“Whether Mary knew it already or not, now there is no escaping the fact that there is suffering ahead.”
As you go about your day and find yourself in a busy place, do you ever wonder about the people around you? Who are they? What are they doing? What is going on in their lives? What is their story?... I sometimes do, and I have come to realise that we live in an extremely noisy, busy, people-filled world, where every person we meet (or pass by) offers the possibility of a life-changing encounter.
There are all sorts of things that can make us blind to the possibility of these encounters… but not today. Not for Mary, not for Joseph, not for Anna, and not for Simeon. Because amid the busy, jostling, noisy world into which Jesus was born, an incredible, unexpected, brave, and life changing encounter happens. It is this encounter that we remember today as we celebrate Candlemas and commemorate the Presentation of Christ at the Temple (Luke 2:22-40).
As Holy Family move through the crowds and head into the Temple to fulfil a ritual obligation, a stranger steps into their path. There must have been something special about him - an air of trustworthiness and devotion perhaps - because Mary places her precious child into Simeon’s arms as the unheeding crowds in the temple courtyard rush past, completely oblivious to the life-changing encounter that is taking place. I wonder if anyone else noticed? Or did they continue with their own busyness which made them blind to the encounter taking place in their midst?
The old man is rapturous at first, praising God and saying something to himself about light, and promises, and the Gentiles. Mary can tell from his expression, though… he knows that the child in his arms is not just any child. Somehow, he knows who her son truly is! He knows that Jesus is the light of the world. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness.
But this is not the end of the encounter. Simeon then looks at the hopeful face of Jesus’ mother and utters the words she must hear, the words that she never wanted to hear: “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Whether Mary knew it already or not, now there is no escaping the fact that there is suffering ahead. This babe-in-arms will one day come back to Jerusalem for another purpose, and some of the religious leaders who bless her son today will one day seek to crucify him.
So, as we mark the feast of Candlemas and recall the events that unfolded as Jesus is presented at the Temple, we may be left in a place of confusion and disorientation. Is this a joyful occasion? Or is it a sombre one? For me, it is both as the interwoven suffering and gladness of the Gospel is revealed through this unexpected, life-changing, and perhaps even uncomfortable encounter between Simeon and Mary.
Candlemas marks a turning point in the church year as Simeon forces our gaze away from the crib at Bethlehem and turns our eyes toward the future of this baby and the cross on which he will suffer and die. It is there (and beyond) that we encounter God’s love, mercy, and salvation in all its glory as light overcomes darkness, joy overcomes sorrow, and hope abides – even when the way ahead leads through the cross.
Prayer
Lord God, light of the nations, open our eyes to recognise your Son when he comes among us. Give us grace to welcome him with trust, to follow where he leads, and to hold fast to hope when joy and sorrow seem to be woven together so tightly, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.