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Meditation

Reader,

As I've mentioned before, I grew up in a liturgical tradition, specifically in the Church of England. My hometown is Canterbury, which, for historical reasons dating back 1500 years, is the center of the Church, and I attended a School within the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral.

Church attendance for us boys was mandatory on Sunday mornings, and most Wednesday evenings Evensong or Compline (nighttime services) would be celebrated.

At that time I knew this prayer as "Nunc Dimittis" a Canticle that would be sung by the choir during the evening service (usually in Latin).

Found in Luke 2:29–32, it is called the Nunc Dimittis for its first words in the Vulgate Bible: Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum, in pace (“Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised”).

Because of its implications of fulfillment, peace, and rest, the early church viewed it as appropriate for the ending of the day. Hence its use in evening services over the past 1500 years.

As noted in verses 25-28 Simeon was at the Temple in Jerusalem when Mary and Joseph came to present the infant Jesus for the rite of purification according to Jewish law and custom. Simeon recognized the baby as the promised Savior, took him in his arms, and raised his prayerful hymn of praise.

I've provided the context from verses 25-28 and bolded the actual prayer to be copied.

Today's text is Luke 2:29-32

Simeon's Prayer

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
​³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
​³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
​³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

Encouragement

A couple of summers ago, my wife, my children, and I spent a couple of days back in Canterbury and visited the Cathedral.

It was heartening to see how filled with awe and wonder the girls, ages 12 & 14 were at the sheer scale of the building, its history, and the quiet and calm you experience within its walls.

...but that is nothing to the awe and wonder Simeon felt when he saw Jesus and knew Him as his savior for the first time.

​Click here to listen to this version of Nunc Dimitis sung by the Canterbury Cathedral Choir gives a sense of the wonder of this moment.

Today's prayer of praise should well be ours as much as Simeons'.

Andy

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