PRESENTATION OF THE LORD

Fourty days after Christmas, the liturgical celebration invites us to focus on the presentation of the Lord. It is a feast that is celebrated every year on February 2. On this feast we celebrate three ancient ceremonies, namely, Circumcision of the child, Redemption of the first born and Purification of the mother after birth.

Jesus was raised in a law-abiding family and therefore, his parents brought him into God’s presence. By doing this the encounter between God and the expectant humanity took place. Also, humanity encountered one another when Mary and Joseph encountered Simeon and Anna. In all this, learning happened, and experiences were shared, while dreams also were fulfilled. In Simeon and Anna, we see icons of hope and dedication.

The Lord who enters in his Temple as prophesied by Malachi meets his people with light that shines. His glory is made visible and as the letter to the Hebrews states, he, Christ the mediator unites God and man while abolishing every distance and eliminating every division among peoples.

Christians celebrate this feast every year to remind themselves their call to become the light of Christ and dispel the darkness in our world with God’s love and our lives of witness. The feast also reminds us to seek the face of God without losing hope due to our life situations that can seem to overwhelm us with doubts, but to keep our faith burning and shining waiting for God’s time to appear.

Joy and Peace.