On this Feast Day we hear an account from Luke’s Gospel of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. This was a ritual which was required after the birth of the first-born male. According to Jewish law, a first-born son must be circumcised after eight days and later presented in the Temple and redeemed by an offering to God. The mother of a son had, after forty days, to also be ritually purified and a sacrifice offered. These two traditions of presentation and purification are merged here into one scene in Luke’s Gospel.

At the Temple, it is not the priests that Joseph and Mary meet but Simeon, a ‘righteous and devout’ man on whom ‘the Holy Spirit rested’. The Holy Family also meet Anna, an 84-year-old prophet who has dedicated her life to prayer and fasting. This pair are wise and represent God’s faithful ones. They stand in continuity with all that has come before this moment for the people of God. Anna and Simeon do not appear to have any official status, which probably makes them free enough to be able to stand on the threshold of old and new and embrace this turning point for the people of God. We might recall moments in our own life when we felt such freedom, a time when we were free from a particular role or title or expectations from loved ones. This freedom uncovered a strength in us which enabled us to be open to new possibilities, new insights or vision, or gave us the capacity to dream anew. Standing in the shoes of Anna and Simeon we can see what possibilities lie ahead and also the challenges.

In the oracle we hear from Simeon in today’s Gospel, he warns Mary of the challenging times ahead. This child Jesus before them will grow and become a great leader but Jesus’ radical hospitality to all will not sit comfortably with everyone. On the other hand, the prophet Anna rejoices for all those who are looking for change, looking for hope. She knows that this child will challenge the systems of oppression and exclusion. What hopes she has for Jesus. How excited she must have felt for those who would be liberated by him.

In his Gospel, Luke is interested in how humanity responds to the gospel. If Jesus’ message is really good news, then this requires a change of ‘heart’. The heart spoken of here refers to the inner workings of a person, that which regulates our attitudes and actions. Jesus challenges people’s comfortable assumptions. Many situations in our own world today need a shake-up. Taking a closer look at the text we read that the ‘inner thoughts of many’ are to be ‘revealed’. Where do we see this happening today? What crises in our world do we see bringing out the best and the worst of humanity? We only have to look around at the various conflicts in our world and how governments fail to act, or the different responses to refugees and asylum seekers; our reaction or lack of reaction to the climate and biodiversity crises; the resistance to change in our various models of Church.

Bringing this closer to home, we might reflect today on those times when God sent people to us who welcomed us, blessed us and surprised us by saying wonderful things. Their words may have penetrated us and left us pondering. In the coming week, you might recall such moments in your own life. What words were spoken? By whom? How did they influence you? We can also take example from Simeon and Anna this week. They are exemplars of patient hope, persevering in prayer. What situations in our world are patiently waiting for change? What signs are there that something new is emerging?

In order to embrace what is new and life-giving, we always have to let go of something and invite freshness in. May we, like Simeon and Anna, filled with the Holy Spirit and giving praise to God, have the courage to cross the threshold from old to new, to bless it and welcome that which can bring restoration for all.

Pope Francis has said this of Simeon and Anna: They ‘cherished the hope proclaimed by the prophets, even though it is slow to be fulfilled and grows silently amid the infidelities and ruins of our world. They … patiently looked for the light shining in the darkness of history.’ We need to do the same.