St. Simeon
The Righteous Man Who Held the Christ Child
Feast Day: October 8
Biography
St. Simeon appears in the Gospel of Luke (2:25-35). Scripture calls him 'righteous and devout,' a man of Jerusalem who was awaiting the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed that he would not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. Led by the Spirit, he came into the Temple when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to present Him according to the Law of Moses. Simeon took the Child in his arms and blessed God, saying that he could now depart in peace, for his eyes had seen the salvation God prepared for all peoples, 'a light for revelation to the Gentiles.' He then blessed the parents and told Mary that her Son would be a sign that would be contradicted and that a sword would pierce her own soul, words the Church remembers among the Sorrows of Mary. His canticle, called the Nunc Dimittis from its first Latin words, is prayed every night in Night Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. Scripture does not give his age or say how he died. Later traditions describe him as very old, and some legends make him a priest or one of the ancient translators of the Bible into Greek. The city of Zadar, Croatia, claims his relics in a medieval silver shrine.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. Simeon, you waited faithfully for the Lord and rejoiced to hold Him in your arms. Teach me to wait with patience and hope for God's promises. Open my eyes to recognize Christ in my daily life, and when my days on earth are complete, help me to depart in peace, having seen His salvation. Pray for me and for all who are near death. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. Simeon, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. Simeon, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.