Feast of The Presentation
One
Today is the Feast Day of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, which is the second Joyful mystery. It is also the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. The Church celebrates this day on this Feast to remind the entire Church to pray for those men and women who are either discerning a vocation to consecrated life or have already consecrated their virginity to Christ. Christ was presented in the Temple as a total consecration or dedication to His Father, and those in consecrated vocations seek to conform themselves to Him.
This day used to be known as Candlemas Day where candles were blessed to commemorate Christ as the light of the world. Those in consecrated life are called to reflect the light of Jesus Christ to all peoples as well as to live this witness of total consecration to the Lord. They point out to us that this world is not all there is, and that God’s love is so wonderful and overflowing with happiness that one can even give up all things in the world and be filled with happiness and joy. Even still, their gift of the entirely of their life pales in comparison with what God gives. Upon hearing this, many of us think to ourselves, ‘good for them, but not for me.’ Am I enslaved to something I can’t let go of which is preventing me from recognizing the joy that could be mine?
Two
In Luke’s Gospel we read, “…And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” (Lk 2: 22-24.) In obeying the law prescribed by Moses, Jesus reveals his self-abasement. He not only allows Himself to be presented as a sin offering when He knows no sin, but, further, He allows Himself to be presented by humans to His divine Father as a sign that He, God made man, belongs totally to God. His humility and love for humanity forms the basis for His being both an offering of thanks and praise to the Father and the Light of the World. John in his Gospel explains something to us about the Light of God and the world, ”And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.” (Jn 3: 19-21.) Ours is a dramatic struggle between good and evil, between light and darkness, and we humans, on our own, cannot overcome the darkness. For this reason, Christ enters our world as Light, and gives this light to men to shine before others to glorify God. May consecrated men and women and our own sacramental and prayer life be for us the sign and means of this Light of Christ come to us, and may it shine so before others that the darkness is forever cast away.
Three
The Lord has created us all to be totally His which is initiated through Baptism. Through grace, Baptism frees us from the enslavement to sin and offers us a destiny and capacity to reach far beyond our ordinary power. However, for those too attached to the things of this world, belonging entirely to Christ sounds terrible—freedom, gone; fun, gone; independence, gone! Actually the contrary is true. Jesus tells us that “I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.” (Jn 10:10.) St. Paul teaches us that “ for freedom’s sake Christ has set us free.” (Gal 5:1.) Every nun, brother, priest or monk whom I have met who prays and lives for others well is so full of joy! They are attractive, fun, independent, and free, the opposite of what one would expect. This is because our world assumes that the possession of money, sex, and power is the way to happiness. If this were true, then the happiest people should be those who have the most; the saddest people should be those who have the least. Joyful priests, brothers, and nuns show us this isn’t true. Their lives encourage us, you and I, to decide to live for Jesus. Only then can we taste and see for ourselves the goodness of the Lord. (Ps 34:8.) In Christ, we lose nothing, but find what we desire. Lord, I am ready, for you have made me ready. Heal and purify my desires so that I can be fulfilled…in YOU!
Four
Early accounts say that Anna, the prophetess in the Temple when Jesus was presented, was the one in charge of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the time Mary was presented in the Temple at the age of three until she was betrothed at the age of fourteen. Notice, all other Jewish women in the Temple at that time ignored Jesus. Only Anna greeted Him. All the Jewish priests ignored Jesus. Only Simeon greeted Him and held Him in his arms, and declared while Anna was listening, “Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace.” Both Simeon and Anna were prepared beforehand to recognize the Messiah when He was presented in God’s holy Temple. Simeon received the Incarnate Word of God when it was presented to him from Joseph. Anna received the Incarnate Word of God when it was presented to her from Mary. Luke is showing us how important Mary and Joseph are in our vocation to receive God’s Incarnate Word joyfully. Grace prepared the hearts of Mary and Joseph to share intimacy with Christ, and by this same grace enables them to share Jesus with you and me. Joseph and Mary, pray for me that I may receive my Incarnate Lord worthily in Holy Communion, and worthily in my heart in prayer so that I, like Simeon and Anna, may recognize and rejoice in possessing Him.
Five
Christ is the Light of the World, as today’s Feast reports. This light is especially bright in those who have consecrated the entirety of their being, body and soul, to Him. Those consecrated to Him reflect to all of the Church the reality of this Light of Christ as being ours. May we turn from the darkness of this world and share in the mission to be Light in the darkness. Let us take this day to pray for those discerning to consecrate themselves to Jesus, as well as those who have already professed their consecration. May they and we choose this day as a new beginning in our fight against this present darkness so that like Anna and Simeon are hearts may recognize Jesus when He comes.