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| “The Presentation at the Temple” by Philippe de Champaigne, 1648 |
Readings from
the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Malachi 3:1-4
Thus says the Lord God:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come
to the temple
the Lord whom you seek,
And the messenger of the
covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the
Lord of hosts.
But who will endure the day
of his coming?
And who can stand when he
appears?
For he is like the refiner’s
fire,
or like the fuller’s lye.
He will sit refining and
purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons
of Levi,
Refining them like gold or
like silver
that they may offer due
sacrifice to the Lord.
Then the sacrifice of Judah
and Jerusalem
will please the Lord,
as in the days of old, as in
years gone by.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mal
3:1-4
In this passage,
from the fourth oracle in the Book of the Prophet Malachi ("My Messenger"),
the prophet has visions of three personages. The prophet sees God
directly intervening in sacred history as he did with the great prophets.
In the light of the revealed Messiah, the prophet’s visions are
interpreted as representing, first, John the Baptist (“Lo, I am sending my
messenger to prepare the way before me”), and then the coming of the
Messiah (“And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek”).
When these two revelatory events have occurred, the whole Law and Prophets are
fulfilled; God's promise of salvation is given.
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your
lintels;
reach up, you ancient
portals,
that the king of glory may
come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your
lintels;
reach up, you ancient
portals,
that the king of glory may
come in!
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The Lord of hosts; he is the
king of glory.
R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps
24:7, 8, 9, 10
In Psalm 24 we hear a longing for
the coming of the Lord to his people. The psalmist gives us the image of the
inanimate gates of the new Jerusalem, God’s Heavenly Kingdom, welcoming the
Lord of Hosts. For Christians, we have God in the person of Jesus coming into
the temple. This second section of the song praises God as the true king
of the people who leads them to victory over their foes. The song was sung as
part of a liturgical procession recalling the transfer of the ark of the covenant
to the temple in Jerusalem. Again, for Christians the ark is analogous to
the Blessed Virgin, the new ark who carries the savior of the world.
-------------------------------------------
Reading II: Hebrews 2:14-18
Since the children share in blood
and flesh,
Jesus likewise shared in
them,
that through death he might
destroy the one
who has the power of death,
that is, the Devil,
and free those who through
fear of death
had been subject to slavery
all their life.
Surely he did not help angels
but rather the descendants of
Abraham;
therefore, he had to become
like his brothers and sisters
in every way,
that he might be a merciful
and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the
people.
Because he himself was tested
through what he suffered,
he is able to help those who
are being tested.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Heb
2:14-18
The Letter to the Hebrews presents
an apologia on the Lord’s humanity. The author is eloquent in logic as he says:
“Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham,”
meaning he came as man not as spirit in support of the sons of Abraham. By
assuming humanity, the Lord became the perfect vessel in which the sins of all
mankind were assumed and contained. As additional proof of Jesus’ humanity, the
Lord’s passion is referenced as a source of strength for those who are likewise
tested on account of their faith. He came as the sacrificial offering, that
through his suffering and death, those he loves may not have to endure the fate
reserved for those who live in darkness.
The language used at the beginning
of the passage, “blood and flesh,” makes reference to human nature, its
weakness and frailty in contrast with the “spirit” and God (see Psalm 78:39, Isaiah 31:3, 2 Chronicles 32:8). From the
Fall, mankind has been under the bane of death. Now in the Christian paradox,
Christ’s death defeats death and sin (also Romans 8:3).
CCC: Heb 2:14-15 635; Heb
2:14 407,
636; Heb 2:15 1520,
2602; Heb 2:17-18 609
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
When the days were completed
for their purification
according to the law of
Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up
to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the
law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the
womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two
young pigeons,
in accordance with the
dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in
Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and
devout,
awaiting the consolation of
Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon
him.
It had been revealed to him
by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ
of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into
the temple;
and when the parents brought
in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the
law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and
blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let
your servant go
in peace, according to your
word,
for my eyes have seen your
salvation,
which you prepared in the
sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the
Gentiles,
and glory for your people
Israel.”
The child’s father and mother
were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and
said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is
destined
for the fall and rise of many
in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be
contradicted
Band you yourself a sword
will pierce
so that the thoughts of many
hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess,
Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of
the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with
her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she
was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day
with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that
very time,
she gave thanks to God and
spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the
redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all
the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to
their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became
strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon
him.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk
2:22-40
St. Luke begins the account of the
Lord’s presentation recalling that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, followed
Mosaic Law by observing the Rite of Purification, which, by tradition, was
required of any member of the community who had come in contact with the “mystery,”
life and death (the birth of a child or the burial of the dead).
At the temple in Jerusalem, the
Holy Family encounters two prophetic figures, Simeon and Anna. Both of these
figures proclaim that the Messiah has come in the person of the Lord. We also
hear from Simeon an image of the Lord’s passion, and how a sword of sorrow will
pierce the Holy Mother’s heart.
Simeon, a man who “was righteous
and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel,” was told by the Holy
Spirit that he would not pass away until he had seen the Messiah. Upon seeing
the Lord, he declares that this promise has been fulfilled, and then turns to
Mary, making the prediction about the nature of Christ’s ministry and the
nature of the sorrow she will endure.
CCC: Lk 2:22-39 529,
583; Lk 2:25 711; Lk
2:26-27 695; Lk
2:32 713; Lk
2:34 575,
587; Lk 2:35 149,
618; Lk 2:38 711
-------------------------------------------
Or: Luke 2:22-32
When the days were completed
for their purification
according to the law of
Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up
to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the
law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the
womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two
young pigeons,
in accordance with the
dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in
Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and
devout,
awaiting the consolation of
Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon
him.
It had been revealed to him
by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ
of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into
the temple;
and when the parents brought
in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the
law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and
blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let
your servant go
in peace, according to your
word,
for my eyes have seen your
salvation,
which you prepared in the
sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the
Gentiles,
and glory for your people
Israel.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 2:22-32
In the shorter version of the
Gospel, the focus is more on the revelation of the Christ, as opposed to the
impact of this revelation on Mary, the Mother of God. St. Luke’s account of
Jesus being presented at the temple provides a unique insight into the Holy
Family. They are faithful observers of the Law of Moses. “Their purification:
syntactically, their must refer to Mary and Joseph, even though the Mosaic law
never mentions the purification of the husband. Recognizing the problem, some
Western scribes have altered the text to read 'his purification,' understanding
the presentation of Jesus in the temple as a form of purification; the Vulgate
version has a Latin form that could be either 'his' or 'her.' According to the
Mosaic law (Leviticus
12:2-8), the woman who gives birth to a boy is unable for forty days to
touch anything sacred or to enter the temple area by reason of her legal
impurity.”[4] In
addition to this description, we see that Jesus was returned to Nazareth to
grow in stature. The passage ends with the Canticle of Simeon, having seen the
Christ now being able to go to his final rest fulfilled.
-------------------------------------------
Homily
Jesus should have been only forty
days old when Mary and Joseph took him with them to the temple in Jerusalem to
fulfill the requirements of the Hebrew Law. However, we also know that Mary and
Joseph fled to Egypt to avoid Herod following the Lord’s birth, so the timing
may be questionable. (Note: The texts do not explicitly say how long it has
been since the Lord’s birth, only that Mary has returned in accordance with the
Law.)
This feast has significance
for parents, and rightly so, since the Holy Family coming to the temple is a great
example, reminding us that the bond of faith is part of what holds a family
together. This year we reflect about another tradition that has grown up around
this feast, Candlemas. Because this is an ancient tradition not much celebrated
today, the reference may be confusing. Before the Vatican II reforms the Church
celebrated the day with a procession with candles, and at the end of that
procession, the celebrant would bless the candles, hence the name, “Candlemas.”
We understand this tradition continues
in some of the Eastern Rite churches.
The reason this is mentioned
is not to remind anyone that a tradition was lost, but rather that the Church’s
theology and understanding of the events revealed in scripture continues to
evolve. You see when we celebrated Candlemas, we were focused on the ritual purification
of the Virgin Mary. What does that feel like in today’s understanding of Mary’s
nature and role within the Church? It
may seem as if we missed something important; Mary was without sin, and why
should she need purifying? We understand the answer to that question from a
historical perspective. It was because
she was following the Mosaic Law that required it. But what was more important
as a focus of the feast? Was it Mary’s purification or Simeon’s song of joy
over the revelation of the Messiah?
The Church is constantly
holding up her understanding of events, even ancient events, in the life of the
Church to the light of faith. While revelation of the Lord was completed in
Holy Scripture, the actions of the Holy Spirit within the life of the community
of faith are dynamic and the Church, in her wisdom, keeps a careful eye out for
God’s actions through that mechanism. The fingerprints God leaves are visible
to the searching eye in the life of the community of faith, and within the
lives of its individual members.
Today we pray that the
message that Simeon rejoiced over, the incarnation of the Messiah, will become
clear to all the hearts of the world and that message will transform the world.
Pax
In other years on this date: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
[1]
The picture is “The Presentation at the Temple” by Philippe de Champaigne, 1648.
[3]
The readings are taken from the New
American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were
developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4]
See NAB Footnote on Luke 2:22.
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