February: Day 3: Teaching 1: Saint Symeon the God-Receiver and the Prophetess Anna

 

February: Day 3: Teaching 1:
Saint Symeon the God-Receiver and the Prophetess Anna
 
(Why Was Righteous Symeon Not Afraid of Death?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Remembering the Reception of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple of Jerusalem, the Holy Church also blesses those persons who participated in this Gospel event of the first days of the earthly life of the God-child. When forty days had passed from the birth of the Savior, the Mother of God and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem to present Him before the Lord. Here they were met by the Righteous Symeon with the Prophetess Anna who openly announced to everyone about the coming of salvation through the birth of the only-begotten Son of God. According to the testimony of the Gospel, Symeon was a righteous and pious man, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. This holy elder reverently served God and faithfully fulfilled all duties to his neighbors. For his holy and God-pleasing life he was honored with special favor from God: he was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he saw the Lord's Christ. How many years Righteous Symeon waited for this joyful promise to be fulfilled, we do not know. But judging by his words, he had to wait a long time for the Consolation of Israel, so that he looked upon death as a joyful end to his difficult and long wandering on earth. Finally, one day, at the inspiration of the Spirit of God, he came to the Temple and received the Infant God together with the most blessed Mary and Righteous Joseph. Then Symeon, taking the Infant Jesus in his arms, glorifying God, exclaimed: "Now let Your servant depart in peace, Master, according to Your word." Present there was also the Prophetess Anna, a widow of about eighty-four years of age, who did not leave the Temple, serving God with fasting and prayer day and night. And she, together with Symeon, praised the Lord and spoke of the appearance of the Savior to all who were awaiting His coming in Jerusalem.

II. In the persons of the Holy Righteous Symeon the God-Receiver and the Prophetess Anna, we are presented with an example of a long life crowned with a peaceful end. Who among us would not wish to attain such fearlessness in parting with earthly life as the Righteous Symeon showed? We must all die sooner or later. Oh, if the Lord would grant us, too, at the end of our days, in a sincere conscience to calmly say: "Now let Your servant depart in peace, Master." And our Holy Church, at daily services, asks the Lord for us to have a “Christian end to our lives, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good account before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.” Meanwhile, how many of us die peacefully? Do we not all tremble at the mere remembrance of death? Why was the Righteous Symeon not afraid of death? Where is the secret of his fearlessness?

a) Part of this mystery is told by Symeon himself, when he cries to the Lord, "for my eyes have seen Your salvation!" That is, as if a righteous man were speaking: I have nothing more to do on earth, for I have seen everything - the Savior and salvation itself; having seen Him, I have nothing to fear beyond the limits of the earth; for with Him, my almighty Savior, even though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

But here, brethren, as I said, is only part of the mystery of Symeon, and not the whole mystery. The salvation that Symeon saw was seen with the eyes of many of Symeon's contemporaries, they saw it much more and longer than Symeon; however, we do not see in the Gospel that anyone else, except Symeon, who said: "Now let Your servant depart in peace, Master."

b) Another part of the mystery of Symeon's peaceful death, which he kept silent about out of humility, is revealed by the Evangelist when he describes the person of Symeon, saying he was "righteous and pious, looking forward to the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was in him, and he had been promised by the Holy Spirit not to see death, before he sees the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:25, 26), that is, Symeon had a whole assembly of virtues: love for his neighbors nourished in him love for God and the fear of God; fear and love for God strengthened faith in the Redeemer, faith in the Redeemer attracted the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit honored him with revelations and gave him the opportunity to see the Savior; the sight of the Savior drove out the fear of death; and Symeon departs in peace to where others cannot even look without trembling!

Thus, here is the holy secret of Symeon! This is how he came to the precious opportunity to die in peace! Whoever wants Symeon's death, go the way of Symeon: be righteous and pious, believe in the Redeemer, try to become a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit; and you will be worthy of seeing your Savior.

III. The Lord visibly appears at the bedside of almost every sick person – in His Body and Blood. If only we knew how to make use of this Theophany! If only we would hasten to receive the Lord here and be illuminated by the light of His face, before the light in our eyes fades – open our mouths and hearts for Him, before they are forever closed by illness! But what happens? They look at the priest carrying the Cup of Life as if he were an Angel of Death, and therefore try not to see him as long as possible! They receive the Body and Blood of the Lord when they can no longer receive anything else.

“Grant me, O Lord, even to my final breath to receive without condemnation a portion of Your holy things in communion with the Holy Spirit, as a guide to eternal life, and as a favorable answer at Your terrible judgment, so that I too, with all Your chosen ones, may be a partaker of Your incorruptible blessings, which You have prepared for those who love You, O Lord! In which You are most glorified forever.” (First Prayer at Holy Communion). 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.