The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a combined Feast that also honors and celebrates the purification of Mary.  There is a Jewish practice of the presentation of the firstborn to God in the Temple and his buying back (redemption) from God and the purification of the mother after childbirth. During the period following birth, she was considered ritually unclean and could not enter the temple.

        This feast has a biblical origin.  In the Book of Leviticus (12:2-8), a woman who bore a child was unclean for forty days following childbirth.  The custom was practiced for the physical and emotional reintegration of the new mother into the community.  In the Book of Exodus (13:2, 12-13), the Law prescribes that every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord. The Book of Numbers (18: 15) taught that since every Jewish firstborn male child belonged to Yahweh, the parents had to sort of “buy back” or redeem the child by offering “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Jesus never needed to be “repurchased,” as he belonged wholly to the Lord, but Joseph kept these laws as an act of obedience to God. 

         Our Gospel reading mentions the presence of two old, pious, and Spirit-filled individuals, Simeon and Anna. They had been waiting in the Temple for the revelation of God’s salvation. Simon took Jesus into his arms and said, “Now is the time of fulfillment. A savior has been born for you.” The time of waiting is over.

        Simeon warned Mary that her child would be “a sign of contradiction” and that she would be “pierced with a sword.” Simeon prophesies both the universal salvation that Jesus proclaims and the necessity of suffering in the mission of the Messiah. Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, yet He would be a sign of contradiction.  Some people would reject Him and His teachings.  But for those who would accept Him with faith, Jesus would be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising them to eternal life.  Simeon takes the Child and recognizes Jesus as the Lord’s anointed one. The Salvation is for all peoples—to God’s people, Israel, and the Gentiles.  Jesus will bring light to the world.

        Yes, Jesus is the light. He will bring the good news to the poor. Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

Lights are a symbol of hope.  For example, a person lost in a dark cave turns a corner and is relieved to see a ray of sunlight breaking through a crack. A person adrift on a life raft in the middle of the ocean at night is excited when he can say, “I see the light of a ship on the horizon.” People in darkness are delighted to see a light. It’s a symbol of hope. It’s a symbol of life.

       Sometimes, we are placed in darkness. When we are so afraid of our future and the future of our family, when we are in so much grief, when we experience the pain of our brokenness, when we think our world is ending, when we are so overwhelmed, when we cannot understand why a terrible mishap is happening in our lives, when human efforts fail—it is the word of God that brings us light.  The word of God brings perspective to our life.  The word of God is light. 

           Jesus presented himself as the Light of the world. Simon’s words remain on us as our light. Let us change our words so that we begin to create a new and hopeful reality in our lives.  Allow the words of God to dwell only in our hearts as our light, and we will end in victory.

          Every Holy Mass in which we participate is our presentation. Although we were officially presented to God on the day of our Baptism, we present ourselves and our dear ones on the altar before God our Father through our Savior Jesus Christ at every Holy Mass. Hence, we need to live our daily lives with the awareness that we are dedicated people consecrated to God and are obliged to lead holy lives, which is the light that directs us to Jesus. May we, like Joseph, obey God’s law and humbly submit ourselves to God’s grace. Let us make the light of Jesus shine brightly in our lives and homes!