OUR PRA YERS: The Canticle of

Deepeep in every human heart is a desire for the living God that expresses itself in prayerprayer.. In the Catholic tradittradition, some prayers have becomecome classic expressions of what the human heart seeks. Words of Faith: Our Prayers exploresoreses prayprayers that for centuries have revealedvealed a faith that fosters a deep, personal, growing, and loving relationship with Jesusus Christ.hrist. Th ese prayersprayeprpra teach us much about whoho we are andand aaboutbout tthehe GoGodd to wwhomhom we bbelong.elong. —Keith—KeKeit J. Egan, Series Editor WeWe PrayPray † Lord, now yoyouu lett yoyyourur sservant ggoo in ppeace;eace; your workk has beebeeneen fulfi lled: my own eyes have seen the salvation whichhich yoyouou have ppreparedrepared in the sightsight of everyevery people:people: a light to reveal you to the nations andnd the glory of your peoppeople Israel (:29–32).

AntiphAntiphontiphonn PttProtect us, LdLord, as we stay t awake; k watch th over us as we sleep, l that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace. —The

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he Latin nameame of this prayer is thethe NNuncunc DimittiDimDimittiss, drawnawn from itsts oopeningp words, which mean ““NowNow dismiss . . .” This canticle ( of praise)) from theth GosGospelp of Luke is prayed Tduringduring ComplineCompline or NNightight Prayer.Prayey r. ComplineCompline e is the last of the dailydaily liturgical prayers or “Hours”Hours” that make up the LiturgyLiturgy of the Hours (also(al called the Divine Offi cece).) This canticle reveals the gratitudetude ofo Simeon, a devout Jew, for having lilivedved long enough to see thehe long-awaited Savior.or. AtA theth end of each day, Simeon’s words help deepen our gratitude for the blessingslessingsssings wew have received during our service of the Lord.Lord. The Canticle of Simeon is found in the second chapterchapter of the GGospelo of Luke, and in addition to NightNight Prayer,Prayer, it is used in thethe readingsreadings for the day on the feast of thethe Presentation,Pr February 2. It is also a beautiful prayer DID YOU KNOW? to use when praying at the The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Offi ce has undergone many changes deathbed of a seriously ill since it was fi rst standardized in the medieval Church. Current usage person. There is great power focusescuses on three major hours and between two and four minor hourhours:s: and pepeaceac in the freedom of sayingsayiingg forfo a dying friend that Thehe OOffiffi ce ofof ReaReadingsdings (f(formerlyormerly MatinsMatins)) (major hourr) now he oor she is ready to be Laudsuds or MorniMorningng PraPrayeryer (major hourr) dismisseddismisi seed from this life and meet thee Lord in heaven. Daytimeaytime prayer, which can be one or all of:of: TerceTerce or Mid-MorningMid-Morning Prayer Sext or Midday Prayerayeryyer None or Mid-AfternoonMid-A rnnoon PrPrayerayer Vesperseespersspers oro EEveningven PPrayerrayer (majorm or hourhoh urr) Complineoomplinemplil ne oorr NiNNightg t PrPrayeraya er

WORDS FAiTH By Annene Comeaux, Director of tthe Offi ce of ContinuiContinuingng Christian Education, Archdiocese of Galveston-HoustoGalveston-Houston. Serieses Editor,ditor, Keith JJ. EgEgan, PhD, is President of the Carmelite Institute; Adjunct Professor of Theology, UniversUniversity of Notre Dame; and Aquinasuinas Chairhi EmerituEmeritus,s, St. MaMary’sry’s CollCollege.ege. We Believe We Live

t is easy to picture the moment when Simeon proclaimed this he Canticle of Simeon is a wonderful reminder of the peace, now-famous canticle.e. Mary and JosepJosephh hhaveave come to tthehe Temple humility, and gratitude for salvationvati thatt we can all integrate Ias prescribed in Jewishwish law. MarMaryy and JosepJosephh came to offer ritual Tinto our daily lives. We canann bebe likelil kee Simeon,SSiim placing all our trust prayers of purifi cation followingfollowing childbirthchildbirth and havehave broughtbrought Jesus in God and ever proclaimingg in wword andand deed that Christ brings to be consecrated to thee Lord as a fi rstborn son. As tthehe hholyoly familfamilyy salvation.salvation. enters the Temple, Simeoneon takes the infant into his arms and recites • PrayPrP ay thethe CanticleCana cle ofo Simeonn eacheachc nignight beforebeffo you go to sleep, sur- the prayer that we now call his canticle. This humble, aged manan seeses renderingrenderinrer ndn g youryourr will,wi emotions,onns,s aandnd yyourour eevery activity to God. with the eyes of faith thatat this newborn child is trulyy the longlo awaited Don’tDoDon’n t prpprayayy as ththoughhouo ghg youyouo cancanan changechah God’sG mind, but for the savior. Throughout his life, Simeon has beeneenn a faithfulfa and hoholylyl pper-er- strengthstrength and wisdomissdom too changecchanhah youryours.s. son, consistently open too God. Now he sees a ggreatreat ppromise romise fulfi lled • Do nnot be afraid;fraid;d onlyon trust. We sometimessometimes fear that what we offer and offers his bold, yet humhumbleh mbleb prayer of trust and submission to the thehehe LordL or do in his name will not turn oout right. But Jesus died will of God. and rose again, whichwhich means tthathat a great deal has already turned out right!right! Our Christian existenceteencncece is nnotott sstaticttaattiic bbubutt vivividvividlyvvidld y • As an individual or familfamily,y, serve tthosehose whwho are in more need than dynamic, pushing uuss eveverver ooutwaroutwardututwaw rrdd ttoo do good and you.you. Christian service is more than volunteering;volunt rather, it is a vi- proclaim salvationn iinn ChCChristhrii stt JJesus.esus. brantbrant expressionexpression of trust thatthat God providesprovide for all people and that S we each play a part in that provision. Trusting in God’s promise of salvation as Simeon did and follow- • Serve within your parish community as an outward sign of deep ing the teachings of our faith as the holy family did are hallmarks of commitment to your faith. Be publicly open about what you know faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. We are each called to exemplify the is the way of Jesus Christ by carefully choosing not just what you qualities seen so vividly in Simeon. We seek the peace that comes to do, but how youy do it. one who is certain of thehe grgraceace tthathat God hhasas bestowed—blessibestowed—blessingsngs in abundance are ours evenn in tthehe darkest hhours.ours. WWhenhen our eeyesyes are fofo-- WithWith CChildrenhildren cused by faith, we fi nd oourselvesurselves understanding our role in tthehe wwholehole • Read and talk withith childrenn aboutabouo t peoplepeople whow do good things, the story of salvation. Whenn we understand whatwhat it means tthathat God thethe saints, and thee holyho peoplee inn thethee scriptuscripscriptures.scri u Give your children Father sent his son to saveave us and exexperienceperience tthehe presencepresence and wis-wis- optionsopptit ons fo foror rrorole e mmodels o other er thtthan an the h fi gguresuru of pop culture. If we dom of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are cocompelledmpelled to “Go andnd taketake our cuecuee fromf om SimeonS inn hhihisiss prppraise,aiises , grggratitude,attit and trust, we can make disciples of all nations”(Matthewtions”(Matthew 28:19). We,e, like Simeon,Si pro-- talktalk honestlhonestlyhonnesstlt y withwiith ouro childrenchildren aboutabbout thethh challengesc and virtues of claim in public places thathat Jesus Christ has mademad a difference in ourr livililivingiviv ng ouro faith.faith. lives and that this gift off salvationtion is forfo all. As Simeon lifted the childd • MaMakeakeke the CanticlCanticleti l of Simeon part of your bedtime routine. Jesus, we lift his name anandd storstoryy in words and actions. Like Simeon,Simeon, EncourageEnncouragencoo children to pray the canticle itself.i Then, as a parent we, too, are to be missionariesonariesaries to our families, our communities, anandd ppraysrays thethe antiphon,antiphon, hehe or sheshe (or thethe otherothe parent) can trace the all whom we encounter.. Our Christian existence is not static bubut viv-- SiSigngn of thethe Cross on eacheach cchild’shild’s foreforehead.head. idly dynamic, pushing us ever outward to do good anda proclaim sal-- • For older cchildrenhildren needineedingng more indeindependence,pende print the text of the vation in Christ Jesus. ccanticleanticle on a card or mark it in a so that they can pray it on ttheirheir own. Talk withwith themthem about whatwhat thethe prayer teaches us about the God to whom we belong.

A BIT OF HISTORYSTORY The ancient practice off pprayingraying at fi xedxed times ooff tthehe ddayay is rooterootedd inn the dailyy prayeprayerprayer ritualsrituals of JudaismJudaism and hasha sstrongt roots in the New Testament as well. Saintnt Benedict of Nursia, the sixth-century foundfounderer of WWesternWestern momonasticism,nasticism, eenumeratednumerated the spsspecifi c times that litur- gical prayer would be prprayedayed each dadayy in the religious order hee bebegan.gag n. FromF these th BBenedictine di ti communities,communities iti s, tththe practice of praying the Hours spread throughoutughout the Church. Today,Today, the LiturLLiturgygyg of the Hours is pprayedrayed by clergy,clergy, in monasteries,monasterienasteries, bbyy religious communities, and more and more byy lay people, as encouragedencourouraged to do so in the Constitution on the Sacredd LiturgyLiturgy, the fi rst documentdocu promulgated by the Second Vatican Council.uncil.

© 2009 by avevee maria press®, inc.iincnc. • Notre Dame, Indianaa • www.avemariapress.comwww • Ph: 1-800-282-1865 • A Ministry of the IndianaIndi Province of Holy Cross. Scripture texts in thist series are taken from the Neww AmeriAmerican Ame Bible with Revised New Testament and PsalPsalmsms © 1991, 1986, 1970, coconfraternityn of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.erveved.ed. Nihil Obstat: Reverend Michaelel HeHeintz,eintz, PhDPhD,, Censornsor liborumlib Imprimatur: Most Reverend Johnhn M.. SD’ArcyD’Arcy, BBishop of Fort Wayne–South Bend, May 29, 20200909 WOFØ1.Ø8