20250202 Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Readings at USCCB.org

Waiting Patiently and Full of Hope

When writing these reflections, I try to challenge myself to remember a personal story or experience to help me see how the reading relates to my life and hopefully it also makes the reading understandable to those who read my reflection. I also ask my confirmation students to do the same thing when it is their turn to present their reflection in class.

I admit that I am having a hard time thinking of a personal story that relates to the readings. In the Gospel, the prophetess Anna and devout worshipper Simeon, are described as being elderly and rich in their faith over many years that God would send the Savior that was foretold in today's first reading and many other places in the holy texts.

Have you ever waited for anything a long time, patient and full of hope?

When I was four years old, I told my parents I wished for a baby sister (I didn't understand how babies came into the world). Then after my Mom got pregnant, I had to wait for what seemed like an eternity (only months) for my sister to come into the world.

When I was a teenager, my turning sixteen could not come soon enough because I wanted my driver's license as soon as possible. I wanted the ability to get myself from home to school to work to church/youth ministry to wherever my friends were. Getting to the age of fifteen-and-a-half seemed to take forever, and I took care of the tasks of passing the DMV for my permit and taking driver's training as soon as I was eligible. Then there was the six months to turning sixteen when I'd be eligible to get my driver's license.

Waiting in anticipation for my sister and my driver's license are the closest personal stories that I can think of that could compare to the readings... and yet they don't come close enough! In the Gospel, the prophetess Anna is noted as being eighty-four years old and having been at temple since her husband died after seven years of marriage; I imagine that Anna had been at temple for 50 or 60 years praying and hoping for God to send the Savior. Most of the confirmation students are 15 years old, so Anna has been waiting for 4 times our confirmation students lifetimes! The Gospel does not indicate Simeon's age, but hints that he's been waiting a long time because the Holy Spirit revealed that Simeon would "not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord."

The other thing to point out in the reading is that God rewards Anna's and Simeon's many years of faithful waiting when they get to meet and embrace Jesus as a child. That should strengthen our faith that God will provide what we need, though we do not know the time.

Have you ever waited for anything a long time, patient and full of hope?

I look forward to seeing how each of you remain active members of our faith community and how each of you share your gifts and talents and ideas and energy to make the world a better place. Thankfully, I don't have to wait as long as Anna and Simeon for that day to come. You will be confirmed less than four months from now!

--Alfred