Gospel: Lk 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.
Homily
I remember accompanying my father one carnival Monday Morning as he came to see “Jour Ouvert”. One of his friends, who was well disguised, began to dance in front of him and my father after a few moments, to the surprise of this friend and to me, called him by name. I asked my father how he had known who it was dancing before him, and he told me that the way the friend was dancing gave him away.
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As I read the readings for this feast of the Presentation of our Lord, that event came to mind because it raised the same question that the man dancing before my father raised. How did Simeon and Anna recognize in the little baby the One who was promised by God. The scripture passage tells us of Simeon; “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.” And of Anna the scripture says “She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.” Both Simeon and Anna were persons who were familiar with the ways of the God and were thus able to recognize the workings of God in the little child before them.
This story has many lessons for us. The first being that in the measure in which we know someone, in that measure we are able to recognize that person and recognize his/her way of acting, in spite of the mask which he/she may wear. The opposite is also true; if we do not know someone, it is very difficult to penetrate his/her mask or to recognize his/her way of acting. How important it is therefore for us to truly know those persons who surround us especially if we have entered into some kind of partnership with them!
If this is true and important on the purely secular level, it is much more important when the person with whom we have entered into partnership is Jesus Christ. All of us through our baptism and confirmation have consciously made the mission of Jesus Christ, our own. We have entered into partnership with Christ to proclaim and build the Kingdom of God. Because of this partnership Christ comes to us and speaks to our hearts and minds very often but almost always in a very disguised manner. Yes Christ does speak to us in the persons of the Pope and bishops and other religious persons. It is easy to recognize him then. At times however Christ comes in the distressing disguise of the poor and those on the margins and how well we must know him to be able to recognize Him speaking to us through them.
A look at the lives of the saints teaches us this lesson. Because of their relationship with Christ, saints like Damian of Molokai and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and Francis of Assisi, recognized the face of Christ in those for whom they gave their very lives. May you and I grow in our knowledge and intimacy with Christ so that we recognize HIM as Simeon and Anna did, in spite of the disguise in which He appears to us.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, Simeon and Anna recognized your son in the little babe in the hands of Mary and Joseph. They recognized Him because of their deep relationship with You. Help us the present day disciples of your Son Jesus to build a deep relationship with Him so that whenever He comes to us and in whatever disguise we will recognize Him and hear his voice speaking to us. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our mother and the same Jesus, her son. Amen
