From the pulpit
Led by the Holy Spirit
Today is a feast day in the Church, and that is why the hymns are longer: it is a joyful occasion. The feast we celebrate is the Lord's Entry into the Temple.
The icon of this feast beautifully describes what happened. St Mary and St Joseph brought the Child Jesus into the temple. According to the Law, forty days after the birth of a child, the parents would bring the child to the temple to consecrate him to God. The offering they brought depended on their wealth: either a lamb or, if they were of modest means, two turtle doves. The turtle doves in the icon remind us that St Mary and St Joseph lived simply and humbly.
When they entered the temple, there was a priest there: Simeon. The Church remembers Simeon every single day in her prayers. In the Agpeya we read:
"Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon… and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ… So he came by the Spirit into the temple… and he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 'Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace… for my eyes have seen Your salvation, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.'"
What is so beautiful is that we repeat this every single Liturgy.
If you attend from the beginning, you see the priest select the holy bread, the Lamb, which will become the Body of Christ. He wraps it, prays, and circles the altar with the deacons. As he does, he says the very words of Simeon: "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace… for my eyes have seen Your salvation."
Just as Simeon held the Child Christ, the priest holds the Lamb of God. Every Liturgy, we relive this moment.
Led by the Spirit
Now observe how Simeon lived, and how often the Holy Spirit is mentioned in this passage:
- The Holy Spirit was upon him.
- It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.
- He came by the Spirit into the temple.
This is how we are meant to live: guided by the Holy Spirit in our decisions, our words, our friendships, what we say yes to and what we refuse. Our prayer must be that our lives are led and filled by the Holy Spirit.
The 21 Martyrs of Libya
Today is also the commemoration of the 21 Martyrs of Libya: the young men who were martyred for Christ in 2015 by ISIS. Some were 21, 22, 23 years old. All they had to do was deny Christ, and they would have been spared. They could have had money, safety, marriage, reputation, but they chose faithfulness.
One had just had a baby and had gone to Libya to provide for his family. He never even met his child. Yet he entrusted his family to God and remained faithful.
They are also a beautiful point of unity between us and the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church canonised them as saints, and relics were shared: a powerful sign of unity in Christ.
But today, I want you to think about their wives and mothers.
After the killings, journalists asked the families what they wanted to say to those who murdered their husbands and sons.
The widow of Ezzat, who had a three-year-old daughter, said: "They will believe in Christ. I forgive them. There is no hatred inside of me."
The mother of George said: "My son ascended to his beloved Jesus. We pray that God will make their hearts tender. May God forgive them."
The mother of Kyrillos said: "May God lead you in the right path and grant you a good place, not a bad one. That's all."
Think about that. A mother whose son was beheaded saying, "May God grant you heaven." Not neutrality. Not silence. Not even just forgiveness. She prays for their salvation.
This is love beyond imagination.
Love your enemy
And this is why it connects perfectly to today's Gospel. It is impossible to love like this unless you are led by the Holy Spirit.
As we enter Lent, if we want to live it properly, we must remember the Lord's greatest commandment: love God. Love your neighbour. Love your enemy.
True fasting is not just about food. It is about refusing hatred. Refusing grudges. Refusing bitterness. Never allowing your heart to harden.
There is a video of one of the widows holding her crying baby. She could collapse in grief. Instead she says, "Don't feel sorry for me. He did the right thing."
That strength is not human. It is the Holy Spirit.
A prayer for Lent
One prayer we can take into Lent is the prayer of Augustine of Hippo. His mother, St Monica, prayed for him for nearly twenty years while he lived rebelliously. Eventually he returned to Christ and became a bishop and one of the greatest saints of the Church.
He wrote this prayer to the Holy Spirit:
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work may also be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.
May the Holy Spirit guide our lives like Simeon. May He strengthen us like the martyrs. And may He soften our hearts to love, even our enemies.