Receiving Christ

Καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο αὐτὸ εἰς τὰς ἀγκάλας αὐτοῦ... Εἰσεφέρετο μὲν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ὁ Χριστὸς βρέφος ὦν ἕτι βραχὺ τε καὶ ὑπομάζιον, καὶ τὰ ὠρισμένα τῷ νόμῳ προσῆγε, ζεῦγος τρυγόνων καὶ δύο νεοσσούς περιστερῶν· σωφροσύνης τε καὶ πραότητος ὁ τύπος, οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ βίου διαφορᾶς, ὦν ἀμφοτέρων νομοθέτης, γάμου τε καὶ ἀγαμίας. Εἴποις γὰρ ἂν τοὺς μὲν εὐζώνους καὶ πνευματικωτέρους καὶ τὸν μονήρη βίον ἐπανῃρημένους, εἶναι τὰς περιστεράς· τοὺς δὲ παιδοποιίας καὶ τῆς ἄλλης οἰκονομίας πεποιημένους πρόνοιαν, τρυγόνας. Ὁ δέ γε μακάριος Συμεὼν, προφητικῇ χάριτι τετιμημένος, δέχεται μὲν εἰς ἀγκάλας αὐτὸν, θυμηδίας τε τῆς ἀνωτάτω πιμπλάμενος, εὐλογεῖ τὸν Θεὸν, λέγων· Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, Δέσποτα. Πόθεν ἀπολύεις; Ἐκ τοῦ βιωτικοῦ σκάμματος· λύτρα γὰρ καὶ δεσμωτήριον ὁ βίος. Ὁ γὰρ μέλλων εἰρήνην ποιεῖν τῷ κόσμῳ παρεγένετο, ὁ συνάπτῶν τὸν οὐρανὸν τῇ γῇ, ὁ κατασκευάζων τὴν γῆν οὐρανὸν διὰ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς διδασκαλίας. Ὅτι εἶδον τὸ σωτήριόν σου, δ' ἠτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν. Προητοίμαστο γὰρ τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον καὶ πρὸ αὐτῆς τοῦ κόσμου καταβολῆς· πεφανέρωται δὲ ἐν ἐσχάτοις τοῦ αἰῶνος καιροῖς· γέγονε δὲ φῶς ἐν σκότει καὶ πεπλανημένοις καὶ ὑπὸ χεῖρα πεσοῦσι διαβολικὴν· κέκληνται γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς πρὸς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ὃς ἐστι φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν· ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς δόξαν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ γεγόνασι τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ὑβρισταὶ καὶ ἀπειθεῖς καὶ ἀσυνεσίας ἔμπλεῳ τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχοντες, ἀλλ' οὖν σέσωσται τὸ κατάλειμμα, καὶ δεδόξασται διὰ Χριστοῦ. Ἀπαρχὴ δὲ τούτων οἱ θεσπέσιοι γεγόνασι μαθηταὶ, ὦν ἡ τῆς εὐκλείας φαιδρότης, ὅλην περιαστράπτει τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν· δόξα δὲ καὶ ἑτέρως τοῦ Ἰσταὴλ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅτι προὴλθεν ἐξ αὐτῶν κατὰ σάρκα, καίτοι Θεὸς ὤν ἐπὶ πάντας καὶ προαιώνιος. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Λούκαν Εὐάγγελιον, Κεφ' B' Source: Migne PG 72.504b-505a

And he received Him in his arms... 1 Christ was carried to the temple, while yet little and unweaned, and what was commanded by the law was offered, a pair of turtle doves and two young doves. These were types of temperance and meekness, and not only this but they indicated two different types of life, both of which are of the legislator God, that is, marriage and celibacy. One is able to say that the more advanced and spiritual are the lovers of the solitary life and are the doves, and those who produce children and give themselves to thought for works are the turtle doves. And the blessed prophet Simeon, adorned with prophetic grace, receives Jesus into his arms, and full with an excess of joy, he blesses God, saying: 'Now dismiss your servant, O Lord.' Why 'dismiss'. From his mundane station, for this life is a prison and redemption is to be freed from it. For He who shall give peace to the world has come, who binds heaven to earth, who with the teaching of his Gospel shall transform earth into heaven. 'Because I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all your people.' For the mystery of Christ was prepared before the foundation of the world, and made manifest in the later time of the world. He was a light to those in darkness and who were deceived and fallen beneath the hand of the devil. So they were called by God the Father to the knowledge of the Son, who is the true light, and also a glory to Israel. For even if some were insolent and disobedient and bore unwise minds, yet a remnant were to be saved and glorified in Christ. 2 The first of these were the holy disciples, who were enlightened by that bright splendour of all beneath heaven. And indeed Christ is the glory of Israel, because He came from it according to the flesh, even He who is God over and before everything. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Luke, Chap 2 1 Lk 2.28 2 Rom 9.27