Additional Information about the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord [1]
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| “The Presentation at the Temple” by Philippe de Champaigne, 1648 |
Readings for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
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.
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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.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10
R. (8) 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!
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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.
CCC: Ps 24:7-10 559; Ps 24:8-10 269; Ps 24:9-10 2628
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.”
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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.”[2] 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.
CCC: Lk 2:22-39 529, 583; Lk 2:25 711; Lk 2:26-27 695; Lk 2:32 713
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Reflection:
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: Tuesday of the Fourth Week 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.
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