Day 14
Yesterday, we talked about the two Sundays prior to the Nativity of Christ, and how they show us the faith and longing of the Holy Forefathers, the Patriarchs and the Ancestors of Christ. One of these Saints, St. Simeon the God-receiver, truly shows us this faith and longing in a very powerful way that is also central to the Nativity of Jesus Christ.
Ancient historians tell us that St. Simeon was one of the 72 translators that were brought to Jerusalem to translate the Old Testament into Greek. This translation became known as the Septuagint, which literally translates as "seventy". To this day, it is one of the most legitimate translations of the original Biblical Hebrew language into Greek.
Tradition tells us that St. Simeon was translating from the Prophet Isaiah and coming to Isaiah 7:14, which reads Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, he felt that the word "virgin" was not correct, that instead it should read "young woman". An angel appeared to him and told him that he would see these words revealed to him before he died.
Because of this vision, he lived the rest of his life in waiting, longing to see this prophecy fulfilled.
Later in his life, he received another revelation that called him to go to the temple at Jerusalem. It was there that he received the Virgin Mary and Joseph as they brought the infant Jesus to the temple according to Jewish law. When he saw them, it was revealed to him that this was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of the World. As he took the infant Jesus in his arms, he offered the beautiful prayer that is sung at every Vesper Service in the Orthodox Church:
Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which has been prepared before all people. A Light to enlighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of Your people Israel.
Archimandrite Vassilios says that St. Simeon yearned for the fulfillment of the words of the angel his whole life. Surely, there were times he wondered, even doubted, but he continued to wait. While present day reaction to the "baby Jesus" is often one of sentimentality, the Church sees the Nativity of Christ for what it is: a fulfillment of the promise of salvation.
We often complain about the "commercialization of Christmas, and rightly so. We have all seen the bumper stickers that tell us "Jesus is the reason for the season". Truly He is. We should find ourselves with the same peace and fulfillment of St. Simeon during this holy season and indeed, all year long.
Once again this year, as we celebrate this wonderful Feast, our eyes will see the salvation, which has been prepared for all people.
In Christ
Fr. David