Who is this king of Glory? It is the Lord!--Psalm 24:8
Mass readings: Malachi 3:1-4 / Hebrews 2:14-18 / Luke 2:22-40 or 2:22-32
For many years I harbored a childhood fantasy of being snowbound -- but warm and cozy and safe. Last winter it happened for three days. Afterward, I whimsically considered praying Simeon's canticle from today's Gospel: ''Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace . . . for my eyes have seen . . . .''
I wouldn't have meant it, though. I'm not ready to depart this life. But Simeon was. He had witnessed the fulfillment of God's promises in the person of the infant Jesus. Whatever else he might have missed didn't matter. Jesus is everything. When we fear that our time may be up before we do everything we had planned prior to going to meet the Lord, it's wise to remember that the Lord is everything.
Prayer: God, help me remember that knowing You encompass all things.