Sunday the 2nd of February 2025 - The Presentation of The Lord

Malachi 3:1-4/ Ps 24(23)/ Hebrews 2:14-18/ Luke 2:22-40

We can spend a lot of time waiting for things. Even in our fast-moving world we still find ourselves waiting in line in a shop, waiting for that anticipated online order to arrive, waiting for a well needed holiday, waiting for a bus, waiting to meet someone who is late, waiting for any number of things. The Jewish people were used to waiting. They spent 400 years waiting to be released from captivity in Egypt. When freedom finally came, they wandered in the desert for 40 more years. The Old Testament holds a history of the chosen people of God waiting, waiting for the coming of the promised messiah.

When we want to meet someone, we arrange a time and place. The idea that we would go somewhere on speculation in the hope that someone we were wishing to meet might be there would seem a waste of time. In the gospel today we see two older people who seem to be in the temple in the hope that the promised Lord would suddenly appear there as predicted in the first reading. This prediction was made hundreds of years before we find Anna and Simeon waiting for him in the temple. What brought these two dedicated old people to the temple? Both were called by the Holy Spirit. Anna, a widow for many years spent all her time in the temple. Simeon, a righteous and devout Jew, had been promised that he would not die until he had seen the promised messiah was drawn there by the Holy Spirit. These two devoted holy people represent the people of the Old Testament, the chosen people of God faithfully awaiting the appearance of their saviour.

Mary and Joseph were also devout and holy people. They had brought their new son Jesus to present him in the temple in accordance with their religious laws. This was a task that they carried out willingly with joy and thanksgiving not under duress or threat of the law. In taking Jesus to the temple Mary and Joseph facilitated the fulfilment of the prophecy that ‘the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come into his temple’. In presenting their son Jesus in the temple Mary and Joseph introduced Jesus to the world, the world represented by Anna and Simeon who were waiting in anticipation. This expectation and anticipation came from their faith in the message of scripture.

Taking Jesus in his arms, Simeon gave us his great prayer now said every night throughout the world; ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’

The presentation of Jesus is an encounter between humanity and God, Jesus came to meet his people. Brought by Mary and Joseph into the temple where Anna and Simeon represented humanity. Jesus became human to be like us, his created children, so that he could take on our sins, our failings, to make reparation for them. This is explained in part in the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews. God had to become human like us so that he could be the effective high priest offering service to God in our place, wiping out our sins and understanding our temptations and suffering. God did not create suffering and sin, humanity does that because of the free choice we have been given. The broken relationship between humanity and God is repaired through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Where do we find Jesus, where is he presented to us, where can we encounter him for ourselves? First and foremost, we meet Jesus in his temple, the church. Not a building but the church that is made up of all God’s people. The church, like the temple of the gospel, is a place of encounter, of recognition, of revelation. We meet Jesus amid his people, we recognise him through scripture, and his redemptive purpose is revealed to us through faith and the Holy Spirit. We find him most intimately in the Eucharist. We come together in a building to do this, but the building is not vital merely providing a convenient sheltered place to come together. Many Masses are celebrated outside including the large gatherings attended by the Pope. We encounter Jesus in our personal and public prayer and in scripture, and in the poor, the sick, imprisoned, the lonely, refugees, victims of violence and abuse, in fact we find Jesus in every one of our fellow human beings.

We need to do more than simply wait for Jesus within the walls of a church building. Jesus has been presented to us, we must encounter him where he is, out in the world where his love and mercy is most needed. Yes, our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith but that should drive us into action so that our encounter with Jesus can also become an encounter with him for others.

God Bless Brendan.