The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Today's Mass Readings

Today marks the fifth day in the octave of Christmas. While most of the world has now left Christmas behind, we continue to celebrate the birth of our savior: Merry Christmas!!! Our gospel passage from Luke continues our focus on the infant Jesus, and today we hear the beautiful story of Jesus’ presentation at the Temple, with a particular focus on the person of Simeon. This Simeon was an old man, who knew that he would not see death until after he had encountered the Messiah. We have just lived through another season of Advent, of waiting, of joyful anticipation. Much of Simeon’s life was this sort of Advent season, where the whole purpose of his life seemed to be subsumed under the waiting for this very moment of holding the infant Jesus in his arms. We see the theological virtues embodied in Simeon: faith, hope, and love. He had faith in God’s goodness, knowing that there would be a Messiah and that he would meet this person. Simeon lived his life in the hope of encountering the Messiah in a personal way. And Simeon loved God with all his heart, soul, and mind. After great patience and perseverance, Simeon is rewarded by God, and he takes the opportunity to hold the child Jesus and to praise God, saying “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” (Lk. 2:29-32).

In this season of Christmas, we share in this joy of Simeon because we, too, have seen the salvation prepared for us. God is with us. Jesus walks among us, making his dwelling with us. Like Simeon, we strive to live lives of faith, hope, and love as we await the final coming of Jesus. God has come among us on earth that we might ultimately live with God in heaven.

We are called, then, to live a good Christian life- a holy life, even. And so our first reading from the first letter of St. John describes what this looks like. To know Jesus is to keep his commandments, to walk as he walked, and to love our neighbors. This is a daily journey; it does not happen all at once. And yet we have confidence that it IS possible. We can do it because of God’s grace in our lives. By coming among us as a human infant, Jesus has made the holy life possible.

Today let us take some time to reflect on how this season of Christmas can transform our lives, helping us to live in faith, hope, and love that we might follow God’s commandments, walk as Jesus walked, and love our neighbors. Let us pray that we might always know the great gift of God that is our salvation.

- Maria Morrow