Christmas Eve
“Simeon in the Temple” - Rembrandt
The Surprise of God at Christmas
By Dr. Manolito S. Jaldon Jr.
Recently, my wife and I discussed starting a new family tradition. We wanted to take our sons to visit the assisted living facility on Christmas Day and offer candy canes as a small gift to the residents. We thought it would be a beautiful gesture to teach our kids the deeper meaning of Christmas. This idea of the elderly brings me to a masterpiece that I have been thinking about these past few months: Rembrandt’s Simeon in the Temple. This work was in progress and was discovered in Rembrandt’s studio shortly after he died in 1669.
As we gaze at this intimate portrait, we see an old Simeon at the end of his years. His hands clasped in prayer as he holds the very promise of Israel. He desires to make a home in his heart for this poor child. The sentiments of this moment echo the words from our First Reading, when the Lord speaks through Nathan to David and, implicitly, to Simeon:
“I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance” (2 Samuel 7:9).
Rembrandt uses light as a means of entry into the soul. The light that illuminates the baby's face is reflected onto Simeon's face. We see a life well lived, a story to be told, the breaking in of God into our human experience. We are struck silent to behold such an intimate portrait. While Christmas is centered on the Christ child, it may also be about the person Simeon represents: the elderly.
The elderly hold a special place in our lives. In their bonus years, they resemble the poor Jesus of Bethlehem. They are often alone, in need of another’s touch, and hungry for companionship. The elderly stand in the person of Christ as living icons for us. They desire to be cared for, to be nurtured, to be loved just like the Child of Bethlehem. They are our treasure, and we must take up the promptings of our hearts to visit them and make their home our Bethlehem this year. Pope Francis tells us that the elderly, especially our grandparents, “represent the passing on of faith and wisdom to the younger generation” (Spes non confundit 14).
Christmas is about to burst open. Tomorrow, Jesus comes! Seek him where you least expect, in the one who must be visited, and with unguarded hearts we will find ourselves uttering with the psalmist, “Forever I will sing of the goodness of the Lord” (Psalm 89:2).
In the elderly, Christ has always been with us. Merry Christmas to all!
Dr. Manolito Jaldon serves as the Director of the Lasallian Student Life Office at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento. In his role, Dr. Jaldon collaborates with the students in campus ministry to provide meaningful retreats, prayer experiences, and liturgical celebrations that enrich the spiritual life of the school community.
For more than 25 years, Dr. Jaldon has dedicated his professional career to liturgical music ministry, serving parishes throughout the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Oakland. He continues to share his gifts with several parishes in the Sacramento area.