Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God…

Just like Simeon, we are called by God to be righteous, devout, filled with the Holy Spirit, and willing to wait for consolation. In order to be righteous, we need to reorder our lives so that knowing, loving, and serving God and His children come first. We also are asked to be devout in our faith, not letting anything discourage us from doing God’s Will. Additionally, we are challenged to invite the Holy Spirit into our every thought, word, and work so that we can better manifest Christ in the world. Last but not least, we need to cultivate a spirit of patient perseverance in our lives. Not everything will turn out how we imagined or hoped for, but if we remain faithful to God, then He will console us when we need it most and throughout eternity.

Are we righteous and devout like Simeon? Have we emptied ourselves of worldly things so that the Holy Spirit can fill us with grace? Are we willing to wait for our consolations no matter how much we might suffer along the way to Heaven?

O Lord, give us the graces we need to be righteous, devout, holy, and patient.

Amen.