December18

Wait Patiently for Good Things

And when the days of her purification were fulfilled, according··to the Law of Moses, they brought· Him ·up◦ to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, even··as it is written in the Law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb▵ shall be called holy to the Lord; and to give the sacrifice according··to what is said▵ in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtle··doves, or two young◦ doves. And behold◦, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was just and circumspect, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. (Luke 2:22-25)

Here is the patience and the faith of the saints, signifies that through these comes temptation, and afterwards the implantation of truth from good with those who are made spiritual by the Lord. ... “The patience of the saints” signifies the temptation of the faithful, or of those who are made spiritual by the Lord, because “patience” signifies spiritual patience, which is patience in sustaining temptations. (Apocalypse Explained 813.1-2)

In respect to temptations, which are also meant here by “patience,” there are spiritual temptations which those undergo who receive genuine charity from the Lord. (Apocalypse Explained 893.3)

When man is in a state of love, or of celestial affection, he is in an angelic state, that is to say, as if not in time, provided there is no impatience in the affection; for impatience is a corporeal affection, and insofar as man is in it, so far he is in time; but insofar as man is not in it, so far he is not in time. This appears in a kind of image from all the delights and gladnesses that belong to affection or love, in that when man is in them, he takes no note of time, for he is then in the internal man. By the affection of genuine love man is withdrawn from bodily and worldly things, for his mind is elevated toward heaven, and thus is withdrawn from the things of time. (Arcana Coelestia 3827)

In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21:19)

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