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as the law of Moses[1] prescribed. They carried with them the usual offering of the poor, a pair of turtle-doves[2].
There was at that time in Jerusalem a just and God-fearing man named Simeon[3]. He was looking anxiously for the coming
- ↑ The law of Moses. See Old Test. XXXIII.
- ↑ Turtle-doves. According to the law a mother was considered unclean for forty days after the birth of a son, and during that time might not appear before the Lord in the Temple. On the fortieth day she had to offer a sacrifice of purification, namely a lamb and a young pigeon; or, if she were poor, she made the offering of the poor, namely two young pigeons, one to be a sin-offering, and the other a burnt offering. — Let us accompany the holy Mother with her Divine Child to the Temple. Standing at the great gate on the eastern side, which led to the outer court of the women, Mary handed to the priest the two pigeons, the offering of her poverty. The priest then went into the outer court of the temple, sprinkled the blood of one pigeon on the side of the altar as a sin-offering, and burnt the other in the fire as a thank-offering. Mary had to stay at the gate, but in spirit she accompanied the priest to the altar and thanked God from her heart that He had chosen her to be the Mother of God. Truly, the offering of the most pure Virgin was more pleasing to God than the sacrifice of either Abel or Melchisedech. After this, she presented the Divine Child as an offering to the Lord. She handed Him to the priest, and, having paid the five shekels (about thirteen shillings) redemption-money, received Him back again. We can imagine how wholly she gave her Child to the Lord, to belong entirely to Him and fulfil Ilis holy will! Her heart, indeed, was full of anxious forebodings, for she knew that her Son was the Redeemer, and that, according to the words of the prophets, He would suffer and die a violent death. But she gave herself over entirely to the will of God. “Take Him, O Lord”, she said, “for He is Thy Son. I will bring Him up for Thee. Do what Thou wilt, and if so be I must see Him die for the salvation of men — Thy will be done!”
- ↑ Simeon. Mary’s forebodings were soon to be confirmed by Simeon. As Mary passed through the crowded outer court with her Divine Child, she was unobserved: the crowd had no suspicion that the Messias, whom all the sacrifices in the Temple typified, had just entered His Father’s House for the first time. One man alone, the aged Simeon, recognised his Saviour in this Child. Scripture calls him a “just” man, for he had observed the law of the Lord from his youth up. His longing for the Redeemer was a holy and religious longing, unlike that usually entertained by the Jews, who looked for a merely earthly Messias. He hoped for One who should bring redemption, grace and truth; and as he saw the corruption of his - people increasing, he prayed the more fervently to God to send the promised Saviour. God heard his prayer, and the Holy Ghost gave him the assurance that, before he died, he should behold the Christ. For this reason Simeon went daily to the Temple where the Messias was to manifest Himself to him. As Mary entered with her Child, an inward illumination of the Holy Spirit made known to him that this Babe was lie whom he expected. Full of a holy joy he took the Child in his arms, and raising his eyes to heaven, sang his canticle “Nunc dimittis”.
