This Sunday Christians commemorate the presentation of Mary to make an offering of two doves in the temple as the Jewish ritual prescribed for women 40 days after the baby’s birth. Then the 87 year old Simeon takes the baby Jesus in his arms and sings his canticle “Nunc Dimitis servum tuum”. Now master let your servant go. Simeon is ready to die and Jesus has his short live ahead. At the end of the service at the Haarlem St. Bavo cathedral I had a very special encounter with the lady who sat next to me in the pew. Nicole from Calgary, Alberta who grew up in Montreal. Her husband has a temporary teaching assignment here for the personnel of one of the largest North American construction and defense contractors. They have traveled extensively and seen some very interesting parts of the world. And she and her husband share with me the same awe of God’s creation. These are the encounters that make a day special.
Later in the afternoon this (almost) 77 year old got to hold the 6 months old Kai first born baby boy to my niece Jonneke, daughter of (my cousin) Gido and Riet van Ommen.
-
- Girls choir,
-
- St. Bavo Haarlem
