We see Jesus, a light for revelation, our savior.”
A homily from the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord based on readings from
Malachi 3:1-4, Psalm 24, Hebrews 2:13-18, and Luke 2:22-40
These readings are available at the USCCB website.
We are now forty days psst Christmas Day. This is the day when Jesus was presented in the Temple. It was the day that Mary came to the Temple after giving birth to Jesus. It is Candlemas Day. It is the World Day for Prayer for Consecrated Life. Today seems to be a whole lot of things. Today is a day we think about the light of Jesus. Maybe today is a day that we begin to better reflect the light of Christ.
I have taken the theme for today from Simeons’ statement that Jeus is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” and Anna’s giving witness to the child Jesus to all she knew.[1] I am not the first to make the connection between the presentation and the light of Christ. I don’t know who did, but we have been contemplating Jesus as the light of the world for a long time.
Our procession this morning got its start at the beginning of the eighth century. Pope Sergius, meditating on the light of Christ added a candlelight procession to the beginning of Mass. That expanded into the blessing of candles that we practiced today.
Today is also the world day for prayer for consecrated life. This came more recently – today we celebrate the twenty-ninth year. We pray that more men and women will answer the call to this life that by its total dedication to Christ so beautifully reflects his light to all. [We are blessed to have two religious sisters with us at St. Ann’s and they are two of the most joy-filled women you will ever meet. I can understand why becoming a religious sister is so appealing.]
- The Lord’s is Brought to the Lord
Our gospel today describes a particular Jewish celebration – the presentation. There are two things going on here that are not really very common today outside of perhaps orthodox Judaism. Although it is not the main emphasis of our gospel, Mary comes to the Temple. She has given birth and is now ready to rejoin “regular life” following childbirth. The Torah specifies that she present herself and offer a sacrifice. She does and then offers the poor woman’s sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or pigeons.
The focus of the gospel is Jesus and his presentation in the Temple. The Law said that every first-born was the Lord’s and as such had to be redeemed. Doesn’t that sound a bit odd, Jesus needing to be redeemed.
Actually, Jesus didn’t need to do any of this. I am pretty sure that if the truth were known, neither did Mary. But at this stage, the truth wasn’t yet known – at least not fully. In a way, there was a need. Jesus, after all, was fully human and he lived in a very human world. He participated in a number of things that clearly showed that we was human and as a poor human at that!
- Simeon & Anna
Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple, presented him there, and redeemed him. Here a beautiful scene plays out. The Holy Family meets Simeon and Anna who have a special understanding of this baby Jesus. I like to think of them as forerunners of the daily Mass crowd. For those of you who do not attend daily Mass, first, let me invite you. There is a group of people who reach a point in their lives when they decide that being at Mass and receiving Holy Communion every day is where they want to be. I think I have been sort of running with that crowd for the last seventeen years. Simeon and Anna were among the people who reached the point where there was nowhere else they would rather be than to be close to God (and to be close to others who were close to God). They looked at the child and they saw something special. They looked at the child and they simply knew. I think that they had both learned to see with the eyes of God.
Simeon understands Jesus as a light to the world. Anna proclaims him to all she knew. God shows us the way, and we see that. We then spread this very good news.
- A Newborn in the Temple
I think I should digress.
Can you imagine yourself in the Temple? You are there praying and in walk yet another poor couple with a small child. Mary and Joseph show up at the Temple with a six-week-old baby Jesus. They don’t head for the cry room, do they? I know Jesus and Mary never sinned, but still I wonder if Mary was secretly hoping that Jesus wouldn’t cry. Was she wondering what they might think of her as a parent if her child decided that now was the time?
Anna and Simeon hadn’t worried about a crying child of their own in years. I wonder, how might they have reacted to a crying Jesus? Maybe “the look” or the dreaded stage whisper “You, know, we have a cry room at the back”. I really don’t think they would have behaved that way.
Part of me thinks that I am missing the point. Part of me thinks I am right on target. However the scene actually played out, my hope is that when it plays out here at St. Ann’s that we will all understand that babies sometimes distract, and that their parents deserve our understanding and support. Who knows what wonders will come from the little ones in the church today!
In Jesus we see the light to the world. Let us spread the word to all – for we are all in need of redemption.
“Let us spread the word to all – for we are all in need of redemption.”
[1] Luke 2:32