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| The presentation to the Temple |
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| Luke 2, 22-39 |
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| The four evangelists began their testimony by presenting John the Baptist who preceded Jesus but only one, Luke, began with the birth of these two persons: two outstanding persons with astonishing events accompanying their birth, two young children being the object of prophecies to announce their extraordinary destiny, especially the destiny of Jesus of whom John the Baptist is the precursor. Luke was using a process known in literature and very often used to warn the reader: be attentive, these people are not ordinary beings! |
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| It is for this purpose that the evangelist related to us the presentation of Jesus to the Temple. |
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| A literary process does not mean cut off from reality. It is probable that Jesus’ parents followed the Jewish prescriptions of this time. In fact there were two rites in one for the presentation to the Temple: the offering to God of the first-born son and the purification of Mary. For the Jews, blood is impure. This second rite seems to us rather out-of-date, we cannot see a young women being tarnished because of becoming a mother. It is why the celebration that takes place on February 2 is not anymore called the purification of Mary but only the presentation of the Lord. Beyond the Jewish celebrations, the popular worship named this celebration the Candlemas, the “feast of the candles”. It is the feast of the lights by reference to the prophecy of Simeon who took the child in his arms and said: “ Lord, now let your servant die in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation ... a light to lighten the nations” The prophetess Anna, an old women who was staying all the time in the Temple, following Simeon, confirmed that this child was the one who was waited to bring salvation and be the light of the world. |
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The light lightens the road and gives it a direction, a meaning. The light brought by Jesus is an extraordinary hope for our humanity, to live in peace and solidarity, to develop values greater than our own limited existence. |
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| Any human being is called to give a meaning to his life otherwise he will fall into a non-sense; he is called to trace his road in life, in reference or not to Jesus. The believers have to accomplish the same effort. It is to them to discern the light of Jesus in any person of good will who governs his life following the message: “love one another” If so, they will be enlightened not by a supernatural light, with the risk of never finding it, but enlightened by the life of their brothers and sisters. Like Simeon, we will be able to thank God, because we will see the light that enlightens the world. |
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