Glory be to Jesus Christ!
🌞
To the righteous Simeon the God-receiver and Anna the daughter of Phanuel:
For the readings from the Apostle, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02042023.html
For the Gospel reading (which directly describes the events related to Saints Simeon and Anna), see the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15022023.html
The reading from the Apostle is preceded by the one I wrote about here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02102023.html
The immediate continuation of the reading from the Apostle is the one I wrote about here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03122023.html
Ephesians V, 2 — 'ἡμῶν' - 'emon' - (for, over) 'us'.
The Apostle Paul recalls the pagan past of the believers, calls them to distance themselves from all that, but to be filled with gratitude to God, to be filled with everything good, pure and holy, becoming a living spring. By doing so and becoming like this, the faithful are a light to the world, as Christ commands, and help to convert others to Christ and light. The comparison with inanimate light and darkness is important — light and darkness have no face, no personality - it is a way of life, not the nature and personality of people - people's lifestyles, thoughts, words and actions are called light or darkness, not the people themselves - God loves people, but judges their evil deeds and gives people the capacity and strength to do good. And people often do not pay attention to the personality of another person, but to their life, actions, words, etc., which is why a person here seems to be hiding in the shadow or in the light of their life and behaviour,
although they do not cease to be a person whom the Lord wants to save.
Paul also testifies that commitment to sins is idolatry, calling us to distance ourselves from all these things.
For the readings from the Gospel, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16122023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!