January 31, 2025
This Sunday we see Jesus presented as a child in the temple. This is the start of a new way God is present and active in our lives, the start of something that does not end. Here’s a short reflection:
When asked, most people say they have a bucket list. Even if they don’t, they will think of something they’d yet like to do in life. “I’d love to visit Italy again.” Or “Going to China would be great.” Some people want to win the Lotto or write a book or do art. Having something on our bucket list means we have something to live for, at least in our imaginations.
In the Gospel we have today, we have Simeon, the old man who lived near the Temple and prayed every day. The Gospel says that he spent his life awaiting the salvation of Israel. He represents all the pent-up longing of the Jewish people because they had been occupied by foreign nations for centuries. When he sees the baby Jesus, we can feel the relief: “Now you can dismiss your servant, Lord.” Simeon has seen what he longed for; his life is fulfilled.
But this doesn’t mean the drama is over in his life. Instead, he can look ahead, with the old Jewish eyes that he has, and he can see that Jesus’ mission will not be easy. In fact, he says that Jesus will be a sign of contradiction: many will stand against him because they are not ready for the Good News that he will bring. And Simeon even anticipates the sorrow that will come into Mary’s life.
Sometimes when we get what we longed for, it can be disappointing. Maybe we find out that we really didn’t want it so badly, or we find out that we really weren’t prepared for what came into our lives. To get what we truly long for often means that we ourselves have to change.
People find this true in many areas of life. They get the perfect promotion but it asks too much of them. A child is born but mom and dad didn’t realize what it would take to love their child. Even couples who fall in love, who have found the “perfect person,” realize that living out that love will involve ongoing change.
This feast of the Presentation is a way to say that Jesus spent his whole life giving himself to others. Everything the Temple represented in terms of hope has come to pass in Jesus: God is given to us as Father, Savior, and inner Power. But this gift we have in Jesus doesn’t mean we sit back thinking that everything is done. Rather, it means we have been lifted to a new level of life, a new level of expectations, of growth, of sacrifice.
That’s the thing about God. With our relationship with God, things are never finished. In some way, with God, things are always just beginning. God fulfills our bucket list by giving us far more buckets than we ever imagined.