With Opened Bible
Presentation of Jesus
“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”
Today, we celebrate the third epiphany of the Lord. What is the spiritual meaning of this event? Let us first recall that Jesus, the Son of God, born of Mary, solemnly manifested himself three times during Christmas. The first was on the day of his birth: the epiphany to the poor represented by the shepherds. (Luke 1:8-20). The second was the one Intended for the pagan Nations, that is to say, the world. It is the manifestation to the Magi. (Mathew 2:1-11) And the third, not the least, is the Presentation at the Temple. It is the manifestation to the righteous, as represented by Simeon and Anna, who recognized Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. (Luke 2:27-38)
After the Second Vatican Council, the third epiphany was removed from the Christmas cycle. The nativity scenes were removed from the Church on February 2nd, the final stage in the celebration of Christmas. This change in the liturgical calendar marks a shift in our spiritual journey. Let us return to the question posed above.
What is the spiritual meaning of the Presentation of Jesus, the Firstborn male, to the Lord? To understand the Presentation of Jesus, we must return to the founding event that marked the History of the Jews and their spirituality: the tenth plague of Egypt. Pharaoh stood up to God and did not want to let his People go. After the first nine signs of power, God chose to touch the sensitive point of Egypt: its firstborn sons. God spared the firstborn of Israel by the Blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of the houses. (Exodus 12:12-13) From this event, the Law of Moses would require that every firstborn male (human or beast) be offered to the Lord. (Numbers 18:15-16) By presenting Jesus in the Temple as the firstborn of Mary, Saint Luke wants to remind us of the importance of obedience to the Word of God. This event is crucial for our faith because it serves as a powerful reminder that obedience to God's Word is not just a duty, but one of the best ways to please and serve him. It inspires us to follow in the footsteps of Mary and Joseph, who obeyed the Law of Moses. Mary and Joseph obeyed the Law of Moses. But do we Christians obey the Law of Love? (Letter to the Romans 13:10)
