Meeting of our Lord Jesus in the temple – Father Gavril Galev
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The main event and essence of this feast is the meaning of the actual meeting. Our personal meeting with God, with our brother/sister and with ourselves. From that meeting happiness emanates and for us it should be a celebration.
My meeting with God, with my brother/sister, should be the cause of my happiness and joy, as the righteous Simeon experienced. We can only imagine what that meeting was like and how he felt at that moment. At that point in time, the whole meaning of life was fulfilled for him and that is why he wanted to pass away immediately, to turn that meeting into eternity. This meeting with the Lord becomes a victory over death and it is a true freedom.
Saint Simeon (God-receiver) loved God, and therefore he entered into eternal peace, into tranquillity. Peace means closeness. First with God, and then with every human being. Peace brings people closer to, and unites them with, God and each other. That is why it is necessary right now, while we still have time, to reconcile with our brother/sister. A cleric must not serve the Liturgy if he is not at peace with everyone. Woe will be upon such a priest if he is not at peace with all.
However, filled with ourselves, our mind is darkened, so that meeting becomes an unhappiness and a tragedy for us, instead of happiness and celebration. We still dwell in our sins and are in the shadow of mortal and eternal perdition.
And finally. Let us not forget that one day we will have to present ourselves before Christ, to meet Him face to face. However, believe me, then, in the person of Christ, we will see each of our brothers and sisters, especially those with whom we have not been reconciled in this life and have not been at peace with them. Then we will be asked one question: “Do you love me?”
Based on our answer we will be worthy of heaven or hell. Eternal joy, eternal happiness, eternal life, or, eternal sorrow, eternal misery, eternal death, which is separation from God.
The choice is ours!
Fr. Gavril Galev
Abbot of the monastery “St. Clement of Ohrid”,
Kinglake, Melbourne, Australia
15.02.2021
