An old man, Simeon, received and blessed Jesus when Mary and Joseph presented him at the temple. “Lord, you can let your servant go in peace; you have fulfilled your word. My eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before all the nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
Luke 2.29-32
The Old Testament prophets through whom God promises consolation and redemption speak in faith, not in foreknown fact. They affirm God’s faithfulness to the covenant relationship and threaten God’s judgment on all who worship other gods and take advantage of the poor. These prophets and their hearers have to wait to see how God’s promises come true. In Simeon’s eyes Jesus fulfills God’s promises. His prophetic prayer describes Jesus as both the glory of Israel and a light of revelation to all peoples.
What promises have you inherited from earlier generations in the Church, in your families, in our country? How do these promises sustain you? How do you sustain them?
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