Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. – Luke 2:40

       On June 15, 2013, 17-year-old Ethan Couch stole two cases of beer from a Walmart store and drove away with seven passengers in his dad’s pickup truck. An hour later, he was thoroughly drunk.

       Meanwhile, Breanna Mitchell was stranded on a rural road with a stalled vehicle. Several people who were nearby came out to help. All of a sudden, Couch’s car swerved off the road and plowed into them, killing four people and injuring two others.

       The case was brought to court and resulted in a landmark verdict. Couch was given a light sentence because his lawyer argued he is a victim of “affluenza” – having wealthy, privileged parents who never set limits for him.

         Is affluenza real? The term highlights the issue of parents who provide for their children’s material needs but fail to equip them to become responsible adults.

       In our quest to provide the best for our children, let us not forget to form their characters as well. Let us ground them with good Christian values while young so they will have wings to bless the world when the time comes. Cecil Lim (cez_lim@yahoo.com)

Reflection: Do not just work to provide your kids with “loots and things.” Love them and guide them, so you can give them “roots and wings.” (Denis Waitley)

Loving Father, teach us what to give and what to withhold from our children. Give us the virtues we need to lead them by word and example.

St. Joan de Lestonnac, pray for us.

We should reflect on refining the aspects of our lives that need to be purified before we can receive the gift of eternal life with God. We can take the risky path and not address our sinfulness here and now and hope that we will have the opportunity to repent before we die; or we can start the process of purification and allow the Holy Spirit to burn those tendencies and habits that are contrary to God’s will.

1 Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. 3 He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord. 4 Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord, as in days of old, as in years gone by.

R: Who is the king of glory? It is the Lord!

7 Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! (R) 8 Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. (R) 9 Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! (R) 10 Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory. (R)

Jesus is fully human. If He did not take on our humanity, then the link to all that He does with us is broken. His passion, death and resurrection lose their power in our lives. Our Redeemer is a human being, and that is the point of His Incarnation. Jesus identifies with our condition, and as one of us, is able to redeem us through His obedience to the Father’s will. Because Jesus is also God, His work is perfect and can be applied to all men and women. He stands in our place and redeems us from our sins.

14 Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. 16 Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; 17 therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Simeon and Anna were not the only ones awaiting their Redeemer with fervent prayer and hope in God. It should be the same for us. We cannot leave the work of the Church — prayer and evangelization — only to the clerics and religious. We have to do our part as we await the Second Coming of the Lord. It is crucial that we participate in the enormous work of the Church. There are billions of people who still need to hear the Gospel, let alone the works of mercy and love that still need to be accomplished.

A light of revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel.

22 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23 just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, 24 and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 27 He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, 28 he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: 29 “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted 35 — and you yourself a sword will pierce — so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer. 38 And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

think: It is crucial that we participate in the enormous work of the Church.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Romans 13-16

WHERE IS YOUR TEMPLE?

People of Jesus’ time consider the temple as the center of their lives. Everything significant in their lives were “celebrated” in the temple. The scene in today’s Gospel depicts Joseph and Mary bringing to the temple the infant Jesus. As law-abiding Jews, Mary had to be brought to the temple as a form of purification for women who had just given birth. The firstborn male that opens the womb must also be brought to the temple as a gesture of thanksgiving, celebration and consecration to God.

       I remember a friend who is a true-blue netizen (a citizen of the Internet). Her regular posts include pictures of her outfits, especially if it’s a new dress, with hashtag OOTD (outfit of the day). Every new thing she buys — a book, gadget, tool — is posted on Facebook. I sent her a private message asking why she does it and she told me it’s a sort of “good luck” for the item she bought, a debut for the world to see.

       When I was younger, we were taught that when one buys new clothes, one always wears it first in Church as a thanksgiving to God (unless of course you bought a swimsuit), before you wear it somewhere else. It is a declaration of gratitude — that the new item is providence.

       But more than gratitude, it is also a form of consecration — that this new item will be used in a way that honors God, in a way that pleases God, in a way that will serve to further God’s purpose. That was how we sought good luck. That was how we debuted our newly bought items. Now we bring it first to the social media. How things have changed!

       I once received a text message that said, “Modern believers still struggle with the worship of idols… ours just have screens.” The feast of the Presentation of the Lord is not only a peek at an old custom. It is a reminder that the people of old “debut” to the temple everything they hold dear in their hearts because the temple is where God is. We moderns do it differently now. And that shows where our “temple” really is. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: Who, what or where is your temple? Do you still keep your cell phone on, intending to check on it even when  you’re inside the church?

Banish in me, Lord, anything and everything that will compete with Your proper place in my heart. Amen.