Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Luke (2: 22-35) in which tells of Joseph and Mary taking Jesus to be presented at Temple, where they met Simeon, an old and devout man. Fr Paul says the story of the Presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple we hear in today’s Gospel, is dominated by Simeon’s welcome, ‘a light to enlighten the gentiles and the glory of your people Israel’. It is also about his warning to Mary, ‘a sword will pierce your heart’. Simeon reiterates the angel’s promise that the child would fulfil the destiny of Israel and Israel’s task to the nations. Much like any family life, the promised future included the delights of the growing and developing child, but also the background fear that the great destiny of each child may include sorrow and even heartbreak. In closing, Fr Paul invites us to reflect today on ‘How much did Mary and Joseph know about the precious child they were nurturing?’