Luke 2:22-40 Presentation of the Lord in the Temple
Mark 1:21-28 Pro-Life Sunday
January 30, 2021
In the year 2010, my journey began…
February 3, 2021
Presentation of the Lord in the Temple
Malachi 3:1-4
Hebrews 2:14-18
Luke 2:22-40
A. Text/Context
• So the coming of the Lord on the temple is already prophesied by Malachi so fulfilled as Mary and Joseph together brought Jesus to the temple to offer to God a first born son
• At the same time, Mary the mother who has just given birth will also perform a ceremonial purification as part of their cleansing rituals
• The Jews have so many purification laws and in fact the whole book of Leviticus in the OT is devoted almost entirely to that purpose
• You will be amused if you read Leviticus because some of our present cultural practices are still rooted in that book of the OT
• If a drop of blood falls on your skin you are considered dirty. If a woman has a flow of menstruation she is considered dirty
• If a man has a flow of semen, he is considered dirty. It is so amusing
B. Human Situation
• But the more important part of the gospel is centered on the fulfillment of the prophecy as what was said by Simeon and Anna
• Simeon filled with the Holy Spirit said: Lord, now you let your servant go in peace your word has been fulfilled
• My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people
• Simeon is ready to die because he had seen the savior. The fulfillment of the prophecy is confirmed
• On the other hand Anna, also prophet and an old widow came forward inspired by the HS gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Israel
• The fulfillment of the prophecy is again confirmed by Anna because she had seen the savior
• If we will reflect on the gospel in this feast of the presentation, there are 2 kinds of fulfillment:
• The first is the fulfillment of the requirements of the law because Mary and Joseph as parents have offered the ceremonial purification in the temple
• The second is the fulfillment of the prophecy the joy of the parents and the prophets and the whole people of Israel that finally after hundreds of years of waiting the savior is in their midst as seen by the prophets
• Many prophets have prophesied about the Messiah but usually they no longer live to see its fulfillment
• But here is Simeon and Anna who have grown old but so happy to see the savior with their very own eyes
• They have never grown weary of waiting when will they ever see the Lord in their lifetime
• And now it is fulfilled and they are all ready to retire. They are finished with their business
• Perhaps when all of us have grown old we can also say that we have finished our business
• We ought to finish this business while we are alive, if we will be able to finish
• Just like what Simeon and Anna said that they are ready to retire because they have seen the Lord
• You see, in the canticle of Simeon the first part is beautiful “… my own eyes have seen the salvation you have prepared…
• But it is not yet complete, after that there is a warning to Mary: and you yourself, a sword shall pierce
• And these are the sufferings of all kinds that we suffer as we battle through life: we feel abandoned, we feel all alone, we carry all the burdens of responsibility, we are not recognized, we are not affirmed, and many more
• In the 2nd reading, the letter to the Hebrews is telling us that Jesus is tested through what he suffered and he is able to assist those who are tested
• God is still our recourse, because the family we have, the community we live with will never be perfect but we can have recourse to the greater community of God
C. Challenge
• So in this feast of the Presentation of the Lord we also offer ourselves to the temple
• And we include in the offering the many joys we experience and we also offer the pains which are also equally numerous with joy
• There is not much choice but to live with these realities, and these joys and sorrows that we accept are really the things that make us holy because they are always part and parcel of life
• Mary carried the secrets of the sword that pierced her heart as Jesus grows and finally died on the cross for the salvation of all
• God rewards those who persevere in the faith through the end
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Luke 2 verse 22-40
