The Significance Of The Temple In Jesus’S Life
The temple in Jerusalem played a pivotal role in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. As the center of Jewish worship and tradition, Jesus’s interactions with the temple shaped his mission and message in profound ways.
This article will explore the deep meaning behind Jesus’s experiences at the temple, from his presentation there as an infant to his teachings within its courts as an adult.
Jesus’s Presentation at the Temple as an Infant
The importance of the presentation ritual.
According to the Jewish law, 40 days after the birth of a firstborn male child, the parents were required to bring the child to the temple in Jerusalem to present him to God. This ritual was known as the redemption of the firstborn and involved making an offering to redeem the child as belonging to God (Luke 2:22-24).
This demonstrated the parents’ faithfulness in following the law. It also symbolized the consecration of the child to God’s service. Though Jesus was the Son of God, his earthly parents Mary and Joseph still observed this ritual in obedience to the law.
The presentation and redemption ritual originates from the time when God struck down the firstborn sons of Egypt but spared the Israelites during the final plague before the exodus (Exodus 13:2,11-16). God then claimed all firstborn sons and male animals as his own possession.
However, he allowed the firstborn sons to be redeemed or brought back to the family through an offering. This was a powerful reminder to the Israelites of God’s mercy and grace in sparing them and bringing them out of slavery.
Simeon and Anna’s Prophecies
When Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple, they encountered two devout elderly people, Simeon and Anna, who uttered prophecies about the child. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died.
When Simeon saw Jesus, he took the child in his arms and praised God, saying that his eyes had seen God’s salvation (Luke 2:25-35). His prophecy highlighted that this child was the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes and the Savior for both Jews and Gentiles.
The prophetess Anna who served in the temple also recognized Jesus as the redeemer and praised God (Luke 2:36-38). She proclaimed the news about Jesus to all who were awaiting the Messiah’s coming. Both Simeon and Anna’s prophetic words affirmed that this infant was no ordinary child but rather the promised Messiah who would bring redemption and salvation.
Though Jesus was just a baby, his divine identity and purpose were already being confirmed.
The temple setting is significant here as it emphasizes Jesus’ Jewish heritage and his fulfillment of the Jewish law and prophecies even as a child. The revelation to Simeon and Anna also shows that the Holy Spirit was actively working to identify Jesus as the Christ.
Overall, this temple visit marks an important milestone in the early life of Jesus.
Jesus Teaching at the Temple as a Child
Amazing the religious teachers.
At the young age of 12, Jesus traveled with his parents to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast (Luke 2:41-52). While there, Jesus slipped away to sit among the teachers in the temple courts, listening to them and asking insightful questions.
The teachers were astonished at His depth of understanding and ability to discuss complex theological issues (Luke 2:47). This early temple visit foreshadowed Jesus’ future ministry as a great teacher who would challenge religious assumptions and revolutionize theological thinking.
The teachers in the temple were likely blown away by Jesus’ grasp of the Torah and prophets at such a tender age. His incisive questions indicated that He already had an extraordinary comprehension of Jewish theology.
The rabbis probably realized they were witnessing an exceptionally gifted Child with immense promise as a religious leader. While they had devoted their lives to studying the sacred texts, this 12 year old boy matched and even surpassed their knowledge without any formal training.
Foreshadowing His Future Ministry
This childhood temple visit anticipates several key aspects of Jesus’ later public ministry. First, it shows Jesus stepping into the role of teacher, engaging religious leaders on theological issues. This foreshadows His future teaching ministry where great crowds would gather to learn from Him (Mark 10:1).
Second, it reveals Jesus as someone grounded in the Scriptures with an unusual ability to discern their meaning. This would continue as the basis for His powerful preaching (Luke 4:16-22).
Finally, this episode shows young Jesus affirming the temple as His “Father’s house,” becoming intensely preoccupied with its work (Luke 2:49). As an adult, He would zealously cleanse the temple courts rather than allowing inappropriate activities there (Matthew 21:12).
Just as His questions and answers amazed the rabbis, His authoritative words and actions as an adult teacher would astonish people and stir public controversy.
Key Points Foreshadowed | Fulfillment in Jesus’ Ministry |
Role as insightful teacher | Taught crowds with authority (Mark 1:22) |
Grounded in the Hebrew Scriptures | Quoted OT in His teaching (Matthew 5:21-48) |
Passion for the Temple | Cleansed the Temple courts (John 2:13-25) |
So this intriguing episode provides a brief preview of Jesus’ unfolding mission. His evident wisdom as an adolescent foreshadowed His profound teachings that would draw many to follow Him. The teachers’ astonishment anticipated the crowds’ reactions of awe and wonder at His message (Matthew 7:28).
Clearly, at just 12 years old, Jesus already exhibited an inkling of His divine purpose and stellar, world-changing destiny.
Jesus Driving Out Money Changers from the Temple
A bold act of zeal for god’s house.
Jesus took a bold stand for the sanctity of God’s house when he drove out the money changers and merchants from the temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13). This zealous act fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s cleansing of the temple (Psalm 69:9; Malachi 3:1-3).
According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus angrily overturned the tables of the money changers and demanded that merchants stop turning his Father’s house into a marketplace.
This confrontational episode reflects Jesus’ passion for proper worship of God. He would not tolerate the commerce and corruption that was taking place in the temple precincts. By disrupting business operations, Jesus made a statement that honoring God takes priority over profits and wealth.
His forceful ejection of merchants was also a symbolic cleansing of sin and impurity from the temple. Ultimately, Jesus’ protective love for his Father’s house cost him his life, but it showed where his priorities lay.
Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy
Jesus’ cleansing of the temple powerfully fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. Well before Jesus’ ministry, the prophet Malachi foretold that the Lord would “suddenly come to his temple” and “purify the sons of Levi” as a “refiner’s fire” (Malachi 3:1-3).
Centuries later, Jesus abruptly entered the temple and zealously drove out corruption, just as Malachi had predicted. The money changers and merchants were part of the priestly tribe of Levi, so Jesus’ confrontation purified the Levites, again matching Malachi’s prophecy.
Additionally, Psalm 69 contains verses prophetically depicting the Messiah’s great devotion for God’s house and his zeal against those who defile it (Psalm 69:9). Jesus embodied these prophetic words when he overturned the merchant tables in righteous indignation for his Father’s house.
Thus, he powerfully declared himself as the long-awaited Messiah who would cleanse and restore proper worship in the temple, just as the ancient prophets had foretold so long ago.
Jesus’s Eschatological Temple Discourse
Prophecy of the temple’s destruction.
In the synoptic gospels, Jesus predicted the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. This prophecy is recorded in Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, and Luke 21:5-6. Jesus stated that not one stone of the Temple buildings would be left standing on top of another.
This prophecy was fulfilled around 70 AD when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and demolished the Temple. Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, provides details on how the Temple was burned and completely torn down by the Romans.
The total destruction shocked the Jewish people who could not imagine a world without the central place of worship. However, Jesus predicted this devastating event and used it to stress the temporary nature of the physical Temple.
His eschatological discourse points to himself as the true and greater Temple.
Promise of the Temple’s Restoration
While prophesying the Temple’s destruction, Jesus also promised its restoration. In John 2:19, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Here he referred to his body as the true Temple.
After his crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, fulfilling this promise. Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of God’s presence and the place of worship for God’s people. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus became the everlasting Temple where people can meet God.
The book of Revelation depicts the glorious heavenly Temple in the New Jerusalem that comes down to earth (Revelation 21:22). This prophetic vision points to God’s presence dwelling eternally with his people through Christ. The physical Temple pointed to this greater spiritual reality found in Jesus.
As the Messiah, Jesus is the true meeting place between God and humanity. The destruction of the earthly Temple and the building of the eternal, heavenly Temple were pivotal to Jesus’s eschatological message.
Symbolic Connections Between Jesus and the Temple
Jesus as the new temple.
In the Gospels, Jesus is portrayed as the fulfillment of the Temple. He refers to himself as the new Temple, replacing the stone and mortar building that had long been the center of Jewish worship (John 2:19-21).
Just as God’s presence filled the Holy of Holies in the old Temple, Jesus embodied God’s presence in bodily form (John 1:14). His body served as the new meeting place between God and humans.
When Jesus cleared the money changers from the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13), He showed His authority over the Temple. As the Son of God, the Temple was rightfully under His jurisdiction. By asserting His control, Jesus further aligned Himself with the Divine presence that indwelt the Holy of Holies.
In a symbolic act, the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two at the moment of Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:51). This signified that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross had opened the way for all people to directly access God’s presence.
No longer would a human high priest need to intercede behind a veil on their behalf.
The Temple Veil Torn at Jesus’s Death
The Gospel writers emphasize the tearing of the Temple veil at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). This thick curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple complex.
Behind it resided the ark of the covenant, where the presence of God dwelt.
Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. But the torn veil represented free access to God for all. Jesus’ sacrificial death provided welcome entry for anyone into the very throne room of heaven (Hebrews 10:19-20).
The timing of the veil-tearing underscored its connection to Jesus’ crucifixion. The intimate linkage between access to God and Christ’s death on the cross could not be more evident. Jesus’ sacrifice effectively removed the barrier to God’s presence that the Temple veil had represented.
So in rending the veil, God showed that Jesus’ death opened the way for reconciliation with Him. The old system of animal sacrifices and priestly rituals no longer applied. Jesus is the true and living Temple, and His cross serves as the only access point to salvation and relationship with God.
As we have seen, the temple was interwoven throughout Jesus’s life, from his infancy to his last week in Jerusalem. Its courts and colonnades echoed his footsteps and teachings. Its symbolic meaning pointed to his identity and mission as the Messiah.
Understanding the temple’s role sheds light on Jesus’s fulfillment of prophecy and the revolutionary nature of his message. Through his words and actions there, Jesus established a new covenant and phase of worship between God and humanity.
Amanda Williams is a dedicated Christian writer and blogger who is passionate about sharing Biblical truth and encouraging believers in their faith walks. After working as a youth pastor and Bible teacher for several years, she launched her blog in 2022 to minister to Christians online seeking to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus Christ. When she's not creating content or connecting with readers, Amanda enjoys studying theology, being out in nature, baking, and spending time with family. Her goal is to provide practical wisdom and hope from a genuine Christian perspective. Amanda currently resides in Colorado with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.
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The Presentation of the Lord: a symbol of the Messiah’s embrace
By ACI Prensa
ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 2, 2024 / 04:00 am
Every Feb. 2, the universal Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Mary and Joseph bring the newborn Jesus to the Temple, the holy place, the house of God. The presentation of the firstborn son is equivalent to his “consecration” — it is an act of thanksgiving for the gift received from the hands of the Creator, the source of life.
In the Temple, the Holy Family — Jesus, Mary, and Joseph — meet two elderly people, faithful keepers of God’s law: Simeon and Anna. That simple event contains a profound Christian symbolism: It is the embrace of the Lord of his people, who await the Messiah. That is why the liturgy sings: “You, Lord, are the light that enlightens the nations and the glory of your people Israel” (Acclamation before the Gospel, Lk 2:32).
The Law of Moses
On this day, simultaneously, we remember the ritual purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary after she gave birth to the Savior: “When the time for Mary’s purification according to the Law of Moses had passed, she and Joseph brought the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, according to what is written in the law, ‘Every firstborn male child shall be consecrated to the Lord,’ and also to offer, as the law says, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” (Lk 2:22-24).
According to the ancient custom of the people of Israel, 40 days after the birth of a firstborn child, he was to be brought to the Temple for his presentation. For this reason, the Church counts 40 days after Christmas Day (Dec. 25) to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2.
The prophecies of Simeon and Anna
Arriving at the Temple, the parents of Jesus with the child in their arms meet Simeon, the man whom the Holy Spirit promised would not die before seeing the Savior of the world. It was the same Spirit who put in the mouth of this prophet that this little child would be the Redeemer and Savior of mankind:
“This child is destined to bring about the fall of many in Israel, and also the rise of many others. He was sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will come to light, and a sword will pierce your own soul” (Lk 2: 34-35, from the Canticle of Simeon, Lk 2:22-40, known as “Nunc Dimittis” because of the Latin words with which it begins: “Now you leave”).
“Also that day there was in the Temple the daughter of Phanuel, of the Tribe of Asher, named Anna. She was a woman of very advanced age; she had been widowed only seven years after her marriage and remained so until she was 84 years old. Anna walked day and night in the Temple, worshipping God, offering fasting and prayers. When she saw the child, she recognized him and began to proclaim to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem that salvation had come” (Lk 2:36-38).
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Why We Celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
“God enters the temple not as a powerful ruler but as a little child in his Mother’s arms. The King of glory comes not with a show of human force and power, not with a great fanfare and noise, not causing fright and destruction. He comes into the temple as he came into the world, as an infant in silence, in poverty, and in the company of the poor and the wise.” – Pope John Paul II
On February 2, we observe the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, honoring Jesus Christ’s presentation in the Temple when he was a young child.
Fulfillment of the Old Covenant
Jesus’ presentation in the Temple reflects how he fulfills the Old Covenant. According to Old Testament law, a sacrifice had to be offered in the Temple when a child was consecrated to the Lord. Mary and Joseph honor this tradition, as Luke 2:22-24 describes:
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him 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.
Simeon, a devout and upright man, had been told by the Lord he would meet the Messiah before his death. When Jesus comes to the Temple, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy. Simeon and the prophetess Anna, acting – in the words of Pope John Paul II – as “representatives of the Old Covenant” – recognize Jesus’ Lordship as Messiah in this culmination of their watchful waiting. When Simeon receives Jesus, he blesses him, and prophesies Jesus’ future as Savior, proclaiming him the Light of the world:
[H]e 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 sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” – Luke 2:28-32
Living a Consecrated Life
On this day, we also reflect on the gift of consecrated life. While the momentary satisfaction of selfish living ultimately leads to emptiness, living a life of holiness, dedicated to God’s service, will give true contentment and peace. As Pope Francis has expressed :
Consecrated life is born and reborn of an encounter with Jesus as he is: poor, chaste and obedient… And while worldly life soon leaves our hands and hearts empty, life in Jesus fills us with peace to the very end, as in the Gospel, where Simeon and Anna come happily to the sunset of their lives with the Lord in their arms and joy in their hearts.
Depictions of the Presentation of the Lord in mosaic can be found in the West Apse of the Great Upper Church and in the Rosary Walk and Garden located outside the Basilica.
Butler’s Lives of Saints , ed. Bernard Bangley
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, 2 February 2020
February 2, 2020 | by Paul S. Nancarrow
Reading 1 | Reading 2 | Reading 3 | Reading 4 | Reading 1 Alt | Reading 2 Alt |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malachi 3:1-4 | Psalm 84 or Psalm 24:7-10 | Hebrews 2:14-18 | Luke 2:22-40 |
The Feast of the Presentation is the final installment in the cycle of liturgies for Christmas. It may seem a little strange to be thinking about Christmas here in February; after all, in the timetables of secular culture and marketing, Christmas is long over, we’ve blown past New Year’s, the candies are out for Valentine’s Day, and sales for Presidents Day and St Patrick’s are just around the corner! Who has time to look back toward Christmas now ?
But the Presentation has a long history in Christian tradition and practice. The Feast is attested in Jerusalem beginning around 350. In 542 Emperor Justinian introduced it at Constantinople, as a gesture of thanksgiving for the end of a time of plague. It is recorded in the western church between 687-701, when Pope Sergius directed that the feast be celebrated with a procession of candles and the singing of the canticle Nunc dimittis , taken from the Luke reading for the day. The custom developed of blessing candles for use in church all through the liturgical year on this day, from which the feast takes its other historical name, Candlemas. In Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican liturgical calendars — and now in the RCL as well — the Presentation is considered a feast of the Lord, a handful of holy days that can take precedence over a Sunday. Therefore on this day we break from the ordinary round of post-Epiphany readings to look back toward the Christmas cycle. As a Christmas-connected day falling long after the cultural Christmas holiday has passed, the Presentation is a good reminder that liturgical time, the time of God’s unfolding aims in history, does not always flow according to our agendas and expectations. More than that, it reminds us that God’s presence and activity is often revealed to us in the fulfilling of expectations in most un expected ways.
Malachi 3:1-4 sets the expectation for the entire sequence. The date of this oracle is uncertain, but most scholars tie it to the early part of the fifth century BCE, when the Temple was being rebuilt but worship and social life had not yet been stabilized and were subject to abuses. Into this volatile situation the prophet speaks God’s promise that “my messenger” is being sent to prepare the way for God’s arrival, and that “the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” The “messenger of the covenant” who is coming will be a source of “delight,” but will also challenge the status quo: “Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?” the prophet asks. The prophet describes the “messenger” in language that would become familiar in the developing messianic tradition: the messenger will be “like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap”; he will “refine” and “purify” the people through a process of transformation that will be outwardly destructive, like fire, yet will bring out the inner truth of what God intends them to be. This is especially important for “the descendants of “Levi,” for when they are properly purified, they will “present offerings to the Lord in righteousness” so that “the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old.”
The core of the promise, then, is that a messianic figure will appear in the Temple and will purify the liturgical life of the temple priesthood and, through them, the entire city and people. The prophet sees right-relationship with God, expressed in public liturgy, as central to right-relationship with each other in political and social life throughout the community. This kind of linkage of right-worship and right-society seems alien to us, given our long cultural history of keeping a wall of separation between worship and the conduct of social life, deeming the former to be a matter of personal preference and the latter a commitment to public values. The ancient prophets knew of no such separation, and drew a direct connection between the failure to honor God with offerings and acts of justice, and the failure to honor the poor, the orphaned and widowed, and the marginalized with place and voice and support in society. From this perspective, the purifying of Temple worship, and of the personal lives of those charged with leading Temple worship, was a necessary precondition of restoring a just and peaceable society in Jerusalem.
On its own, this passage invites us to consider how our own liturgical and worship practice does or does not inform and support our efforts to create just and peaceable communities and social orders in our world. While we do not have — and most of us would not want — state-sponsored worship such as Malachi expects, it is still the case for us that the practices of worship — the offerings we make of ourselves, the ways we receive into ourselves the love of God and the call of Jesus to love one another as he loves us — can form in us modes of conduct that build up right-relationship with God and right-relationship with neighbor, not only in the church building but also and more so in our daily lives and occupations. How could our own commitment to purify our participation in worship lead us to deeper commitments to discerning God’s aims and embodying God’s ideals of justice and peace in public life?
On this day, however, the Malachi reading does not so much stand on its own as it contributes to the drama building to a climax in Luke. On this day the key line is “the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” Simeon and Anna will experience that promise in the Gospel.
Psalm 84 also centers on worship in the Temple, and how the cultic liturgy opens into a “liturgy of life” outside the Temple as well. The psalm is often considered a pilgrim song, expressing the longing of the pilgrim to come from far away and worship in the central shrine. The Temple is a place of security and joy: sparrows and swallows can nest there unmolested, those who live there are happy, those whose hearts are on the pilgrim way will be strengthened, one day in the Temple is better than years elsewhere, to stand at the door of the Temple is better than to be inside a tent of the unrighteous. But even in the midst of this lavish praise for the Temple, it is made clear that the building is not the important thing. What matters is that the building is where “heart and flesh” can “sing for joy to the living God.” What matters is that the building is where “the LORD God” can be known as “sun and shield” who withholds “no good thing” from those who trust and “walk uprightly.” What matters, in the most striking line in the entire psalm, is that the building is where pilgrims may “go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.” The Hebrew Scriptures stress over and over that God cannot be seen, and that no image of God is possible; so it is arresting to hear in this psalm that God will be seen in Zion. Even though there was no physical image in the Temple, it is not impossible that worshipers expected to “see” God in the liturgy, and especially in the sacrificial meal where one half of the animal was offered on the altar and the other half cooked and eaten as a feast. The Temple is where God can be “seen” in the conduct of worship that embodies God’s ideals for justice and peace, God’s aims for right-relationships that can transform the people’s lives. Vs. 7 is given an expanded and reinterpreted meaning in Luke, when Simeon and Anna see Jesus and recognize him.
The small section of Psalm 27 offered as an alternative for this day relates directly to the Presentation, calling for the doors of the Temple to be opened for the arrival of the Lord. From the perspective of today’s liturgy (though certainly not in these lines’ context in the original psalm) the lines have a sort of revelatory irony, in that the one who comes to the Temple does not come as a King of glory, mighty in battle, but as an infant child whose mission will upend all ideas of glorified battle and conquering Kings.
Hebrews 2:14-18 also explores a kind of revealing irony. Luke says that Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple to “designate him as holy to the Lord” (more about that ritual in the section on Luke below). But surely, no child in human history needed to be “designated holy” less than Jesus. Mary had received the angel’s promise that “the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Her kinswoman Elizabeth had, inspired by the Spirit, recognized the child in Mary’s womb as “my Lord” (Luke 1:43). When Mary entered the Temple with Jesus, she knew the child was of God. Why then dedicate him to God? Why then buy him back from God, in place of sacrificing him, as was required of firstborn males (Exodus 13:2, 13)?
Hebrews 2:17 provides an answer: “he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.” Jesus’ participation in the redemption-of-the-firstborn ceremony, like his joining in John’s baptism of repentance later (Matthew 3:14-15), or his paying of the Temple tax later still (Matthew 17:27), is a sign of his solidarity with the human condition. Although he already belongs to God, although he of all people has no need of repentance, although he is “free” with regard to Temple service, he takes his position with those who must be redeemed, must repent, must make their offering to support the work of worship. The infant Jesus of the Presentation certainly does not have the adult intentionality of the Jesus who is baptized, or who directs Peter to catch a fish that miraculously has a coin in its mouth for the Temple tax; but perhaps this makes his solidarity in the human condition symbolized by the ceremony all the more poignant. Mary and Joseph offer Jesus to God, prefiguring the offering that Jesus will make of himself on the cross. It is because Jesus identifies himself so thoroughly with human reaching out to God in such ceremonies that he is able to make the connection between human need and divine grace. It is because Jesus is himself “tested” in suffering that he is “able to help those who are being tested.”
It is intriguing to consider how Jesus’ participation in the customary liturgy might work in the other direction as well. By joining in the ceremony Jesus joins with all humanity reaching out to God in supplication and dedication. But because he is already holy, already “called the Son of God,” his joining in the ceremony is also a demonstration of God reaching out to human need. Liturgy is a two-way process: it is the human work of the people reaching out to God, and it is at the same time the divine work for the people lifting them to God. In all the moments of Jesus’ life, God gave him initial aims to fulfill ideals of justice and peace and love; Jesus embodied those aims in devoted action, and offered the satisfactions of all his moments to God in fully reciprocating love; from those offered satisfactions, God could then offer new aims, for Jesus and for others, conditioned by the justice and peace and love Jesus accomplished. In process thought, of course, it is true that all actual entities receive aims from God and offer satisfactions to God; Christian faith makes the claim that Jesus performed this receiving and offering to a superlative degree and with a unique intentionality within a human life. This would be true also of moments of Jesus’ life that were ceremonial moments, that were moments of participating in liturgy. In liturgy the pattern of receiving and offering, common to all entities and uniquely accomplished in human life in Jesus, is made more explicit, it is elicited into prominence, so that it can be experienced by worshipers and then intentionally re-enacted in life situations outside formal worship. Jesus’ solidarity with the liturgies of his people — Temple, synagogue, and upper room — creates the opportunity for others to experience the pattern of receiving-and-offering with God that is centrally constitutive of Jesus’ life. It is this that makes him “a merciful and faithful high priest” who can “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.”
The irony that the one who least needs the liturgy of redemption is the one who most exemplifies the reality of the liturgy of redemption is the contribution of the Hebrews passage to the overall meaning of the Presentation lectionary.
All these themes converge in the story told in Luke 2:22-40 , of the moment when the conduct of a customary liturgy is interrupted and expanded by two inspired re-interpreters. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple forty days after his birth “to do for him what was customary under the law.” Luke seems to conflate here two separate rites. He refers to “their purification,” actually a ceremony for reintegrating a woman into the worshiping community after having given birth to a male child, as directed in Leviticus 12. It is noteworthy in reference to Leviticus that Mary offers the “pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” specified for a woman who “cannot afford a sheep.” The verse Luke quotes, however, is from Exodus 13:2, which has less to do with purification than with avoiding the sacrifice of the firstborn son by offering another sacrifice in his place, as Abraham was directed to do for Isaac in Genesis 22:13. It is entirely possible that Mary and Joseph came to the Temple to perform both rites at the same time, as long as they were staying nearby in Bethlehem and before journeying back home to Nazareth; it’s equally possible that Luke simply put the two ceremonies together as a good storytelling device to put Mary and Joseph and Jesus in the Temple where they could be met by Simeon and Anna.
Because that is really the important part of this story. That the holy child will be incorporated into the liturgical life of the people is significant; more significant still is the way this child will transform the customary liturgy.
Simeon had been promised by God that “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah,” and at this moment he is “guided by the Spirit” to come to the Temple just as Mary and Joseph are arriving with Jesus. With that Spirit-guidance, Simeon recognizes the infant Jesus as the Messiah, the “consolation of Israel,” for whom he has been looking. But what Simeon has recognized is far different from what he most likely expected. The image from Malachi, of a refiner and purifier coming with fire, had been amplified through centuries of messianic expectation — as will be illustrated by John the Baptist in the next chapter of Luke — and was no doubt a significant feature of the “consolation” Simeon looked forward to. But this , this infant in arms, being brought to the Temple with a poor woman’s offering, this was hardly a sign of messianic accomplishment.
And yet Simeon recognizes him. And Simeon stops the young family on their way to the ceremony, takes the child in his arms, and sings a song far more personal and immediate than the psalms that would be chanted in the Temple liturgy — a song, incidentally, that became and has been part of the Christian liturgy for centuries, especially for Vespers and Compline. Looking on Jesus, Simeon sings “my eyes have seen your salvation”; and not only Simeon’s salvation, but the light that God has “prepared in the presence of all peoples” to be “glory to your people Israel” and also “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” Simeon embraces the universalist version of the messianic hope, seeing the Anointed One not as the one who will defeat all of Israel’s enemies and drive them out, but as the one who will unite Israel’s enemies and all the peoples in a new community in the Spirit. Having seen this light, even if only a glimpse in the infant and not yet the full light of revelation and glory for all, Simeon’s mission is fulfilled, his promise satisfied, and he is ready to be “dismissed” from his life in peace.
While Mary and Joseph are “amazed” at Simeon’s song, he is not yet done with them. He addresses them directly, explaining that their child is a “sign” whose significance will reveal “the inner thoughts” of many, so that they will “rise or fall” in the light of revelation. And Simeon warns Mary that “a sword will pierce your own soul too”; Mary’s “inner thoughts” will be revealed as well, as she struggles to accept her son’s preaching (Mark 3:21), as she watches him die (John 19:26-27), and as she receives the Holy Spirit to proclaim her son and his church (Acts 1:14, 2:1-4). Mary had sung confidently that God would “bring down the powerful from their thrones, and lift up the lowly”, that God would “fill the hungry with good things, and send the rich away empty” in the Great Reversal (Luke 1:52-53); Simeon reminds her that her life will know God’s reversals as well. In all these respects, Simeon sees his messianic expectation fulfilled, but fulfilled in a way he had never expected. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit to him to be able to recognize this unexpected expectation.
While Luke gives Simeon the song and the good lines, the broader witness he puts in the mouth of Anna. As a widow she lives a precarious life, technically protected by Torah but practically often overlooked and undersupported, and she spends all her days in the Temple, fasting and praying, and also relying on the sacred precincts to be a safe place for her, as in Psalm 84. She also recognizes Jesus as the agent of “the redemption of Israel”; but where Simeon speaks this insight only to Mary, Anna “praises God and speaks about the child” to everyone who is in the Temple at the time. What forty days before had been a heavenly message directed to a handful of shepherds is now, for the first time, made a matter of public announcement. Anna is the first of many women in Luke’s Gospel and Acts who will play special roles in bearing witness to Jesus.
It is only after these encounters with Simeon and Anna that Mary and Joseph are able to complete the rituals, “everything required by the law of the Lord,” and return to Nazareth, where Jesus will “grow and become strong, filled with wisdom” until he returns to the Temple and sits among the teachers at age twelve.
Now in one sense Simeon and Anna interrupt the liturgies Mary and Joseph have come to complete with Jesus. Simeon’s song and Anna’s witness are not part of the program for purification of a mother and dedication of a firstborn. But in another sense they expand and reveal the real purpose of these liturgies. Just as Jesus, of all firstborn sons, did not need to be dedicated to God, being already “called the Son of God,” so the ordinary liturgy of dedication would not be “big enough” to hold his significance. By injecting into the occasion his new song, Simeon broadens the liturgy, as it were, to include a new dimension of meaning suitable for the messianic child. Just as Mary’s experience of being mother to Jesus would “pierce her own soul,” so the ordinary liturgy of purification with two turtledoves would not be “big enough” to hold her significance. By injecting into the occasion his words to Mary, Simeon broadens her liturgy, as it were, to include a new dimension of meaning suitable for the mother of the Messiah. These extra-liturgical dimensions add to the meaning of the rites, increasing the aims offered by God through the liturgy and the satisfactions offered back to God by the liturgical participants. Mary and Joseph’s expectations that Mary would be purified and Jesus dedicated are fulfilled in the liturgies; but in the deeper experience of Simeon and Anna’s liturgical expansions, their expectations are fulfilled in unexpected ways.
And that is the implicit promise of the liturgy of the Feast of the Presentation for us as well. Whether it be in a candlelit procession; whether it be in blessings of candles for use in church and at home; whether it be in special attention to these themes in preaching for the day — God offers the worshiping community in this Feast aims of love and justice and peace, aims of light to enlighten all people and glory for those who turn to God, aims to experience unexpected depth and meaning and compassion and action in the midst of the ordinary expectations of life. To the extent that we are willing and able to receive these expanded liturgical aims, we also can embody God’s ideals and return to God the offering of our actions, our completed occasions, the fulfillments of justice and peace and love we are able to accomplish, so that God can take them up in the Adventure of the Universe as One, and bring from them new aims for right-relationships and well-being for all.
The Rev. Dr. Paul Nancarrow is an Episcopal priest retired from full-time parish ministry. His theological work has focused on process-relational interpretations of liturgy, and especially on the co-acting of divine action and human action in sacramental work and worship. He has taught Theology for deacons’ ordination training in Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia. He can often be found contemplating the Adventure of the Universe as One from the saddle of his bicycle on back roads and rail-trails in the Upper Midwest.
Jesus’ Dedication In The TempleHave you ever wondered why the Holy Spirit told us about the shepherds at the time of the birth of Jesus? Was it not enough to tell us that Jesus was born? Yet, the Holy Spirit tells us in Luke 2 that an angel appeared to a group of shepherds. We do not know how many shepherds were present or if they were kind, short, or fat. That was not important. God only wanted us to know that angels had visited the shepherds and that they then visited Jesus. Why? I believe the answer is simple. He wants us to know that the birth of Jesus was a cosmic event. Did angels announce your birth? They sure did not announce my birth. But the angels announced Jesus’ birth because God came to earth in human form. He was the Savior of the world. The angel said, ” . . . for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior . . . ” The angel did not say that Jesus would become the Savior. No, he said that Jesus was the Savior. God had already planned His death, and it was so certain that one could already say that He was the Savior. The stunning event of the angels and the shepherds was a sign that God was intervening in human history. God was among us. Naming of JesusAfter the shepherds found Jesus, they left and delivered their flocks to Jerusalem and then returned home. Eight days later Mary and Joseph had their baby boy circumcised and named him Jesus. And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:21 (NASB) John the Baptist had also been circumcised and named on the eighth day (Luke 1:57-66). Both sets of parents were obedient to God’s command about circumcision in Leviticus 12:3. It was the custom of the time to name a male baby on the day of his circumcision. Modern medicine indicates that the eighth day would have been the best time for the circumcision to be performed. Just like Zacharias and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary named their baby boy according to the command of the angel Gabriel. Joseph and Mary were faithful parents. The event of the shepherds would have been an encouragement to Jesus’ parents that He was in fact someone very unusual. Just as their obedience was a sign that they believed and trusted God, our obedience proves the same thing. Our obedience proves that we believe God is not just a myth but that He is real. Otherwise, why would anyone want to obey? Jesus’ DedicationAbout 33 days after Jesus’ circumcision, or 40 days after His birth, His parents took Him to Jerusalem to be dedicated to the Lord. According to Leviticus 12:4-5, every male child was to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem for dedication to the Lord at the completion of a mother’s purification. And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.” Luke 2:22-24 (NASB) Once again His parents were being faithful to the Lord. His dedication to the Lord God involved the sacrifice of some animals. Leviticus 12:7-8 says that Joseph and Mary could have offered either a lamb or two turtle doves or two pigeons. Then he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female. “But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.” Leviticus 12:7-8 (NASB) The offering was an atonement for Mary’s purification, and it was to be performed by a priest. The atonement was apparently not for a mother’s sin, but was symbolic of a mother’s “uncleanliness” due to her bleeding. What kind of sacrifice did Joseph and Mary offer at the temple? The Holy Spirit says that they offered some birds and not a lamb. This means that they were poor. When we look at the gospel events, we discover that Jesus’ ministry was not primarily to the rich but to the poor. He healed the poor and warned the rich. He said that it was hard for the rich to enter heaven because they were content with their riches and themselves. The scriptures indicate that God has great compassion for the poor. Throughout scripture God encourages us to help the sick, widows, orphans, and those in prison. Is that why Jesus was born to poor parents? He was born into a poor family. He died as a poor man, and was buried in a rich man’s tomb. Jesus knows what it is like to be poor. God loves the poor and rejects the cold hearted, self-righteous rich man. God wants us to care for those who have less than we do. He cares for the poor. Simeon – A Spirit Filled ManNext, we are told that while Joseph and Mary were at the temple, a man named Simeon found them. And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Luke 2:25-26 (NASB) He had been looking for the Messiah or the consolation of Israel. He was full of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah or the Lord’s Christ. God loved Simeon! God cared about the man so much that He promised this man that he would live until he saw Jesus. God is in the business of answering prayers and making promises. Simeon is just one example. God answered prayers yesterday, and He is answering prayers today of people around the world. He provides greater blessings than slot machines, gambling casinos, hospitals, and gifts at birthday parties. His blessings are from His heart to your heart. Simeon’s BlessingSo Simeon came to the temple not because he thought it would be a good day to visit but because he was led by the Holy Spirit. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, and the glory of Your people Israel.” Luke 2:27-32 (NASB) Now that is being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Would you like to be that sensitive to the Holy Spirit? Notice that Simeon was described as being a righteous and devout man. He was looking for the Messiah. Are you righteous? Are you devoted to God? Do you love God so much that you are looking for His return? These are traits of a godly man or woman. A godly, devout man or woman wants to meet God and to see Him. That was true of Simeon. Did you notice that Simeon said Jesus would be a light to the Gentiles? Of all the various faiths, Christianity is the only one that provides prophecy and historical facts to authenticate its spiritual message. No other sacred book compares to it. The message of God is unique. It would need to be. The Bible is light because it is truth! When Simeon found Jesus, he held Jesus in his arms and blessed Him. Simeon understood that the baby in his arms was the Savior for sinners and the King of kings. This was no ordinary baby. It would have been fun to have watched the face of Jesus’ parents while Simeon blessed Him. How did Joseph and Mary respond? What did they think? And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. Luke 2:33 (NASB) God was blessing and reassuring this poor couple one more time that this child was very unusual. He was unique. Joseph needed to hear this again. His wife had told him the truth. Mary needed reassurance. Simeon’s WarningThen Simeon turned and warned Mary. He must have been looking at her face – looking into her eyes when he gave her this warning, And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed – and a sword will pierce even your own soul — to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:34-35 (NASB) Jesus was going to be rejected by many and die a painful death. She would suffer greatly, and that all came true when she stood at the foot of the cross 33 years later looking up at her first born dying on a wooden cross. She did not understand Simeon completely but she would some day. Most of us understand these comments except for the last one, “to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” What did Simeon mean? He was saying that the true motivations and intentions of peoples’ hearts toward Jesus would be revealed at the end. Yes, Jesus would have followers. Yes, many would be healed during His ministry and rejoice in His teaching. Some would welcome Him as king one day with palm leaves on the ground, but many of them would not really care about Jesus. They would only care about themselves, what they could get. They could just as easily ask for His death and they did one day when it pleased them. Many were fickle. They were heartless, forgetful folks. Yet, there would be those like His mother and others, including a thief on the cross, who would want a Savior who would rescue them from their sins. They knew in their hearts who He was. They believed that He was the Savior of the world. He was the King! Anna – The ProphetessHad Joseph and Mary asked God to encourage them? We do not know, but God planned to encourage them with both Simeon and now a faithful and devout woman named Anna. She was 84 years of age. And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 (NASB) We are told that she was from the tribe of Asher. Now for those who wonder about the “ten lost tribes of Israel” from the northern part of the land of Canaan, this passage tells us that the tribes were not lost. Asher was one of those tribes in northern Israel. Now if Anna was from Asher, God did not lose them, and they were not lost in Jesus’ day. God knows where they are. Anna was dedicated to God. We are told that she never left the temple. She was a prayer warrior. Probably few women have been more committed to prayer than this godly woman. Somehow God told her that her Messiah was in the temple, and so she approached Jesus and began to thank Him. She knew the baby was her Messiah! We do not know what she said to Jesus’ parents. It would have been wonderful to have been there and to have listened. Then Anna started telling others about the One she had waited for – her Messiah! Angels appeared, offered praise to God, and shepherds visited a baby – God in human flesh. Those are great cosmic birthday announcements. The Holy Spirit spoke; Simeon honored Jesus with praise, and a mother’s heart was warned about a sad day to come. The Holy Spirit helped an 84 year old woman know that her Messiah had arrived, and then she told everyone who would listen that her Messiah had come. Why did God do this? Why did God speak to a group of shepherds, a prophet, and a prophetess? Why? He did it for the shepherds, for Simeon and Anna, and He did it for a poor couple – Joseph and Mary. God cared about them. The God of the universe cares about us. He took time and paid special attention to some longing hearts – hearts longing to know the Messiah. Maybe they did not realize that their Messiah was God in the flesh, but they would some day. In the process, God revealed His heart. He revealed that He loves us. He cares about individuals – men and woman. He loves the poor as well as the rich. God has a compassionate heart. He granted an old man’s request and ministered to an old woman’s heart. Wow! Wouldn’t it be great if today’s pastors cared more for the older generation than they do today? Recently, a pastor told me that his church was designed for the 20-30’s generation. He would not even be interested in meeting the need of a Simeon or Anna in his church. But God is and does! God calls us to honor the aged in Leviticus 19:32. The visit of the shepherds and the events with Simeon and Anna are not afterthought additions to the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. They reveal God’s heart and they point us to Jesus. Jesus was the God-Messiah. He was not just any normal human baby. Jesus is God who came in human flesh. Jesus is the Christ. There was no other. There is no other. He is the One! Jesus is the One! Comments or Questions? Sign-up to be notified about future studies? To The Glory of GodThus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . . . Jeremiah 9:23-24 Like The Master MinistriesP.O. Box 31976 Tucson, AZ 85751 A non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation. Donations to this ministry are tax-deductible. Getting Acquainted
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POPE BENEDICT XVI: HOMILY ON THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.HOMILY 2 February 2006Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today’s F east of Jesus’ Presentation at the temple 40 days after his birth places before our eyes a special moment in the life of the Holy Family: Mary and Joseph, in accordance with Mosaic law, took the tiny Jesus to the temple of Jerusalem to offer him to the Lord (cf. Lk 2: 22). Simeon and Anna, inspired by God, recognized that Child as the long-awaited Messiah and prophesied about him . We are in the presence of a mystery, both simple and solemn, in which Holy Church celebrates Christ, the Anointed One of the Father, the firstborn of the new humanity. The evocative candlelight procession at the beginning of our celebration has made us relive the majestic entrance, as we sang in the Responsorial Psalm, of the One who is “the King of glory”, “the Lord, mighty in battle” ( Ps 24[23]: 7, 8). But who is the powerful God who enters the temple? It is a Child; it is the Infant Jesus in the arms of his Mother, the Virgin Mary. The Holy Family was complying with what the Law prescribed: the purification of the mother, the offering of the firstborn child to God and his redemption through a sacrifice. In the First Reading the Liturgy speaks of the oracle of the Prophet Malachi: “The Lord… will suddenly come to his temple” ( Mal 3: 1). These words communicated the full intensity of the desire that had given life to the expectation of the Jewish People down the centuries. “The angel of the Covenant” at last entered his house and submitted to the Law: he came to Jerusalem to enter God’s house in an attitude of obedience. The meaning of this act acquires a broader perspective in the passage from the Letter to the Hebrews, proclaimed as the Second Reading today. Christ, the mediator who unites God and man , abolishing distances, eliminating every division and tearing down every wall of separation, is presented to us here. Christ comes as a new “merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people” ( Heb 2: 17). Thus, we note that mediation with God no longer takes place in the holiness-separation of the ancient priesthood, but in liberating solidarity with human beings. While yet a Child, he sets out on the path of obedience that he was to follow to the very end. The Letter to the Hebrews highlights this clearly when it says: “In the days of his earthly life Jesus offered up prayers and supplications… to him who was able to save him from death…. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (cf. Heb 5: 7-9). The first person to be associated with Christ on the path of obedience, proven faith and shared suffering was his Mother, Mary . The Gospel text portrays her in the act of offering her Son: an unconditional offering that involves her in the first person. Mary is the Mother of the One who is “the glory of [his] people Israel” and a “ light for revelation to the Gentiles “, but also “ a sign that is spoken agains t” (cf. Lk 2: 32, 34). And in her immaculate soul, she herself was to be pierced by the sword of sorrow, thus showing that her role in the history of salvation did not end in the mystery of the Incarnation but was completed in loving and sorrowful participation in the death and Resurrection of her Son. Bringing her Son to Jerusalem, the Virgin Mother offered him to God as a true Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. She held him out to Simeon and Anna as the proclamation of redemption; she presented him to all as a light for a safe journey on the path of truth and love. The words that came to the lips of the elderly Simeon: “My eyes have seen your salvation” ( Lk 2: 30), are echoed in the heart of the prophetess Anna. These good and devout people, enveloped in Christ’s light, were able to see in the Child Jesus “the consolation of Israel” ( Lk 2: 25). So it was that their expectation was transformed into a light that illuminates history. Simeon was the bearer of an ancient hope and the Spirit of the Lord spoke to his heart: for this reason he could contemplate the One whom numerous prophets and kings had desired to see: Christ, light of revelation for the Gentiles. He recognized that Child as the Saviour, but he foresaw in the Spirit that the destinies of humanity would be played out around him and that he would have to suffer deeply from those who rejected him; he proclaimed the identity and mission of the Messiah with words that form one of the hymns of the newborn Church, radiant with the full communitarian and eschatological exultation of the fulfilment of the expectation of salvation. The enthusiasm was so great that to live and to die were one and the same, and the “light” and “glory” became a universal revelation. Anna is a “prophetess”, a wise and pious woman who interpreted the deep meaning of historical events and of God’s message concealed within them. Consequently, she could “ give thanks to God “ and “[speak of the Child] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem ” ( Lk 2: 38). Her long widowhood devoted to worship in the temple, fidelity to weekly fasting and participation in the expectation of those who yearned for the redemption of Israel culminated in her meeting with the Child Jesus. Dear brothers and sisters, on this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord the Church is celebrating the Day of Consecrated Life. This is an appropriate occasion to praise the Lord and thank him for the precious gift represented by the consecrated life in its different forms; at the same time it is an incentive to encourage in all the People of God knowledge and esteem for those who are totally consecrated to God. Indeed, just as Jesus’ life in his obedience and dedication to the Father is a living parable of the “God-with-us”, so the concrete dedication of consecrated persons to God and to their brethren becomes an eloquent sign for today’s world of the presence of God’s Kingdom. Your way of living and working can vividly express full belonging to the one Lord; placing yourselves without reserve in the hands of Christ and of the Church is a strong and clear proclamation of God’s presence in a language understandable to our contemporaries . This is the first service that the consecrated life offers to the Church and to the world. Consecrated persons are like watchmen among the People of God who perceive and proclaim the new life already present in our history. I now address you in a special way, dear brothers and sisters who have embraced the vocation of special consecration, to greet you with affection and thank you warmly for your presence. I extend a special greeting to Archbishop Franc Rodé, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and to his collaborators who are concelebrating with me at this Holy Mass. May the Lord renew in you and in all consecrated people each day the joyful response to his freely given and faithful love. Dear brothers and sisters, like lighted candles, always and everywhere shine with the love of Christ, Light of the world. May Mary Most Holy, the consecrated Woman, help you to live to the full your special vocation and mission in the Church for the world’s salvation. © Copyright 2006 – Libreria Editrice Vaticana http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/homilies/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20060202_presentation-lord.html EMPHASIS MINE HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday, 2 February 2013 In his account of the infancy of Jesus St Luke emphasizes how faithful Mary and Joseph were to the Law of the Lord. They fulfilled with profound devotion all the prescriptions prescribed following the birth of a firstborn male. Two of them were very ancient prescriptions: one concerns the mother and the other the newborn child. The woman was required to abstain from ritual practices for forty days, after which she was to offer a double sacrifice: a lamb as a burnt offering and a turtle-dove as a sin offering; but if she were poor, she could offer a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons (cf. Lev 12:1-8). St Luke explained that Mary and Joseph offer the sacrifice of the poor (cf. 2:24) in order to emphasize that Jesus was born into a family of simple people, lowly but of steadfast faith: a family that belonged to the poor of Israel who form the true People of God. For the first-born male who, according to Mosaic Law, was set apart for God, redemption was prescribed instead, established as an offering of five shekels to be paid to a priest in any place . This was in everlasting memory of the fact that in the time of Herod God saved the firstborn of the Jews (cf. Ex 13:11-16). It is important to note that these two acts — the purification of the mother and the redemption of the son — did not require a visit to the Temple. However, Mary and Joseph wished to fulfil all the prescriptions in Jerusalem, and St Luke shows us how the entire scene converges on the Temple and thus focuses on Jesus who enters it. And it is here, precisely through the prescriptions of the Law, that the principal event is transformed, namely, it becomes the “presentation” of Jesus in the Temple of God, which means the act of offering the Son of the Most High to the Father who sent him (cf. Lk 1:32, 35). The Evangelist’s account is confirmed by the words of the Prophet Malachi which we heard at the beginning of the First Reading: “Behold”, says the Lord, “I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming… he will purify the sons of Levi…. Then the offering… will be pleasing to the Lord” (3:1, 3, 4). These words clearly make no mention of a child and yet they are fulfilled in Jesus because, thanks to the faith of his parents, he was taken to the Temple “immediately”; and in the act of his “presentation”, that is, the “offering” of him in person to God the Father, the themes of sacrifice and of the priesthood clearly transpire, as in the passage from the prophet. The Child Jesus, who is immediately presented in the Temple, is the same person who, as an adult, would purify the Temple (cf. Jn 2:13-22; Mk 11:15, 19ff). Above all he would make himself the sacrifice and the High Priest of the new Covenant. This is also the perspective of the Letter to the Hebrews, a passage of which was proclaimed in the Second Reading, to strengthen the theme of the new priesthood: a priesthood — inaugurated by Jesus — which is existential : “For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted ” (Heb 2:18). So it is that we also discover the topic of suffering, very pronounced in the Gospel passage in which Simeon imparts his prophecy concerning both the Child and the Mother: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and, [to Mary], a sword will pierce through your own soul also)” (Lk 2:34-35). The “salvation” that Jesus brought to his people, and which he embodies in himself, passed through the Cross, through the violent death that he was to vanquish and to transform with the sacrifice of his life through love. This sacrifice was already foretold in the act of the Presentation in the Temple , an act without any doubt motivated by the traditions of the old Covenant, but that was deeply enlivened by the fullness of faith and love, which correspond to the fullness of time, to the presence of God and of his Holy Spirit in Jesus. Indeed, the Spirit moved over the whole scene of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple and in particular over Simeon, but also over Anna . The Spirit “Paraclete” brings consolation to Israel and motivates the steps and moves the hearts of those who await him. He is the Spirit who prompted the prophetic words of Simeon and Anna, words of blessing and praise of God, of faith in his Annointed One, of thanksgiving, for at last our eyes could see and our arms embrace “your salvation” (cf. 2:30). “A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (2:32). With these words Simeon describes the Messiah of the Lord, at the end of his hymn of blessing. The topic of light, that reechoes the first and second songs of the Servant of the Lord in the Deutero-Isaiah (cf. Is 42:6; 49:6), is vividly present in this liturgy. It was in fact opened by an evocative procession, in which the Superiors and General Superiors of the Institutes of consecrated life represented here took part and carried lit candles. This sign, specific to the liturgical tradition of this Feast, is deeply expressive. It shows the beauty and value of the consecrated life as a reflection of Christ’s light; a sign that recalls Mary’s entry into the Temple. The Virgin Mary, the Consecrated Woman par excellence, carried in her arms the Light himself, the Incarnate Word who came to dispel the darkness of the world with God’s love. Dear consecrated brothers and sisters, you were all represented in that symbolic pilgrimage, which in the Year of Faith expresses even better your gathering together in the Church to be strengthened in faith and to renew the offering of yourselves to God. I address my most cordial greetings with affection to each one of you and to your Institutes and I thank you for coming. In the light of Christ, with the many charisms of contemplative and apostolic life, you cooperate in the Church’s life and mission in the world. In this spirit of gratitude and communion I would like to address three invitations to you, so that you may fully enter through that “door of faith” which is always open to us (Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei , n. 1). I invite you in the first place to nourish a faith that can illuminate your vocation. For this I urge you to treasure, as on an inner pilgrimage, the memory of the “first love” with which the Lord Jesus Christ warmed your hearts, not out of nostalgia but in order to feed that flame. And for this it is necessary to be with him, in the silence of adoration; and thereb y reawaken the wish to share — and the joy of sharing — in his life, his decisions, the obedience of faith, the blessedness of the poor and the radical nature of love. Starting ever anew from this encounter of love, you leave everything to be with him and like him, to put yourselves at the service of God and your brothers and sisters (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata , n. 1). In the second place I invite you to have a faith that can recognize the wisdom of weakness. In the joys and afflictions of the present time, when the harshness and weight of the cross make themselves felt, do not doubt that the kenosis of Christ is already a paschal victory. Precisely in our limitations and weaknesses as human beings we are called to live conformation with Christ in an all-encompassing commitment which anticipates the eschatological perfection , to the extent that this is possible in time ( ibid ., n. 16). In a society of efficiency and success, your life, marked by the “humility” and frailty of the lowly, of empathy with those who have no voice, becomes an evangelical sign of contradiction. Lastly, I invite you to renew the faith that makes you pilgrims bound for the future. By its nature the consecrated life is a pilgrimage of the spirit in quest of a Face that is sometimes revealed and sometimes veiled: “ Faciem tuam, Domine, requiram ” (Ps 27[26]:8). May this be the constant yearning of your heart, the fundamental criterion that guides you on your journey, both in small daily steps and in the most important decisions. Do not join the ranks of the prophets of doom who proclaim the end or meaninglessness of the consecrated life in the Church in our day; rather, clothe yourselves in Jesus Christ and put on the armour of light — as St Paul urged (cf. Rom 13:11-14) — keeping awake and watchful. St Chromatius of Aquileia wrote: “Distance this peril from us so that we are never overcome by the heavy slumber of infidelity. Rather may he grant us his grace and his mercy, that we may watch, ever faithful to him. In fact our fidelity can watch in Christ ( Sermon 32, 4). Dear brothers and sisters, the joy of consecrated life necessarily passes through participation in the cross of Christ. This is how it ways for Mary Most Holy. Hers is the suffering of the heart that is one with the Heart of the Son of God, pierced by love. From this wound God’s light flows and also from the suffering, sacrifice and self-giving of consecrated people who live through their love for God and for others, that shines the very light that evangelizes nations. On this feast I express in a special way to you, consecrated people, the hope that your lives may always have the flavour of evangelical parresia , so that in you the Good News may be lived, witnessed to, and proclaimed and may shine out as a word of truth (cf. Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei , n. 6). Amen. © Copyright 2013 – Libreria Editrice Vaticana Source: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/homilies/2013/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20130202_vita-consacrata.html Emphasis mine. Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione – Libreria Editrice Vaticana Stay updated: subscribe by email for free TO OUR NEW WEBSITE www.catholicsstrivingforholiness.org (PUT YOUR EMAIL IN THE SUBSCRIBE WIDGET). We are also in www.fb.com/Catholicsstrivingforholiness . 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Luke 2:22-24 - The Presentation Of Jesus At The Temple 22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “ Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord ”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “ A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons .” Luke 1:5-25 - The Prediction Of John The Baptist's Birth Luke 1:57-66 - The Birth Of John The Baptist Luke 1:67-80 - The Praise And Prophecy Of Zechariah Luke 2:1-7 - The Birth Of Jesus Christ Luke 2:8-21 - The Shepherds And The Angels Luke 2:25-35 - The Prophecy Of Simeon Luke 2:36-40 - The Testimony Of Anna Luke 2:41-52 - Jesus In The Temple At Twelve Years Old Luke 3:1-20 - John The Baptist Begins His Ministry Luke 3:21-22 - The Baptism Of Jesus Related Bible ReadingsRelated topics.
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
The time for their purificationIn the episode of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, St Luke emphasizes Jesus' messianic destiny. The immediate purpose of the Holy Family's journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem according to the Lucan text was to fulfil the law: "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). With this act, Mary and Joseph show their intention of faithfully obeying God's will, rejecting every kind of privilege. Their coming to the temple in Jerusalem has the significance of a consecration to God in the place where he is present. Obliged by her poverty to offer turtledoves or pigeons, Mary in fact gives the true Lamb who would redeem humanity, thus anticipating what was prefigured in the ritual offerings of the old law. While the law required the purification after birth of the mother alone, Luke speaks of the "time for their purification" (2:22), intending perhaps to indicate together the prescriptions involving both the mother and the firstborn Son. The term "purification" can surprise us, because it is referred to a Mother who had been granted, by a singular grace, to be immaculate from the first moment of her existence, and to a Child who was totally holy. However, it must be remembered that it was not a question of purifying the conscience from some stain of sin, but only of reacquiring ritual purity which, according to the ideas of the time, may be harmed by the simple fact of birth without there being any form of guilt. The Evangelist uses the occasion to stress the special link existing between Jesus, as "first-born" (Lk 2:7, 23) and God's holiness, as well as to indicate the spirit of humble offering which motivated Mary and Joseph (cf. Lk 2:24). In fact, the "two turtledoves or two young pigeons" (Lv 12:8), was the offering of the poor. In the temple, Joseph and Mary meet Simeon, "righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel" (Lk 2:25). The Lucan narrative says nothing of his past or of the service he carried out in the temple; it tells of a deeply religious man who nurtures great desires in his heart and awaits the Messiah, the consolation of Israel. In fact, "the Holy Spirit was upon him" and "it had been revealed to him ... that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ" (Lk 2:25-26). Simeon invites us to look at the merciful action of God who pours out the Spirit on his faithful to bring to fulfilment his mysterious project of love. Simeon, a man who is open to God's action, "inspired by the Spirit" (Lk 2:27), goes to the temple where he meets Jesus, Joseph and Mary. Taking the Child in his arms, he blesses God and says, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word" (Lk 2:29). Simeon uses an Old Testament phrase to express the joy he experiences on meeting the Messiah and feels that the purpose of his life has been fulfilled; he can therefore ask the Most High to let him depart in peace to the next world. In the episode of the Presentation we can glimpse the meeting of Israel's hope with the Messiah. We can also see in it a prophetic sign of man's encounter with Christ. The Holy Spirit makes it possible by awakening in the human heart the desire for this salvific meeting and by bringing it about. Nor can we neglect the role of Mary who gives the Child to the holy old man Simeon. By divine will, it is the Mother who gives Jesus to mankind. In revealing the Saviour's future, Simeon refers to the prophecy of the "Servant" sent to the chosen people and to the nations. To him the Lord says, "I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations" (Is 42:6). And again: "'It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Is 49:6). In his canticle, Simeon reverses the perspective and puts the stress on the universality of Jesus' mission: "For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory for your people Israel" (Lk 2:30-32). How can we fail to marvel at these words? "And his father and mother marveled at what was said about him" (Lk 2:33). But this experience enabled Joseph and Mary to understand more clearly the importance of their act of offering: in the temple of Jerusalem they present the One who, being the glory of his people, is also the salvation of all mankind." _______________________________________________________ Saint John Paul II, Catechesis on the Creed, December 11, 1996 3 Key Lessons from Jesus in the TempleJesus did more than just scare his mom and drive out cheapskates. He set the standard of having a burning faith in the Church. He set the example to fight for faith, injustice, and loving the lost. Here are three key lessons about faith from Jesus in the temple. We have a saying around our house, “If mama ain’t happy, then nobody’s happy.” I often think of Jesus in the temple and think we need the same phrase, “ If Jesus ain’t happy…” Especially when Jesus walked the earth and cleansed the temple shortly before His death and resurrection. Then there was the first time He challenged His parents and stayed behind in the city from His family who had left to travel home. Jesus was 12 and nowhere to be found in their caravan. He definitely gave His mother a heart attack, only to stun her when she found Him sitting among the elders as He simply stated, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” In today’s world, we are divided between doctrines, masks, vaccines, personal views, how the Church should be run, and of course, political parties. Everywhere you turn, individuals have strong opinions about the Church, faith, deconstruction of faith, and so much more. The very fabric of our faith is being torn, frayed, and unraveled. But…once the feelings settle, our minds clear, and then we get quiet; we feel His presence as we pray for Jesus to come for His people and heal this broken world. We sit in the quiet and reflect on His life. His example reveals He was more than a man and He went against the grain of society. But it’s more than that. He taught us what faith looks like in action with a heart for God, the Church, and mankind. Jesus did more than just scare his mom and drive out cheapskates. He set the standard of having a burning faith in the Church. He set the example to fight for faith, injustice and loving the lost. Here are three key lessons about faith from Jesus in the temple. Jesus' Example of Faith"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7 Those words seem simple enough. But what does it mean? In today’s world where there is more division than ever, I am learning that fleshing out these words is more complex. Yet, at its core, it’s simple. Faith means having tremendous confidence in God. It means courage and strength. It means unending grace. It also means standing up for what is pure, true, and right. It means believing the Bible is the key to nourishing our souls and the Church is a place to shine our light—not just outside its four walls but also within. Faith means you’re willing to look like a fool, willing to be misunderstood, abandoned, and become an outcast. It also means giving up any semblance of control over your life because you know the Author of your story is still writing it, knowing He knows the outcome. Why? Because at its core, faith is believing that “we walk by faith and not by sight.” Jesus in the Temple Bible Story"So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing from the Word of God." Romans 10:17 Matthew 21:12-17 and John 2:13-22 tell the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. The two passages may have been two different instances of Jesus cleansing the Temple, but they teach similar principles. Jesus had come to be the bridge between humanity and God. Jesus came because He knew we needed a savior. Yet, the Law was standing in the way. At the time, those who wanted to be righteous knew they needed to be pardoned for their sins. The Law required a sacrifice in the form of birds, lambs, cows, and oxen. Those who went to the temple to honor the Lord and seek His pardon knew they needed to bring a blood sacrifice. This blood sacrifice meant passing their sins onto the animal. Thus, commercialism and exhorting the pour began ( Exodus 30:11-16 ; Leviticus 14:22 ; Luke 2:24 ). When Jesus entered the Temple , He assumed He would see people praying for needs, pardons, and finding the purest way to honor God. Instead, He saw a marketplace as a stumbling block and gate blocking humanity’s need from God. He saw corrupt, abusive, ungodly men as moneychangers, sellers of merchandise, and how others made God’s house of prayer into an abusive and lucrative place to extort those in need. At the time Jewish law was under the rule of Romans which meant “half a shekel” of Jewish coin needed to be changed into Roman coin ( Exodus 30:11-16 ). It became a matter of convivence to have a place where Roman coins could be exchanged for Jewish coins. The moneychangers provided this convenience but would demand a fee for the money exchange. Because thousands would travel from all over for Passover and feasts, money changing became a profitable business that became a gate, blocking the oppressed and poor via fraud and exhortation. Jesus’ first cleansing of the temple is described in John 2:11-12 as having occurred just after Jesus’ first miracle, the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. The second cleansing of the temple occurred just after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem the last week of His life. This second cleansing is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke but not in John. John 2:14-15 notes, "In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple. But here is the twist in the story, this wasn’t the only time Jesus was found in the temple. In Luke 2:41-52 , Jesus purposely stayed behind to be in His Father’s House. “Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old , they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed their days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.” Key Lessons from Jesus in the TempleWhat is it about this about finding Jesus in the temple which is of such significance? First, Jesus was already well aware of His identity and Mission. He was comfortable in His Father's House, the temple, and His teaching was already compelling. Even to the teachers in the temple at the mere age of twelve. Later, when he drove out the money changers, He was obliterating all obstacles to God. Here are the 3 lessons we can learn. 1. Jesus Was Intent on Purifying the ChurchCompared to the priests and Pharisees , Jesus was bent on purifying the church. John 2:14-16 tells us, "And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"" Compared to today’s churches that are focused on growth and becoming mega-churches, Jesus cared more about why people were attending instead of how many people attended. He cared more about who was coming to the Temple instead of how many people were coming. Jesus said His house was to be a House of prayer. He wanted His people to come with the focus of connecting with God and praying to God. 2. Nothing Is More Important Than the Kingdom of GodWhat is the real Kingdom of God? We are. When Jesus took our place on the cross, He became the bridge between us and God’s Kingdom. God resides within each of our hearts and someday God’s kingdom will come after He transforms the world with a new heaven and a new earth. When religious leaders asked when God’s Kingdom would be established (thinking God would wipe out the Romans who were ruling over them at the time). In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus “answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.’” Jesus declared in Matthew 6:33 , “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Instead of running after what we think we need or want, we should be pursuing God’s Kingdom, because God will take care of our wants and needs. 3. People Are More Valuable Than MoneyJesus demonstrated that people were more important and precious than profits. His righteous anger revealed His heart for His people. Jesus went on to tell the disciple the second greatest commandment as well: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” ( Matthew 22:39 ). The truth is we are lovers of ourselves when Jesus taught that we are to love our neighbors as much as ourselves. Jesus takes loving others even further in Luke 6:27 : “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” That’s right; according to the Son of God , we’re supposed to even love our enemies! When we apply these lessons to our lives, we can further God’s Kingdom and extend His invitation to others. We can in turn be a living Temple that shines a light in this dark world. We have the opportunity to shine His light while there is still time. In turn, our lives will be filled with His abundance of joy. Was Jesus Justified in Overturning the Tables?What is godly anger. “We all have things that irritate us, and we display our anger in different ways. Yet research has proven that it is not good to be angry. One study found that bad-tempered people are three times more likely to have heart attacks. And a 2006 Harvard study revealed that 10 million men in the U.S. are so angry, they are sick. In fact, their disease has a name: Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). Having said all that, not all anger is bad. The Bible records a time when Jesus Christ , God incarnate, was angry. Very angry. After making His triumphal entry into Jerusalem with crowds cheering and palm branches waving, Jesus "went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, ‘It is written, "My house is a house of prayer," but you have made it a "den of thieves" ' " ( Luke 19:45-46 ). Was Jesus having a temper tantrum? Hardly. It was righteous indignation. He went into the temple. He took stock of the situation. And He overturned tables. Why such a display of anger? Because the people engaged in temple commerce were keeping others from God. They had a little racket going in which they found fault with the sacrificial animals the people brought in and then sold them an "approved" animal at an inflated price. And this made Jesus angry. God is angry when people stand in the way of sinners coming to know Him. God doesn't like it when we get in the way, and it happens all too often in the church. But the church is not supposed to be a museum for saints; it is supposed to be a hospital for sinners—a place for people to know God.” - Taken from " When Jesus Got Angry " written by Greg Laurie, distributed by Harvest Ministries (used by permission). Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/wynnter Learn more about the meaning and significance behind the Easter holiday and Holy Week celebrations: What is Lent? and When Does Lent Start? What is Ash Wednesday? and When is Ash Wednesday? What is Palm Sunday? What is Maundy Thursday? What is Good Friday? and When is Good Friday? What is Holy Saturday? What is Easter? and When is Easter Sunday? Easter Bible Verses The Resurrection of Jesus Easter Prayers How Do You Know Where You’ll Go after You Die? I Am a Christian - Robert Hampshire The Transformative Impact of Grace Morning Prayers to Start Your Day with God The Best Birthday Prayers to Celebrate Friends and Family 4 Ways the Reality of Heaven Changes Everything 31 Night Prayers: Powerful to Pray Evening Rest and Bedtime 35 Prayers for Healing the Sick and Hurting When it comes to encouraging our spouse, we are the best people for the job, so we cannot opt-out. Bible Baseball Play now... Saintly Millionaire Bible Jeopardy Bible Trivia By Category Bible Trivia Challenge “Chapter 6: Presentation at the Temple,” New Testament Stories (2005), 16–17 “Chapter 6,” New Testament Stories, 16–17 Presentation at the TempleWhen Jesus was just a few weeks old, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him at the temple. Simeon, a righteous man who lived in Jerusalem, was at the temple. The Holy Ghost told him he would see Christ before he died. Luke 2:25–26 Simeon saw the baby Jesus at the temple. He held Him in his arms and praised God. Luke 2:27–29 Simeon said that the child would bring salvation to all people. Joseph and Mary marvelled at what he said. Luke 2:30–33 A widow named Anna also saw Jesus and knew who He was. She gave thanks and told many people about Him. Luke 2:36–38
The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the TempleThe law of God, given by Moses to the Jews, to insinuate both to us and to them, that by the sin of Adam man is conceived and born in sin, and obnoxious to his wrath, ordained that a woman, after childbirth, should continue for a certain time in a state which that law calls unclean; during which she was not to appear in public, nor presume to touch any thing consecrated to God. This term was of forty days upon the birth of a son, and the time was double for a daughter: on the expiration of which, the mother was to bring to the door of the tabernacle, or temple, a lamb of a year old. and a young pigeon or turtle-dove. The lamb was for a holocaust, or burnt-offering, in acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God, and in thanksgiving for her own happy delivery; the pigeon or turtle-dove was for a sin-offering. These being sacrificed to Almighty God by the priest, the woman was cleansed of the legal impurity, and reinstated in her former privileges. A young pigeon, or turtle-dove, by way of a sin-offering, was required of all, whether rich or poor: but whereas the charge of a lamb might be too burdensome on persons of narrow circumstances, in that case, nothing more was required, then two pigeons, or two turtle-doves, one for a burnt, the other for a sin-offering. Our Saviour having been conceived by the Holy Ghost, and his blessed Mother remaining always a spotless virgin, it is most evident from the terms of the law, that she was, in reality, under no obligation to it, nor within the intent of it. She was, however, within the letter of the law, in the eye of the world, who were as yet strangers to her miraculous conception. And her humility making her perfectly resigned, and even desirous to conceal her privilege and dignity, she submitted with great punctuality and exactness to every humbling circumstance which the law required. Pride indeed proclaims its own advantages, and seeks honors not its due; but the humble find their delight in obscurity and abasement, they shun all distinction and esteem which they clearly see their own nothingness and baseness to be most unworthy of: they give all glory to God alone, to whom it is due. Devotion also and zeal to honor God by every observance prescribed by his law, prompted Mary to perform this act of religion, though evidently exempt from the precept. Being poor herself; she made the offering appointed for the poor: accordingly is this part of the law mentioned by St. Luke, as best agreeing with the meanness of her worldly condition. But her offering, however mean in itself, was made with a perfect heart, which is what God chiefly regards in all that is offered to him. The King of Glory would appear everywhere in the robes of poverty, to point out to us the advantages of a suffering and lowly state, and to repress our pride, by which, though really poor and mean in the eyes of God, we covet to appear rich, and, though sinners, would be deemed innocents and saints. A second great mystery is honored this day, regarding more immediately the person of our Redeemer, viz. his presentation in the temple. Besides the law which obliged the mother to purify herself, there was another which ordered that the first-born son should be offered to God: and in these two laws were included several others, as, that the child, after its presentation, should be ransomed with a certain sum of money, and peculiar sacrifices offered on the occasion. Mary complies exactly with all these ordinances. She obeys not only in the essential points of the law, as in presenting herself to be purified, and in her offering her first-born, but has strict regard to all the circumstances. She remains forty days at home, she denies herself all this time the liberty of. entering the temple, she partakes not of things sacred, though the living temple of the God of Israel; and on the day of her purification, she walks several miles to Jerusalem, with the world's Redeemer in her arms. She waits for the priest at the gate of the temple, makes her offerings of thanksgiving and expiation, presents her divine Son by the hands of the priest to his eternal Father, with the most profound humility, adoration, and thanksgiving. She then redeems him with five shekels, as the law appoints, and receives him back again as a depositum in her special care, till the Father shall again demand him for the full accomplishment of man's redemption. It is clear that Christ was not comprehended in the law; "The king's son, to whom the inheritance of the crown belongs, is exempt from servitude:- much more Christ, who was the Redeemer both of our souls and bodies, was not subject to any law by which he was to be himself redeemed," as St. Hilary observes. But he would set an example of humility, obedience, and devotion: and would renew, in a solemn and public manner, and in the temple, the oblation of himself to his Father for the accomplishment of his will, and the redemption of man, which he had made privately in the first moment of his Incarnation. With what sentiments did the divine Infant offer himself to his Father at the same time! the greatest homage of his honour and glory the Father could receive, and a sacrifice of satisfaction adequate to the injuries done to the Godhead by our sins, and sufficient to ransom our souls from everlasting death! With what cheerfulness and charity did he offer himself to all his torments! to be whipped, crowned with thorns, and ignominiously put to death for us! Let every Christian learn hence to offer himself to God with this divine victim, through which he may be accepted by the Father; let him devote himself with all his senses and faculties to his service. If sloth, or any other vice, has made us neglectful of this essential duty, we must bewail past omissions, and make a solemn and serious consecration of ourselves this day to the divine majesty with the greater fervor, crying out with St. Austin, in compunction of heart: "Too late have I known thee, too late have I begun to love thee, O beauty more ancient than the world!" But our sacrifice, if we desire it may be accepted, must not be lame and imperfect. It would be an insult to offer to God, in union with his Christ, a divided heart, or a heart infected with wilful sin. It must therefore first be cleansed by tears of sincere compunction: its affections must be crucified to the world by perfect mortification. Our offering must be sincere and fervent, without reserve, allowing no quarter to any of our vicious passions and inclinations, and no division in any of our affections. It must also be universal; to suffer and to do all for the divine honor. If we give our hearts to Christ in this manner, we shall receive him with his graces and benedictions. He would be presented in the temple by the hands of his mother: let us accordingly make the offering of our souls through Mary and beg his graces through the same channel. The ceremony of this day was closed by a third mystery, the. meeting in the temple of the holy persons, Simeon and Anne, with Jesus and his parents, from which this festival was anciently called by the Greeks Hypante, the meeting. Holy Simeon, on that occasion, received into his arms the object of all his desires and sighs, and praised God in raptures of devotion for being blessed with the happiness of beholding the so much longed-for Messias. He foretold to Mary her martyrdom of sorrow; and that Jesus brought redemption to those who would accept of it on the terms it was offered them; but a heavy judgment on all infidels who should obstinately reject it, and on Christians also whose lives were a contradiction to his holy maxims and example. Mary, hearing this terrible prediction, did not answer one word, felt no agitation of mind from the present, no dread for the future; but courageously and sweetly committed all to God's holy will. Anne also, the prophetess, who, in her widowhood, served God with great fervor, had the happiness to acknowledge and adore in this great mystery the world's Redeemer. Amidst the crowd of priests and people, the Saviour of the world is known only by Simeon and Anne. Even when he disputed with the doctors, and when he wrought the most stupendous miracles, the learned, the wise, and the princes did not know him. Yet here, while a weak, speechless child, carried in the arms of his poor mother, he is acknowledged and adored by Simeon and Anne. He could not hide himself from those who sought him with fervor, humility, and ardent love. Unless we seek him in these dispositions, he will not manifest himself, nor communicate his graces to us. Simeon, having beheld his Saviour in the flesh, desired no longer to see the light of this world, nor any creatures on earth If we truly love God, our distance from him must be a continual pain: and we must sigh after that desired moment which will free us from the danger of ever losing him by sin, and will put us in possession of Him who is the joy of the blessed, and the infinite treasure of heaven. Let us never cease to pray that he purify our hearts from all earthly dross, and draw them to himself: that he heal, satiate, and inflame our souls, as he only came upon earth to kindle in all hearts the fire of his love. Presentation of Jesus in the TempleEnlighten your inbox. Subscribe to our email newsletter to get encouraging resources and updates from Newman Ministry. 902 W Main St Teutopolis, IL 62401 US Newman Ministry is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. No goods or services were received in exchange for your contribution. © Newman Ministry 2024. Newman Connection® is a registered trademark of Newman Connection. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Donation Policy | Site by Ink Blot Media Group
"Sanctity is made up of heroic acts. Therefore, in our work we are asked for the heroism of finishing properly the tasks committed to us, day after day, even though they are the same tasks.” Saint Josemaría
Life of Mary (VIII): Jesus' Presentation in the TempleFebruary 2nd is the feast of the Presentation. Mary offers her Son to God and learns that she too will share closely in Jesus' redemptive mission. The gathering of pilgrims in Bethlehem has ended. After Christ's birth, Joseph found a more worthy place to house the Holy Family. There, after eight days, he carried out the rite of circumcision by which the male children begin to form part of the people of Israel. And the child officially received the name Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb ( Lk 2:21). Forty days later, Mary and Joseph took the Child with them to Jerusalem, when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses…to present him to the Lord as it is written in the law of the Lord…and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons" ( Lk 2:22-25). Neither Jesus nor Mary was obliged to follow these prescriptions. Mary had not contracted any legal impurity for she had conceived and given birth in a virginal way. Nor did the law affecting the redeeming of the first-born apply to Jesus, the true Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. And yet, three times in just a few verses, special mention is made of the fact that everything was done in strict observance of the Law of God. The Church discovers a deeper meaning in this episode. In first place, the fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi: The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight ( Mal 3:1) Besides, Mary understood that Jesus had to be brought to the Temple, not to be redeemed like other first-born children, but to be offered to God as a true sacrifice. As the Letter to the Hebrews says: When Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifices and offerings you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not take pleasure. Then I said: 'Lo, I have come to do your will, O God,' as it is written of me in the roll of the book" ( Heb 10:5-7). To some extent, Jesus' Presentation in the Temple can be linked with the Offering of the Sacrifice of Calvary that the Mass makes present in all times and places. In the preparation of this sacrifice, as later in its accomplishment on the summit of Golgatha, a special place was reserved for the Mother of Jesus. From the very first moments of his earthly life, Jesus united Mary to the redeeming sacrifice that he had come to fulfill. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple can be linked with the Offering of the Sacrifice of Calvary that the Mass makes present in all times and places. This sharing in the mystery of the Redemption was revealed little by little to the Virgin Mary. At the Annunciation the archangel had said nothing about this. But now it would be communicated through the words of Simeon, a just and God-fearing man far advanced in years: It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ ( Lk 2:26). The encounter between our Lady and Simeon would have taken place in front of the Gate of Nicanor that led into the court of the Jews. That was the place where one of the priests received the women who came to offer the sacrifice for themselves and their children. Mary, accompanied by Joseph, stood in the line. While our Lady waited her turn, something happened that caused the on-lookers to be amazed. An old man approached the line. His face was glowing with joy. When the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel" ( Lk 2:29-32). The Messiah would fulfill his mission by suffering, and the Mother would be mysteriously associated with her Son's sorrows. On hearing these words, Mary and Joseph were overcome with wonder, for Simeon confirmed what the angel had communicated from God. But immediately his other words cast a shadow over their joy: the Messiah would fulfill his mission by suffering, and the Mother would be mysteriously associated with her Son's sorrows. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed" ( Lk 2:34-35). Anna as well, a woman over 80 years old, joined in Simeon's announcement: coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem ( Lk 2:38). From St. Luke's Gospel we know that our Lady presented the Child Jesus only after listening to the prophecy. She offered a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons , the offering of the poor, instead of the lamb prescribed by the Law of Moses. Nonetheless, in light of Simeon's words, she understood that Jesus was the true Lamb of God who would redeem men from their sins. And that she, as Mother, in a way she did not yet fully grasp, would be closely united to her Son's fate. J. A. Loarte
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The Deeper Meaning of the Presentation in the Temple
Jesus's Presentation at the Temple as an Infant The Importance of the Presentation Ritual. According to the Jewish law, 40 days after the birth of a firstborn male child, the parents were required to bring the child to the temple in Jerusalem to present him to God. This ritual was known as the redemption of the firstborn and involved making ...
Presentation of Jesus
Jesus' Presentation at the Temple. 22 Now [] when the time came for their [] purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary [] brought Jesus [] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male [] will be set apart to the Lord" []), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is specified in the law of the ...
ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 2, 2024 / 04:00 am. Every Feb. 2, the universal Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Mary and Joseph bring the newborn Jesus to the Temple, the holy ...
25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and ...
On February 2, we observe the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, honoring Jesus Christ's presentation in the Temple when he was a young child. The Fourth Joyful Mystery portrayed in the Presentation Chapel Fulfillment of the Old Covenant. Jesus' presentation in the Temple reflects how he fulfills the Old Covenant.
Luke 2:22-40 NIV - Jesus Presented in the Temple
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, 2 February 2020. The Feast of the Presentation is the final installment in the cycle of liturgies for Christmas. It may seem a little strange to be thinking about Christmas here in February; after all, in the timetables of secular culture and marketing, Christmas is long over, we've blown past New Year ...
The Purification of the virgin and the Presentation in the Temple. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah — Alfred Edersheim. (St. Luke ii.21-38.) FOREMOST amongst those who, wondering, had heard what the shepherds told, was she whom most it concerned, who laid it up deepest in her heart, and brought to it treasured stores of memory.
Jesus' Dedication In The Temple
HOMILY 2 February 2006. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today's F east of Jesus' Presentation at the temple 40 days after his birth places before our eyes a special moment in the life of the Holy Family: Mary and Joseph, in accordance with Mosaic law, took the tiny Jesus to the temple of Jerusalem to offer him to the Lord (cf. Lk 2: 22). Simeon and Anna, inspired by God, recognized that Child ...
Luke 2:36-40 - The Testimony Of Anna. Luke 2:41-52 - Jesus In The Temple At Twelve Years Old. Luke 3:1-20 - John The Baptist Begins His Ministry. Luke 3:21-22 - The Baptism Of Jesus. Luke 2:22-24 - 22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.
In the episode of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, St Luke emphasizes Jesus' messianic destiny. The immediate purpose of the Holy Family's journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem according to the Lucan text was to fulfil the law: "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 ...
Here are the 3 lessons we can learn. 1. Jesus Was Intent on Purifying the Church. Compared to the priests and Pharisees, Jesus was bent on purifying the church. John 2:14-16 tells us, "And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
Chapter 6. Presentation at the Temple. Image. Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus at temple. When Jesus was just a few weeks old, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him at the temple. Luke 2:22. Image. Simeon dreaming of baby Jesus. Simeon, a righteous man who lived in Jerusalem, was at the temple.
The collect for the day reminds us that Christ presents us to God, and in a real sense that is what was happening here; Jesus was presenting his parents to God, to Simeon and Anna. We make Christ present on this altar, recalling his life, death, and resurrection. But the fact of the matter is that in a deeper sense, Christ is presenting us.
The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple. The law of God, given by Moses to the Jews, to insinuate both to us and to them, that by the sin of Adam man is conceived and born in sin, and obnoxious to his wrath, ordained that a woman, after childbirth, should continue for a certain time in a state which that law calls unclean; during ...
In the Roman Catholic Church, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. The event is described in the Gospel of Luke, 2:22-40. According to the gospel, Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth to complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth, and ...
February 2nd is the feast of the Presentation. Mary offers her Son to God and learns that she too will share closely in Jesus' redemptive mission. The gathering of pilgrims in Bethlehem has ended. After Christ's birth, Joseph found a more worthy place to house the Holy Family. There, after eight days, he carried out the rite of circumcision by ...
THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY. Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple. "And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present ...
The Presentation of the Lord reminds us of the importance of community. Today we celebrate Jesus' presentation at the temple. This event is recorded only in the Gospel of Luke and is rooted in ...
Then, according to Old Covenant law, Mary had to wait an additional 33 days before her purification and presentation of her Son in the Temple (Lev. 12:1-7; Luke 2:22-24).. Sometime thereafter the flight to Egypt took place. Because infants under two years old were slaughtered by King Herod in his attempt to kill the Christ Child, it's possible that Jesus could have been between the ages of ...