Join Angela Sealana and Jason Nunez for a spiritual journey to the Temple of Jerusalem. Together, they uncover the story of Jesus' presentation and discover the inspiring stories of Simeon and Anna and how their faith can guide us today.
In this episode, you will learn:
- What the ancient Temple was like, and what the Holy Family likely saw and experienced on their pilgrimage there.
- You'll learn more about why Jesus was presented in the Temple.
- Hear how all of this is relevant to us and can bring us hope into our lives.
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Where to Tune In
Live – Wed., August 5 @ 8:00 PM
Guadalupe Radio Network (South/Central Texas Stations)
… Listen to the archived audio recording on our website, ASAP!
Visit PilgrimCenterofHope.org for more information.
Jewel for the Journey
"Let us contemplate God’s patience and implore the trusting patience of Simeon and of Anna." - Pope Francis
Get More Out of Your Journey
Scripture passage mentioned during this episode:
Luke 2:22-38: The Presentation in the Temple
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs mentioned during this episode:
- #583: “Like the prophets before him Jesus expressed the deepest respect for the Temple in Jerusalem. It was in the Temple that Joseph and Mary presented him forty days after his birth.”
- #529: “The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord. With Simeon and Anna, all of God’s people await an “encounter with the Savior.”
- #756: "The Church is called the building of God. The Lord compared himself to the stone which the builders rejected, but which was made into the corner-stone. On this foundation the Church is built by the apostles and from it the Church receives solidity and unity. This edifice has many names to describe it: the house of God in which his family dwells; the household of God in the Spirit; the dwelling-place of God among men; and, especially, the holy temple."
- #1197: “Christ is the true temple of God, 'the place where his glory dwells’; by the grace of God, Christians also become the temples of the Holy Spirit, living stones out of which the Church is built.”
- #2519: "The "pure in heart" are promised that they will see God face to face and be like him.312 Purity of heart is the precondition of the vision of God. Even now it enables us to see according to God, to accept others as "neighbors"; it lets us perceive the human body — ours and our neighbor's — as a temple of the Holy Spirit, a manifestation of divine beauty."
Canticle of Simeon (Part of Night Prayer said by Christians since the 300s A.D.)
Now, Lord, let your servant go in peace, for your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared
in the sight of every people;
A light to reveal you to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.
Amen.
Where is the Western Wall?
Note: Today, only the Western Wall of the Temple is still standing.
