Feast of the
Presentation of the Lord
(Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:32)
The agent of a dietary food sold his products to people
who wanted to lose weight and retain strength.
He had to convince them to undergo a rigorous diet. He told his clients to spend whole days imbibing
only the liquid shake of protein and vitamins.
He said that the process would provide energy while purifying the people
of the fats that had accumulated inside their bodies. We can see today’s feast as having a similar
effect.
The first reading describes the coming of the prophet
into the Temple as a refiners’ fire. It
means that his words, given by the Lord, will purify the people of rebelliousness. The gospel foretells the cleansing taking
place with Jesus whom Simeon sees as causing the fall of the self-contented and
the rise of those who strive to do God’s will.
But Jesus will have more far-reaching effect. He will bring the pagan nations to the God of
Israel as was promised by the prophet Isaiah.
He will show them that the Lord does not require heroic deeds but faith
in him.
We have an ancient custom of processing with burning
candles today. We should note its
significance. The flame burns away the candle
fat to produce light. It is a way of showing
the Christian mystery. By putting faith in Jesus Christians remove their
egotism and shine his glory in the world.
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