Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Luke (2: 22-40) in which Joseph and Mary took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the lord.

Fr Paul says the story of the Presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple is dominated by Simeon’s welcome, ‘a light to enlighten the gentiles and the glory of your people Israel’, and by his warning to Mary, ‘a sword will pierce your own heart’.

Simeon reiterates the angel’s promise that the child would fulfil the destiny of Israel and Israel’s tasks to the nations. Much like any family life, the promised future included the delights of the growing, developing child, and the background fear that the great destiny of each child may include sorrow and even heart-break.

In closing, Fr Paul says all we know for sure is that ‘the child grew to maturity’, and that Mary ‘pondered all these things in her heart’, she does so with Simeon’s welcome and warning in her mind.