February 2, 2020 Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
2020년 2월 2일 주님 봉헌 축일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
말라키 예언서. 3,1-4<또는 히브 2,14-18>
주 하느님께서 이렇게 말씀하신다.
1 “보라, 내가 나의 사자를 보내니 그가 내 앞에서 길을 닦으리라.
너희가 찾던 주님, 그가 홀연히 자기 성전으로 오리라.
너희가 좋아하는 계약의 사자
보라, 그가 온다. ─ 만군의 주님께서 말씀하신다. ─
2 그가 오는 날을 누가 견디어 내며
그가 나타날 때에 누가 버티고 서 있을 수 있겠느냐?
그는 제련사의 불 같고 염색공의 잿물 같으리라.
3 그는 은 제련사와 정련사처럼 앉아
레위의 자손들을 깨끗하게 하고
그들을 금과 은처럼 정련하여
주님에게 의로운 제물을 바치게 하리라.
4 그러면 유다와 예루살렘의 제물이 옛날처럼,
지난날처럼 주님 마음에 들리라.”
제2독서
히브리서2,14-18
14 자녀들이 피와 살을 나누었듯이,
예수님께서도 그들과 함께 피와 살을 나누어 가지셨습니다.
그것은 죽음의 권능을 쥐고 있는 자 곧 악마를 당신의 죽음으로 파멸시키시고,
15 죽음의 공포 때문에 한평생 종살이에 얽매여 있는 이들을
풀어 주시려는 것이었습니다.
16 그분께서는 분명 천사들을 보살펴 주시는 것이 아니라,
아브라함의 후손들을 보살펴 주십니다.
17 그렇기 때문에 그분께서는 모든 점에서 형제들과 같아지셔야 했습니다.
자비로울 뿐만 아니라 하느님을 섬기는 일에 충실한 대사제가 되시어,
백성의 죄를 속죄하시려는 것이었습니다.
18 그분께서는 고난을 겪으시면서 유혹을 받으셨기 때문에,
유혹을 받는 이들을 도와주실 수가 있습니다.
복음
루카 2,22-40<또는 2,22-32>
22 모세의 율법에 따라 정결례를 거행할 날이 되자,
예수님의 부모는 아기를 예루살렘으로 데리고 올라가 주님께 바쳤다.
23 주님의 율법에 “태를 열고 나온 사내아이는
모두 주님께 봉헌해야 한다.”고 기록된 대로 한 것이다.
24 그들은 또한 주님의 율법에서
“산비둘기 한 쌍이나 어린 집비둘기 두 마리를”바치라고 명령한 대로
제물을 바쳤다.
25 그런데 예루살렘에 시메온이라는 사람이 있었다.
이 사람은 의롭고 독실하며 이스라엘이 위로받을 때를 기다리는 이였는데,
성령께서 그 위에 머물러 계셨다.
26 성령께서는 그에게 주님의 그리스도를 뵙기 전에는
죽지 않으리라고 알려 주셨다.
27 그가 성령에 이끌려 성전으로 들어갔다.
그리고 아기에 관한 율법의 관례를 준수하려고
부모가 아기 예수님을 데리고 들어오자,
28 그는 아기를 두 팔에 받아 안고 이렇게 하느님을 찬미하였다.
29 “주님, 이제야 말씀하신 대로 당신 종을 평화로이 떠나게 해 주셨습니다.
30 제 눈이 당신의 구원을 본 것입니다.
31 이는 당신께서 모든 민족들 앞에서 마련하신 것으로
32 다른 민족들에게는 계시의 빛이며 당신 백성 이스라엘에게는 영광입니다.”
33 아기의 아버지와 어머니는 아기를 두고 하는 이 말에 놀라워하였다.
34 시메온은 그들을 축복하고 나서 아기 어머니 마리아에게 말하였다.
“보십시오,
이 아기는 이스라엘에서 많은 사람을 쓰러지게도 하고 일어나게도 하며,
또 반대를 받는 표징이 되도록 정해졌습니다.
35 그리하여 당신의 영혼이 칼에 꿰찔리는 가운데,
많은 사람의 마음속 생각이 드러날 것입니다.”
36 한나라는 예언자도 있었는데, 프누엘의 딸로서 아세르 지파 출신이었다.
나이가 매우 많은 이 여자는 혼인하여 남편과 일곱 해를 살고서는,
37 여든네 살이 되도록 과부로 지냈다.
그리고 성전을 떠나는 일 없이 단식하고 기도하며 밤낮으로 하느님을 섬겼다.
38 그런데 이 한나도 같은 때에 나아와 하느님께 감사드리며,
예루살렘의 속량을 기다리는 모든 이에게 그 아기에 대하여 이야기하였다.
39 주님의 법에 따라 모든 일을 마치고 나서,
그들은 갈릴래아에 있는 고향 나자렛으로 돌아갔다.
40 아기는 자라면서 튼튼해지고 지혜가 충만해졌으며, 하느님의 총애를 받았다.
February 2, 2020
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Mal 3:1-4
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire,
or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Reading 2
Heb 2:14-18
Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels
but rather the descendants of Abraham;
therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters
in every way,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered
he is able to help those who are being tested.
Gospel
Lk 2:22-40 Or Lk 2:22-32
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
"Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel."
The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
Band you yourself a sword will pierceB
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
«Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace»
Fr. Lluís RAVENTÓS i Artés
(Tarragona, Spain)
Today, we see how Simeon, ignoring the winter's cold, is awaiting the arrival of the Messiah. Five hundred years before, when the Temple was starting to be built there was such poverty in the country that its builders were highly discouraged. It was the when Haggai, the prophet, said: «‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house’, says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace’, declares the Lord Almighty» (Hag 2:9); and added «I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory» (Hag 2:7). Words that admit different meanings; some will say «the dearest one», while saint Jeronim will say «the desired of all nations».
The Holy Spirit had assured Simeon «that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord» (Lk 2:26), and today, «led by the Holy Spirit» he has gone into the Temple. He is not a levite, nor a scribe, nor a doctor of the law, he is just «a very upright and devout man that looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel» (Lk 2:25). But the Holy Spirit blows where it wills (cf. Jn 3:8).
Now, he realizes with surprise that no preparation has been made, no flags, garlands, damasks or shields can be seen anywhere. Just Joseph and Mary, crossing the esplanade, and bringing de Child Jesus in their arms. «Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in» (Ps 24:), claims de psalmist.
Stretching his arms Simeon takes the Infant from his Mother and bless God while saying: «Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word and my eyes have seen your salvation, which you display for all the people to see. Here is the light you will reveal to the nations and the glory of your people Israel» (Lk 2:29-32).
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Today we celebrate the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This feast is known as the feast of Encounter in the Eastern Church where it began. In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted a world day of prayer for consecrated life attached to this feast. Of course, in the United States and Canada, when one hears February 2, what comes to mind is Groundhog Day, the day when a prediction is made about how many more weeks of winter are left depending on whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not. But unlike the uncertainty of the weather, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord has a sense of certainty associated with it. In this feast, we celebrate the certainty of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel that is fulfilled in Jesus but that is extended to the entire world. And, we celebrate the continuation of God’s love in our own world, of God continually reaching out towards us and inviting us into a relationship or encounter.
As I reflected on the reading from Luke, I was struck by two aspects. The first involved Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the temple. In a way, they make Jesus present. The second aspect is of Simeon and Anna recognizing Jesus as the promised one. As disciples of Jesus, each one of us is called to embrace both these aspects. To be the presence of Jesus in the world around us and to be able to recognize Jesus as revealed or made present by others.
To be the presence of Jesus in the world, it might help to recall the beautiful prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila:
God of love, help us to remember
That Christ has no body now on earth but ours
No hands but ours, No feet but ours
Ours are the eyes to see the needs of the world.
Ours are the hands with which to bless everyone now.
Ours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.
And, to recognize Jesus made present by others, we perhaps need to, as Simeon and Anna did, rely on God’s grace.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
TWO PRESENTATIONS | ||
| Mary and Joseph "brought Him up to Jerusalem so that He could be presented to the Lord." �Luke 2:22 | ||
The Jewish practice of presenting a child to the Lord stems from the concept that the child truly belongs to God. According to the law of Moses, the husband and wife present their first-born child to the Lord, thus acknowledging God as the Author and Owner of the life of this child (see Ex 13:2; Lv 12:6-8). Along with presenting their child, the couple also presents a sacrifice, a kind of payment, in this case a pair of doves, and God returns the child to the care of the parents. There is a second presentation in the life of Jesus. Jesus presents all of humanity to God, Who is truly the Owner of each human life. As the sacrifice, Jesus presents Himself in payment for humanity and all their sins and transgressions against God. The Father accepted this sacrifice, because Jesus offered a sacrifice of infinite value (see Phil 2:6-11). At long last, God is receiving a sacrifice worthy of His dignity and majesty. Therefore, since we have been bought by the blood of Jesus crucified, let us present our entire lives to God as a living sacrifice on this feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Rm 12:1-2). Give Him your thoughts, desires, strength, heart, lives, and actions. Present yourself on the altar of God with gratitude and love. | ||
| Prayer: Father, when You look on me, I ask You to see the blood of Jesus, my Savior, as my ransom price. I present myself to You as a member of the Body of Your Son. | ||
| Promise: "[Jesus] had to become like His brothers in every way, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest before God on their behalf, to expiate the sins of the people." —Heb 2:17 | ||
| Praise: Thank you, Sts. Joseph and Mary, for your faithful example. Even in poverty, you remained obedient to the law of Moses (see Lv 12:8). |
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
"The favor of God was upon him"
Do you know the favor of the Lord? After Jesus' birth, Mary fulfills the Jewish right of purification after childbirth. Since she could not afford the customary offering of a lamb, she gives instead two pigeons as an offering of the poor. This rite, along with circumcision and the redemption of the first-born point to the fact that children are gifts from God. Jesus was born in an ordinary home where there were no luxuries. Like all godly parents, Mary and Joseph raised their son in the fear and wisdom of God. He, in turn, was obedient to them and grew in wisdom and grace. The Lord's favor is with those who listen to his word with trust and obedience. Do you know the joy of submission to God? And do you seek to pass on the faith and to help the young grow in wisdom and maturity?
The Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Savior of the world
What is the significance of Simeon's encounter with the baby Jesus and his mother in the temple? Simeon was a just and devout man who was very much in tune with the Holy Spirit. He believed that the Lord would return to his temple and renew his chosen people. The Holy Spirit also revealed to him that the Messiah and King of Israel would also bring salvation to the Gentile nations. When Joseph and Mary presented the baby Jesus in the temple, Simeon immediately recognized this humble child of Bethlehem as the fulfillment of all the messianic prophecies, hopes, and prayers. Inspired by the Holy Spirit he prophesied that Jesus was to be "a revealing light to the Gentiles". The Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Lord to those who are receptive and eager to receive him. Do you recognize the indwelling presence of the Lord with you?
The 'new temple' of God's presence in the world
Jesus is the new temple (John 1:14; 2:19-22). In the Old Testament God manifested his presence in the "pillar of cloud" by day and the "pillar of fire" by night as he led them through the wilderness. God's glory visibly came to dwell over the ark and the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38). When the first temple was built in Jerusalem God's glory came to rest there (1 Kings 8). After the first temple was destroyed, Ezekiel saw God's glory leave it (Ezekiel 10). But God promised one day to fill it with even greater glory (Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah 8-9). That promise is fulfilled when the "King of Glory" himself comes to his temple (Psalm 24:7-10; Malachi 3:1). Through Jesus' coming in the flesh and through his saving death, resurrection, and ascension we are made living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Ask the Lord to renew your faith in the indwelling presence of his Spirit within you. And give him thanks and praise for coming to make his home with you.
Mary receives both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow
Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph and he prophesied to Mary about the destiny of this child and the suffering she would undergo for his sake. There is a certain paradox for those blessed by the Lord. Mary was given the blessedness of being the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also would become a sword which pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross. She received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. But her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises. Jesus promised his disciples that "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take way. Do you know the peace and joy of a life surrendered to God with faith and trust?
The Holy Spirit renews our hope in the promise of God
Simeon was not alone in recognizing the Lord's presence in the temple. Anna, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit. She was found daily in the temple, attending to the Lord in prayer and speaking prophetically to others about God's promise to send a redeemer. Supernatural hope grows with prayer and age! Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in age.
Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope rightly placed. Anna's hope in God and his promises grew with age. She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God's people.
Our hope is anchored in God's everlasting kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy
What do you hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the kingdom of heaven and everlasting life and happiness with our heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus has won for us a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). The Holy Spirit gives hope to all who place their trust in the promises of God. God never fails because his promises are true and he is faithful. The hope which God places within us through the gift of the Spirit enables us to persevere with confident trust in God even in the face of trails, setbacks, and challenges that may come our way.
Is there anything holding you back from giving God your unqualified trust and submission to his will for your life? Allow the Lord Jesus to flood your heart with his peace, joy, and love. And offer to God everything you have and desire - your life, family, friends, health, honor, wealth, and future. If you seek his kingdom first he will give you everything you need to know, love, and serve him now and enjoy him forever.
"Lord Jesus, you are my hope and my life. May I never cease to place all my trust in you. Fill me with the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit that I may boldly point others to your saving presence and words of eternal life."
Psalm 24:7-10
7 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Christ who was rich became poor, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"For this reason it seems wonderful that the sacrifice of Mary was not the first offering, that is, 'a lamb a year old,' but the second, since 'she could not afford' (Leviticus 5:7) the first. For as it was written about her, Jesus' parents came 'to offer a sacrifice' for him,'according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."' But this also shows the truth of what was written, that Jesus Christ 'although he was rich, became a poor man' (2 Corinthians 8:9). Therefore, for this reason, he chose both a poor mother, from whom he was born, and a poor homeland, about which it is said, 'But you, O Bethlehem Ephratha, who are little to be among the clans of Judah' (Micah 5:2), and the rest. (excerpt from HOMILIES on LEVITICUS 8.4.3)
http://www.homilies.net/
Presentation of the Lord
Fourth Sunday of the Year - A Cycle - Matthew 5:1-12
Some years ago New York magazine listed outstanding New Yorkers. There was but one Catholic mentioned. She was Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker. For fifty years, she practiced the Beatitudes daily in her House of Hospitality in New York City. She fed, clothed, and housed the poor. She practiced the Beatitudes so well that secular editors saluted her. She was our "tainted nature's solitary boast." Why were there not more Catholic New Yorkers on the list? There are a million in New York City.
A woman came to Jesus saying, "I can give you nothing but myself." Christ replied, "Then you have given me everything."
The Beatitudes are the owner's manual Jesus gave to each of us at Baptism. Note the Beatitudes refer to the world we live in and not the life hereafter. No people had to take a dictionary with them when they went to hear the Beatitudes. (Elijah Brown)
The Gospel opens in Galilee in northern Palestine. Were Jesus to return to the province, He would find it unchanged. Its terrain would bring happy memories to Him. This area gave Him the colorful title - the Eternal Galilean.
For twenty centuries, Christ followers have struggled to practice the Beatitudes. Some have achieved splendidly the goals of Christ. The majority of us have not done well. But nothing beats a try but a failure. (Unknown)
Those who would climb to loft heights must go by steps, not leaps. (Unknown)
We can take consolation from TS Eliot, "For us there is only the trying. The rest is not our business."
The Beatitudes outlined in today's Gospel were portions of a longer talk of Jesus. The whole talk is called the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes are called the Charter of Christianity and the Magna Carta for humanity.
If you journey to Israel, you find guides working on the principle that paying customers should be kept happy. They will point out to you the mountain where the Beatitudes were first spoken to a spellbound crowd. But scholars do not know the precise spot.
Jesus spoke these famous words in the second year of His public ministry. So perhaps we talk about 28 AD. The eight Beatitudes are considered many slices of one brilliant emerald. There is little to distinguish them one from the other. The Nazarene could have added or subtracted one and still the total message would be the same. No one would have been wiser.
The Beatitudes were given not to increase our knowledge but change our lives. (DL Moody)
James Lowell wished Christ had added, "Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they will never cease to be amused. Blessed are they who have nothing to say and cannot be persuaded to say it."
Nor would Jesus pull your leg by claiming He was the first to enunciate these principles. Cicero, who died in 43 BC, penned, "There is nothing that makes a man more like God than mercy."
The spinal cord of the Beatitudes is love. This is our love of God as well as belief in His love for us. But also it includes love of neighbor. Important too in this formula is love of one's self. It is difficult and perhaps impossible to love others if we dislike ourself..
The God of the Old Testament required of his people justice. That is the same justice commanded of us by tax collectors. (Andrew Greely)
With the Beatitudes, the modus operandi has evolved to a new level. God through His Son asks us for love. We are asked to help the other fellows even though they don't deserve it. We are invited to be generous with money even though we have mortgage payments. From what we get, we make a living. From what we give we make a life. (Arthur Ashe)
God the Father said, "Thou shalt not do evil." His Son says, "Thou shalt do good." The former is the Silver Rule. The latter the Golden Rule.
Why was Dorothy Day a saint? She was cheerful when it was difficult to be cheerful, patient when difficult to be patient, pushed on when she wanted to stand still, kept silent when she wanted to talk, and stayed agreeable when she wanted to be disagreeable. It was quite simple and always will be. (Unknown)
To paraphrase GK Chesterton, one cannot argue that the Beatitudes have been tried and found wanting. Rather, they have been found hard and not tried.
If you need courage to practice the Beatitudes, think of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's words: "We are fools for Christ's sake...We must pray for courage to endure the scorn of the sophisticated world. Jesus is greater than our greatest problem."
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Presentation of the Lord
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord: The Feast of the Encounter
This weekend we celebrate a feast that seems to bring us back to Christmastime. The feast is the Presentation of the Lord. This Feast used to be called the Purification of Mary, remembering an ancient rite when women went to the Temple to be prayed over after childbirth. This same custom, by the way, continued in the Church up to the fifties in a blessing that used to be called Churching.
A number of years ago the Church changed this feast from a Feast of Mary, the Purification, to a Feast of the Lord. Because Simeon called Jesus the Light of the Nations, this feast is also the day that candles are blessed. It is sometimes called Candlemas. In the Eastern Church, this feast was called the Feast of the Encounter, the first encounter of the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna and the Temple, with the New Testament, represented by the Lord. Jesus is presented in the Temple following the ancient Jewish laws. In the New Law of the Kingdom of God, Jesus' own body would become the New Temple.
The image that keeps occurring at me in this feast is that of a young mother and father and their new baby. So many times I've enjoyed watching our young couples bringing their new baby to Church. They are so excited about the birth of their treasure, so grateful to God for this child that they cannot wait to bring the child before the Lord to thank God properly. I really believe that is what Mary and Joseph were doing when they walked into the Temple with Jesus. Simeon, like all of us, wanted to hold the new baby. When he does, a spirit of prophecy comes upon him. He realizes that in this child he is in the presence of God's salvation, the Light of the Nations.
Simeon also prophecies the pains that Mary would have as she witnessed God's plan being worked out in this child. The devotion to the seven sorrows of Mary grew from this: the Prophecy of Simeon, the Flight into Egypt, the Three Days' Loss of the child Jesus in the Temple, Meeting Jesus with the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Taking Down from the Cross, the Burial. The encounter with the Lord would demand continual sacrifice from all including Mary. The reward of this encounter is great, the presence of the Savior.
The Lord is presented as an infant to the Temple, now the Temple will never more be the same. The abiding presence of God, the Holy of Holies, is now transferred from the inner sanctuary to the child in Simeon's arms. We all were presented to the Church as infants for our baptism. The Church will never again be the same. Now a special presence of the Holy of Holies, the presence of God's intimate life, dwells within the newly baptized.
Every child born and baptized, every single one of us, presented to the Lord, carries within himself or herself a unique image of the Holy of Holies. Each one of us is called to seek that image within us, to develop it. We are called to allow God to take over our lives. This presentation with its resulting purification results in sorrow, for to follow the Lord means to sacrifice our own material inclinations and our physical desires for the sake of the cultivation of the spiritual within us. This presentation results in joy, for when we live with the Lord we have meaning in our lives.
"Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears from death into life." The encounter with the Lord is a step into the spiritual. All that we have will be lost by the end of our lives, but Christ and his love and the way we love him in others, that is the life that is forever.
on this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we ask God to transform us from people tied to the material to those whose encounter with Christ leads us to live for the spiritual.
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Presentation of the Lord
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Presentation of the Lord
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord which fortunately this year falls on a Sunday. Forty days after the birth of Jesus his parents present him to the Lord going up to Jerusalem to do so. For many years this feast was called the Purification of Mary or sometimes Candlemas but these days we refer to it as the Presentation of the Lord. The account of these events comes in chapter two of Luke's Gospel where the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus are combined.
It is not clear from the text whether the Holy Family remained in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus until the forty days were up. But it is unlikely that they would have travelled the seventy miles back to Nazareth only to return to Jerusalem a couple of weeks later. Most likely they remained in the vicinity of Bethlehem which was only five or six miles from Jerusalem.
Most ordinary people would not have undertaken a long journey even to present their first-born son in the Temple as the Law of Moses required. But in the case of Jesus Mary and Joseph both presumably thought it was fitting and quite important that Jesus is seen to observe the Law and so would have surely delayed their return to Nazareth until they could do what the Law required.
When they get to the Temple the Holy Family encounter Simeon who we are told was promised by God that he would see the Messiah. He takes Jesus in his arms and pronounces the words, 'Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.' This prayer is recited in the Church every day in the service of Compline, which is what we call Night Prayer.
But Simeon, who is clearly a prophet, warns Mary that a sword will pierce her own soul too. By this we understand that she will witness her son's death on the Cross of Calvary. Clearly Simeon recognises very well what Jesus' mission is going to entail. We are also told about the prophetess Anna who praised God and spoke of this child to everyone who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
Clearly these two devout people understood the scriptures well and had realised that a Saviour was to come to rescue the people from their sins and inaugurate the Kingdom of God. They are two people who are incredibly devout and who spend their time in the Temple offering prayer and sacrifice to God and who are therefore given the ability to recognise the true identity of this little child. They understand the incredibly wide scope of his mission and realise that a new age has dawned. Neither of them will live to see its fruition but they are filled with joy that the promises of God are about to be fulfilled.
Finally, we are told that, once the requirements of the Law had been fulfilled, they returned to Nazareth and the child grew to maturity. Jesus was filled with wisdom and enjoyed the favour of God. These years in Nazareth are hidden years but they are important in the life of Jesus. He grows up and acquires the human maturity he needs in order to be effective in his mission.
Essentially, this feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a festival of light which is why we bless candles today. Christmas and Epiphany are also feasts of light. Christmas celebrated at the darkest time of the year marks the arrival of the Light of the World, the one who is to rescue mankind from darkness and bring him into God's wonderful light. The Epiphany too in a sense is also a feast of light since Christ is made known to the Gentiles in the shape of the Magi and we understand that through this Christ has come to bring light to foreigners as we as to the people of Israel. It is no mistake that the Magi are guided by a star which leads them to the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born.
And here in the Feast of the Presentation Simeon reminds us that Christ has come as a light to the pagans and to give glory to the people of Israel. Often in the Church this feast has involved processions of the people bearing candles and it always includes the blessing of the candles which will be used in the Church in the coming year. Essentially, this lovely feast marks the true end of the Christmas season and on Monday we will take down the crib and our Christmas celebrations will have come to their conclusion.
An interesting element of the story is that neither Simeon or Anna have any specific status or role in the Temple. They are not part of the priesthood and they have no special function; they are simply devout people who through a lifetime of prayer and devotion have come close to God. It is because of their devoutness that they have been favoured to recognise the true identity of Jesus. The priests and the officials of the Temple do not see what these devout people see. This is something that we observe in the life of Jesus over and over again: the simple people accept Jesus for who he is while the religious functionaries explicitly reject him.
Another interesting feature of the account we are given by Luke is that both Simeon and Anna were elderly. We are told Anna's age, eighty-four years; but we are not told Simeon's age but since he was nearing death we can assume he was quite old. They had both spent years longing for the coming of the Messiah and praying that this would come about sooner rather than later.
I think that this longing is important and that it is often a feature of old age. Older people often have a longing in their heart, frequently this is for the welfare of their children but it could be more generalised and be simply for the fulfilment of God's plan for the world. Our prayer life changes as we go through the different stages of life; the prayer of a child is not the same as the prayer of a teenager or of a young adult. And the prayer of an elderly person is not the same as that of those who have young families. It is important to recognise these differences and for us to adapt as we reach each stage of our life.
Simeon and Anna longed for the coming of the Messiah and their prayer was fulfilled. May we too obtain what we long for and let our prayers be answered. Amen.
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