Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This weekend we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord, a feast which occurs 40 days after the birth of Jesus. It is often seen as the “real end” of the Christmas season since it concludes the Infancy narratives in the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. When I was younger I was a bit confused about this feast because we had already been reading about the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry as an adult, when suddenly we were thrust back to the time shortly after his birth. Nevertheless, the Feast of the Presentation is a beautiful occasion to remember that moment when his parents brought him to the Temple in Jerusalem where the aged Simeon and Anna encountered the “light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for the people Israel.”
These words from Simeon are known as the Nunc dimittis, or the Canticle of Simeon which is prayed at Compline. In the Anglican Church, the Canticle is sung as part of Evensong, and many composers have given us beautiful musical settings of his words: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in sight of all the peoples…”
Simeon also spoke to Mary during that encounter: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted…”
I wonder how Mary must have felt when she heard those ominous words. Simeon was acting in the role of a prophet, foretelling a painful future for both the child he held in his arms and this young mother who had just given birth to him 40 days earlier. The pain and anxiety would come quickly as the new family had to pack up and scurry out of Palestine in order to avoid King Herod’s murderous threats against their baby son. Only after the old king’s death could they safely return to their home in Nazareth.
I am distressed to think that children and families in our own country are facing the threat of deportation. This will be a time of great fear and uncertainty for many people who have come to this country in search of a better life. We must be hopeful and strong in our faith that good will prevail, and that just solutions will be found for our immigration policies which respect the rights and dignity of all people.
I am also concerned about an executive order which limits the definition of a “male” or “female” to their reproductive cells and will potentially withhold federal funding from programs that acknowledge transgender people. As a parish which welcomes everyone, we have been blessed to welcome our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters as part of our community of faith, and we will continue to do so.
I applaud Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s plea for mercy at the end of her sermon in Washington National Cathedral on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and migrants who are scared about what might happen to them because of policies which will limit their freedom and human rights. As she said: “May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being; to speak the truth to one another in love; and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people in this nation and the world.”
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.
Pastor