Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD (ABC)
Readings:
Malachi 3:1-4
Psalm 24:7-10
Hebrews 2:14-18
Luke 2:22-40
All Scripture passages are from the New American Bible unless designated NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments, and that is why we read and relive the events of salvation history contained in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: Jesus Christ is God Present among His People
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Liturgical
Calendar of the Church always falls on the 2nd of February, which is
forty days from the birth of the Savior on December the 25th (as the
ancients counted with the 25th counting as day #1). The feast
originated in the East and was adopted by the West in the 6th
century. In the past, this feast traditionally marked the end of the Christmas
season in the Liturgical calendar was called the "Festival of Lights," inspired
by the prophetic words of Simeon in Luke 2:32. When the Holy Family was
present at the Jerusalem Temple for Mary's ritual purification and Jesus'
dedication as a "firstborn" son (Lk 2:22-38), the prophet Simeon proclaimed
that the child Jesus was to be a light for revelation to the Gentiles and
glory for your people Israel (Lk 2:32; see the Gospel reading for this
feast). In earlier celebrations, candles were blessed and lighted,
which gave the feast the popular name "Candlemas."
After the reform of the Roman Catholic calendar, the feast came to be called the "Presentation of the Lord" since the trip the Holy Family took to Jerusalem 40 days after Jesus' birth was for Mary's purification and the presentation of Jesus as Mary's "firstborn" son (Lk 1:6-7) at the Jerusalem Temple, according to the Law (Ex 13:11-16; Lev 12:2-8Num 18:15; Lk 2:22-24; also see CCC 529, 583, 713). In celebration of Simeon's proclamation of Jesus as "a light to the nations," it is the custom in Catholic parishes to bless enough candles to last the whole liturgical year. And in the celebration of the Mass, the congregation often joins in singing Simeon's canticle, the Nunc Dimittis, named after the canticle's first words in Latin, "Now you dismiss" (Lk 2:29). In the parishes of some countries, the people carry lighted candles in a procession around the church and even out into the streets. For all Christians, this feast is a reminder of our mission to bring the light of Christ to every part of the earth as Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28:19-20.
Jesus of Nazareth fulfills Malachi's prophecy in the First Reading. Jesus will identify the first "messenger," the one who Malachi writes will prepare the way in the spirit of Elijah as St. John the Baptist. This identification makes Jesus the "Lord who you seek" who will "come to His Temple" to purify it and the people in preparation for the coming of His Kingdom. Jesus is also the "messenger" (or mediator) Malachi writes about who will come to establish a covenant and who offers the necessary sacrifice to the Lord, which Jesus will do on the altar of the Cross. His sacrifice will purify and restore the new Israel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and a new priesthood to offer His sacrifice and right worship that will please God.
Our Responsorial Psalm was a hymn the covenant people sang for a solemn procession when the Ark of the Covenant entered into the precincts of the Temple. At the end of Psalm 23, the psalmist expressed the desire "to dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps 23:6). In this psalm, the Ark that is God's dwelling place among His people arrives to enter the Jerusalem Temple that is God's House. The psalmist asks the rhetorical question: "Who is this king of glory? And those in the procession respond: "Yahweh Sabaoth; He is the King of glory!" using a title of God that suggests His divine kingship and awesome power over the forces of nature and the cosmos.
When reading or reciting this psalm, a Christian cannot help but think of Jesus' triumphal ride into the holy city of Jerusalem and His entry into the Temple on Palm Sunday. In the liturgy of the Church, the psalm is also symbolic of those pure souls who have reached the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem. For this reason, the faithful recite Psalm 24 in the liturgy of worship on the Feast of All Saints.
In the Second Reading, the inspired writer (believed to be St. Paul) stresses Christ's union with humanity in His flesh and blood. He writes that it is in the offering the perfect sacrifice of His human flesh and blood that Jesus conquered the devil and set humanity free from the fear of death. The promised bodily resurrection of all Christians at the end of time is also intimately connected to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a guarantee He has given to all believers. As we await His Second Coming and the fulfillment of the promised resurrection, He has already prepared us to receive that promise by giving us a new life as sons and daughters of God through the Sacrament of Baptism and being incorporated into the Body of the risen Christ by faith and the Eucharist.
In the Gospel Reading, it is forty days since the birth of Jesus on December the 25th (with the 25th counting as day #1 as the ancients counted without the concept of a zero-place value). The Holy Family has traveled to the Jerusalem Temple for Mary's ritual purification and baby Jesus' presentation as a "first-born son" to be redeemed according to the Law. This event was the first cultic act of God the Son in the holy city, the beginning of the fulfillment of prophecy. It is the starting point of Jesus' mission to fulfill the ordinances of the old Law that will climax in His last visit to Jerusalem when He will offer Himself in sacrifice to purify and redeem Israel and all humanity.
The First Reading Malachi 3:1-4 ~ The Lord Purifies His People
1 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 [Yahweh
Sabaoth]. 2 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. 3
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. 4 Then the sacrifice
of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years
gone by.
In Hebrew, the word malachi means "my messenger." Malachi was Israel's last Old Covenant prophet before the birth of St. John the Baptist, and the Book of Malachi is the last Bible book in the Old Testament canon before the beginning of the New Testament. Malachi was God's prophet to the Jews who had returned after the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BC. The date for the composition of the Book of Malachi was probably sometime after the Jews who returned from the Babylonian exile rebuilt the Jerusalem Temple in 517/6 BC but before the religious reforms under Nehemiah in 445 BC. There are three main themes addressed by the prophet:
3 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. 4 Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will
please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
"Judah" refers to the faithful remnant of the covenant
people of the Southern Kingdom of Judah who returned from the Babylonian exile after
Cyrus' decree that allowed all peoples exiled by the Babylonians to return to
their homelands in 539 BC. Jerusalem was the location of God's Holy Temple and
the one center of sacrifice and worship (Dt 12). When the Lord comes to
restore the covenant (verse 1) and purify the priesthood (verse 3), He will
also re-establish sacrifice and worship that is pleasing to Him, restoring fellowship
with His covenant people.
Christians see this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself will identify the first "messenger," the one who prepares the way in the spirit of Elijah (Mal 3:1, 23), as St. John the Baptist (Mt 11:7-15; 17:10-13; Mk 9:11-13; Lk 7:24-30). This identification makes Jesus the "Lord who you seek" who will "come to His Temple" (verse 1a) to purify it and the people in preparation for the coming of His Kingdom (Jn 2:13-16). Jesus is also the "messenger" (or mediator) who establishes a "covenant" (verse 1b; Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 7:22; 8:6-7, 13; 9:15) and who offers "due sacrifice to the Lord" (verse 3) on the altar of the Cross. His sacrifice will purify and restore the new Israel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, which is the Church (CCC 877). He will establish a new priesthood to offer His sacrifice and right worship that will please God (verses 3-4). And Jesus is the One who will return in His Second Advent to judge the living and the dead on the great and terrible "Day of Yahweh" (verses 1c-3; 19-21; also see references to the Day of Yahweh's judgment in the New Testament (Mt 16:27; 25:31-46; Jn 5:28-30; Acts 10:42; 13:34-25; 17:30-31; 1 Thess 4:13-5:10; 2 Thess 1:6-10; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pt 4:5; Rev 6:17).
Fire is a symbol of divine judgment on the "Day of Yahweh" in the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, for example, see Isaiah 10:16ff; 30:27; Jeremiah 21:14; Amos 5:18; Zephaniah 1:3, 18; 3:8; Malachi 3:19, and see fire as a symbol of judgment in the New Testament in St. John the Baptist's warning to the religious leaders in Matthew 3:19; Jesus' statements concerning divine judgment in Matthew 13:41-43, 49-50; by St. Paul in 2 Thessalonians 1:8; and in the Book of Revelation 8:12; 14:25-16; 21:8. It is a day that will come without warning. We must prepare ourselves for that event, which will also be the day of Jesus' return in glory to bodily resurrect the righteous and the wicked, to sit in judgment over humanity, and to collect the upright into His heavenly Kingdom (1 Thess 4:16-18).
Responsorial Psalm 24:7-10 ~ An Encounter with the LORD,
the King of Glory, in His Temple
The response is: "Who is the king of glory; it is the Lord!"
7Lift up, O gates,
your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come
in!
Response:
8 Who is this king
of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle.
Response:
9 Lift up, O gates,
your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come
in!
Response:
10 Who is this king
of glory? The LORD of hosts [Yahweh Sabaoth]; he is the king of glory.
Response:
The faithful sang this psalm in a solemn procession when the Ark of the Covenant entered into the precincts of the Temple. At the end of Psalm 23, the psalmist expressed the desire "to dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps 23:6). In the psalm, he comes to the Temple gates as God (or the Ark that is God's dwelling place among His people) arrives to enter the Temple precincts. Poetically the psalmist suggests that the lintels of the gates are too low and the doorposts to narrow to receive the majesty of the Lord. Therefore, the psalmist tells the people to "reach up" that the King may enter in (verses 7-8). Then he asks the rhetorical question: "Who is this King of glory? (verse 10). Those in the procession respond: "Yahweh Sabaoth; He is the King of glory!" using a title for God that suggests His divine kingship and awesome power over the forces of nature and the cosmos; "Yahweh of the Hosts" (of Heaven) is the warrior God who defends His people (verse 8).
When reading or reciting this psalm, a Christian cannot help but think of Jesus' triumphal ride into the holy city of Jerusalem and His entry into the Temple on Palm Sunday, the 10th of Nisan in AD 30 (Mt 11:1-11; Mk 11:7-11; Lk 19:35-38; Jn 12:12-15). In the liturgy of the Church, the psalm is also symbolic of those pure souls who have reached the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem; for this reason, we recite Psalm 24 on the Feast of All Saints.
St. Ambrose applied verses 7 and 9 to God's entry into the soul of the Christian, which then becomes the Temple of the Holy Spirit: "The soul, then, has a door; the doors of which the psalm speaks are to be found within us: Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the King of glory may come in. If you take care to raise the lintel of your faith, the King of glory will enter into you, carrying with him the triumph of his passion. That the victory, too, has its doors, for we read in the psalm words spoken by the Lord Jesus through the mouth of the psalmist: Open up to me the gates of victory. We know, moreover, that the soul has its gate, the one to which Christ comes, and where he stands and knocks. Open up, then, for he wishes to come in; he wants to find his Bride waiting for him" (Expositio Psalmi, 118.14).
The Second Reading Hebrews 2:14-18 ~ Perfection
and glory through suffering and Resurrection
14 Since all
the children share the same human nature, he too shared equally in it, so that
by his death he could set aside him who held the power of death, namely the
devil, 15 and set free all
those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. 16 For it was not the angels that he took
to himself; he took to himself the line [Greek = seed] of
Abraham. 17 It was essential
that he should in this way be made completely like his brothers so that he
could become a compassionate and trustworthy high priest for their relationship
to God, able to expiate the sins of the people. 18 For the suffering he himself passed through while being
put to the test enables him to help others when they are being put to the test.
God chose to save humanity by assuming human nature in the Incarnation of God the Son. God humbled Himself and became a man born of a woman from the line of the promised "seed" of Abraham (Mt 1:1). In the covenant formed with Abraham and his descendants, Yahweh foretold a blessing for all humanity through him (see Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Sir 44:19-21; Acts 3:25; Gal 3:8, 14). The Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus of Nazareth, the descendant of Abraham, who is God enfleshed, fulfills that promised blessing: Abraham, the great ancestor of a host of nations, no one was ever his equal in glory. He observed the Law of the Most High, and entered into a covenant with him. He confirmed the covenant in his own flesh, and proved himself faithful under ordeal. The Lord, therefore, promised him on oath to bless the nations through his descendants (Sir 44:19-21). St. Paul (believed by most scholars to be the inspired writer of Hebrews) called all Christians the heirs of Christ and the true descendants of Abraham (Gal 3:29)
Jesus' perfect sacrifice on the altar of the Cross set free all men and women of every age who were held captive by sin and death (CCC 633; 1 Pt 3:18-20; 4:6). Because He has gained victory over both sin and death, those who believe in Him have the power to share in His triumph and receive the glory God intended for humanity when He created the first man and woman. It is what the Fathers of the Church called the "divine exchange" in which God became man so humanity could become infused with the life of the Trinity through Christian baptism.
Hebrews 2:14-15 and 17-18 stress Christ's union with humanity in His flesh and blood. It is in offering the perfect sacrifice of His human flesh and blood, through His death and Resurrection, that Jesus conquered the devil and set humanity free from the fear of death. St Paul wrote: Then, as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men (Rom 5:18).
The promised bodily resurrection of all Christians at the end of time is intimately connected to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom 6:5; 1 Cor 6:14; 15:20; 2 Cor 4:14; 13:4; Eph 2:6; Col 1:18; 2:12; 1 Thess 4:14; 2 Tim 2:11). It is a guarantee He has given to all believers. As we await His Second Coming and the fulfillment of the promised resurrection, He has already prepared us to receive that promise by giving us a new life as sons and daughters of God through the Sacrament of Baptism and being incorporated into the Body of the risen Christ by faith and the Eucharist.
The final statement of Jesus' superiority over the angels in verse 16 is that only Jesus Christ has the power to redeem humanity. No angel has that power (also see earlier statements of Jesus' superiority over angels in Heb 1:4-14). It is a redemption He accomplished by becoming a man from the seed of the prophet Abraham and fulfilling the promise to Abraham of a world-wide blessing, bringing universal salvation to those who accepted God's gift of grace through his descendant, Christ Jesus: son of David, son of Abraham (Mt 1:1; see promise given in Gen 12:3 and repeated in 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Sir 44:21/22; Gal 3:8-9).
17 It was
essential that he should in this way be made completely like his brothers so
that he could become a compassionate and trustworthy high priest for their
relationship to God, able to expiate the sins of the people. 18 For the suffering he himself passed
through while being put to the test enables him to help others when they are being
put to the test.
The inspired writer tells us there are three reasons why
this plan was necessary (see Mt 16:24;
Lk 24:26-27; 44-45;
1 Pt 1:10-12; 2:21;
Rom 3:25-26;
CCC# 612; 614-15; 618).
None of us can complain to God when we face physical or emotional suffering that God cannot understand our pain because, in His earthly life, Jesus endured all we could ever experience. And He has promised, if we unite our tribulations to His, that our sufferings are not without value and can be applied toward penance for our sins and contribute to our eternal salvation (see Mt 10:38; 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 14:27; Rom 8:17; Council of Trent: DS 1690, CCC 618, 1460).
The Gospel of Luke 2:22-40 ~ The Presentation of Baby Jesus at the Jerusalem Temple
22 When the
days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they
took him up to Jerusalem to represent him to the Lord, 23 just as it is written in the law of
the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord," 24 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. 25 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. 26 It had been revealed to him that he
should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. 27 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, 28 he
took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: 29 "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace,
according to your word, 30 for
my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which
you prepared in sight of all the peoples, 32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people
Israel." 33 The
child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 34 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 35 (and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." 36 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, 37 and then as a widow until she was
eighty-four. She never left the Temple, but worshiped night and day with
fasting and prayer. 38 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. 39 When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of
Nazareth. 40 The child grew and
became strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him.
Mary and Joseph took the forty-day old baby Jesus and journeyed the five miles from Bethlehem to the holy city of Jerusalem. It was the one location on earth dedicated to offering worship and sacrifice to the God of Israel (Dt 12:11-12; 2 Chr 3:1). The Church Fathers saw Jesus, coming with Joseph and Mary to the Temple, as a fulfillment of Malachi 3:1b: And suddenly there will come to the Temple the LORD whom you seek (the First Reading). The circumcision and naming in verse 21 (not in our reading) is another link to the narrative of St. John's birth, and it is more evidence of Mary and Joseph's obedience to the Law and the angel Gabriel's command, just as Elizabeth and Zechariah were obedient in the naming of their child (Lk 1:13, 60-63).
22 When the
days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses,
they took him up to Jerusalem to represent him to the Lord, 23 just as it is written in the law of
the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord"
(underlining added).
Women who gave birth to male children were required to
observe forty days of ritual confinement after which they were to present
themselves at the Temple for a ceremony of ritual purification: The LORD
said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites: When a woman has conceived and gives birth
to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, with the same uncleanness as at
her menstrual period. On the eighth day, the flesh of the boy's
foreskin shall be circumcised, and then she shall spend thirty-three days more
in becoming purified of her blood; she shall not touch anything sacred nor
enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled (Lev 12:1-4).
After completing the period of purification, the Law required the new mother to go to the Temple of Yahweh in the holy city of Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph, with the forty-day old baby Jesus, journeyed the five miles from Bethlehem (located south of Jerusalem on the east ridge of the mountain watershed) up the mountain to Jerusalem, situated on an elevation about 2400 feet above sea level. She bathed in the Temple ritual purification pool (mikvah) and presented a whole-burnt-offering and a sin sacrifice to the Lord (Lev 12:6-7). If the child was the firstborn male, the Law required the woman to dedicate him to God: Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated [or holy] to the Lord, as Luke quotes in verse 23 from Exodus 13:2. Mary's obedience concerning the Law for a firstborn son was just one of the fulfillments of the angel Gabriel's prophecy when he told Mary her Son would be called "holy" in Luke 1:35.
They offered the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord (verse 24). Luke will use the term "law of the Lord" or "Law of Moses" nine times in the Greek text; five of those times appear in this chapter (Lk 2:22, 23, 24, 27, 39; 10:26; 16:16-17; 24:44). The sacrifice of two turtledoves or two young pigeons instead of a lamb identifies the Holy Family's humble station; it was the sacrifice of the poor (see Lev 12:6-8).
Luke 2:25-38 ~ The Prophetic Statements of the Prophet Simeon
25 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. 26 It had been revealed to him that he
should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. 27 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, 28 he
took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: 29 "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace,
according to your word, 30 for
my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which
you prepared in sight of all the peoples, 32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people
Israel." 33 The child's
father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 34 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 35 (and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
St. Luke describes Simeon in three ways: he is "righteous," "devout,"
and "expectant." Expectant means he was actively awaiting the coming of the
Messiah. Like John the Baptist's parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, St. Luke
describes Simeon as "righteous" and also as "devout." Luke defined "righteous"
as "observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly" (Lk 1:6) and "devout" in the same way as "a devout observer of the Law (Acts 22:12). Simeon's part in the infancy narrative is prophetic.
St. Luke describes the role of God's Spirit in Simeon's life in verses 25-27):
28 he took
him into his arms and blessed God, saying: 29
"Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to
your word, 30 for my eyes
have seen your salvation, 31 which
you prepared in sight of all the peoples, 32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people
Israel."
The Holy Family was in the outer court of the Temple when
Simeon approached them. St. Luke uses the Greek term hieron, which
includes the whole of the outer Temple complex but not the inner courts and
Sanctuary (naos = Holy Place and Holy of Holies) that is accessible only
to the chief priests. Ritually pure covenant members, including women, could
enter the inner courtyard (Court of the Priests), where the altar of sacrifice
stood only if offering a sacrifice. Otherwise, a woman stood in the Court of
Woman and a man in the Court of Israel during the liturgical worship services.
Gentiles could only enter the outer "Court of the Gentiles" and could not pass
beyond into the inner courts of the Temple." Simeon and Anna may have been in
the outer "Porch of Solomon" where teaching usually took place (Acts 3:11;
5:12).
In verses 28-32, Simeon took Jesus into his arms, blessed
God, and gave his Holy-Spirit-inspired testimony praying, "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 sight of all the peoples, a light for
revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel." The Latin
name for Simeon's prayer of praise in verses 29-35 is the Nunc Dimittis.
Simeon's prayer divides into two parts, followed by a prophecy for Mary.
Part I: The fulfillment of God's promise to Simeon
Part II: The prophecy of a universal salvation
Knowing that he will live until he has seen the Messiah, Simeon now identifies Jesus as the promised Redeemer-Messiah not just for Israel but for all nations, proclaiming a universal message of salvation. Addressing God and using the prophetic language of Isaiah 42:6 and 49:6 from the "Song of the Servant" passages, it is the child Jesus who Simeon identifies as "your salvation." This declaration may also suggest wordplay on Jesus' Hebrew name: "Yahweh is salvation" (Mt 1:21).
33 The
child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 34 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 35 and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
After blessing Joseph and Mary, Simeon offers a prophecy of
opposition and suffering. Simeon's prophecy concerning Jesus is ominous: this
child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign
that will be contradicted. The child will create opposition, and people
will be divided over their response to Him. It is an ominous prediction
because the "falling" comes before the "rising." Simeon has announced the
rejection of the Messiah by His own people. Mary also used the rising and
falling imagery but in reverse in the Magnificat when she spoke of God lifting up
the lowly and throwing down the rulers from their thrones (verse 52). Jesus
will address the division over His mission when He says that He did not come to
bring peace but division; there can be no middle ground in response to His
message (see Mt 10:34-36; Lk 12:51-53).
And then turning to Mary, Simeon said: "and you yourself
a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (verse 35).
Simeon's prophesy is that Mary will share in her Son's
suffering. The Cross is Jesus' unique sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice He asks
all His disciples in every generation to embrace as His partners in God's plan
of redemption for humanity (see
Mt 10:38; 16:24;
Mk 8:34; 10:21;
Lk 9:23; 14:27). The Catechism teaches: "Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming
sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries. This is achieved
supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than
any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering" (CCC 618).
As the embodiment of the prophets' "daughter of Zion," Mary will live out the
sorrow of her people in their struggle to come to terms with Jesus' mission
(Is 62:11; Jer 4:31; Zec 9:9). The symbolic mention of the sword may be related to
the prophecies in Ezekiel 14:7-8, Zechariah 12:10, and to Mary's agony in
witnessing the piercing of her son's heart by the Roman lance in John 19:37.
Luke 2:36-38 ~ The Prophecy of Anna
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, 37 and then as a
widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple, but worshiped
night and day with fasting and prayer. 38
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.
Simeon and Anna are the third righteous man/woman
combination in the birth narrative that includes Zechariah and Elizabeth and
Mary and Joseph. God has always used righteous men and women to move forward
His divine plan for humanity's salvation. Anna "gave thanks to God and spoke
about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem." This
event is the beginning of the proclamation of the Gospel. Through a work of
the Holy Spirit, Simeon and Anna recognized the promised Messiah, and they
announce His coming to His people. Notice that St. Luke includes the
information that Anna is a member of the tribe of Asher. Asher was one of the
tribes of the Northern Kingdom that was sent into exile by the Assyrians in the
8th century BC. She is a "remnant" of the Northern Kingdom and a
sign that Jesus will reclaim all the tribes of Israel scattered into the Gentile
world. He will send out His Apostles and disciples to gather their descendants
back into His Kingdom of the Church.
Today you are reminded that you also have a role to play as a part of the Church's "faithful remnant," serving as Jesus' true disciples in proclaiming His message of redemption and salvation to the world. Don't miss the opportunity to serve as St. John served our Lord in humility and "poverty of spirit" (as opposed to a prideful and rebellious spirit), submitting your life to the service of your Lord and Savior through His Church which is His vehicle for man's salvation.
Luke 2:39-40 ~ The Holy Family returns to Nazareth
39 When they had
fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to
Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor [charis
= grace] of God was upon him.
Sometime later, after the Temple presentation, the Holy
Family left for Egypt to escape the threat from King Herod against baby Jesus
(Mt 2:13-15). When it was safe, they returned from Egypt and went to live in
Nazareth in the Galilee, which Matthew records as another Old Testament fulfillment
of prophecy (Mt 2:19-23). Verse 40 is the conclusion of Jesus' birth narrative
and echoes the description of St. John in 1:80, "The child grew and became
strong in spirit " for God's grace was upon Him.
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord should remind us that we also present our babies to the Lord in the Sacrament of Baptism. Infant Baptism has been part of our New Covenant traditions since the earliest years of the Church. St. Peter told the Jews on Pentecost Sunday: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39). Baptize your children to become children in the family of God so that they, like St. John and Jesus, will become "strong" in spirit and "filled with wisdom" with "the grace of God" upon them (Lk 1:80; 2:40).
Catechism References (* indicated Scripture is quoted
or paraphrased in the citation):
Malachi 3:1-4 (CCC 678, 1040-41)
Psalm 24:7-10 (CCC 559), 24:8-10 (CCC 269), 24:9-10 (CCC 2628)
Hebrews 2:14-15 (CCC 635), 2:14 (CCC 407*, 636), 2:15 (1520*, 2602*), 2:17-18 (CCC 609*)
Luke 2:22-39 (CCC 529*, 583*), 2:25 (CCC 711*), 2:26-27 (CCC 695*), 2:32 (CCC 713*), 2:34 (CCC 575*, 587*), 2:35 (CCC 149*, 618*), 2:38 (CCC 711*)
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2014, revised 2020 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.