Voice: Mylene
Today is Monday, 22nd of December. We are three days from Christmas. Take a moment to be still in His presence.
We pray:
Almighty and everlasting Father,
we thank you that you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day.
Keep us from falling into sin or running into danger;
order us in all our doings;
and guide us to do always what is right in your eyes:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Being the Season of Advent, we will read and reflect on the canticle, Nunc Dimittis or the Song of Simeon, from Luke 2:25-35.
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Nunc Dimittis
The Song of Simeon, also known as the Nunc Dimittis, is regularly said or sung in Evensong or the Evening Office. Let us pause to hear it sung to us.
What you have just heard is a plainsong setting. Plainsong is the earliest form of Christian music and has been used for centuries in the Western Church.
“Plain” does not mean dull. Plainsong is unaccompanied, monophonic singing—that is, one melodic line sung in unison, without harmony or instruments. Its purpose is not performance, but prayer.
If you are on a prayer retreat or spending time in silence, I encourage you to listen to some Gregorian chant. These chants are very different from contemporary worship songs, but there is no reason why we should not be enriched by different expressions of Christian music. Through them, we grow in learning how to pray with the Church across time.
Let us reflect on Simeon.
We often speak of our “bucket lists”—the things we want to do or places we hope to visit before we “kick the bucket.” Simeon, however, had only one deeply held desire: to see the promised Messiah before he died.
Led by the Spirit, Simeon came to the temple at the very moment Jesus was presented. He took the child in his arms and broke into song.
Nunc Dimittis means “Now, dismiss.”
Having seen the Lord, Simeon was able to say, in effect, “I can be dismissed now.”
Simeon said, “My eyes have seen…”
He did not hear Jesus teach. He only heard the sounds of an infant—His laughter or cries. He did not witness the miracles, nor see the compassion of Jesus toward the needy. And yet, it was enough.
Jesus would later say in Matthew 13:16–17:
“Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
As Simeon saw and held “the light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of God’s people Israel,” he knew that a new era had begun. To witness this dawn was blessing enough.
We are recipients of the Kingdom of Christ—something that holy men and women of the past could only long for. As we approach another Christmas, will we respond with awe and worship before the Messiah?
Having met the Lord in today’s devotion, we end with the Nunc Dimittis. As we hear it again, may this ancient chant help us enter into Simeon’s anticipation and joy when he finally saw the Lord.
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation:
which you have prepared in the sight of every people;
a light to reveal you to the nations: and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
A Word from the Team
If these weekday devotions have been a blessing, we would like to hear from you. Your feedback can guide us as we welcome a new year and how we may continue to work on these devotions. Special thanks to those who have given us feedback. You can email terrywg@gmail.com or text him if you have his handphone number.
Be blessed by this Advent hymn, O Come O Come Emmanuel.
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
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