Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 2, 22-40
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.
The Presentation
1) Light. This reminds us that we are here to illuminate. We are called to bring light where there is so much darkness. It is the Lord who moves us and calls us to always go forth with the truth and proclaim that, in the face of so much darkness around us, there is and will always be something that will make things clearer. May Mary help us to clearly see those things that we do not understand in our lives.
2) Simeon. This man had a clear hope. He wanted to see the Messiah. Put your hope in God because you can rest solely in him. Lean on him. Perhaps you’re already tired of waiting and I understand it is hard sometimes, but trust in the Lord and abandon yourself in him.
3) A sword will pierce your heart. When following Jesus, a sword will appear in your life – the sword of bureaucracy, or the sword of indifference or ridicule – and it will pierce your heart. Still, look at Mary. She put everything in God’s hands. At that moment she did not grasp what was happening and what Simeon and Anna said, but eventually she came to understand. The same thing will happen to you. What hurts today, you will understand later on. Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
