Today we get the unique opportunity of celebrating the Presentation of the Lord on a Sunday which happens every 5 or 6 years. February 2nd has had much significance in the traditions of the Church over the years and still to this day. Candlemas, the traditional day of blessing candles, occurs on this day and for some, February 2nd marks the end of the Christmas season. But regardless of traditions or celebrations that go along with the day, the feast is one of significance within the life of Jesus, and calls us to evangelization.
Today we celebrate Mary and Joseph bringing young Jesus to the temple to present Him to God. This was the custom for all first born Jewish males as a remembrance of the Passover, when all first born sons were spared because of the shedding of the blood of the unblemished lamb. In today’s feast, we see the new unblemished lamb (Jesus) being presented to God who would be the salvation for all men and women who come to God through Him.
As the Holy Family enters the temple, the prophet and prophetess Simeon and Anna recognize Jesus as the coming Messiah and prophecy that Jesus will not just be the light of the Jewish people, but to all of the nations. Simeon continued to prophecy that Jesus would lead to the rise and fall of many, and Mary would be pierced through from her sorrow. God had revealed His plan to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the Three Wise Men. Now Simeon and Anna have been added to those who are in the know.
But with knowledge comes the responsibility of relaying the information we have learned, especially since it is Good News. And as we journey forward from advent and Christmas we see that the essential figures take evangelization to heart. Mary hastens to Elizabeth and her family. The Shepherds tell of the newborn child to all who will listen, and the Wisemen return to their homeland, no doubt sharing with their homeland their intriguing experience. As His life continues, everyone who encounters Jesus and understands who He is – even as an infant – is compelled to tell others about Him (for good or for ill). The Good News of God’s love being HERE is so incredible, we all have a reaction to it.
This means that the burden is now on us. We have been given the fantastic news. God loves us in the here and now and has humbled Himself to be with us to save us in the person of His Son Jesus. We can choose to believe it and be overjoyed by the news or reject it because we do not believe it is possible or care. But wherever we land on the situation, we must talk about it and act. Herod did. Mary did. Peter did. Judas did. The Sanhedren and the Romans did. The Saints and Angels do to this day. As Simeon says, Jesus will be a point of contradiction. How we react to the Good News will vary. How others react to our evangelization will also vary. But we must evangelize. If we don’t, it just means that we do not truly believe the message, because someone who understands the claim will not be silent.
Jesus is here and He is the light to both Jews and Gentiles to save us all. Death has lost its power and the world needs to hear it. It is up to us, those who understand and believe, to spread that message in faith and love so that all might come to believe for the glory of God.
