Some years ago I was on retreat at a Benedictine Abbey and it happened that while I was there the Church celebrated the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, or as it is often called Candlemas Day, the feast we celebrate this weekend. It was certainly a beautiful celebration to participate in early in the morning as each of the monks in their cowls, processed from the cloister into the dark abbey church carrying a lighted candle. But something else that I haven’t forgotten from that morning was the homily given on that day.
The monk who preached spoke of how as a young child growing up, he was never particularly fond of or comfortable with the dark. As he would be sent off to bed each night, he would have to wrestle with the fact that he would be surrounded by shadows that would terrify him. This monk shared a room with his brother, but it never seemed to help as all the different images would come, leaving him in a state of fear. In time, his parents realizing this, would often leave a little lamp on out in the hall, and he admitted that as he lay there, he would focus his attention on that light. As long as he did that the shadows didn’t bother him, and focusing on that light he would drift off peacefully to sleep. Maybe the story from his homily has stayed with me all these years because in many ways I could relate to the example he gave. As any of my brothers would tell you, as a child I was never particularly fond of the dark and usually there was always a sibling or two who was more than happy to take advantage of that. The hall light was a blessing in my day as well. I suppose now in general there’s much more use of night lights inside and out, just to help us see our way around in the dark.
That was the example this particular monk gave, but his point “we look at Simeon in our Gospel as he thanks the Lord for allowing his eyes to see this Child who is ‘a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel’ ”. Simeon is now an old man, who certainly had a variety of “shadows” during the course of his life that would have sought his attention, but what’s sustained him into his old age was his devotion to that light and the promises of God, keeping his eyes fixed upon it. And now as Simeon reaches the sunset of his days, he knows that by continuing to keep his eyes on that light, he can go peacefully to sleep. Every night priests and religious recite these words of Simeon as part of their closing prayers for the day. Maybe because we had just processed into a dark church that early morning, the lesson of keeping focused on the light was all the more significant - not only because of being surrounded by shadows - but the light also helped see things for what they really were and it was in following the light and carrying the light that you were brought safely to where you were supposed to be.
Looking at our window in church depicting the Presentation, Simeon holds up the Child as though for all to see, and our Blessed Mother is there beside him holding a candle. St. Teresa of Avila advised her religious sisters that the only real mistake we can make in life, is to take our eyes off of Jesus. Taking our eyes off that Light, the shadows are sure to have their day. If we keep our eyes on the Lord, just as Simeon thanked the Lord for the gift of that light, we’ll be able to drift peacefully to sleep in his arms, and awake in the presence of that little Child, the Light Himself.
Being that it was a monk who reminded me of this lesson, this day is also set aside by the Church as the “World Day of Consecrated Life.” A day to pray and thank God for those religious who in a special way remind us by the witness of their lives to keep our eyes on that Light. For them we thank God and we pray for an increase in vocations to the Religious life!