Christmas 2012....has come and is passed. The world is still here, tax hikes are looming around the corner, and 2013 is at our "doorstep".
I happen to be reading about "the power of embracing one another". We do that stuff alot during Christmas time, and for those of us who are not what one might call "huggers", it can be kind of a "stressful" (lol) season in our lives.
Actually, research claims hugging is a healthy thing...it helps our immune system, can help cure depression, reduce stress, aids in sleep, and can rejuvinate our very souls.
It is also duly noted that "embracing one another" is totally organic, naturally a sweet thing to do, and there are no after effects....no pesticide poisonings (hmmm? gotta think about that one lol), no preservatives, no artificial flavors (wait...I think there is such a thing as a "fake" hug), no batteries that will wear out, no check-ups, no monthly payments due when you offer someone a hug (now...that's an idea!), and you don't have to take out insurance to embrace another.
Anyway...Christmas is over...do we still need to hug? (lol) Ok...moving on....
After the Christ-child was born...in the manger...was there anything noted that happen after His birth? Yes, in fact there were numerous things...culminating with the murders of innocent babies in the mad efforts of "King" Herod to kill the Christ-child.
Yet, we also find a rather spectacular event occurred that is recorded in the Gospel of Saint Luke...
It was 40 days after His birth, Mary and Joseph as dictacted in Mosaic Law, was to present Jesus at the Temple. Actually, it was a ritual purification ceremony for Mary after childbirth.
A Gleaning from the Gospel of Luke 2:25-38
" At this moment in history, during the time Jesus was still an infant, there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem.
Simeon was noted as a good man, and had the kind of heart the Lord loved. Simeon knew the Sacred Scriptures, he had a good relationship with the Lord, and like many in Israel...was looking for the Messiah. Many in Israel had felt by this time God had abandoned them, yet Simeon remained faithful. He was still of the opinion with a prayerful expectancy God was coming to aid and rescue Israel ( from all foreign oppression like that of the Roman Empire), and continued to observe with a careful and cautious reverence the Laws of Moses.
It was on this particular day the Holy Spirit came upon Simeon, and spoke to his heart. The Holy Spirit informed him that he would not die...without his very own eyes having the honor of seeing for himself....The Messiah!
So, the day came when Mary and Joseph were to bring the baby Jesus to the Temple as was required in the Law of Moses. On that very same day, the Holy Spirit prompted Simeon...to go to the Temple as well. The Holy Spirit had shown him he would see the Messiah there...before he died. Simeon followed the lead of the Holy Spirit and entered the Temple. When Mary and Joseph came into the Temple to present Jesus before the Lord...Simeon was already there!
When Simeon's eyes saw the baby Jesus, he took Jesus into his arms and gave God praise with a heart of gratefulenss, saying: "Lord, I am your servant, and you have given me the honor to see the Christ-child! It is only now I can leave this life in Your Peace, for You have done it once again!...You have been faithful to me! For with my very own eyes I now see our Salvation has come, in fact, all people can now see for themselves...both of the faith of the Israelites as well of those of all nations! Truly, He is the Glory of Your people...the people You have ordained...the very nation of...Israel!
When Mary and Joseph heard the words of Simeon, they were both surprised and speechless...simply at what Simeon had spoken! The couple simply marveled at what was happening, and then Simeon blessed the couple. Simeon then turned his attention directly to Mary and said: "This child you now have is destined to cause both failure for the people of Israel, and for their recovery. This infant that is being dedicated today in the Temple is a warning sign...to the people of Israel who choose to reject Him. For this is true, He will become a man misunderstood and contradicted, and many will oppose Him. You Mary, will go through personal suffering...and at times it will feel like someone has taken a dagger and stabbed you in your very heart. Yet, this rejection your young Son will face will force an honesty of those around you, and God will reveal the thoughts and purposes of many hearts. He will make it perfectly clear what their thoughts and motives really are."
Yet, this day was far from over for Mary, Joseph, and their Son Jesus. For in the Temple was another...her name being Anna...and she was a prophetess....of the Lord!
Anna was of the tribe of Asher of the nation of Israel, and she was the daughter of a man named Phanuel. Anna on this day was of a very old age.
Anna's life had not gone without personal tragedy, for only after 7 years into her marriage, her husband had passed, and she had remained a widow to this very day...the day the Christ-child had come to the Temple...for Anna was now 84 years of age.
Since the time of her husband's death, Anna had given her life to honor God by serving in the Temple. She did not go outside the Temple enclosure, remained steady, worshipping the Lord both day and into the night...accompanied with fasting and prayer.
Anna was there when Jesus was presented to the Lord in the Temple, and when her eyes gazed upon Him, she gave an offering of thanks and praise to the great God of Israel....for she knew God much like Simeon...and had become acquainted with His mercy.
Anna upon seeing Him, would now let others know who passed by...that the Christ-child was here...the Messiah has come...and He is Alive! The Messiah of Israel has come to live among us, and it is a time to be ready...for Jerusalem's long awaited moment...the announcement of FREEDOM...has arrived."
For many of us today...the "Cry of Anna" is still heard. Freedom...is ours today...in 2012 A.D. Traditonally, those of us in liturgical churches recognize the day that Simeon and Anna experienced as one of the 12 "Great Feasts" days. It is acknowledged on February 2nd, and is called "Hypaponte" (Greek meaning Meeting Day), Candlemas, Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, Meeting of the Lord, or as the Roman Catholic church observes, the "Feast of the Presentation of the Lord".
Robert Herrick, the English poet of the early 1600's wrote this poem in observance to what this day proclaims: " Down with rosemary, and so Down with the bays and the mistletoe; Down with the holly, ivy, all, wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall."
In the U.K., Candlemas has become a weather forecast as well: "If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite! If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter is gone and will not come again."
Christ Jesus...even in His infant stage...began to "draw the lines"....
I happen to be reading about "the power of embracing one another". We do that stuff alot during Christmas time, and for those of us who are not what one might call "huggers", it can be kind of a "stressful" (lol) season in our lives.
Actually, research claims hugging is a healthy thing...it helps our immune system, can help cure depression, reduce stress, aids in sleep, and can rejuvinate our very souls.
It is also duly noted that "embracing one another" is totally organic, naturally a sweet thing to do, and there are no after effects....no pesticide poisonings (hmmm? gotta think about that one lol), no preservatives, no artificial flavors (wait...I think there is such a thing as a "fake" hug), no batteries that will wear out, no check-ups, no monthly payments due when you offer someone a hug (now...that's an idea!), and you don't have to take out insurance to embrace another.
Anyway...Christmas is over...do we still need to hug? (lol) Ok...moving on....
After the Christ-child was born...in the manger...was there anything noted that happen after His birth? Yes, in fact there were numerous things...culminating with the murders of innocent babies in the mad efforts of "King" Herod to kill the Christ-child.
Yet, we also find a rather spectacular event occurred that is recorded in the Gospel of Saint Luke...
It was 40 days after His birth, Mary and Joseph as dictacted in Mosaic Law, was to present Jesus at the Temple. Actually, it was a ritual purification ceremony for Mary after childbirth.
A Gleaning from the Gospel of Luke 2:25-38
" At this moment in history, during the time Jesus was still an infant, there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem.
It was on this particular day the Holy Spirit came upon Simeon, and spoke to his heart. The Holy Spirit informed him that he would not die...without his very own eyes having the honor of seeing for himself....The Messiah!
So, the day came when Mary and Joseph were to bring the baby Jesus to the Temple as was required in the Law of Moses. On that very same day, the Holy Spirit prompted Simeon...to go to the Temple as well. The Holy Spirit had shown him he would see the Messiah there...before he died. Simeon followed the lead of the Holy Spirit and entered the Temple. When Mary and Joseph came into the Temple to present Jesus before the Lord...Simeon was already there!
When Simeon's eyes saw the baby Jesus, he took Jesus into his arms and gave God praise with a heart of gratefulenss, saying: "Lord, I am your servant, and you have given me the honor to see the Christ-child! It is only now I can leave this life in Your Peace, for You have done it once again!...You have been faithful to me! For with my very own eyes I now see our Salvation has come, in fact, all people can now see for themselves...both of the faith of the Israelites as well of those of all nations! Truly, He is the Glory of Your people...the people You have ordained...the very nation of...Israel!
When Mary and Joseph heard the words of Simeon, they were both surprised and speechless...simply at what Simeon had spoken! The couple simply marveled at what was happening, and then Simeon blessed the couple. Simeon then turned his attention directly to Mary and said: "This child you now have is destined to cause both failure for the people of Israel, and for their recovery. This infant that is being dedicated today in the Temple is a warning sign...to the people of Israel who choose to reject Him. For this is true, He will become a man misunderstood and contradicted, and many will oppose Him. You Mary, will go through personal suffering...and at times it will feel like someone has taken a dagger and stabbed you in your very heart. Yet, this rejection your young Son will face will force an honesty of those around you, and God will reveal the thoughts and purposes of many hearts. He will make it perfectly clear what their thoughts and motives really are."
Yet, this day was far from over for Mary, Joseph, and their Son Jesus. For in the Temple was another...her name being Anna...and she was a prophetess....of the Lord!
Anna's life had not gone without personal tragedy, for only after 7 years into her marriage, her husband had passed, and she had remained a widow to this very day...the day the Christ-child had come to the Temple...for Anna was now 84 years of age.
Since the time of her husband's death, Anna had given her life to honor God by serving in the Temple. She did not go outside the Temple enclosure, remained steady, worshipping the Lord both day and into the night...accompanied with fasting and prayer.
Anna was there when Jesus was presented to the Lord in the Temple, and when her eyes gazed upon Him, she gave an offering of thanks and praise to the great God of Israel....for she knew God much like Simeon...and had become acquainted with His mercy.
Anna upon seeing Him, would now let others know who passed by...that the Christ-child was here...the Messiah has come...and He is Alive! The Messiah of Israel has come to live among us, and it is a time to be ready...for Jerusalem's long awaited moment...the announcement of FREEDOM...has arrived."
For many of us today...the "Cry of Anna" is still heard. Freedom...is ours today...in 2012 A.D. Traditonally, those of us in liturgical churches recognize the day that Simeon and Anna experienced as one of the 12 "Great Feasts" days. It is acknowledged on February 2nd, and is called "Hypaponte" (Greek meaning Meeting Day), Candlemas, Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, Meeting of the Lord, or as the Roman Catholic church observes, the "Feast of the Presentation of the Lord".
In the U.K., Candlemas has become a weather forecast as well: "If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite! If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter is gone and will not come again."
Christ Jesus...even in His infant stage...began to "draw the lines"....
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