Today’s Gospel reminds us that the Holy Spirit didn’t just come onto the scene at Pentecost. The Spirit has been intimately involved in the work of salvation from the beginning. Simeon, at the prompting of the Spirit, is about to meet someone for whom he’s been waiting his whole life. He didn’t know when, he didn’t know how, but when the moment came the Holy Spirit led him to the baby Jesus in the Temple and revealed Jesus to be the Christ. Simeon didn’t just rejoice for his own sake at finally meeting the Messiah, but for all of Israel that had been waiting for him.
Everyone talks about meeting that special someone, but actually, beyond a spouse, we all have a special someone we need to meet and love: Our Lord. We’ve already met him sacramentally through baptism and while we live a life of grace he is always with us. The Spirit also dwells within and will lead us by the hand if we allow it to experience Our Lord in our hearts and know him better in order to love him completely, just as he loves us. It’s an awareness of being loved that spurs us to love in return and rejoice at being loved.
Simeon had to wait his whole life, but we don’t. Ask the Spirit to help you experience Our Lord more deeply as that special someone who will change your life for the better.
Readings: 1 John 2:3–11; Psalm 96:1–3, 5b–6; Luke 2:22–35.