Book of Malachi 3,1-4. Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; 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. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner's fire, or like the fuller's lye. He will sit refining and purifying (silver), and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old, as in years gone by.
Psalms 24(23) 7.8.9.10. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!
Who is this king of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle.
Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!
Who is this king of glory? The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
Letter to the Hebrews 2,14-18. Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Chris t according to Saint Luke 2,22-40. When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord," and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons," in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel." The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord: when the infant Jesus was presented in the Temple by the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. Today is also World Day of Consecrated Life which recalls the great treasure in the Church of those who follow the Lord assiduously, by professing the evangelical counsels.
The Gospel (cf. Lk 2:22-40) narrates that 40 days after his birth, Jesus’ parents took their child to Jerusalem to consecrate him to God, as prescribed by Jewish Law. And as it describes a rite prescribed by tradition, this event brings to our attention the behaviour of some of the protagonists. They are caught at the very moment they experience the encounter with the Lord in the place where he makes himself present and close to mankind. They are Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna who are examples of welcome and offering as they offered their own lives to God. These four were not the same. They were all different but they all sought God and allowed themselves to be guided by the Lord.
The evangelist Luke describes all four of them in a twofold attitude: the attitude of movement and the attitude of wonder.
The first attitude is movement. Mary and Joseph head towards Jerusalem: meanwhile, moved by the Spirit, Simeon goes to the Temple, while Anna tirelessly serves God day and night. In this way the four protagonists of the Gospel passage show us that Christian life requires dynamism, and it requires a willingness to walk, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide one. Immobility suits neither Christian witness nor the Church’s mission. The world needs Christians who allow themselves to be moved, who do not tire of walking on life’s streets, to bring the comforting Word of Jesus to everyone. Every baptized person has received the vocation to proclaim — to proclaim something, to proclaim Jesus — the vocation and mission to evangelize: to proclaim Jesus! Parishes and various ecclesial communities are called to foster the commitment of young people, families and the elderly so that everyone can have a Christian experience, living the Church’s life and mission as protagonists.
The second attitude with which Saint Luke presents the four protagonists in the narrative is wonder. Mary and Joseph: “marvelled at what was said about him” (v. 33). Wonder is also an explicit reaction of the aged Simeon, who sees with his own eyes in the Child Jesus the redemption of God for his people: that redemption which he had awaited for years. And the same is true of Anna who “gave thanks to God” (v. 38) and went about pointing Jesus out to the people. She was a saintly chatterbox. She talked well, she talked of good, not bad things. She spoke, she announced: a saint who went from one woman to the next, making them see Jesus. These figures of believers were wrapped in wonder because they allowed themselves to be captivated by and involved in the events that occurred right before their eyes. The ability to be amazed at things around us promotes religious experience and makes the encounter with the Lord more fruitful. On the contrary, the inability to marvel makes us indifferent and widens the gap between the journey of faith and daily life.
Brothers and sisters, always [be] on the move and open to wonder!
May the Virgin Mary help us to contemplate every day in Jesus, God’s gift to us, and to allow ourselves to be engaged by him in the movement of the gift with joyful wonder so that our whole life may become a praise to God in the service to our brothers and sisters.
S. FAUSTI – No one has ever seen God. No one has ever known Him, much less named Him. It is the unnameable Name, the origin of every name! “Tell me Your Name” asks Jacob (Gen 32:30); “Show me Your Glory” asks Moses (Exodus 33:18); “Show me Your Face” plead countless Psalms. Seeing the Face of God is the salvation of man, who rediscovers his face. Saying the Name of God is rediscovering the Name that substantiates every name, it is finding that “You” that makes every “I” exist. The desire of all religions is to give a Face and a Name to God. What is the greatest desire of man is now satisfied. What a surprise to give the Name to Him who from nothing called all things and made them exist! The Name of God for man can only be “Jesus” that is “God saves”, both because naming God is the salvation of man, and because man is lost and can only know God as the One who saves him. That God who frightened us, because He is Most Holy, can be named in every place of perdition and despair, because He is Savior. God is for us who are lost and far from Him, because He is called Jesus, God-with-us and Savior. Luke lets us glimpse the sweetness of being able to call God by name, the sweetness, the power and the brightness of this Name, Jesus. The Lord visits His Temple. But He comes with the weakness of a Child and not to judge the non-observance of the law, but rather to submit Himself as the man to obedience to the Father whom we have disobeyed. He comes to pay our debt, offering Himself to Him who has offered everything. He is the giver of Life. Presenting it to Him means recognizing from Him the gift of Life and in Him Life itself as a gift, to be able to draw from it in abundance. Simeon, which means “God has listened”, is the man who “listens to the Word of God” and is just and pious. The Spirit promises him that he will see the Messiah of the Lord, the consolation of Israel, (Is 40:1), the fulfillment of the Word of God. As with all the prophets, the Spirit was upon him. Directed by this Spirit he comes to meet him. He can finally embrace him. Simeon's arms are the dry and two-thousand-year-old arms of Israel that receive the flower of Life. His voice is a cry of joy, suffocated by a very long wait, which finally explodes: a calm and uncontrollable cry, the flooding of a river that breaks the bank, the breath of all humanity, held in mortal fear, which now relaxes. Man, held in bondage in life by fear of death – in an insufficient and anguished life – is now satiated with life. He can retire satisfied from the banquet. Simeon's eyes no longer see the darkness before him, but the dawn of life, "the salvation" of God. This is the Glory of Israel, which sanctifies the Name of God and reflects on its face the Glory of His Face. Salvation is prepared by God "in the face of all peoples". It is not only for Israel. It is a light for all the peoples who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Jesus is still understandable to us today only starting from the Old Testament. Simeon is also able, moved by the Spirit, to predict his destiny to Mary. The Child will be both the cause of the fall and the resurrection for the multitudes of Israel. In fact, he brings a salvation that is unacceptable to all. For this reason, everyone is against him, they are scandalized by him and fall. The disciples first. But he is the Savior of all those who have fallen. The mystery of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord is foreshadowed here. This is the Word that like a double-edged sword will pierce the heart of every disciple and of the whole Church, of which Mary is a figure. This mystery will live continually in the history of the disciple who retraces His same path from the Cross to Glory.
Book of Malachi
RispondiElimina3,1-4.
Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; 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.
But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner's fire, or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying (silver), and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old, as in years gone by.
Psalms 24(23)
7.8.9.10.
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
Letter to the
Hebrews 2,14-18.
Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham;
therefore, he had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Chris
t according to Saint Luke
2,22-40.
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,"
and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons," in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel."
The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
POPE FRANCIS
RispondiEliminaANGELUS 2 February 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good Morning,
Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord: when the infant Jesus was presented in the Temple by the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. Today is also World Day of Consecrated Life which recalls the great treasure in the Church of those who follow the Lord assiduously, by professing the evangelical counsels.
The Gospel (cf. Lk 2:22-40) narrates that 40 days after his birth, Jesus’ parents took their child to Jerusalem to consecrate him to God, as prescribed by Jewish Law. And as it describes a rite prescribed by tradition, this event brings to our attention the behaviour of some of the protagonists. They are caught at the very moment they experience the encounter with the Lord in the place where he makes himself present and close to mankind. They are Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna who are examples of welcome and offering as they offered their own lives to God. These four were not the same. They were all different but they all sought God and allowed themselves to be guided by the Lord.
The evangelist Luke describes all four of them in a twofold attitude: the attitude of movement and the attitude of wonder.
The first attitude is movement. Mary and Joseph head towards Jerusalem: meanwhile, moved by the Spirit, Simeon goes to the Temple, while Anna tirelessly serves God day and night. In this way the four protagonists of the Gospel passage show us that Christian life requires dynamism, and it requires a willingness to walk, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide one. Immobility suits neither Christian witness nor the Church’s mission. The world needs Christians who allow themselves to be moved, who do not tire of walking on life’s streets, to bring the comforting Word of Jesus to everyone. Every baptized person has received the vocation to proclaim — to proclaim something, to proclaim Jesus — the vocation and mission to evangelize: to proclaim Jesus! Parishes and various ecclesial communities are called to foster the commitment of young people, families and the elderly so that everyone can have a Christian experience, living the Church’s life and mission as protagonists.
The second attitude with which Saint Luke presents the four protagonists in the narrative is wonder. Mary and Joseph: “marvelled at what was said about him” (v. 33). Wonder is also an explicit reaction of the aged Simeon, who sees with his own eyes in the Child Jesus the redemption of God for his people: that redemption which he had awaited for years. And the same is true of Anna who “gave thanks to God” (v. 38) and went about pointing Jesus out to the people. She was a saintly chatterbox. She talked well, she talked of good, not bad things. She spoke, she announced: a saint who went from one woman to the next, making them see Jesus. These figures of believers were wrapped in wonder because they allowed themselves to be captivated by and involved in the events that occurred right before their eyes. The ability to be amazed at things around us promotes religious experience and makes the encounter with the Lord more fruitful. On the contrary, the inability to marvel makes us indifferent and widens the gap between the journey of faith and daily life.
Brothers and sisters, always [be] on the move and open to wonder!
May the Virgin Mary help us to contemplate every day in Jesus, God’s gift to us, and to allow ourselves to be engaged by him in the movement of the gift with joyful wonder so that our whole life may become a praise to God in the service to our brothers and sisters.
S. FAUSTI – No one has ever seen God. No one has ever known Him, much less named Him.
RispondiEliminaIt is the unnameable Name, the origin of every name! “Tell me Your Name” asks Jacob (Gen 32:30); “Show me Your Glory” asks Moses (Exodus 33:18); “Show me Your Face” plead countless Psalms.
Seeing the Face of God is the salvation of man, who rediscovers his face.
Saying the Name of God is rediscovering the Name that substantiates every name, it is finding that “You” that makes every “I” exist. The desire of all religions is to give a Face and a Name to God.
What is the greatest desire of man is now satisfied. What a surprise to give the Name to Him who from nothing called all things and made them exist!
The Name of God for man can only be “Jesus” that is “God saves”, both because naming God is the salvation of man, and because man is lost and can only know God as the One who saves him. That God who frightened us, because He is Most Holy, can be named in every place of perdition and despair, because He is Savior. God is for us who are lost and far from Him, because He is called Jesus, God-with-us and Savior.
Luke lets us glimpse the sweetness of being able to call God by name, the sweetness, the power and the brightness of this Name, Jesus.
The Lord visits His Temple. But He comes with the weakness of a Child and not to judge the non-observance of the law, but rather to submit Himself as the man to obedience to the Father whom we have disobeyed. He comes to pay our debt, offering Himself to Him who has offered everything.
He is the giver of Life. Presenting it to Him means recognizing from Him the gift of Life and in Him Life itself as a gift, to be able to draw from it in abundance.
Simeon, which means “God has listened”, is the man who “listens to the Word of God” and is just and pious.
The Spirit promises him that he will see the Messiah of the Lord, the consolation of Israel, (Is 40:1), the fulfillment of the Word of God. As with all the prophets, the Spirit was upon him.
Directed by this Spirit he comes to meet him. He can finally embrace him.
Simeon's arms are the dry and two-thousand-year-old arms of Israel that receive the flower of Life. His voice is a cry of joy, suffocated by a very long wait, which finally explodes: a calm and uncontrollable cry, the flooding of a river that breaks the bank, the breath of all humanity, held in mortal fear, which now relaxes.
Man, held in bondage in life by fear of death – in an insufficient and anguished life – is now satiated with life. He can retire satisfied from the banquet.
Simeon's eyes no longer see the darkness before him, but the dawn of life, "the salvation" of God. This is the Glory of Israel, which sanctifies the Name of God and reflects on its face the Glory of His Face.
Salvation is prepared by God "in the face of all peoples". It is not only for Israel.
It is a light for all the peoples who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Jesus is still understandable to us today only starting from the Old Testament.
Simeon is also able, moved by the Spirit, to predict his destiny to Mary.
The Child will be both the cause of the fall and the resurrection for the multitudes of Israel.
In fact, he brings a salvation that is unacceptable to all. For this reason, everyone is against him, they are scandalized by him and fall. The disciples first. But he is the Savior of all those who have fallen.
The mystery of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord is foreshadowed here.
This is the Word that like a double-edged sword will pierce the heart of every disciple and of the whole Church, of which Mary is a figure. This mystery will live continually in the history of the disciple who retraces His same path from the Cross to Glory.
PRAYER
RispondiEliminaO Mary, today you humbly ascended to the Temple,
carrying your Divine Son and offered Him to the Father
for the salvation of all men.
Today the Holy Spirit revealed to the world that Christ
is the Glory of Israel and the Light of the Gentiles.
We pray to you, O Holy Virgin, present us too,
who are also your children, to the Lord and grant that, renewed in spirit,
we may walk in the light of Christ
until we meet Him Glorious in eternal life.