WAIT, EXPECT, WELCOME

The Church includes in the liturgical readings of Christmas season the story of the infant Jesus being presented in the temple (Lk 2:22-35). You remember that reads in part:

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus

took him up to Jerusalem to present him to 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.

In this post I want to look closely at the verb that Luke uses to describe Simeon: awaiting the consolation of Israel. The word prosdechomai  has a variety of meanings, each of which can help us reflect on our own way of celebrating this holy season.

THREE MEANINGS

WAITING. The verb can mean ¨to await with confidence or patience.¨ During the holidays we can find ourselves waiting for our guests to come, as we know they will.

EXPECTING. Another related meaning of our verb is ¨to wait upon, to expect.¨ As the time draws near for the arrival of the family´s guests, the kids get more and more excited, and they sit staring anxiously out the front window, hoping to be the first to recognize their uncle´s car as it comes down the street. 

WELCOMING. a third common meaning of prosdechomai closely related to the above two is ¨to welcome. to offer hospitality. ¨

SIMEON IN THE TEMPLE

Now let´s watch Simeon as Joseph and Mary walk in carrying their baby. Simeon, we´re told, has been assured by the Lord that he would see the Messiah before he died; so, naturally, he is ¨waiting with confidence and patience." 

But even more, we can imagine him ¨waiting upon¨ and ¨expecting¨ the Messiah at any moment. He is constantly on the lookout for the fulfillment of the divine promise.

So imagine his surprise when the Spirit leads him one day into the temple and points out a babe in the arms of its young mother and announces: ¨Here he is at last, the One who is to deliver Israel! ¨ The old man responds immediately to the unlikely inspiration by ¨welcoming¨ the infant, cradling him his arms and praying, 

"Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled:

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. 22:29-32). 

WHAT ABOUT YOU AND ME?

Simeon is a good model for us to imitate. We might ask ourselves, ¨Am I waiting for the Lord to come into my life? ¨ ¨Are we indeed watching for him to approach us in some unexpected way? Or willwe miss Him when he comes in some unexpected way?¨ ¨Do we truly welcome Him into our lives, do we make room in our hearts for Him, or are our hearts too crammed with worldly concerns and worries? ¨ 

Let us pray that the Lord Jesus will find us as ready as Simeon was to recognize Him when He comes into our lives. May we welcome him with Simeon´s open arms.