Luke 2.-21-39
These two old people are often overlooked or forgotten in the telling of the Christmas story. Old people often are. But not by the Lord.
Simeon was a good man. He had a testimony and had tried to be a good member all his life. He had learned how to recognize the Spirit and had probably often been prompted to go help some widow with her sickly donkey or a broken door hinge. It was because of a life-long habit of listening to and obeying the Spirit that Simeon happened to be at the temple on the day Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to be redeemed.
And his old eyes were opened and he knew who Jesus was. He offered Mary a priesthood blessing: he could see how hard yet rich her life would be. Like Eli of old, he blessed parents who had given their son to God, blessed them with more sons and daughters. And his old mouth was filled with marvelous words. And the service of his whole life was paid in full in that moment in the temple.
He was not alone. Anna (named for Hannah, the mother of Samuel) was also at the temple. Lots of old widows are, serving day and night with fasting and prayer and washing and ushering and folding clothes and welcoming people to the house of the Lord. And in that instant she too rejoiced and, like so many of our sisters, told EVERYONE she met about the marvelous babe
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