Fr. Manuel João, comboni missionary
Sunday Reflection
from the womb of my whale, ALS
Our cross is the pulpit of the Word
The Feast of the Encounter
Year C – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Luke 2:22-40: “A light for revelation to the Gentiles”
On 2nd February, exactly 40 days after Christmas, the Church celebrates the liturgical feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. This year, as it falls on a Sunday, it takes precedence over the Sunday readings. This feast is popularly known as Candlemas, as on this day, candles are blessed, symbolising Christ, the light of the world.
This feast is very ancient: it originated in the East and spread to the West after the 6th century. In the past, it was dedicated to the Purification of the Virgin Mary, as recalled in today’s Gospel. According to Jewish custom, a woman was considered impure due to menstrual blood for a period of 40 days after giving birth to a male child (and for 80 days in the case of a female!). Like any observant Jewish woman, Mary, after forty days, went to the Temple to purify herself and offer a sacrifice in obedience to the Torah (Leviticus 12:1-8): a lamb and a dove, or, if she was poor, two turtledoves or two young pigeons. This explains why Mary and Joseph went to the Temple with Jesus and offered two turtledoves or two pigeons (Luke 2:22-24)
With Pope Paul VI’s liturgical reform (1969), today’s celebration regained its original title of the Presentation of the Lord.
According to Sacred Scripture, every firstborn, whether human or animal, belonged to God (Exodus 13:2). The firstborn son was redeemed by a payment of five silver shekels within 30 days of birth (Numbers 18:15-16). This redemption was a sign of the consecration of firstborns to God, in remembrance of the liberation from Egypt when God struck down the Egyptian firstborns but spared those of the Israelites (Exodus 13:1-2,11-16).
However, we note that in Sacred Scripture, there is no specific law requiring the presentation of the firstborn son in the Temple. Saint Luke does not mention the payment of the redemption but speaks instead of his presentation in the Temple.
The readings help us to understand the profound theological meaning of this feast.
In the first reading, the prophet Malachi (3:1-4) announces the Lord’s messianic entry into His Temple to purify both the priesthood and the people from their infidelities. Thus, the presentation of the Child prophetically foreshadows His entrance into the Temple to purify both worship and the Temple itself. Indeed, His body becomes the new Temple.
In the second reading, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews (2:14-18) presents Jesus, who, having become like His brothers in every way, became the merciful high priest, who came to purify the people from their sins.
The Gospel passage is rich in references to Sacred Scripture. Saint Luke is a refined storyteller and, in his writings, he masterfully blends biblical texts with different Jewish traditions. His intention is not so much historical as catechetical and theological.
Behind this seemingly simple and linear account, there are subtle allusions to various texts: Malachi’s prophecy of God’s entrance into His Temple (Malachi 3); the episode of young Samuel being brought to the Temple at Shiloh by his mother Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2); the account of the Ark of the Covenant being brought to Jerusalem (1 Kings 8); Ezekiel’s vision of the return of the “Glory of the Lord” (Shekinah); and finally, allusions to the prophet Daniel’s vision concerning Jerusalem and the Temple (Daniel 9).
We could therefore say that “Jesus enters the Temple not to consecrate Himself but to consecrate it and take possession of it. The reference to Malachi, Samuel, and Daniel reveals Luke’s deeper intention, which is not merely to recount simple ‘facts’ but ‘events,’ ‘kairòi,’ that embrace and determine all of history: that of Israel and the new one that begins with the birth of Jesus” (Paolo Farinella).
Points for Reflection
1. The Feast of “Here I Am”
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple can be reread in the light of Psalm 40:7-9, reinterpreted by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews in these terms: “When Christ came into the world, he said: […] ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will’” (Hebrews 10:5-10). This “Here I am” of Christ to the Father is, at the same time, a “Here I am” addressed to every person. The relationship of faith is a continuous loving dialogue between God’s “Here I am” and ours. However, the truth of our “Here I am” is concretely manifested in our response to the needs of others.
The drama of God and humanity is well expressed in these words: “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me, I was found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that did not call on my name” (Isaiah 65:1).
2. The Feast of the Encounter
This feast originated in the East under the name “Hypapante,” meaning “Encounter.” God comes to meet His people, and we go to meet Him. The procession, as a communal act, expresses this profound reality of the Christian faith: walking together towards the Lord. The physical movement recalls the spiritual movement of the soul.
This dimension of encounter is multi-faceted. Simeon and Anna represent believing Israel and the Old Testament welcoming the New. Moreover, this couple symbolises all humanity walking towards the light of Christ. Finally, the encounter between the elderly couple and the young couple, Joseph and Mary, expresses the communion between generations. Today’s feast is, therefore, a beautiful and eloquent icon of the Christian vocation and the ideal of a humanity journeying towards an encounter with God and with one another.
3. The Feast of Light
The theme of light is a fundamental and distinctive characteristic of this feast. Jesus is the Light that comes to illuminate every person, but the darkness did not receive it (John 1:4-9). For this reason, Jesus and every one of His disciples become a “sign of contradiction.” To live in the Light and be witnesses of the Light, we must accept being signs of contradiction, ready to face opposition from the “darkness” that will attempt to overcome the Light!
Fr. Manuel João Pereira Correia, mccj
