Patriarch Daniel: The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is a light of Christian life

Aurelian Iftimiu – Basilica News Agency – 6/2/17

The feast of the Meeting of the Lord does not refer only to the encounter of Righteous Simeon with Jesus the Saviour of the world, but it represents for us a light of Christian life, the Patriarch of Romania said Feb. 2.

In his homily delivered Thursday at St Gregory the Enlightener Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence, the Patriarch of Romania explained that the people of Israel expected the coming of the Messiah.

The person who welcomed Christ to the Temple, Elder Simeon, the Patriarch said, was a man full of Holy Spirit, a righteous and pious man. The moment he accepted in his arms Baby Jesus, Righteous Simeon felt the joy of the fulfilment of the promises made by God.

Reflecting on the Gospel text read during the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Daniel said that Righteous Simeon foretold different moments in the life of our Saviour Jesus Christ regarding His mission in the chosen people. Simeon was illumined by the Holy Spirit and witnessed to Christ as Saviour of the world. He saw with his physical eyes the One seen by the Prophets of the Old Testament with spiritual eyes.

The Patriarch of Romania went on to say that Righteous Simeon and Prophetess Anna are examples of persons who realised that the path to the Kingdom of Heaven needs a permanent state of vigilance and prayer.

Salvation comes especially to those who seek it permanently and diligently, with much patience and hope. Righteous Simeon and Prophetess Anna represent the holy waiting on God, full of hope, prayer, fasting and humbleness.

The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord offers every Christian the opportunity to realise that he or she is called to meet and accept Christ, the Patriarch said. This meeting of the Lord can be accomplished by listening to the word of the Gospel and by performing good deeds.

The Patriarch ended his homily by emphasising that people meet Christ when they call Him in prayer, and when partaking of the Holy Mysteries. The same way Righteous Simeon accepted Christ in his arms, so we accept Him in our soul and body when we partake of the Chalice, Patriarch Daniel said.

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