Presentation Of Jesus – Mary And Joseph Observe The Law Of The Lord
The Gospel text chosen for today’s feast of the Presentation of the Lord shows Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ earthly parents, as observant Jews. Jesus is carefully submitted to the rituals that would mark him as a member of God’s Holy People and at the same time Jesus, through the lips of Simeon, receives in the temple, a more formal recognition as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.
At several points in the text, Luke makes reference to the
fact that what is being done to Jesus – his presentation to the Lord in the
Temple, is in accordance with the Law of the Lord. In fact, in this
story two rituals are closely intertwined. First the purification of Mary after
childbirth prescribed in Lev 12: 1-8, for which she has to offer a lamb or
turtledove and the redemption or
“buying back” of Jesus, as Mary’s firstborn from the Lord. This legislation is
spelt out in Exod 13: 15 and is justified as follows: When pharaoh
stubbornly refused to let us go, YHWH killed all the firstborn in the land of
Egypt of man and beast alike. For this I sacrifice to YHWH every male that
first issues from the womb, and redeem every firstborn of my sons.
This episode in Jesus’ childhood got me thinking about blessings – of cars houses and other objects, a staple feature of Catholic life especially here in Trinidad and Tobago. “Father you could bless this for me?” I have often been greeted by some little girl or other person, holding up before me some chain or bracelet given to them as a present. Many a driver in the past has called me to arrange a car blessing, in the process informing me that at no point will that car be driven on the road until the blessing is completed. I think it would be somewhat judgmental on my part if I were to simply dismiss all of this piety as a form of superstition.
As I read Luke’s description of Jesus’ presentation in the temple, I am struck by the fact that all the things we present to the Lord, are truly precious in our eyes and because of this surpassing worth, it ‘belongs to God’, it has to be given, or at least presented to God. The story of Jesus’ presentation in the temple reminds me of the story of a priest friend of mine who, on his 18th birthday offered to God his entire adulthood. He was a product of an excellent school and had a world of possibilities laid out before him and he felt it appropriate to present this precious future to God the way Mary and Joseph, presented their precious baby to the Lord in the Temple.
The reading therefore invites us to celebrate every time we were moved to say a prayer over and present (give back) to God, something precious, an achievement, a child, a job, a house, a ministry. These are deep moments of grace because they are times when we realize that what we have has been given to us – that our lives are filled with grace. Being touched by this sense of grace we are led to offer to God, to PRESENT back to God the gift we have been given.
Let us pray then, that as we continue our Christian journey we may always be blessed with this sense of Grace – with this sense that ‘God has been good to me…far more than I deserve!’ and that recognizing this grace, this gift, we may seek God’s blessing not just on our gifts but on ourselves. Amen.
