Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

"Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” (Luke 2)
 
    In the Church whenever we refer to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we call them the Holy Family. And, so, they are. In reality, though, they are an ordinary Jewish family observing the law of Moses: “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord.” Through this ceremony, Jesus (like any other Jewish boy) is initiated and welcomed into the community of believers.

    We can well imagine Mary’s reaction in her heart when she hears Simeon’s words directed toward her: “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.”    If we heard these words about our child or a close family member, we would be very concerned about the meaning of this message. Luke goes on to tell us that they returned to Nazareth to live a normal life.

    After hearing Simeon’s words, Mary and Joseph must have prayed and talked about this message for their daily lives. We don’t know. Yet, we may have heard similar words about a life -threatening disease spoken to us in a doctor’s office. Not being accepted into a program of study stifles our chance for employment. Losing a job that supports our family, as has been happening during this COVID period, can discourage and devastate us….So, what do we do with messages that induce sadness or hopelessness?

    Mary and Joseph have deep faith in God—something we witnessed previously in the gospel. When we receive sad news, bad news or are apprehensive about the state of our democracy or the life in our Church, how do we handle—both emotionally and spiritually—God’s message to each of us as individuals? We have been baptized. We have received grace and the seeds for special virtues that accompany us throughout our lives—if we allow them.

    Even though Mary and Joseph experience great emotional pain from Simeon’s message, as any parent would, they deepen their trust in God who loves them unconditionally. They observe the law by offering Jesus in the temple. Yet, their relationship with God does not remain legalistic. They trust God to help them become good parents. Of course, they were probably not perfect parents. But they listened to God in their hearts. They entrusted their problems to God, and throughout their day they were conscious of making good choices. If the choices were not the best, they tried again. We know they tried, because Luke tells us: “They returned to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon them.”

    God speaks to us through our own Simeons when we listen with our hearts: the innocent remark of a child, a close friend’s gentle admonition, an encouragement from a colleague or co-worker. Each of us has these helps when we need them. But first we must listen.