In honor of the divine mystery that we celebrate today, let us all hasten to meet Christ. Everyone should be eager to join the procession and to carry a light. Our lighted candles are a sign of the divine splendour of the one who comes to expel the dark shadows of evil and to make the whole universe radiant with the brilliance of his eternal light. Our candles also show how bright our souls should be when we go to meet Christ.
The
Mother of God, the most pure Virgin, carried the true light in her arms and
brought him to those who lay in darkness. We too should carry a light for all
to see and reflect the radiance of the true light as we hasten to meet him.
The
light has come and has shone upon a world enveloped in shadows; the Dayspring
from on high has visited us and given light to those who lived in darkness.
This, then, is our feast, and we join in procession with lighted candles to
reveal the light that has shone upon us and the glory that is yet to come to us
through him. So let us hasten all together to meet our God.
The
true light has come, the light that enlightens every man who is born into this
world. Let all of us, my brethren, be enlightened and made radiant by this
light. Let all of us share in its splendour, and be so filled with it that no
one remains in the darkness. Let us be shining ourselves as we go together to
meet and to receive with the aged Simeon the light whose brilliance is eternal.
Rejoicing with Simeon, let us sing a hymn of thanksgiving to God, the Father of
the light, who sent the true light to dispel the darkness and to give us all a
share in his splendour.
Through
Simeon’s eyes we too have seen the salvation of God which he prepared for all
the nations and revealed as the glory of the new Israel, which is ourselves. As
Simeon was released from the bonds of this life when he had seen Christ, so we
too were at once freed from our old state of sinfulness.
By
faith we too embraced Christ, the salvation of God the Father, as he came to us
from Bethlehem. Gentiles before, we have now become the people of God. Our eyes
have seen God incarnate, and because we have seen him present among us and have
mentally received him into our arms, we are called the new Israel. Never shall
we forget this presence; every year we keep a feast in his honour.