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Scripture Reflections

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord – Feb. 2

READINGS
Malachi 3:1-4
Hebrews 2:14-18
Luke 2:22-40



By Msgr. Robert H. Aucoin
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Christmas time is filled with surprises. We plan for the regular routine of Christmas: crib, Mass, meals, presents. We look forward to repeating and celebrating and reliving this great feast.

But amid the routine events of Christmas, there are the surprises. The unexpected gift, the unplanned visitors, and maybe the unwanted extra burdens. Yes, Christmas is filled with routine and surprises.

The feast of the Presentation of the Lord is replete with routine and surprise. This feast occurs on February 2. So, when that date is a Sunday, it replaces the Sunday readings. Isn’t that a surprise!

The Gospel tells us that, according to custom, Mary and Joseph went to the temple in Jerusalem to present their new child to the Lord. Who knows what they were saying to each other or thinking as they traveled. Little did they know that the words from Malachi in the first reading would be fulfilled in their lives. “And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.” Isn’t that a surprise!

Can you imagine yourself bringing your child for baptism into the church and having a stranger hold your baby and his saying something like: “Well, now, I have seen everything. My life is complete. This is the child who will fulfill all my expectations.” Imagine his surprise and certainly that of the child’s parents.

Mary and Joseph were without a doubt pleasantly surprised at Simeon’s words. However, their delight may have turned to sorrow when Simeon added “and you yourself a sword will pierce.” A seemingly ordinary couple with an ordinary child approached by an ordinary man with extraordinary and unexpected comments and warnings.

The prophetess Anna, a daily participant in the temple, adds her comments to the situation. She, too, envisions this child as the fulfillment of “all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Place yourself into this Gospel scene and, like Simeon and Anna, bask in knowing who this child is, what this child will do, and ultimately realizing that this child will be humanity’s savior, the chosen one, the Christ who is the savior of humanity and your personal savior. Can it get any better than this? To add to the wonder and surprise, we, too, share in this awe each time we receive the Eucharist.

The Presentation of the Lord is not just a moment in time. The feast reminds us that Jesus truly is for the world and for each one of us.

Would you like a surprise in your life? Reflect carefully the second reading of this Sunday’s Mass - Hebrews 2:14-18. Jesus is not just a man; Jesus is God who became one of us in order to save us, to free us from sin, to give us a new perspective on life, and to help us on the right path to eternal life. Committing one’s life as a faithful disciple of Jesus will bring surprises now and into eternity.

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