Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (ABC)

February 2, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Malachi 3: 1-4

Psalm 24 “Who is the King of glory? It is the Lord!”

Second Reading: Hebrew 2: 14-18

Gospel reading according to Luke 2: 22-40

+

Homily: Presentation of the Lord Jesus in the Temple

According to Leviticus 12, a woman who gives birth to a son remains impure for a week, and afterwards immerses in a body of water to purify herself. In rabbinical interpretation of Leviticus 12 any subsequent blood she sees over the next 33 days would be considered dam tohar (דַּם טׂוהַר – ritually clean blood), and that blood does not prohibit her from sexual relations with her husband. The law for a woman who gives birth to a daughter is the same, however, the durations are doubled. The mother becomes impure for 2 weeks, and after immersion, any blood she sees over the next 66 days is dam tohar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impurity_after_childbirth). When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, ²Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord . . .² (Luke 2: 22-24).  "Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal." (Exodus 13:2, New International Version).  Like the rest of married Jewish women who gave birth to their first born sons, Mary underwent to the purification for 33 days. After her purification, together with Joseph, they brought their son Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem for his consecration to the Lord and to undergo the ritual of purification for all male Jews, called circumcision, as a lasting covenant between Abraham and God, the Almighty. According to Genesis, God told Abraham to circumcise himself, his household and his slaves as an everlasting covenant in their flesh. Those who were not circumcised were to be 'cut off' from their people (Genesis 17:10-14) (https://www.google.com/search?client=firefoxcircumcision+of+abraham&oq=circumcision+of)

In the Temple, there was a man named Simeon who lived for a long time there. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.  This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him (Luke 2: 25).  He lived a religious, righteous and devout life waiting for the coming of the savior of Israel.  The Holy Spirit was with him.  Day in, day out he was at the door of the temple looking every male child brought in thinking that one of these children might be the Messiah of God, the long awaited Savior of the world.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord (Luke 2: 26).  He stayed in the Temple for he was told he will not taste death unless he sees the coming of the Son of God as revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. 

On that day, led by the Holy Spirit, Simeon came at the door of the Temple and saw the coming of the Holy Family.  He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: . . .  (Luke 2: 27-28).  After performing the prescribed custom of the law Simeon took the child Jesus from his mother’s arms and put him in his breast and said the blessing and a prophesy.  He hallowed God and said the blessing: ²Now, 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 people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel² (Luke 2: 29-32).  It was fulfilled in him the time the coming of the Messiah.  He saw in his own eyes the child Jesus, the Son of the Living God and of Man, the promised and the prophesy.  So also he said to himself that it is also time to go back to God for he witnessed the fulfillment of the coming redemption of humankind, prepared in sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.

The child parents were amazed of what Simeon told regarding the child Jesus.  The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him . . .  (Luke 2: 33); although they knew the future of their son as foretold by the angel of the Lord.  It was confirmed by the old Simeon what was said by the angel to them.  

Simeon continued by adding prophesies with regards to Mary and her child Jesus.  He said to Mary . . . and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ²Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted – and you yourself a sword will pierce – so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed² (Luke 2: 34-35).  Mary’s heart will be pierced by the sword.  She will also suffer with her son due to division and separation of people with regards to Jesus teachings and preaching, and of his life.  She will undergo the same sufferings of her son on the hands of his enemies.  It is fighting between good and evil.  As in the beginning, in the Book of Genesis, So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this . . . And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring^[a] and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (3:15).

 Another person who stayed in the Temple waiting also for the coming of the Messiah of God, her name was Anna and she was a prophetess, whose father was Phanuel  (Greek: Φανουήλ Phanouēl) or Penuel (Hebrew: פְּנוּאֵל‎ Pənū’êl).  He is mentioned once only in the New Testament, in Luke 2:36.  He was a member of the Tribe of Asher and his name means "Face of God". Theologian John Gill supposed that "this man might be a person of some note, or he may be mentioned for the sake of his name, which signifies the face of God, and is the name Jacob gave to a certain place where he had seen God face to face" (Genesis 32:30). As Anna was herself 'very old', it can be assumed that Phanuel was not still alive at the time of Anna's encounter with the child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:38). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phanuel).  There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four . . .  (Luke 2: 36-37).  After seven years of marred life, she became a widow and from then on she spent her life in the Temple, serving in the temple and reading/studying the Scriptures for she was guided by the Holy Spirit.  Like Simeon, she also led by the Holy Spirit to meet the long awaited Son of God and Son of Man.  And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2: 38).  After seeing the child Jesus she gave thanks to the Lord, said the blessing, and made prophesy to those people present, especially to his parents that the redemption of Jerusalem in particular is at hand.

When the purifications of the Mother and the Son were finished, the Holy Family went home in Nazareth, Galilee.  When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth (Luke 2: 39).  Everything was fulfilled according to the law of the Lord.  Jesus now is truly member of the Jewish community (son of Man) and truly Son of God.  He became under the law of the Lord.   The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him (Luke 2: 40). As the time went by, and under his parents' care and protection, teaching and training about the Law and of God, and their trade, Jesus became wiser, full of knowledge and wisdom, and strong in body and in spirit and the favor of God was upon him.