Homily for Presentation of the Lord (Sunday, February 2, 2020)

Homily for Presentation of the Lord (Sunday, February 2, 2020)

This Sunday, we celebrate the feast of Our Lord, The Presentation. This feast is also known as Candle-mas Day, since traditionally candles used in the Liturgy were blessed on that day, with a solemn procession in which all carried lighted candles before the Mass. 

There are two traditional Jewish rituals that Mary and Joseph followed soon after the birth of Jesus are a little bit confusing for us. 

But their deep meaning in ancient times is still valid for us today and that's why the Holy Spirit preserved the narration of these events in the Gospel.

What is that deep meaning?  Simply we can put it in this way: Every human life is a precious gift from God, worthy of reverence and respect.  

Today’s Gospel tells us that Mary and Joseph "consecrated" Jesus to the Lord. It is referring to the first ritual. The ritual consisted in offering a gift to God in symbolic exchange for their child, in order to acknowledge that children are a gift from God, and so ultimately belong to God.  

This ritual was also related to the Passover, when God slew the firstborn sons of Egypt, but He spared the first sons of Israel.

The second ritual was connected to the holiness of motherhood.  After giving birth, women were required by Jewish law to wait for 40 days before they could appear in the Temple to purify and participate in any public religious ritual. When 40 days had elapsed, they rejoined community worship by offering two sacrifices, this is a "pair of turtledoves”.  

   This requirement too, reflects the religious value that God's people have always put-upon human life; it was a way of acknowledging the sacredness of life. When a woman gives birth, she is participating in a mystery that touches God directly, since He is the creator and sustainer of all life. So, it was considered appropriate that she remains segregated from normal activities immediately afterwards, as a sign that she had been involved in something holy.

By submitting to these religious laws, Jesus Christ verifies the reverential view of human life that they reflect. Every child, every human life, is a gift from God, a participation in the mystery of God's infinite power and unwearied love. Jesus is pro-life, because He is the author and protector of life; of each of our lives. This is the real reason behind all of Church's teaching about human life.  Every human being is a gift from God and belongs to God in the end. And so, no human being can ever be treated like a product; each must be treated like a person. This is why human cloning and all kinds of artificial reproduction are wrong; a child is not a product to be manufactured, bought, and delivered, but a sacred gift from God. This is why abortion is wrong; a child in its mother's womb is still a human being, a sacred image of God, a person who needs to be respected. This is why embryonic stem-cell research is wrong; those embryos are not just disposable bunches of cells, like warts or tumors; they are living human beings. This is also why racism, prejudice, human trafficking, bullying, and all kinds of unjust discrimination are wrong; every human being is created in God's image and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, no matter how different or weak or helpless they may be.

In the Second Reading, St. Paul emphasizes this when he points out that Jesus "became like his brothers and sisters in every way." By coming in human flesh and blood, Jesus comes already saving us and bringing God's forgiveness. He brings understanding of our weakness, for which He will show His mercy, Jesus showed us that God loves each of us, and He wants each of us to live in his friendship now and forever. And that love is unconditional; this is why St. Paul can call Jesus the "merciful and faithful high priest before God": In Jesus Christ, God shows us that his love for each and every one of us has no limits. 

On this feast, all of us who will follow Jesus Christ our Savior, must become candles to be purified of sin. In being consumed, we ourselves become light to illuminate the world around us with Jesus' truth and love. What a beautiful feast for us in this darkest and coldest time of winter, to be transformed into Jesus! As letter to Romans St. Paul wrote: “The Lord Jesus has won for us a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

The Holy Spirit gives hope to all who place their trust in the promises of God. God never fails because his promises are true and he is faithful. The hope which God places within us through the gift of the Spirit enables us to persevere with confident trust in God even in the face of trails, setbacks, and challenges that may come our way.    Is there anything holding us back from giving God our unqualified trust and submission to his will for our life?   Let’s allow the Lord Jesus to flood our heart with his peace, joy, and love. And offer to God everything we have and desire; such as our life, our family, our friends, health, honor, wealth, and our future. If we seek His kingdom first; He will give us everything we need to know, love, and serve Him now and enjoy Him forever.

Let’s give thank our loving God for the gift of his Son, the gift of life and the light of the world. Let’s ask our Lord Jesus, to be our hope and our life. So, we never cease to put all our trust in Him and have the courage to bring His light to shine the darkness that surrounds us!