Deacon Tom Anthony

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Lectionary: 524

Reading 1 Mal 3:1-4

Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner’s fire,
or like the fuller’s lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

Responsorial Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10

R.    (8) Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!

Reading 2 Heb 2:14-18

Since the children share in blood and flesh,
Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels
but rather the descendants of Abraham;
therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters
in every way,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested.

Alleluia Lk 2:32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A light of revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus 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.
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.
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.
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:
“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.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
--and you yourself a sword will pierce--
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
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.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 The Prophet Malachi in the Scripture Reading today foretells the appearance of Saint John the Baptist and then the Presentation of Jesus by Mary and Joseph in the temple. He goes on to describe how we all are to be refined like gold or like silver. This act of shaping can come in many forms but the description of the process tells us that as Christians it is through suffering and living a life the way Jesus intended us to will make us stronger. We will face obstacles that will challenge our faith. We will face ridicule and temptations that can possibly lure us away from our faith. These things we should not fear but should expect because confronting and fighting these things unite us to Jesus and purify us from sin. We are constantly offered a choice: to be with Jesus or to embrace the sins of this world. Making the right choice means choosing Jesus over those other things. When we  do right we become stronger. It builds a solid foundation on which we can live our life and prosper in everything that we do. The fire in the forge represents all of the bad things that we will confront in our lives but Jesus is the blacksmith who is able to control the flame and shape us in the process. Our job is to let Him do this and let Him lead the way. We cannot struggle against Him because this would mean that the flame has compromised our durability and has melted us away.

Jesus coming into this world fully human and fully divine brings about the capability to have an intimate relationship with Him. He feels what we feel and experiences what we experience. As God He does already have the capability to do that but it is His humanity that makes Him more approachable. We can relate better to Him. He meets us where we are. This is first explained in the Book of Genesis where it is explained how we are created in God’s image. We are flesh and blood. Jesus is flesh and blood. We are sharers in the relationship of the Trinity through Jesus Christ. Drawn into that relationship by the Holy Spirit we are then capable of encountering God through His son Jesus Christ. When we meet Jesus we are the part of us which is divine and resides within us. As Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” This makes us a part of The Kingdom and The Kingdom a part of us. We are an intricate part of God’s creation and something that it cannot do without. Each one of us is special and unique in our own right. The more people recognize this then the more perfect the world becomes.

The Presentation in the Temple brings forth another revelation for us to contemplate. Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in accordance with Jewish Law. He was the first newborn male “to open the womb” and needed to be consecrated to God. Simeon, a devout and holy man who was filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah and also foretold His crucifixion. He further revealed Him as the savior of all the Jews and Gentiles alike. We are sharers in this revelation and what he proclaimed is what we believe as Christians. As Simeon was looking forward to the revelation of Jesus Christ we too must look forward to a transformative experience through Jesus Christ acknowledging Him as our savior and the Messiah. These are not just words but a statement of fact and a validation of our faith. What we read we must profess and what we profess we must believe. When we believe this then we can live by it and can be open to everything that Jesus Christ is offering. This openness brings further revelations and experiences.

The story of God’s relationship with us is revealed through Sacred Scripture and culminates with The Incarnation and The Coming of Our Savior Jesus Christ. This journey is further told through us and the development of our personal relationship with God. For this relationship to have any type of impact it must be examined, nurtured, and developed. The closer we get with God the more He can have an influence on us and the more joyful we will be. We can be shaped and developed by God if we permit Him to do so. Letting the blacksmith do His work is the wisest thing we can do. Listening to His suggestions and what He has to say will only lead to good things. Ultimately it will lead to our salvation and an eternity with Him.

Deacon Tom