02 February, 2020. The Presentation of the Lord (Sunday)
1st Reading: Malachi 3:1-4
When God’s Messenger arrives, he will refine the people
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight–indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
Responsorial Psalm (from Ps 24)
Response: Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord
O gates, lift high your heads;
reach higher, ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
Who is this king of glory?
The Lord, powerful and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.
Lift up, O gates, your heads;
reach higher, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
Who is this king of glory?
The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory.
2nd Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18
Our perfect mediator has deeply shared our human experience
Since all the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
The child Jesus is recognised and welcomed by Simeon and Anna
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”) and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed–and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by 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 favour of God was upon him.
May your words, O Lord be on my lips and in my heart. May they guide me on life’s journey and keep me near to you.
Learning from Simeon and Anna
The description of the Presentation, like the rest of the stories about the infancy of Jesus, was probably shaped by the early liturgy of the Christian movement. Other parts of the gospel are based on more solid information, such as sermons and written traditions gathered by the Gospel writers. There is no trace of this “gathering” process in the infancy narratives, which modern biblical scholarship now treats as edifying stories which Matthew and Luke were inspired to write, to provide a spiritual background for the public ministry of Jesus. These infancy stories were carefully interspersed with citations from the Jewish scriptures and are like mini dramas written for the community and perhaps acted out by children (just as the infancy narratives often are today). They are not to be dismissed as pure fiction, but should be respected for what they are: edifying stories told to enshrine their faith in who and what they knew Jesus to be. The elderly pair in today’s Gospel give voice to the early Christian faith – and our faith too.
Mary and Joseph must have often pondered, as did Simeon and Anna, wondering what destiny lay ahead for their child. Like most parents, they probably had high hopes for him, which are echoed in the words of Anna, while the prophecy of Simeon contains a more ominous tone, about the contradictions that would be raised against Jesus.
Incidentally, the custom of blessing candles today comes from an ancient Roman custom. The special location (“station”) for celebrating today’s feast was a church in the ruins of the Forum called Santa Maria in Foro and, since it was in the dark of wintertime, the people used lighted candles to find their way among the ruins. The devotion to the baby Jesus, as the Light of the World, presents him as one who overcomes the darkness.
Both Simeon and Anna have something to show us about how to receive the Lord. Simeon’s response on meeting the infant Jesus was a hymn of praise to God. His prayer is included in Compline, the church’s official night prayer. Anna’s response was to speak about Jesus to others, especially to those who were waiting for God’s help in time of need. While Simeon worshipped, Anna bore witness, calling others to Jesus.
Today’s feast invites us to welcome the Lord in prayer and in witness. We thank our loving God for the gift of his Son, the light of the world. We share our joy with others because the Lord who entered his temple has entered our lives too. Today we learn from Simeon and Anna how to welcome his gracious coming.
Welcomed by people of simple faith
The story of Jesus’ birth is unsettling. According to Luke, Jesus was born in a village where there was no place to receive him. The shepherds had had to look for him through all Bethlehem until they found him in a remote place, resting in a manger. Luke felt it necessary to compose a second story in which the child is rescued from anonymity, to be welcomed publicly. What place is more appropriate than the Temple of Jerusalem so that Jesus would be solemnly welcomed as the Messiah sent by God to God’s people?
But again, Luke’s story ends up unsettling. When the parents come to the Temple with the child, none of the high priests or other religious leaders come out to meet him. In just a few years they will be the ones who will hand him over to be crucified. Jesus doesn’t find a welcome in a dogmatic religion too secure in itself and forgetful of the suffering of the poor.
Nor is he welcomed by the teachers of the Law who preach their traditions in the plazas of that Temple. Years later they will reject Jesus for healing the sick, breaking the law of the Sabbath. Jesus doesn’t find a welcome in doctrines and religious traditions that don’t help us live a more dignified and healthy life.
The ones who welcome Jesus and recognize him as the One Sent by God are two elderly people of simple faith and open heart who have lived their lives awaiting God’s salvation. Their names seem to suggest that they are symbolic characters. The old man is called Simeon («the Lord has listened»), the old woman is called Anna («Gift»). They represent so many people of simple faith who in every village of all times live with their trust placed in God.
These two belong to the more healthy environments of Israel.
They are known as the «Group of Yahweh’s Poor».
They are people who have nothing but their faith in God.
They don’t think about their fate or their welfare.
They only hope from God for the «consolation» that the people need,
the «liberation» that they’ve been looking for throughout the generations,
the “light” that enlightens the shadows in which the people of the earth live.
Now they feel that their hopes are being fulfilled in Jesus.
This simple faith that hopes in God for the definitive salvation is the faith of the majority.
A faith that’s barely formed, that is almost always formulated in awkward and distracted prayers,
that is expressed in barely orthodox formulas,
that is awakened above all in difficult times of hardship.
A faith that God has no problem understanding and welcoming.
(José Antonio Pagola)
Toirbhirt an Tiarna. Lá Fhéile Muire na gCoinneal
Taobh thiar den Fhéile seo sa Róimh, san Iarthar, agus in Éirinn bhí traidisiún agus deasghnátha réamh-Chríostaí. Ó thaobh ama de bhí an lá inniu leathshlí idir grianstad an gheimhridh (Nollaig 21) agus eacaineacht an Earraigh, 21 Márta. Bhí an ghrian, dia do mhórán, ag dul i dtreise. Do Ghaeil ba thús séasúir eile é, tar éis Samhna, leis an bhFéile Imbolc, pé ar bith ceiliúradh a bhí ag gabháil leis sin. Ach do Chríostaithe an Iarthair daichead lá tar éis fhéile bhreith Chríost a bhí ann, agus ceiliúradh a thoirbirt sa Teampall. Fógraíodh ansin é mar sholas chun na náisiún, agus ceiliúradh an Fhéile le solas coinnle. I slí is clabhsúr ar thréimhse na Nollag an Fhéile seo.
Faoi inspioráid an Spioraid Naoimh fógraíonn Simeón gur solas chun na náisiúin a shoilsiú Íosa agus glóir do phobal Iosrael. Meabhraíonn sé do Mhuire, máthair an linbh, gur dán don leanbh seo bheith ina thrúig leagtha agus éirithe, agus ina chomhartha a shéanfar. Tá ábhar machnaimh in aon agallamh maidir le ceisteanna an lae i mbriathra an fháidh Simeón. Solas an domhain é Íosa. Tháinig sé le beatha a tabhairt don domhan agus í a thabhairt go fial. Tá a chuid aspal, agus a lucht leanúna uile, seolta amach aige le bheith ina salann na talún agus ina solas don domhan. (Máirtín Mac C)
Three Cheers for Mairead!
Mairead McGuinness shut Nigel Farage up, in the European Parliament. Many others wish, that they could have done the same, a long time ago. Nigel and his pals were told to take their flags out and to go away. Nicola Sturgeon (Scotland) will continue to fly the European Flag even as the 11 p.m. deadline arrives. The essence of humanity is for people to work together, to talk together, to recognise differences and to admire other cultures. Brexit is a failure in cultural appreciation of differences, in rationality and in common sense. Every day in life, has to be an adventure – where we reach out to others; learn more; and believe in dreams. Rigidity and inflexibility is shows a stunted humanity. Brexit is very prosaic and misses out on the poetry of life. It has no dreams.
Heroes – one and all:
John Bosco had a dream. (Today’s Feast). He had the guts to implement the dream. He saw something special in every young person. He had the imagination to stir their interests and to help them, to discover the possibility of a new way of living. We need our characters. We need those who inspire us. We need the people with big minds, broad hearts and lofty ideals. The obvious ones are Brother Kevin, Peter McVerry, Sr Consilio, Sr Stan, Alice Leahy. The obvious places are Merchant’s Quay. Simon. Penny Dinners. SVDP. Crosscare. (There are so many more). It is interesting how so often the big dreamers come from a religious setting!
Down by the Blackwater
My nephew returned from Australia with his family. He was full of dreams. He is building a house, a home for his family by the Blackwater. What he has achieved; what they (as family) have achieved is beyond miraculous. It seemed to me to be an ‘impossible dream.’ Four children. A wife from Australia. Living in a ‘bleak mid-winter.’ Fighting with the crazy bureaucracies of present day life to get that house up. Working day and night – at the day job and with the house. Very little money. The children had to settle into a foreign educational system. He had a dream. He has a dream. It is happening. Humanity thrives when the dreamers are tough and strong and artistic.
When a child is born:
My niece has booked a caesarean section for 8 weeks time. This baby is much wanted and desired. It has been a long time coming. As a couple, they craved and prayed, for this to happen. The quiet excitement is delicious. It is also anxious. Will everything be alright? What will this baby be like? Can ‘we’/ ‘they’ build a world of beauty and wonder and love around this child? The very awesomeness of the mystery which is a child – challenges them again in the depths of their humanity. The trust by God, in giving a child to anyone, for rearing and preparing and presenting to the world, is summed in God’s ambitious plans for us. Who can do this without a supreme gift of faith? There is a deep sense of ‘talking off the shoes’ before the wonder of God, and walking tenderly into the future.
The Presentation:
So the context for this weekend’s Feast is a child; is any child; is every child; is any parent and every parent. It is a dream come true. Mary, Joseph and Jesus come to ‘God’ (Temple) to humbly say thank you. To be blessed. To be ‘presented.’ To acknowledge life, as gift. To be challenged into the incredible responsibility of rearing. What happened? As with any and every child – Jesus was admired. He was ‘gorgeous.’ The old folk (drooled over him) couldn’t stop looking at him; holding him; wondering what he was like, and what he would become. It then became an opportunity to show him off. He was presented to us (as well as to God). We are given a very artistic description of who he was, and what he was, to become. He would open the hearts of all; he would present ‘dreams’ for living; he would challenge people; he would break hearts as well. He would turns minds outward and lift heads higher. He would change the world forever.
The funeral of Conor, Darragh and Carla:
He is still presented. We present him. We present the ‘dream of God’ for us. We present the old folk in our lives who live for us and God. We present our dreams. We are willing to pay the price to make such dreams come true. (Suenans). We are all bringing forth life. We are all pregnant with goodness and Godliness. We give birth as a people and as individuals. Despite everything, we are people of hope. Today Andrew McGinley spoke at the funeral of his three children. We don’t judge or assume. We heard his words. They too tell us of hope and children and preciousness.
The Prayer of Simeon:
Simeon’s prayer was a natural diet of prayer for nighttime over the years in some of our lives. The Prayer had this: We say good night to the day. We give thanks for what has happened. We let go of what has got in the way of peace. We ask God to open our minds for the new day and the new call and the new adventure. We thank God today for the Simeons and the Annas of our lives. They are everywhere. They are full of wonder. They give us God. They show us our heritage. They continue to inspire us. Today is the Presentation of Jesus. We are then called to Present our gift; as was done in the story; as Anna and Simeon did. We will do so.
Seamus Ahearne osa
Key message:
The only way to be a pleasing present for God is to go through the refiner’s fire. The refiner’s fire consumes all the wrong desires, attitudes in us and makes us to be whom God desires us to be.
Refiner’s fire is the answer to our question – ‘Why God Why’ (Why God this suffering when I live right?)
Homily:
Today we celebrate the feast of Presentation of Lord Jesus.
In Joyful mysteries too, we celebrate the Presentation of Lord Jesus as the second mystery.
Short story:
Little Mary was very happy to play with her dolls. She was very happy to share her dolls with all her friends, apart from the one which looked like her – the best gift for her from her pappa. Just seeing the doll delighted her!!
How can we become the pleasing present to our God?
(Leviticus 11:44 – ‘For I am the LORD your God Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.)
God desires us to become holy. How does this spiritual transformation take place? Transformation mostly takes place when we are suffering. When we don’t have anything to hold on to, other than the feet of our Lord Jesus, then we fully trust in Him. When life is painful, we should let it drive us closer to God.
In the first reading, Malachi 3:1-4
“And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice.”
God is working on consuming everything in us that does not bring Him glory. Holy Spirit convicts us of our wrong thought, word and action in order to change them. We must go through this refining fire and emerge as whom God wants us to be, instead of running away from it.
‘Going through the refiner’s fire’ sounds frightening. But God will provide us the grace to go through it. He never allows us to go through any problem, without giving us the grace to go thought it.
After going through the fire and coming out of it passing the test, you will not smell of fire. You will only smell of victory. You will find that you would have overcome bit of your selfishness, grown in patience, trust in God, closer in walk with God. You will find it worthy at the end.
When your mind wanders about thinking, ‘Why God, Why am I having this kind of suffering – my spouse not understanding me, my children not understanding me, death of my loved one, lost my job, so on.. even though I have been doing good things in your sight..’
The reason is God wants to make you as His delight, his treasured possession.
Deuteronomy 14:2 For you are a people holy to Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
God sits by the refining fire, allows us to undergo through tough times to enable us to serve Him in right attitudes and actions. To develop endurance, patience, forgiveness, fortitude, self-control, joy etc.
Once He sees us that whatever He wanted to remove from us is removed from our souls, He will lift us from the refining fire and rest us in a peaceful and glorious place.
Right attitudes while passing through the refiner’s fire:
1. God sits by the refiner’s fire. He will bring us out of the fire, when we become what He wants us to be.
2. Remember, ‘God and you together in life, can handle any problem’.
3. Cherish God’s goodness, protection, little victories in your life.
4. If you are suffering because of one person, who is having a grudge towards you, or does not like to you, start forgiving the person. Do not remember whatever wounds the person has caused you. But in turn pray for the person to flourish well in life and wish him/her the very best from your heart.
Example from life of Saint Therese (little flower):
One of the sisters in her convent was always wounding her. Every time little Therese saw her she would offer all the sufferings that she had undergone to Jesus residing in the heart of that sister with a sweet smile. In course of time, the other sister came to Saint Therese and asked ‘what is that you see so nice in me, that you will always have a sweet smile on your face whenever you see me’.
5. If you are facing difficult situation because your children are not obeying you:
a. Remember that God will not allow you to undergo a situation unless and otherwise He gives you the grace to handle the situation.
b. Pray for the child. It’s the greatest gift you can give for your child.
6. Don’t be mad at yourself because you think that you have displeased God. God loves you aneway !!
Even if our children do not obey us, we still love them. We understand their weakness. Similarly God forgives our faults instantly and continues to love.
7. God sits by the refiner’s fire. He will bring us out of the fire, when we become what He wants us to be.
8. Instead of being grumpy and murmuring about challenges, think of persons who are desiring to be to the place where you are currently in. Few examples:
a. If your job is tiring you, think about fathers who are struggling to put bread in front of their kids
b. If your car breaks down and you need to take walk extra miles, think about patients who cannot walk and would love to take the walk
c. If your family members are troubling you, consider thinking about orphans who would like to be part of a family
Lets be happy to go through refiner’s fire !!
Thank you Sarah for that long and thoughtful reflection. keep them coming please.