The Presentation of the Lord
Luke 2:22-40
When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord- observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord- and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:Presentation of Jesus ‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel’.
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected, and a sword will pierce your own soul too so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare’.
There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.
Friends, in Holy Week of 1945, the then Bishop of Venice, Angelo Roncali was on retreat. He was at that time 65 years old. Since he was 14 Roncali had kept a diary, a record of his growth in life and holiness. During that retreat he wrote in his diary: “I must not disguise myself from the truth: I am definitely approaching old age. My mind resents this and almost rebels, for I still feel so young, eager, agile, and alert. But one look in the mirror disillusions me. This is the season of maturity…but I do not weep…I look to the future, brief or long as it may be …because I want to make it holy and a source of holiness for others.”
Well, 13 years later, at the young age of 78, Angelo Roncali was elected Pope! He took the name John XXIII. It was believed that at most, he would be a caretaker Pope, maintaining the status-quo. However, this humble, sincere smiling Pope, was anything but. His youthful, eager, and observant spirit emboldened him to convene the Second Vatican Council, which initiated a monumental period of renewal for the Church at that time. Extracts from his diaries would be published later, titled ‘Journey of a Soul.’
Pope John XXIII was canonised in 2014 and he proved that age, in any direction, is no barrier for faithful discipleship, positive energy, brave vision, and courageous faith. Age is no obstacle either to Pope Francis, elected at 76 years young, and who continues to follow God’s call faithfully and reverently in his life. Age could not stop the teenager Carlo Acutis, who before his death at the young age of fifteen in 2006, had such a tremendous devotion to the Eucharist, that it became a core focus and meaning of his young life, baffling even his family who were not religious. He will be canonised a Saint this April, the first millennial Saint.
We forget not either, Sr. Clare Crockett, a thirty-three-year-old nun and a native of Derry, who died protecting young children during an earthquake in South America in 2016. Recently, Sr. Clare was declared a ‘Servant of God,’ the first step on the path to Sainthood. They, and many others prove that faith is ageless, living in faith inexhaustible, and that regardless of age we are all called to be servants of God. God’s call has no use-by date, it has no statute of limitations.
As we celebrate the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, our readings remind us of other people of various ages who over the centuries, recognised God as the light of the world, and served Him faithfully. Melachi, the mature Prophet of our first reading, spoke that God’s judgment was coming on His enemies, but that God’s people had to be more concerned about their own relationship with Him than with anyone else’s fate.
St. Paul, the middle-aged author of the letter to the Hebrews, often described himself as a “servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle.” Having been struck and captivated by Christ, Paul devoted the remainder of his life to the Lord Jesus, encouraging others to be devoted also, living as one family in God. Mary and Joseph, a young couple, fulfil their religious duty by presenting Jesus in the Temple, placing a solid trust in God to protect Him, and them. Simeon and Anna, both elderly, serve God day and night in the Temple, praying continually.
Together, all these people remind us that we are all called, in our own way and at every stage of our life, to keep faith. They teach us to keep focused on our relationship with God, to inspire and encourage others to a similar relationship, and to keep praying. They tell us that God’s timing is not our timing, and to have trust even if God’s promise and answer is taking longer than we’d like.
Friends, Jesus is the light of the world, and of our lives. We are never too young, and never too old in holding the flame of faith for Him. Let us make our time holy and a source of holiness for others.
Fr. Richard