The Presentation of the Lord; 2-2-20

Mal 3:1-4 Ps 24 Heb 2:14-18 Lk 2:22-40

Deacon Jim McFadden

 

During the Winter, we have a cornucopia of religious “holidays”: Advent, Christmas, Solemnity of the Mother of God, Epiphany, the Baptism of Jesus, and then entry into Ordinary Time. Today, we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord, which may seem at first blush that it’s being squeezed into the liturgical calendar. And, on top of all that, today is Super Bowl Sunday with its endless chatter, especially with the ‘49ers returning to the Big Game. In short, there is a lot of stuff that is competing for our attention. With so many Church events and secular concerns on our plate, one could hardly blame people for glossing over this holy day and overlooking just how important this event that occurred 40 days after our Lord’s birth is.

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord deserves our attention. For Mary and Joseph this was no ordinary event. The words of the prophet Malachi (whose name literally means ‘messenger’) are fulfilled in these poor parents who are presenting their firstborn son along with the poor sacrifice of two turtledoves, which is all that they could afford. We hear from Malachi, “Now I am sending my messenger—he will prepare the way before me; And the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple; The messenger of the covenant whom you desire—see, he is coming! Says the LORD of hosts” (Mal 3:1). While, the Mother of God (Theotokos), is in no need of purification— she and her husband did not set themselves above the Law. It is very clear that Jesus was raised in a very observant family of the Jewish faith.

As they enter into the Temple, they encounter Simeon and Anna, both pious and elderly. The latter “never left the Temple, but worshiped there day and night with fasting and prayer” (Lk 2:37b). Talk about a spiritual warrior! Both spent their lives in prayer just waiting for the Messiah. And, on this day, their moment had arrived. Every night time, Holy Mother the Church commemorates this encounter with the glorious Nunc Dimittis prayer at Compline.  Reflecting on this beautiful hymn, it’s very clear that Simeon was well acquainted with Israelite prophesy of the Messiah. He knew that God’s anointed One would come to purify the temple and renew the Chosen People. The Holy Spirit also revealed to Simeon that the Messiah, the King of Israel from the house of David, 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 the Messianic prophesies. 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 Jesus. Brothers and sisters are we kindred spirits of Simeon: Do we recognize the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within that enables us to profess that Jesus IS Lord and that He IS Risen!

St. John Paul II wrote that this encounter with Simeon was akin to a second Annunciation for he told Mary that being the Mother of the Lord would entail the sorrow of a pierced heart. In Redemptoris Mater, the Holy Father writes, “for they tell her of the actual historical situation in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely, in misunderstanding and sorrow. While this announcement on the one hand confirms her faith in the accomplishment of the divine promise of salvation, one the other hand it also reveals to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering, at the side of the suffering Savior, and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful.”

For Mary and for us, belief in Jesus does not put an end to our suffering; but our relationship with him does comfort us that he will accompany us during our hard times. So, Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph and he prophesied to Mary about the destiny of the child and the suffering he would undergo for our sake. The question is: as members of the mystical Body of Christ, the Church, are we willing to bear the suffering that we endure? Are we willing to let Jesus walk with us as our sacred story unfolds?

So, getting back to our original question: Why is the Presentation so special? The winter Holy Days now get real: the rubber is hitting the road as we journey through Ordinary Time. The child that was revealed in the crèche a month ago is now revealed as a sign of contradiction. Our obedient Blessed Mother now faces a future of sorrow. Simeon asked the Master to let his servant depart in peace according to your word (cf. v 29). That’s exactly what we’re called to do. Amen.