Homily for Wednesday, 5th day within the Octave of Christmas
Theme: The Presentation of the Baby Jesus in the Temple!
By: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA
Homily for Wednesday December 29 2021
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
1 John 2:3-11
Psalm 95:1-3,5-6
Luke 2:22-35
*INTRODUCTION*
Dear brothers and sisters, many of us see the Lord and meet him in the Holy Eucharist, but we do not think and act like we have really seen the Lord. Simeon’s reaction was the perfect one. Even without the dying part, seeing the Lord is being fully blessed. It means knowing who we really are. It means a time for conversion. It means salvation is at hand. It means hope is near. It means God is present and had not abandoned us.
*FROM THE GOSPEL READING*
In our Gospel passage today we heard the account of the time when the Lord Jesus was presented at the Temple of God in Jerusalem in accordance to the Law by Mary and St. Joseph. At that time, they were met with the devout man of God named Simeon who was already very old and had been waiting and expecting the coming of the Lord and His salvation for a long time. He has been told that he would live to see the Saviour of the world with his very own eyes, and he did finally see Him as he beheld Jesus that day at the Temple of God.
*OUR CENTRAL MESSAGE OF TODAY*
Whatever about the opening of Simeon’s prayer, we can certainly make that section of his prayer our own. Our eyes have seen God’s salvation. We have seen Jesus, our Saviour, with the eyes of faith through the Holy Eucharist we receive everyday. Just as Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus to Simeon, so the church has brought the risen Lord to all of us.
We recognize him in the breaking of bread in the Eucharist, we hear his voice when the gospels are proclaimed, and, if we are alert, we see him in each other. We also look forward to that day beyond this life when, like Simeon in the temple, we will see him face to face.
*CONCLUSION*
Let us all turn towards the Lord with renewed faith, vigour and zeal, and may the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us, so that we may always be courageous in living our faith despite the challenges we may encounter in this world. May God bless us all and our every good endeavours for His greater glory.
Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA