At the heart of every mature human joy, there is a profound sorrow. Similarly, at the heart of every adult human sorrow, there is joy. Grief and celebration penetrate each other in a mysterious way, for through them, we touch the edges of eternity.

The presentation of the firstborn male child to the Lord was an occasion of great joy and celebration for a Jewish family. Rejoicing, gratitude and expectation all mingled together to make the event a veritable feast day. But in the background, there were many painful memories of the time in Egypt. The Exodus and the journey through the desert to the Promised Land.

Simeon rejoiced because he had seen the consolation of Israel, but in his prophetic wisdom, he saw the sorrow at the heart of this consolation: a sign of contradiction and a sword piercing Mary's heart. Anna spent long hours in the Temple praying, and her soul must have been filled with joy and consolation at her closeness to the Lord. But she was a widow, and we can only imagine the sorrow that her husband's death, after only seven years of marriage, brought into her life and heart.