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Tuesday 5th
Day Octave of Christmas
The Institute
December 29, 2015
SIMEON’S INNER LIFE +++++++++++++++++++++++++
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This
morning, I find myself taken by the man Simeon in the Gospel
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He
comes across as a prayerful & patient person
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The
passage says he’s led by HS 2 come 2 temple
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So
he can be seen as a person w/ an inner life, attuned 2 God and living in
relationship with God
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Besides
this prayerfulness, he is patient 4 he’s been waiting years 2 C this promised
one of God
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Perhaps
it was his prayerfulness that gave him patience
LESSON #1 OF SIMEON ++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Many
of Simeon’s contemporaries expected & longed for a political and
militaristic Messiah
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They
wanted a Messiah who’d bring them greatness & power, vanquish their enemies
& overthrow all darkness in their lives
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Simeon
in his prayerfulness & patience saw Savior in a child: vulnerable,
powerless, & peaceful
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His
contemporaries could not C this & we know what happened to Jesus because of
that
LESSON #2 OF SIMEON ++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Perhaps
there’s another lesson here 4 us
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Many
today long for a political & mighty Savior
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With
best intentions, they speak words of disdain for others whose ways they judge
as bad
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They
even speak of warfare, spiritual warfare, a term that is a bit unfortunate for
many reasons
Ø
One
like Simon leads us away from that view
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In
name of truth, they violate St. John’s call in 1st reading 2B loving
persons if we’re 2B followers of Christ
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He
leads us 2B prayerful & patient, and 2 promote the light of the Lord
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As
St. John says in 1st reading – to promote this in respectful & peaceful
words, expressions & ways
OUR INNER LIFE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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We
might take note of that, since impatience is one of the real issues or problems
in our culture today or in our progress in therapy
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Perhaps
a greater rootedness in prayer could afford us the stance of Simeon
CONCLUSION
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That
is the lesson I see in this man Simeon today
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