Yes, you have my prayers. Our priest talked about “Just when did Mary and Joseph know what about Jesus?” today in his homily.
He talked about the problems — Mary’s pregnancy — and Joseph not knowing until he had a dream.
The proclamation by Simeon in no way resembled the proclamation to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel. Gabriel told Mary just what she needed to know.
Then he quoted Mother Angelica something like — “It’s a good thing that God only shows us the first step, because if He showed us the rest of the steps, we wouldn’t even take the first one.”
Then he talked about the vows of ordination and marriage and how in both instances netiehr the priest nor the couple really know what they are getting into. But the enthusiastically respond in both the ordination and marriage rituals with a “Yes” (for the priest to obey the bishop and his successors) and for the couple to love one another despite all the hardships until death do they part.
Then he brought it back to Simeon and how he prophesied about Chrit being the light to the Gentiles, and that he would be contradicted. Then he told Mary that even a sword would pierce her heart.
Very different, indeed, from the Annunciation.
He ended it by praying for all of us to have the faith to take that first step and remain faithful. If you want the website where it will be posted — I can FReepmail it to you.