40 days after His birth, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the law of the Jewish people - that after giving birth, a new mother would be ritually purified by offering a sacrifice to the Lord; the law also required a sacrifice for every firstborn son, a reminder of the way God freed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph are the first people we encounter in this gospel reading and we learn some important things about them almost immediately.
First, they are obedient to the law of God. That's significant.
They are not an ordinary family - their child is the Son of God; but they still follow the commands that God gave them. That is aligned with everything we know about Joseph and Mary. They desired to do God's will in everything, whether they understood it or not.
Second, the reading mentions the sacrifice they would have made: "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 ..."
Technically, the sacrifice that is called for is a lamb, but the turtledoves or pigeons are a substitute for those who are poor.
Jesus did not live a life of luxury or privilege when he came into our world. He embraced humility and poverty, showing us that having a lot of stuff or being wealthy is not the path to fulfillment or happiness.
This poor family came because God called them. Just like He entrusted Mary and Joseph with His Son through the message of the angel. Above all, they trust in God and want to do what He asks of them. They know that God will give them what they need.
Next, we meet a man named Simeon - whose name means "He [God] has heard."
Simeon was a man who had listened and was listening to the voice of God. The reading tells that God had revealed to him that he would not die before he saw the Messiah, and now that time has come.
Simeon recognizes the Messiah in this poor family from Nazareth. This baby - who looks like every other baby - is the Christ and Simeon rejoices. His prayer is actually something that priests and religious and many other Catholics pray every night for night prayer:
“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 the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
Finally, the Holy Family runs into Anna who is described as prophetess and a widow. She spent all her time around the Temple praying and fasting and waiting on the Lord. We certainly still have many great people like that today - older people who seem to always be praying.
She spreads the word about Jesus "to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem."
All of these people - Joseph, Mary, Simeon, and Anna - exemplify for us an attitude of attention to God.
They are waiting for God to move, to act. And they don't wait in a spirit of impatience or frustration but in one of trust. They know that God is faithful and will fulfill His promises. Even if they don't know when that will happen, they don't doubt that God will do it.
This feast of the Presentation encourages us to be people who listen to God and who trust in Him.
What are we listening for? Is there something that we are waiting for God to do?
Jesus has appeared as a light for the world. A light that has come to show us the way to the Father and a light that is for every singe human being.
The answer to every human question and suffering and cry for help has come to us - and not everyone knows. Sometimes we ourselves don't see that.
Simeon and Anna recognized it. We can live like them - in trust, hope, and expectation. We can announce to the world that God is real and He has come to save us.
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