Never give up hope

Or LK 2:22-32

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go 
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”

I didn't know much about Simeon until last Sunday when Bishop Barber preached on this gospel reading.  Apparently, Simeon was quite old before he gave his life to Christ.  The Bishop's message was that we should never give up hope that someone will be reconciled with the Living God.  I am reminded of my own son who went to Catholic school for several years, attends a teen group at church (occasionally), and does attend mass with us.  But he almost always seems "checked out" like mass is the last place he would like to be.  During tonight's mass, he even excused himself before communion to go outside and wait for us.  Of course, I wish he were more engaged but he's 13 and still figuring out what being Catholic really means.  Maybe it doesn't mean very much to him right now and God wants me to be OK with that.  What else is there to do?  The old saying: you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink holds true here.  I can plant the seed of faith in Dante but ultimately it's the Holy Spirit that will cause it to sprout.  My job is to tend that seed patiently and compassionately.