First Reading – Malachi. 3:1-4,
Second Reading- Hebrews. 2:10-11, 13b-18;
Gospel – Luke. 2:22-40
Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the feast of Purification of our Lady in the Temple at Jerusalem. The event we are celebrating today takes us back to what Mary and Joseph did when, 40 days after the birth of Jesus when they presented their child to God as their firstborn son, complying with the Law of Moses. At the presentation in the Temple, Mary, the faithful Virgin who took part with him in the eternal plan of salvation, was with him as she was on Calvary
The presentation of Jesus in the temple served two purposes; the first is the redemption of the first-born and the second is the purification of Mary. The first-born belonged to the Lord according to the Book of Exodus 13:1-2 but Numbers 18:15-16 tells us the first-born could be redeemed or bought back by paying five shekels. The purification of the mother in Jewish Law was purification from ritual uncleanness after childbirth. Of course, Our Lady did not need this purification because she was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus but went through this purification process to fulfil the Law. The purification was normally performed in the local synagogue, but Mary and Joseph decided it should take place in the Temple. If the family could afford, they would offer a one-year-old lamb, but if not, they would offer two young pigeons. Joseph offered two young pigeons indicating the poverty experienced by the family and their inability to make a greater offering.
In today’s First Reading we have the God’s word to prophet Malachi, who said that he was sending his messenger to prepare his way. God promised Malachi that the Leader whom the people were seeking would suddenly come to his Temple. So, Malachi makes his prophecy that the Lord will enter his temple, there will be a renewed priesthood, and there will be a pure sacrifice offered worldwide pleasing to God. The Prophet then goes on to say that when the Lord enters the Temple, he will purify everything sacred and refine the Levites so that they will offer a pure sacrifice to the Lord and then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord. In other words, the presence of the person of Lord who will be shining forth like a bright light and burning fire to purify like the goldsmith or the silver refinery would do.
Today’s Second Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews teaches us that Jesus had to become like His brothers and sisters in every respect. To bring us to glory, Jesus was made our source of perfect salvation through sufferings. As we suffer in life, he suffered for our sake. Jesus was rejected by most of his own people. And he was even accused of being possessed by evil spirit. All of this he wholeheartedly endured for us. The Letter tells us that the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason, Jesus was not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters, saying, “Here am I, and the children whom God has given me.” As our Saviour Jesus emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the evil one. Through this tremendous act of love, He freed all of us who were held in slavery by the fear of death.
Luke in the Gospel intends to show us that Mary and Joseph was a typical pious Jewish couple, who went to the Temple in obedience to do all that was required and expected of them by the Law. The fact that they were poor can be deduced from the detail that their sacrificial offering was the lowest required: a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. The common offering would be a lamb but exceptions were made for those who could not afford it. The Gospel tells us of the silent offering of the three persons of themselves to God, was a perfect offering. After this they returned to Nazareth to live a life of obscurity and poverty for the next thirty years.
Today’s Gospel speaks of two other persons Simeon and Anna, who are characterised as being lifelong righteous and devout Jews, who encounter Jesus, Mary and Joseph during their ritual visit in the Temple. Their purpose is simply to point out who Jesus really is and his destiny is going to be the salvation of Israel. There is dark and painful side of the Prophesy in that Simeon indicates that Jesus will run into many obstacles and Mary herself will have to suffer on his account. Simeon spoke guided by the Holy Spirit and this in reality was God’s greater plan. The old woman Anna, too, on seeing the child, breaks into praising God. And she spoke of him to all who looked forward to the liberation of Jerusalem. She gives her silent witness to the world’s longing for salvation through him. We look at the response of Mary and Joseph towards this sudden encounter. They were totally amazed by what these two prophets had to say. The Gospel tells us that in Nazareth Jesus grew into adulthood and grew in wisdom, while God’s favour was with him.
Mary, Joseph and Jesus model for us the life of the Holy Family. Joseph exhibited great trust in God and demonstrated intense devotion and love in caring for Mary and Jesus. Mary, too, showed tremendous faith in God and trusted in God’s love for her. As wife, she helped Joseph in his quest for holiness. As mother, she cared for Jesus with great love and tenderness. Both Mary and Joseph created the environment which allowed Jesus to grow in wisdom and age and favour before God and man. Jesus, for his part, was obedient to Mary and Joseph and obviously loved them both very much.
Although we were officially presented to God on the day of our Baptism, we present ourselves and our dear ones on the altar before God our Father through our Saviour Jesus Christ at every Holy Mass. Hence, we need to live our daily lives with the awareness, both that we are dedicated people consecrated to God, and that we are obliged to lead holy lives. Let us also remember and pray for our godparents who presented us to the Lord on the day of our Baptism.
Let us put ourselves in God’s presence: Simeon and Anna are an example to those of us of every age that we can rewire our brains and our souls to put ourselves in the presence of God in our everyday lives. In the ordinariness of our everyday temples of work and home and school and church, we can listen to the prompting of God’s Spirit, perceive God afoot in the mundane, and gracefully live in constant expectation of God adverting in our lives. We can daily experience the power of Christ’s presence point Christ out to others