Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Dear friends,

Happy Feast of the Presentation of the Lord!

In today’s gospel, Mary and Joseph bring their newborn baby Jesus to be presented in the temple according to Jewish custom. At this time, the people of Israel were awaiting the coming of the promised Messiah, the One of whom the Old Testament prophets spoke, as we hear in the first reading from Malachi today: “And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”

When the baby Jesus arrives to be presented in the temple, there are two people there who recognize him as the Messiah and receive him with great joy and thanksgiving: Simeon and Anna. Simeon was a righteous Jewish man, and Anna was an elderly widow, but I think we have a lot to learn from them today. What allowed them to recognize the newborn Jesus as the Messiah in their midst?

Simeon and Anna waited patiently on God to fulfill His promises with hopeful expectation and unwavering faith. Simeon knew with certainty, as the Holy Spirit had promised, that he would not die until he saw Christ. Anna, too, was convinced that God would fulfill His promise to send the Messiah, and because of this, she “never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.”

I invite you to reflect today: Where in your life are you waiting for God to fulfill His promises to you? And what is the disposition of your heart in the midst of waiting? Are you tempted to give up hope, to move on, to walk away from the temple? Let us learn from Simeon and Anna, who waited patiently and faithfully on the Lord, knowing that He would fulfill His every word. Like Simeon, pay attention to how the Holy Spirit is leading you. Like Anna, strive to incorporate fasting and prayer into your everyday life. The more we draw close to God through prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments, the more our hearts will be prepared to receive the gifts He wants to give us, in His perfect timing. Like Simeon and Anna, if we draw close to Him in the waiting, we will recognize Him when He comes.

God bless,

Emily Broderick, FOCUS & Nazareth Group