With the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord falling on a Sunday (it comes 40 days from Christmas Day and is unmovable), the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time becomes the Feast. We do not push the Fourth Sunday to next Sunday. The Fourth Sunday and the Feast are one.
There is so much to this feast day that no one homily can provide the full significance. Most homilies will touch on the holy family unit of fulfilling the law. Some homilies might focus on Christ being the “light to the gentiles” and the cultural development of blessing of the candles. Others will touch on Simeon’s prophesy and the sword that will pierce Mary’s heart. Few will bring up the prophetess Anna, and fewer will bring up the Holy Spirit that is all over the passage, even symbolized in the sacrificial doves. The passage is just so rich for meditation.
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
-and 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.
~Lk 2:22-40
To explain the
passage, let’s turn to Dr. Brant Pitre.
The clip is unfortunately cut off before Dr. Pitre addresses Anna’s role, but she is a prophetess and the significance of prophesy is further emphasized. Here is the irony. Christ is being redeemed from a sacrificial ritual at the Temple but we look ahead through the prophets of His actual sacrifice on Calvery.
Fr. Joseph Mary of the Capuchin Franciscans
delivers a heart wrenching pastoral homily.
It doesn’t get better than that.
Sunday Meditation: “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.”
Since this passage is so rich Biblical,
theological, and cultural significance, I am going to present video clip that
captures the broad expression of the Feast.
Now when I get to that fourth mystery in the
Joyous Mysteries, I can appreciate the fullness of the mystery. I never really got all that before. I hope you can now appreciate it too.
