“When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” (Luke 2:22)
The major theme for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord focuses on the presentation of Jesus to God, and our presentation to the Lord, to become more loving, humble, compassionate and merciful, to glorify God.
The “Feast of the Presentation of the Lord” commemorates an early episode in the life of Jesus in which Joseph and Mary presented the infant Jesus to God in the Temple in Jerusalem. It also commemorates the Jewish practice of the purification of the mother 40 days after childbirth (hence, 40 days after Christmas for the Virgin Mary on Feb. 2 is also known as the “Purification of the Virgin Mary”). This feast is also known as the “Feast of Encounter” (which literally means 'Meeting' in Greek), because the New Testament, represented by Joseph and Mary, encounters the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna in the person of the baby Jesus, the begotten Son of God, who is presented and offered to God the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit in the Temple.
It is also known as the “Feast of the Candle Mass” because it refers to Christ as the “light to the nations” and the “glory of Israel,” and the practice that a priest on this day blesses some candles to be used throughout the year to ward off storms. This feast is mentioned on the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary and is among the most ancient feasts of the Church in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope St. John Paul II connects this feast with the renewal of religious vows.
Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topic invites us to present Jesus and ourselves to God, to follow Jesus more closely, to repent our sins, to exercise our Christian stewardship, to use our time, treasure, and talents to love God above all, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, participating in the works of mercy, to accomplish God’s will in our lives to glorify God.
How can we help each other present ourselves as more dignified to God, maintaining our baptismal promise, living holy lives, dedicating our services to God, others and the Church?
Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.