By Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
22The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, v23as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.” Luke 2:22-23
This Sunday, the 2nd day of the second month of the year marks one of the major feast in the Christian liturgical calendar jointly observed by the mainline churches of the whole Christendom. It is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The feast is sometimes known as the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin, sometimes as Candlemas. In the Eastern Church it has been called the Meeting of Christ with Simeon. Such a variety of names is sufficient testimony to the wealth of spiritual meaning that generations of Christians have discovered in this small incident.
The Gospel lesson according to Saint Luke tells us of this small but very significant event.
The title, “The Presentation,” reminds us of the Jewish law (Exodus 13:2; 22:29) that every firstborn son had to be dedicated to God in memory of Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt, when the firstborn sons of the Egyptians died and those of Israel were spared.
***
When Mary placed her small son into the arms of Simeon, it was the meeting of the Old and the New Dispensations. The old sacrifices, the burnt offerings and oblations, were done away; a new and perfect offering had come into the temple. God had provided for the burnt-offering (v8Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” – Genesis 22:8), his only Son. The offering was to be made once for all on the cross. At every Eucharist those who are in Christ recall that sinless offering and unite “themselves, their souls and bodies” with the self-oblation of their Lord and Saviour. (Lesser Feasts & Fasts)
***
In Israel, the Law of Moses considered the first-born male child to belong to God. The same law considered the mother “unclean” after giving birth. For forty days she could not go out or touch anything sacred. To “ransom” the child and “cleanse” the mother, a visit to temple was required, which involved a sacrificial offering of a lamb and a dove. If the family had limited means, the lamb could be exchanged for a dove. Thus, two doves were sufficient to fulfil the precept. Forty days after the birth of Jesus, St. Joseph again helped his virgin wife onto the donkey only now she carried the creator of the universe in her arms. Slowly they made their way to Jerusalem to comply with the Mosaic Law. In their case, there was really no need for “ransom” or “cleansing,” Jesus being God, and Mary being a virgin before, during and after the birth of her divine Son.
Yet, before the eyes of men, unaware of these circumstances, the holy family wished to give an example of humility and obedience by submitting to the age-old mandate. The fact that St. Joseph offered two doves is evidence of their poverty. From the very beginning Christ was identified with the underprivileged.
***
According to the Mosaic law, a mother who had given birth to a man-child was considered unclean for seven days; moreover she was to remain three and thirty days “in the blood of her purification”; for a maid-child the time which excluded the mother from sanctuary was even doubled, according to Catholic News World. When the time (40 or 80 days) was over the mother was to “bring to the temple a lamb for a holocaust and a young pigeon or turtle dove for sin”; if she was not able to offer a lamb, she was to take two turtle doves or two pigeons; the priest prayed for her and so she was cleansed. (Leviticus 12:2-8) Forty days after the birth of Christ Mary complied with this precept of the law, she redeemed her first-born from the temple (Numbers 18:15), and was purified by the prayer of Simeon the just, in the presence of Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:22). No doubt this event, the first solemn introduction of Christ into the house of God, was in the earliest times celebrated in the Church of Jerusalem. (gospelhearld.com)
***
v25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him (v.25).
Waiting for the consolation in a time of deplorable spiritual condition righteous Simeon was devoted to God and filled with the Holy Spirit, waiting in faith, patience and great longing for the coming of the Messiah. Likewise, in the last days of this present age, when many are abandoning the New Testament apostolic faith and the blessed hope for the coming of Christ, there will always be the faithful Simeons. Others may place their hope in this life and this world, but the faithful will be like the loyal slave who keeps watch through the long, dark night, waiting for the return of his master. Our greatest blessing is to see face to face “the Lord’s Christ”, to be ready when he comes and to live forever in his presence. The words of Simeon when he held the baby Jesus is so moving and revealing of the child in his hands as he performed the rite,
v29″Lord, I am your servant,
and now I can die in peace,
because you have kept
your promise to me.
v30With my own eyes I have seen
what you have done
to save your people,
v31and foreign nations
will also see this.
v32Your mighty power is a light
for all nations,
and it will bring honor to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)
***
As Joseph and Mary presented Jesus to the Lord, so all parents should sincerely consecrate their children to the Lord. They should pray constantly that from the beginning to the end of each child’s life, he or she will be found doing the Lord’s will, serving and glorifying God with complete devotion. The child Jesus grew. As a true human child, Jesus experienced the process of physical and spiritual development. He kept increasing in wisdom as the grace of God was upon him. He was perfect in his human nature, developing perfectly as God desired.
Let us pray.
Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as
your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the
temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and
clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.**
