The Presentation of the Lord

Mal. 3:1-4, Heb. 2:14-18, Lk. 2:22-40. Forty days after Christmas, we celebrate our Lord who enters the Temple and have come to encounter His people. In the Eastern Church, this feast is called the “Feast of Encounter”: it is the encounter between God, who became a child to bring newness to our world and an expectant humanity, represented by elderly man and woman in the Temple. Today's first reading gives us an important insight to understand the mystery of the Lord’s Presentation in the Temple by Mary and Joseph, in accordance with the canons of Mosaic Law: "I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord who you seek" (Mal. 3:1). This prophesy came to it fulfilment when the Lord entered the Temple as recorded in today’s Gospel.

In the Temple, Mary and Joseph respect the Mosaic Law by offering the sacrifice prescribed for the poor: "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons". Simeon and Anna were two venerable elderly people dedicated to prayer and fasting and so their strong religious spirit made them to recognize the Messiah. On this day, the Church demonstrates its gratitude to all who dedicate themselves to prayer and those who have a particular religious vocation to the contemplative life. The presentation also reminds us that prayer and contemplation are not a waste of time or an obstacle to charity, it is a consequence of a solid interior life. Only those who pray and offer penance, like Simeon and Anna, are open to the breath of the Spirit.

May the Lord consecrate us in truth and make us worthy instrument in His hands! Amen!! Good morning and Happy weekend!!!