By Msgr. Joseph Prior • Posted January 31, 2025

(See the readings for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord)

Doctors tell us that a good night’s sleep is a good thing. Having a restful sleep helps us wake up ready for another day of God-given life. The peaceful sleep well prepares us for using the time we have to do good and to praise the Lord for the gift we have received.

Compline or “night prayer” is the formal prayer used by many Christians before going to bed. It is the last “hour” of the Liturgy of the Hours, which punctuate the day with prayer. The Gospel passage used in this prayer is contained in this Sunday’s Gospel on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. It is often referred to by the first two words of the text in Latin, Nunc dimitis; it is also called the “Canticle of Simeon.”

The passage reads:

“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 the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

Simeon uses these words as a response. He has seen the salvation that the Lord had promised now fulfilled as the baby Jesus is presented in the Temple. St. Luke tells us that Simeon was a “righteous and devout” man. In other words, he was a man of faith both in piety and living according to the covenant.

The evangelist further tells us that he “awaited the consolation of Israel.” The hard and difficult life of Israel, indeed all humanity, needed healing and comfort. Simeon was waiting for this, longing for this consolation. He finds it in the infant brought to the Temple by Mary and Joseph.

Sometimes I try to imagine the scene. The Temple building itself was surrounded by a very large enclosed space. If you ever have visited Jerusalem or have seen a photograph of the Dome of the Rock, the large walls surrounding the complex is basically that space. When the Temple stood in the middle of that space it would have been surrounded by people coming to offer sacrifices of various kinds and to pray. It was a busy place.

When Jesus comes back as an adult and cleanses the Temple, we can gather that it was a hectic place with all sorts of activity going on. It is into the midst of all this that Joseph and Mary bring her first-born to present him to the Lord. In the midst of all these people, Simeon, moved by the Spirit, was able to recognize him as the One who would save Israel.

What a moment of great joy but also of comfort and consolation for Simeon. So great was his awareness that he could offer that beautiful song of praise. The words he utters reflect an inner peace and serenity that no force in the world could shake. In the baby he holds in his arms rests the salvation of the world.

Sometimes our lives may feel like we are in the Temple compound. There is so much going on around us. Plenty of good and bad things are happening that affect our lives. The comfort and consolation for which we seek is near at hand. He is ever present among us offering the gift of peace. Although we know he is here, the hectic pace of life may hinder our memory or our awareness of his presence.

Perhaps the Canticle of Simeon can help us remember. The prayer offers us the opportunity to end the busy days with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Praying this prayer before we turn to sleep helps quiet our souls from the busyness of the day.

It reminds us that we have been saved. It reminds us that we are in the loving hands of the Lord in whom we find our rest. It eases us into his rest and prepares us for a new day of doing good. “Now Lord you may let your servant go in peace.”

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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.