Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (2: 22-35) in which Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the Temple where they encounter Simeon who had been awaiting the arrival of the Messiah.Fr Paul says, this Gospel is dominated by the figure of Simeon who welcomes Jesus by taking him in his arms and blessing God; but, as we hear towards the end of the Gospel, he also gives Mary a warning and repeats the angel’s promise that the child would fulfil the destiny of Israel.  So, like all families, we see the happiness of a growing and developing child but also in the background is the fear of sorrow and heartbreak which is experienced by every family.For our reflection today, Fr Paul says, we might be aware that many families are together at the moment; there many families who are unable to be together; and, so, let’s just pause today and pray for all our families at this present time.