February 2, 2022 - Wednesday

4th Week in Ordinary Time

Presentation of the Lord

Gospel: Lk 2:22-40  

22When the time came for their purification according to the law of  Moses, they [Mary and Joseph] brought the child up to Jerusalem  to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord,  “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24and  they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the  Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon;  this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came  into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to  do for him what was customary under the law, 28Simeon took him in  his arms and praised God, saying, 29“Master, now you are dismissing  your servant in peace, according to your word; 30for my eyes have  seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared in the presence of all  peoples, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your  people Israel.” 33And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to his  mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising  of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35so that the  inner thoughts of many will be revealed — and a sword will pierce  your own soul too.” 36There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel,  of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her  4th husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38At that moment she came, and  began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39When they had finished everything required by the law of the  Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40The  child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of  God was upon him. 

Simeon’s reference to the child Jesus as a “sign that will be contradicted” echoes Old Testament prophecies about a stone that will become a stumbling block for Israel (Is 8:14- 15), a stone rejected by the builders that has become the cornerstone (Ps  118:22). Jesus is to cause division in Israel because reactions to him will reveal those who are truly aligned with the will of God and those who are not. Today, the radical values and lifestyle of Jesus are still a  cause of division, revealing those who see them as a stumbling block,  and thus reject them, and those who find them to be a stable rock on which to build their lives. Lord Jesus, in these confusing times of moral relativism, may you be the  solid rock-foundation of our lives. Amen.