“We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God: in the midst of Thy temple.” (Introit)
The storm largely passed us by, Thomas. I will, God willing, be serving as Deacon at the Mass tomorrow morning. Some Luther for the feast from the House Postils:
Now, although Mary was not required to do this—the Law of Moses having no claim over her, for she had given birth without pain and her virginity remained unsullied—nevertheless, she kept quiet and submitted herself to the common law of all women and let herself be accounted unclean. She was, without doubt, a pure, chaste virgin before the birth, in the birth, and after the birth, and she was neither sick nor weakened from the birth, and certainly could have gone out of the house after giving birth, not only because of her exemption under the Law, but also because of the uninterrupted soundness of her body. For her Son did not detract from her virginity, but actually strengthened it; but, in spite of this, not only the mother, but also the son, both allowed themselves to be considered unclean according to the Law. III:256 (1541)
[St. Luke’s] second purpose is to indicate that our dear Lord Christ subjected himself under the Law of our sake, in order that he might redeem us from the law’s curse. He was not conceived or born under the rubrics of what the Law stated concerning the firstborn, for He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Nevertheless, with his mother he submitted to purification in accord with the Law. And it is a very great comfort that Scripture sketches and portrays Christ to us as being like us in all things, only without sin. The deeper we plunge Christ into the flesh of mankind, the better for us. For he subjected himself under the meanest purification Law, in order to show that he was an ordinary human being, yet a pure, holy person who places himself under the Law for our sake. III:276, 277 (1537)
Simeon has a very penetrating eye. In this child there is no kingly mien or royal garb to see, merely the form of a poor beggar... But he does not allow his reason to judge by what his eyes behold but denominates this child a king, greater than all the kings in the world. For he calls him a Saviour, prepared by God for all nations and a Light to lighten the Gentiles all over the world. Indeed, for Simeon this was to open one’s eyes wide and look far beyond oneself! His eyes behold the whole world, from one end of the earth to the other. Wherever in this whole world, he says, there are peoples and Gentiles, there this child is a Saviour and a Light. Thus he comprehends everything that the Holy Scriptures state, and associates it with the child now lying in his arms. III:278 (1537)
This is the song Simeon has sung to us today. Now, filled with joy he wants to depart in peace; for he has seen so much that there is nothing now that frightens him. Since he has seen the Saviour and the Light which God has prepared, he no longer beholds either sin or death and is prepared and willing to die. III:283 (1537)
