Holding Jesus

I love blessing babies. Holding their tiny bodies as they often stare into the dome of the Church during the blessing brings great joy. It seems we all ‘get into the game’ when a baby is around. We all want to hold the baby. Babies remind us of God’s love and promise.

Today is the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. It is the 40-Day blessing of Jesus. It’s hard to imagine Christmas was only 40 days ago. The image of Saint Symeon holding Jesus, hearing the promise of God, comforts my soul.

At that time, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Symeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Luke 2.25-32

For Saint Symeon, the blessing to hold Jesus in his arms was a life-long dream. It was a dream that God promised he would experience. God always comes through with His promises. Before we forget, God has made a similar promise to us, but that promise is greater than Symeon’s.

Holding Jesus blessed Symeon. We get much more than holding Him in our arms. We get to be united with Him in baptism. We get to commune with Him in Liturgy. We get to be one with God. Too bad so many of us don’t take advantage of our promised blessing.

I invite you to read today’s passage and allow yourself to be inspired. Allow yourself to want to hold Jesus like Symeon did. Allow yourself to want to be with God in Liturgy. Allow yourself to be blessed by God’s promise, before you die.

If you feel unworthy of God, that’s ok. None of us is worthy of His promise. STILL, He makes good on His promise. God is the One Who makes us worthy of His promise. God is the One Who forgives us. God is the One Who comes to us.

Our part in God’s blessing is to live the best life we can. Our part is to repent. Our part is to struggle against sin and temptation. Our part is to make full use of the sacraments of the Church, which are given to us by God to make us worthy of Him.

We shouldn’t expect to ‘just sit and wait’ for God. The Gospel says that Symeon was “righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel.” He prayed. He was constantly in the Temple worshiping God. Looking and waiting are two different things.

If you are looking for God, now is the time to stop waiting for Him. God is already in the Church waiting for you. If today’s Feast reminds us of anything, it is that God has come to make good on His promise.

Now…we get to hold Jesus in our arms, in our hearts, in our bodies and in our souls.