing and singing of Your mercy and compassion. You have given to me this joy of heart. I render to You with gladness my tribute of thanksgiving. I have known the power of the love of God, since, for my sake, God of You was begotten in a manner ineffable, and without corruption, and has become man. I have known the inexplicable greatness of Your love and care for us, for You sent forth Your own heart to come to our deliverance…. You have made known to us, O Lord, Your salvation (Ps 98:2), causing to spring up for us the plant of peace. We shall no longer wander in error. You made known to us, O Lord, that You have not overlooked Your servants unto the end. O beneficent One, You have not entirely forgotten the works of Your hands. For out of Your compassion for our low estate You shed upon us abundantly that goodness of Yours which is inexhaustible, and with Your very nature, having redeemed us by Your only begotten Son, who is unchangeably like You, and of one substance with You. You judged it unworthy of Your majesty and goodness to entrust to a servant the work of saving and benefiting Your servants, or to cause that those who had offended to be reconciled by a mere minister.

By means of that Light, which is of one substance with You, You hast given light to those that sat in darkness and in the shadow of death (Lk 1:79), in order that in Your light they might see the light of knowledge; and it has seemed good to You, by means of our Lord and Creator, to fashion us again for immortality; and graciously given us a return to Paradise by means of Him who separated us from the joys of Paradise (Gn 3:23-24); and by means of Him who has power to forgive sins You blotted out the handwriting which was against us (Col 2:4). Lastly, by means of Him who is a partaker of Your throne, and who cannot be separated from Your divine nature, You have given us the gift of reconciliation, and access to You with confidence (Eph 3:12), in order that, by the Lord who recognizes the sovereign authority of none, by the true and omnipotent God, the subscribed authorization, as it were, of so many and such great blessings might constitute the justifying gifts of grace to be certain and indubitable rights to those who have obtained mercy. And this very thing the prophet before had announced in the words: No ambassador, nor angel, but the Lord Himself saved them; because He loved them, and spared them, and He took them up, and exalted them (Is 63:9).

“All this was, not of works of righteousness which we have done, nor because we loved You,… but You, O Lord, of Your own self and of Your ineffable love toward the creature of Your hands, confirmed Your mercy toward us, and, pitying our estrangement from You, moved Yourself at the sight of our degradation (Jn 4:9) to take us into compassion. Hence, for the future, a joyous festival is established for us of the race of Adam, because the first Creator of Adam of His own freewill has become the second Adam. And the brightness of the Lord our God has come down to sojourn with us, so that we see God face to face, and are saved. Therefore, O Lord, I seek of You to be allowed to depart. I have seen Your salvation; let me be delivered from the bent yoke of the letter. I have seen the King eternal, to whom no other succeeds; let me be set free from this servile and burdensome chain. I have seen Him who is by nature my Lord and Deliverer; may I obtain, then, His decree for my deliverance. Set me free from the yoke of condemnation and place me under the yoke of justification. Deliver me from the yoke of the curse, and of the letter that kills (2Co 3:6); and enroll me in the blessed company of those who, by the grace of this Your true Son who is of equal glory and power with You, have been received into the adoption of sons (Gal 4:5).”

Methodius, Oration on Simeon and Anna, 8