The Hidden Years

Sunday 28th December is sometimes kept as Holy Innocents' Day, or we think of it as one of the feasts of the Holy Family suggested readings for this year are: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 148; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:22-40

Children, particularly small children attract a lot of attention
In these days a lot of it is tentative,
and we are cautious about the unsolicited attention of people not known to us.
Today we see Jesus encountering two people
Who rather fall into that sort of category:
Simeon and Anna.
They are devout people.
Perhaps we are called to remember
That there are some people
Who can help us to see things differently
I have appreciated over the years
The insights of some who have helped me to see my children differently.
(We can be blindest to those to whom we are closest!)
So SIMEON is able to tell Mary and Joseph right from the start:

THIS CHILD, WHO YOU LOVE SO DEARLY
AND FOR WHOM YOU HAVE SUCH HIGH HOPES, IS ALSO GREATER THAN YOU THINK OR IMAGINE.

I wonder if this might be an insight that we all need to appreciate.
As careful and as faithful, as our hopes and expectations for those we love might be,
God’s plans will be deeper and profounder, and we need to be open to that.
The prophetess ANNA is often glossed over, but she reminds us
that this is not just (or only) the musings of a crazy old man.
It is the sincere reflection and agreement of two faithful people.
They remind Mary, too, that her life and her destiny will be caught up intimately with that of her son

—–AND A SWORD WILL PIERCE YOUR OWN HEART ALSO—–

God invites us to look more closely at the destiny of his chosen ones
We often (even usually) see less than God does
We are called to look with faith
And to work in concert with God’s purposes
To expand our vision
Even thought it may (at times) be difficult.

So there are two things we might profitably ponder:
As we see that we are being pointed to the fact that there is more about Jesus than meets the eyes.
It is a reminder that we may treat Jesus like this ourselves.
We diminish his importance and hence his call upon our lives.
It is almost certain too, that we need to be reminded about those closest to us...that our lives are intertwined .
We share the space, and are called to bear the burden.
What does this call of Christ,
and call of the other elicit from us today