[00:00:05] Hello! My name is Sally Moriarty-Flask; welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, February 2, 2025, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
[00:00:24] This week's episode is entitled: Recognizing God's Glory. And in these readings, we'll ask ourselves if we are willing to be faithful, prayerful people able to see and recognize God's glory.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
The inspired word of God is intended to teach us, strengthen us, and challenge us… it teaches us about God, it strengthens us to live according to his teaching, and it challenges us to be the best version of ourselves, to be holy and righteous. Are we up for the challenge?
[00:01:08] Let's begin. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:13] Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the great gift of your word recorded for us in Sacred Scripture. Help us to understand what you teach so that we can live each day as your faithful disciples. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:33] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:39] Our Gospel this week is from Luke 2: 22-40.
[00:01:46] “When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to the temple to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’ And his father and mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, ‘Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and [to be] a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.’ And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan’uel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”
[00:04:21] This Sunday we are fortunate to observe the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. It always takes place on February 2nd, which is precisely 40 days after Christmas, but it doesn't always take place on a Sunday. The last time the Feast of the Presentation fell on Sunday was in 2020.
[00:04:43] Jewish law sets forth two requirements about the birth of a male child. The first, from the book of Leviticus, was that any male child must be circumcised eight days after his birth. In the verse immediately preceding today's passage, Luke tells us that Jesus was circumcised and named on the eighth day after his birth. The purpose of this ceremony was to declare that the infant was now legally a member - not only of his own family, thereby entitled to all rights and legal protections inherent with that status - but also a member of the entire Jewish people and, as such, formally incorporated into the promises of the Covenant… those promises that extend all the way back to Abraham. So, that was a highly significant and joyous celebration.
The second requirement, from the book of Exodus, was that every firstborn male child be consecrated to the Lord. This consecration (or dedication) of the firstborn male child served as a perpetual tribute to God for sparing the firstborn males of the Israelites from the Tenth Plague in Egypt. If you remember, the Tenth Plague was the death of every firstborn of both man and beast throughout the land of Egypt. The firstborn of the Israelites were spared because the Israelites had coated their doorposts and lintels with the blood of unblemished lambs and that blood served as a sign for the angel of death to pass over those dwellings which, of course, established the Jewish feast of Passover, which is still celebrated to this day.
Jewish law also stipulated that every woman who gave birth present an appropriate sacrifice in the Temple in order to be ritually purified… 40 days after giving birth to a male child, 80 days for a female child. Mary, as a faithful Jewish woman, fulfilled the requirements of the Law by presenting herself in the Temple at the proper time. That is why this Feast used to be called the Feast of the Purification of Mary. In 1969, when the Church calendar was updated to reflect the changes instituted by the Second Vatican Council, the Feast was renamed the Presentation of the Lord, thereby placing a greater emphasis on Jesus while still commemorating Mary's humble ritual purification. Luke is the only evangelist to include this event in his Gospel. Mary's purification and the dedication of the infant Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple reminds us that the Temple was the preeminent place of encounter between God and his people and, as such, the perfect location to emphasize that Jesus was publicly handed over to - or dedicated to - God his Father.
[00:08:13] So, with all that in mind, let's open up Luke's Gospel…
[00:08:18] “When the time came for their purification, according to the law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’)
The law of the Lord is, of course, Mosaic law as recorded in Scripture. This specific quote is from Exodus 13, where, as I mentioned earlier, the firstborn male child is offered in tribute to God for God's mercy in sparing the firstborn of the Israelites during the captivity in Egypt.
“and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’”
That quote comes from Leviticus 12. The actual sacrifice, as specified in Leviticus, was a year-old lamb and a young pigeon or a turtle dove but if the family could not afford a lamb, then two turtledoves or two young pigeons would suffice. Mary and Joseph were not wealthy, so they offered the less costly selection.
[00:09:35] “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”
[00:09:49] The CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL that Luke is referring to is the culmination of the prophecies made to the Chosen People down through the ages - it meant the coming of the Messiah.
“And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.”
These words illustrate for us that Simeon had spent a lifetime listening to God speak to him through prayer and Sacred Scripture. Because of his devotion, Simeon was given a great gift by the Holy Spirit - the promise that he would see the Messiah during his lifetime!
“Inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, [Simeon] took [Jesus] up in his arms”
It is highly unlikely that Mary would have been the only woman to bring her child to the temple on that day, yet after a lifetime of waiting and longing - Simeon was able to recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah.
[00:11:08] “[Simeon] blessed God”
So, the reason for that is for the great favor that was shown to him in being able to see the long-awaited Messiah during his lifetime.
“[Simeon] blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’”
These words are known as the Canticle of Simeon and they are part of Compline or Night Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. They are prayed at the end of each day as a means of asking God for a peaceful end to our day and to our lives. Luke tells us that Simeon recognized Jesus as a manifestation of God's glory… and we can see that clearly in the words of his prayer: YOUR SALVATION, A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES, GLORY TO ISRAEL.
[00:12:20] Other Jews who were present in the Temple that day were unable to recognize God's glory in that little babe. But what if we would have been there? Would we have gone about our day unaware of the great blessing in our midst? Or would we have been faith-filled and open - as Simeon was - and thereby able to recognize God's glory? We can only speculate, but we can do so based on our habits as we live our lives now. So, I think that's a fair question to ask. Which one would we have been? Would we have been attentive or not?
[00:13:08] “And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him;”
Imagine how unsettled Mary and Joseph must have felt having so many strangers adore and praise their son! Think about it… it started with the shepherds, the angels, the Magi, now Simeon, and soon Anna. That had to be quite troubling.
[00:13:39] “and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and [to be] a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts shall be revealed.’”
[00:14:02] What Simeon is telling Mary is that Jesus' fate will be a difficult one, that he will not have an easy life, and that she will experience unspeakable grief… and we know that because we already know the end of this story. But, again, imagine how disturbing those words must have been for that young mother. And, of course, Catholics have a great devotion to what we call the Immaculate Heart of Mary and that is always depicted as being pierced with a sword… especially because of this passage, particularly because of this passage.
[00:15:00] “And there was a prophetess. Anna,”
A prophetess, in biblical times, was a person who revealed or explained hidden truths.
[00:15:12] “Anna, the daughter of Phan’uel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity,”
From the date of her marriage
“and as a widow till she was eighty-four.”
[00:15:29] Remember, numbers in Scripture are always significant. Anna's age is a product of two perfect numbers: 7 (the fullness of creation) and 12 (the tribes of Israel). So those two numbers together make 84, meaning that Anna - at her age - personifies the best of Old Testament Israel… the best of the Chosen People at that time.
“She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.”
[00:16:07] Clearly, Anna was a woman both devoted to God and valued by God. Her constant fasting and prayer demonstrate faithfulness, patience, and self-discipline and - at a time when widows would have lacked any reliable social or financial assistance - she found purpose and identity in serving God rather than being subjected to the whims of Jewish society.
[00:16:45] “And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
[00:16:55] While the fact that Anna's words are not recorded is a great tragedy - Luke does, however, include her in the story because she was well known and highly regarded.
[00:17:09] Anna and Simeon together - that pairing of male and female persons - served to illustrate that the good news of the Gospel is for all people… not just men, not just women, but all people. And not only that, but we can take that just a step further and say that Simeon and Anna represent a faithful Israel eager to greet the arrival of the Messiah.
“And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”
[00:17:59] After the arduous travel to comply with the census, after the difficulty of the birth of Jesus in a stable, after the incredible encounters in the Temple, the Holy Family returns in quietness and peace to their home where Jesus will grow and mature with the favor of God, his Father, upon him.
[00:18:30] That entire story (which as I said, only appears in Luke) should invite us - each and every one of us - to some level of introspection. We should ask ourselves… if we listen to God speak to us through prayer and Scripture as Simeon did? Do we make the effort to cultivate the faithfulness, patience, and self-discipline of Anna? Would we have had the strength of character to forge our own path through uncertainty, like Anna did, to find purpose and identity in serving God?
[00:19:13] And if we fall short in answering any of those questions - and all of us do - then we have to challenge ourselves, don't we? Not to become Simeon or Anna, not to set lofty and unachievable goals for ourselves, but just to make a start… to take a step… and then to make steady progress… in prayer, in reading Scripture, in our devotion to God, in goodness and righteousness, in order to become the best version of ourselves, to be holy. Are we up for it?
[00:20:01] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from the book of the Prophet Malachi 3: 1-4.
[00:20:09] “[Thus says the Lord God:] ‘Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.’”
[00:21:05] Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament - not because it is chronologically the latest (it isn't) but because it is the last book of the Minor Prophets. And remember, Minor Prophets were men whose writings are shorter in length and yet certainly not lacking in importance.
[00:21:29] And it is sometimes difficult to date the book accurately… although some clues in the text indicate that the book was written after the return of the exiles from Babylon. The author of the book may or may not have been a man named Malachi, biblical scholars don't know for sure - and Malachi simply means: my messenger.
[00:21:58] Now, the message of this book is highly critical of the priests and rulers of the people after the return, and it's quite possible that this book helped pave the way for the reforms that were instituted by Ezra the priest. And remember, we heard a bit about Ezra just last week in the passage from Nehemiah. The book of Malachi consists of long oracles, or warnings, that are further divided into six speeches, followed by an epilogue. This passage comes from the fourth speech (or what is sometimes called a disputation). And let's dive into it…
[00:22:50] “[Thus says the Lord God:] ‘Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me,’”
[00:22:58] The intended audience would have understood the words MY MESSENGER to mean a man sent by God, a prophet. Christians see those words as referring to John the Baptist.
[00:23:13] “the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple;”
God will return to his temple - remember this is after the exile - so God will return after the temple has been purified.
[00:23:28] Given our Gospel today, though, it's difficult not to see Jesus in those words as well. Simeon was inspired by the Holy Spirit to go to the temple, but he had no way of knowing that the Messiah would be there on that particular day. So, it had to seem sudden and unexpected to him. Remember, he'd been waiting a lifetime. So… the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple!
“the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.”
The messenger of the covenant is the one who will - at that time - initiate the process of purification and restoration that will reestablish right relations between God and his Chosen People.
“But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?”
The messenger's arrival will not be easy or pleasant, and everyone will be subject to the purification his coming will inaugurate, right? Who can stand when he appears? Nobody can stand in righteousness before the coming of the messenger. Now the priests and leaders of the people will be the primary object of the messenger's purifying actions, certainly, but no one will be able to avoid them altogether.
[00:25:07] “For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers’ soap;”
[00:25:12] The author uses the images of fire and soap (and the type of soap that would have been used was lye) he uses those images to explain that the process of purification will be both harsh and painful. Think about being burned by fire or lye soap. So, it will be harsh and painful, but it will also be necessary.
[00:25:43] “he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD.”
[00:25:57] In other words, the process of purification will proceed - particularly through the sons of Levi, the priests - until all abuses are corrected, until conduct is reformed, until the law of Moses is reestablished, and the Covenant relationship with God is restored.
“Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.”
The priests, THE SONS OF LEVI, are singled out because they are the ones responsible for offering sacrifice to God - right worship must come first… that is what Malachi is saying. Right worship must come first… but right worship is only the beginning. Right worship leads to right relation, right relation then leads to right behavior. It becomes a self-fulfilling cycle.
Once the people worship properly (led by priests who offer appropriate sacrifice) then the Covenant can be known and understood. When the Covenant is known and understood, then the people will behave properly… that's what that cycle means! Right worship leads to right relation, and right relation leads to right behavior. Or at least that's the hope.
Now it's easy to look at passages in the Old Testament and say - oh, look how badly those people behaved in this instance or that instance.
[00:27:48] But we cannot point fingers because, let's face it, we often make bad choices ourselves, don't we? We know that we don't always live as we should, we do not perfectly live our baptismal promises, we are not always kind or compassionate, we don't easily forgive others… as much as we like to think we do, we don't always live the Gospel values, not a single one of us - not perfectly! We do not present our best selves to the world.
[00:28:31] But we can… it's within our grasp, right? If we just take a step, head in the right direction, make progress, right? And we can do that because we have the knowledge we need, right? God gave it to us. And we will have the strength we need because God constantly showers his grace upon us. All we need to do is take that step… make progress… cooperate with God.
[00:29:11] That's another challenge for us. Are we up to it?
[00:29:17] Our Responsorial Psalm this week is Psalm 24 and the refrain is:
“Who is this king of glory? It is the LORD!”
And here are the verses.
[00:29:28] “Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!”
[00:29:54] This Psalm is a Liturgical Hymn. We don't hear the verses that begin the Psalm, but it starts with the declaration that the earth and, in fact, all of creation belongs to God! The section of the Psalm we hear today is actually a liturgical dialogue - a type of entrance ritual that would have been used to approach and enter the Temple in Jerusalem. The first verse captures the words of a pilgrim approaching the Temple and requesting admission. He says…
“Lift up your head, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.”
Now, the attendants guarding the gates ask the pilgrim to identify this king…
“Who is the King of glory?”
That's their question. The pilgrim replies that the king is a conquering hero. He says…
“The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!”
Then the pilgrim repeats his request for entry…
“Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.”
The attendants again ask for the identity of the king…
“Who is this king of glory?”
But this time the pilgrim reveals the true identity of the king - it is God! He says…
“The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!”
The beautiful back and forth dialogue in this portion of the Psalm is - in my mind - very reminiscent of any good catechesis… and catechesis, of course, is religious teaching. But catechesis always begins with a question, right? When a question is asked, the learning process begins. An answer is given that will then - hopefully - spark another question, and so on and so forth. That really is the heart of good catechesis. Engaging with someone from their own starting point and encouraging them to learn and grow.
[00:32:09] And that's exactly what God does with us. He doesn't expect us to know every little tiny detail about our faith the moment we're baptized. That's a process that takes a lifetime to master. And again, are we up for the challenge?
[00:32:30] That leads us to our Second Reading, which is from the Letter to the Hebrews 2: 14-18.
[00:32:37] “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his [brothers and sisters] in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.”
[00:33:30] We have heard from the Letter to the Hebrews several times in the past few months. If you remember, the author is unknown but the letter most likely predates the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple by the Romans, meaning it was written sometime between 50 and 70 AD.
[00:33:50] This short passage is intended to answer the age-old question: Why did Christ become human?
[00:34:01] “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood,”
The author means, by that, all of humanity - we are all made of flesh and blood.
“Since [we] share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same nature,”
In other words, human nature was a pre-requisite for Christ's own high priesthood and his sacrifice on the Cross. Flesh and blood beings were responsible for the transgression; therefore, atonement could only be properly offered by one who possessed the same nature.
“that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
The devil is that singular entity responsible for the corporal death of man - for our bodily demise. Once Adam and Eve succumbed to the serpent's temptation in the Garden, our fate was sealed… and we became subject to bodily death.
[00:35:13] “and [he might] deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.”
Lifelong bondage to sin, right? That's what the author means. We are all subject to (this is a big word) concupiscence, but what it means is that tendency toward sin - that's part of our fallen human nature… it just is! But Jesus freed us from sin, he delivered us from that lifelong bondage, so that we can say that we live for Christ and that he dwells within us.
[00:35:55] “For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham.”
Meaning, Christ's destiny was not to save any of the fallen angels - not those beings that originated in the heavenly realm - that was not Jesus destiny! His destiny was to save the descendants of Abraham, meaning humanity. To do that, the author tells us…
[00:36:25] “[H]e had to be made like his [brothers and sisters] in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people.”
Jesus partook fully of our human nature to become the perfect high priest who then offered the perfect atoning sacrifice. He assumed our nature so that he could pay the price for the sins of us all.
[00:37:04] “[B]ecause he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.”
Because Jesus shares in the fullness of our human nature… he knows us… he knows what we feel, he knows how we feel, he knows the best of everything it means to be human: love, friendship, kindness, faithfulness, wisdom, compassion, understanding; but he was also subject to our human frailties… we know that he suffered grief and loss when his foster father (Joseph) died, we know that he was tempted in the desert, we know that he experienced betrayal when Judas Iscariot turned him over, we know that he suffered spiritual torment in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified, and we know that he suffered agony beyond telling on the Cross.
[00:38:23] Jesus freely took upon himself our human nature, knowing that he would die in it.
[00:38:32] And because of everything he experienced in his life, he can - and does - help us when we are tried, when we are tempted, and when we suffer.
That passage decisively and eloquently answers the question of why Christ became human!
[00:38:57] And, as we come to the end of our readings for this Feast of the Presentation, what lesson should we take with us?
Maybe that the human species is endowed with boundless optimism and persistence! We know that we are subject to our own human frailties, we don't always see things as we should see them, we don't always live as we ought to live… we are tempted, we suffer, and we fail. But we also know that it is not in our human nature to give up.
And if you don't believe me, look at any toddler learning to walk… no matter how many times he or she falls on their little diaper clad bottom, they get right back up and try again… that is us - all of us - in our purest, simplest form. Wanting to know more, wanting to live better, wanting to be stronger, wanting to be the very best version of ourselves… wanting to be holy, wanting to be perfect - as our Heavenly Father is perfect.
God, our loving Father, watches over us and helps us… he teaches us, he strengthens us, he loves us - as any parent does - even in our most unlovable moments!
[00:40:33] And he challenges us to be his faithful, prayerful people capable of seeing and recognizing his glory. I think we're up to the challenge!
[00:40:49] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for listening and until next we meet, may God shower His blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
[00:41:07] From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
[00:41:25] Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
