‘Simeon carried the child, but the child was the old man’s Lord. The Virgin gave birth to the child yet remained a virgin forever, kneeling in worship before her Lord’ (Presentation of the Lord, Evening Prayer I)

This Feast of the Presentation of the Lord commemorates the Holy Family’s reception in the midst of the Lord’s Temple (see Psalm 47:10-11).

This is Candlemas, 40 days after Christmas, the Nativity of the Lord, when Jesus, the Light of Life is given birth (recall the hymn O Nata Lux).

This is an amazing commemoration.

It is like our commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord, when His Baptism actually sanctifies the Baptismal waters for our salvation.

Here, Jesus is presented in the Temple by Joseph and Mary not for their purification, for theirs is the model of Chastity.
Rather, this is for our purification, in Christ’s purifying Light.

This is fulfilling the Law of Moses, as we hear, in perfect Obedience to the Will of the Lord
(Luke 2:22; Leviticus 12; Exodus 13).
Yet Jesus IS the Law of Moses, and the fulfillment of all the Law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17).

Mary carries Jesus to the Temple gates, yet she is the gate of heaven, carrying the Light of the world, the King of Glory (Psalm 24; Procession Antiphon of the Feast).

*Presentation of Jesus in the Temple*, by Rembrandt

Even so, this Holy Family of our Rich Lord of heaven and earth deigns to be poor, and offers the poor offering of two turtledoves (Bede). They model poverty, as in the Beatitudes we heard last Sunday, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:1-12).

From the Passover, when the blood of a lamb rescues from death, every firstborn is consecrated the Lord, to be redeemed by the offering of a lamb.
The Holy Family does not offer any animal to redeem their firstborn.

Jesus IS the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Christ offers Himself for us, in His total gift of Himself, for our redemption, for our salvation.

Righteous and devout Simeon is carried into the Temple by the Spirit, to receive and carry the light of the child Jesus.
Yet this child is the Lord of Simeon’s life, the Saviour of the world
(Canticle of Mary, Evening Prayer I).

Simeon prophesises that Christ’s Light will be spoken against by the powers of darkness, and a sword of sorrow will pierce Mary’s heart, when Christ offers His perfect and unique Sacrifice on the Cross (CCC#529).

The Virgin Mary gave birth to the child Jesus yet remained a virgin forever, and kneels in worship before her Lord, at the foot of the Cross (Canticle of Mary, Evening Prayer I).

In this temple, with Simeon, with the Holy Family, may we kneel before our Holy Redeemer, the Saving Lord of our life. May we present ourselves with minds purified and enlightened by the Light of Christ (Collect Prayer).

May we present the light of Christ, in a cold and darkened world.

The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is the day that the Church celebrates the World Day of Consecrated Life.

All are called to follow Christ in the evangelical counsels of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience modelled by Christ and the Holy Family in today’s Gospel, according to our situation in life (VC§12).

All Christians are called to live out, with the strength of the Holy Spirit, the chastity appropriate to their state of life, obedience to God and the Church, and a reasonable detachment from material possessions (VC§30).

Some are called to a consecrated life conformed and committed to Christ, to follow Him wherever He leads (VC§18).

Most of us have Baptism, the Law of the Lord and His Commandments, and our purification and enlightenment in His Beatitudes.

Some profess the Evangelical Counsels for their way in perfection, and we give thanks for their taking of Christ’s mission in His Way.

All of us are called to present the Light of Christ, otherwise we are opposed, in contradiction (see Luke 2:34).