PRESENTATION OF THE LORD – 2 FEBRUARY 2023 DAY OF CONSECRATED LIFE
In his 1997 address, Pope St John Paul II listed three reasons, starting with thanking God for this “wonderful gift!” that is the DAY OF CONSECRATED LIFE:
1. The day responds to the intimate need to praise the Lord more solemnly and to thank Him for the great gift of consecrated life.
2. The day seeks to promote the knowledge and appreciation of consecrated life by the entire People of God.
3. Consecrated persons are invited to celebrate together solemnly the wonders which the Lord has wrought in them in order to discover with a more enlightened faith the rays of divine beauty spread by the Spirit in their lives, and to acquire a more lively awareness of their irreplaceable mission in the Church and in the world.

Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 23; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
The first reading from the prophet Malachi consists of a prophecy that can be applied to the Messiah, hence, to Jesus. The opening sentence recalls John the Baptist: “I will send my messenger to prepare the way before me.” Then the rest foreshadows today’s feast “with the entry into the temple of the Lord whom you seek, the angel of the covenant whom you long for, here he comes, says the Lord of hosts”.
A clear reference to Jesus as the One who will inaugurate the New Covenant between God and his people. The prophecy goes on to warn that the Messiah will be a real challenge, he will be “like the fire of the smelter. He will refine the sons of Levi, “like gold or silver, that they may offer the due sacrifice to the Lord”. For those who accept his message and his call, Jesus is the good news, but for those who reject it, there will be no salvation.
The second reading, taken from the Letter to the Hebrews, speaks of the significance of the coming of the Son of God to live among us, as one of us, sharing our flesh and blood and all that goes with it, because in this way he would “destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil”.
Today’s gospel presents the head of the Holy Family, Joseph, faithfully obeying God’s law, given through Moses, concerning the purification of the mother and the ransom of the child, by presenting Mary and the baby Jesus to the Temple. The events recounted appear elsewhere in the liturgical year, but traditionally we celebrate them today, 2 February, with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This feast commemorates both the Jewish practice of purifying the mother after childbirth and the presentation of the child to the Temple. It is known as the Feast of the Hypanthe or the Feast of the Purification of Mary through the offering of two pigeons, and also as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (with prayers and the payment of “five shekels to a member of the priestly family” (Nm 3:47-48; NAB Note to Lk 2:22), to redeem the first-born male child from the service of the Lord), and the Feast of the Encounter (because the New Testament, represented by the Child Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna).
Furthermore, the Gospel says: They brought (Jesus) to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of the Lord: ‘Every first-born male shall be holy to the Lord’.
The actual rite is not described, but he was presented to two elders who were in the Temple at the time.
The first of these was a devout man called Simeon. He had been told that he would not die until he had seen the promised Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he entered the Temple, recognised in Mary’s son the long-awaited Messiah, and blessed God for answering his prayer: ‘for my eyes have seen your salvation. And what he saw was “light to enlighten the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel”.
The second person who met the parents and their Child was Anna whose husband had died after only 7 years of marriage and who by then had been a widow for more than 60 years. She spent all her time in the Temple in prayer and fasting. Seeing the Child, she gave thanks to God and told everyone she met about it.
After everything was accomplished, the Holy Family returned to Nazareth where the child grew and became strong, full of wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. All this is a consequence of the donation that took place in the temple. If I also give myself, there will be no lack of difficulties, but everything in me will be light, even the crosses, even the labours. The conclusion of this page of the Gospel has the arduous task of removing from us the illusion of the finish line: with God you have never arrived, but not even with yourself. There are certainly stages, turns and more or less sudden changes, but God remains the sure way, and at the same time a companion on the journey. The finish line? In the arms of God, God, however, is in your arms, as he was in those of Simeon. And so… have a good journey!

Pope Francis exhorts all consecrated persons:

GO FORWARD
“BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
GO FORWARD!
Remember the beauty of your first call.
Jesus continues to call you today with the same love and indomitable grace. GO FORWARD!
There is always more to do,
to meet, for which
be thankful for, to marvel at.
MOVE FORWARD!
Each of us has a role to play in the Church. Witness and sow good every day and look to tomorrow with hope.
GO FORWARD!
Grow in love for God so that others may be attracted to the divine light within you.
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God and first disciple of her son, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.” (Pope Francis).
P JOBY KAVUNGAL RCJ