Homily for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord 2/2/25
1st rdg Mal 3:1-4 The Lord whom you seek will come to his temple
psalm 24 Such are the ones who seek your face O Lord
2nd rdg Heb 2:10-11, 13b-18 +++ Jesus like siblings in every respect
gospel Lk 2:22-40 Mary & Joseph bring Jesus to the temple Simeon, Anna
Jesus is brought to the temple in the arms of Mary accompanied by Joseph and they are an unremarkable trio – simple, relatively poor folk. They come to fulfill the religious customs of the day. Their presence is hardly noticeable to anyone until Simeon and Anna encounter them and this gospel account speaks of recognition because of faith, recognition because faith brings us to see beyond appearances. Not natives of Jerusalem they travelled to Jerusalem and these events bring us to ask ourselves what is God saying to us as we think of so many people today who cannot stay where they were for many reasons, largely not religious, but whose presence brings us something from God, if we like Simeon and Anna faithfully give ourselves to prayer. It helps to remember that at times older folks can be overlooked and under valued, until faith makes us see them with God’s eyes. This is often a theme of Pope Francis. Anna is only married for seven years when she is widowed. Widows had little standing in society of that time, but she turns to God in prayer, making prayer the center of her life, living at the temple (God’s home), and she is rewarded with eyes that recognize who Mary and Joseph are in God’s plan as they bring the infant Jesus to the temple. For she knows who the infant is. We continue to sing the words of Simeon each evening at Compline, because he too has eyes to see the Savior when this family approaches to fulfill their religious duties.
Why did Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple? to fulfill 2 obligations. The first is a rite of purification for Mary having given birth to a male child. Mary and Joseph are observant Jews. However, they cannot offer a lamb along with a turtle dove or pigeon. So as the law allows for folks of lesser means who cannot afford a lamb, they are providing 2 birds for sacrifice. Pope Benedict in his writing on the infancy of Jesus helps us look at this paying a fee for a male child to be redeemed. He says that there is no record of Mary and Joseph paying this fee because even as an infant there was a recognition – as the encounters with Simeon and Anna bear out – of who Jesus is.
Through history the forty days after Christmas with the account of Mary and Joseph fulfilling their obligations under the Jewish law became a moment in Christian faith to acknowledge the light of Jesus entering time and history. And the blessing and use of candles to celebrate this understanding continues to be a part of church practice even now. We bless the candles to be used in the coming year each holding a lit candle to say, we welcome the light of Christ in our minds and hearts and lives – with Mary we hope to carry Jesus, the light, to others. Pope John Paul II remarked: “God enters the temple not as a powerful ruler but as a little child in his Mother’s arms. The King of glory comes not with a show of human force and power, not with a great fanfare and noise, not causing fright and destruction. He comes into the temple as he came into the world, as an infant in silence, in poverty, and in the company of the poor and the wise.”
As we celebrate the Eucharist we rejoice to know the Lord comes to us to nourish us and offer us guidance as we make our journey in faith. Rejoicing to be so loved by God we renew our commitment to live as recipients of Jesus’ light and committed to sharing his light with everyone.
