The Word On Sunday: God comes into His Temple as a human

Readings for February 2, 2014

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Il-Preżentazzjoni tal-Mulej

Messalin Ferjali ‘A’ pg 434

Reading 1 MALachi 3:1-4

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. 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. 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. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni - Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Malakija 3, 1- 4

Dan iigћid il-Mulej Alla: Arawni, se nibgћat il-messaġġier tiegћi iwtti t-triq quddiemi. U jasal minnufih fit-tempju tiegћu s-Sid mistenni minnkom U dan l-Anġlu tal-patt li intom imxennqa gћalih, dalwaqt ġej. Hekk igћid il-Mulej tal-eżerćiti. Min se jfitah gћall-jum il-miġja tiegћu? Min se jżomm fuq riġlejh gћad-dehra tiegћu? Gћax hu bћan-nar tal-ћadied. Bћas-soder fin tal-ћassiela! Jintefa’ bil-qiegћda ћa jwarrab u jnaddaf il-fidda, u jsaffi u jirfina n-nisel ta’ Levi bћallikieku deheb u fidda. Huma mbagћad jersqu quddiem il-Mulej b’offerta xierqa. U ssir togћġbu lill-Mulej kull offerta ta’ art Ġuda u Ġerusalem, bћal fiż-żmien imbiegћed, bћal fis-snin ta’ qabel. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm PSalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10

R. (8) Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in! R/

Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle. R/

Salm Responsorjali - Salm 24, 7-8, 10

R/ Il-Mulej hu s-Sultan tal-Glorja.

Intrefgћu, o bibien,

infetћu, intom bibien ta’ dejjem,

ћalli jidћol us-Sultan tal-glorja! R/

Min hu dan, is-Sultan tal-glorja?

Hu l-Mulej tal-eżerćiti,

hu s-Sultan tal-glorja! R/

Reading 2 HEBrews 2:14-18

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, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; 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. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni - Qari mill-Ittra lill-Lhud 2, 14-19

Billi l-ulied gћandhom l-istess demm u ġisem, Ġesu’ wkoll bl-istess mod sar bћalhom, biex b’mewtu jiieqrd is-setgћa ta; dak li kellu l-mewt f’idejh, jiġifieri x-xitan, u jeћles ‘il dawk kollha li, minћabba fil-biża’ tal-mewt, kienu mjassrin gћal gћomorhom kollu. Gћax tabilћaqq, mhux lill-anġli jrid jgћin, imma lil ulied Abraham. Gћalhekk kellu jkun jixbah lil ћutu f’kollox, biex ikun qassis ћanin, u fidil f’dak li gћandu x’jaqsam ma’ Alla, u biex ipatti gћad-dnubiet tal-poplu. Gћax, billi hu stess bata u kien imġarrab, jaf jgћin lil dawk li huma fit-tiġrib. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel LuKe 2:22-40

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, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, 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. 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. 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. 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, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 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 Band you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” 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, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. 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. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju - Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Luqa 2, 22,40

Wara li għalqilhom iż-żmien għall-purifikazzjoni tagħhom skond il-Liġi ta' Mosè, ħaduh Ġerusalemm biex jippreżentawh lill-Mulej, kif hemm miktub fil-Liġi tal-Mulej, li 'kull tifel li jitwieled l-ewwel, jiġi kkonsagrat lill-Mulej,' ] u biex joffru b'sagrifiċċju 'par gamiem jew żewġ bċieċen,' kif jingħad ukoll fil-Liġi tal-Mulej. F'Ġerusalemm kien hemm wieħed, jismu Xmun, raġel ġust u tajjeb, li kien jistenna l-faraġ ta' Iżrael u li kellu l-Ispirtu s-Santu fuqu. L-Ispirtu s-Santu kien nebbħu li ma kienx se jara l-mewt qabel ma jara l-Messija tal-Mulej. .Mar mela fit-tempju, mqanqal mill-Ispirtu, u xħin il-ġenituri daħlu bit-tarbija Ġesù biex jagħmlulu dak li kienet trid il-Liġi, huwa laqgħu fuq dirgħajh, bierek lil Alla u qal: "Issa, o Sid, tista' tħalli l-qaddej tiegħek imur fis-sliem, skond kelmtek, għaliex għajnejja raw is-salvazzjoni tiegħek li int ħejjejt għall-popli kollha, dawl biex idawwal il-ġnus, u glorja tal-poplu tiegħek Iżrael." Missieru u ommu baqgħu mistagħġba b'dak li kien qiegħed jingħad fuqu. Xmun berikhom, u qal lil ommu Marija: "Ara, dan se jġib il-waqgħa u l-qawmien ta' ħafna f'Iżrael; se jkun sinjal li jmeruh, - u inti wkoll, sejf jinfidlek ruħek! - biex jinkixfu l-ħsibijiet moħbija fil-qlub ta' ħafna. Kien hemm ukoll waħda profetissa, Anna, bint Fanwel, mit-tribù ta' Aser. Kienet imdaħħla ħafna fiż-żmien; wara xbubitha kienet għamlet seba' snin miżżewwġa, u mbagħad romlot. Sa ma kellha erbgħa u tmenin sena ma kienet titwarrab qatt mit-tempju, lejl u nhar taqdi lil Alla fis-sawm u t-talb. Dak il-ħin stess waslet, u bdiet trodd ħajr lil Alla u titkellem fuq it-tarbija ma' dawk kollha li kienu jistennew il-fidwa ta' Ġerusalemm. Meta temmew kull ma kellhom jagħmlu skond il-Liġi tal-Mulej reġgħu lura lejn il-Galilija fil-belt tagħhom ta' Nazaret. U t-tifel baqa' jikber u jissaħħaħ, mimli bl-għerf. U l-grazzja ta' Alla kienet fuqu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY:

THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD IN THE TEMPLE

Here is the translation of Pope Benedict XVI's homily at a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica commemorating the Feast of the Presentation.

In his account of Jesus’ childhood, St. Luke stresses how faithful Mary and Joseph were to the Law of the Lord. With profound devotion they perform everything that is prescribed after the birth of a male child. There are 2 very ancient prescriptions: one regards the mother and the other the newborn baby. For the woman it is prescribed that she abstain for 40 days from ritual practices and afterward offer a twofold sacrifice: a lamb as a holocaust and a turtledove or pigeon for sin; but if the woman is poor, she can offer 2 turtledoves or 2 pigeons (cf. Leviticus 12:1-8). St. Luke notes that Mary and Joseph offer the sacrifice of the poor (cf. 2:24) to show that Jesus was born in a family of simple folk, humble but strong in faith: a family belonging to the poor ones of Israel who form the true people of God. For the first born son, who, according to the Law of Moses, belongs to God, a ransom was prescribed, consisting in an offering of 5 shekels to be paid to a priest in any place. This was done in perennial remembrance of the fact that at the time of the Exodus, God spared the firstborn of the Hebrews (cf. Exodus 13:11-16).

It is important to observe that it was not necessary that these 2 acts – the purification of the mother and the ransoming of the son – be performed in the Temple. But Mary and Joseph wish to do them in Jerusalem, and St. Luke makes us see how the whole scene converges on the Temple, and he thus focuses on Jesus, who enters the Temple. And precisely through the prescriptions of the Law, the principal event becomes something else, namely, the “presentation” of Jesus in the Temple of God, which signifies the act of offering the Son of the Most High to the Father who sent him (cf. Luke 1:32, 35).

The words of the prophet Malachi that we heard in the first reading is confirmed this narrative of the evangelist: “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I will send you a messenger to prepare the way before me and immediately the Lord whom you seek will enter his temple; the angel of the covenant, whom you seek, see he is coming ... He will purify the sons of Levi ... that they might offer a just sacrifice to the Lord’” (3:1, 3). Clearly here we are not talking about a child and nevertheless these words are fulfilled in Jesus, because, thanks to the faith of his parents, he was “immediately” brought to the Temple; and in the act of his “presentation,” or of his personal “offering” to God the Father, the theme of sacrifice and priesthood shines forth, as in the passage from Malachi. The child Jesus, who is immediately presented in the Temple, will be that adult who will purify the Temple (cf. John 2:13-22; Mark 11:15, 19) and above all will be the sacrifice and the high priest of the new covenant.

This is also the perspective of the Letter to the Hebrews, from which a passage was proclaimed in the second reading, so that the theme of the new priesthood is reinforced: the priesthood inaugurated by Jesus is an existential priesthood: “Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested” (Hebrews 2:18). And here we also see the theme of suffering, which is very clear in the Gospel passage in which Simeon pronounces his prophecy about the Child and the Mother: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted – and you yourself a sword will pierce – so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). The “salvation” that Jesus brings to his people, and which he incarnates in himself, passes through the cross, through the violent death that he will overcome and transform with his sacrifice of his life for love. This oblation is announced beforehand in the presentation in the Temple, a gesture that is, of course, motivated by the traditions of the old covenant, but that is intimately animated by the fullness of faith and love that corresponds to the fullness of time, to the presence of God and his Holy Spirit in Jesus. The Spirit, in effect, hovers above the whole scene of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, especially above the figures of Simeon and Anna. It is the Spirit, the “Paraclete,” that brings the “consolation” of Israel and guides the steps and hearts of those who await it. It is the Spirit that suggests the prophetic words to Simeon and Anna, words of benediction, of praise to God, of faith in the one he has consecrated, of thanksgiving because finally our eyes can see and our arms can hold “his salvation” (cf. 2:30).

“A light to reveal you to the gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel” (2:32): thus Simeon defines the Messiah of the Lord at the end of his song of blessing. The theme of light, which echoes the first and second songs of the Servant of the Lord in Deutero-Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 42:6, 49:6), is forcefully present in this liturgy.

Dear brothers and sisters [we realise that] the joy of life necessarily passes through participation in the cross of Christ. This is how it was for Mary Most Holy. Hers is the suffering of the heart that is wholly one with the Heart of the Son of God, pierced for love. From that wound poured forth God’s light and from the sufferings, sacrifices, gift of self of consecrated persons who live for the love of God and others there also shines the same light, the light that evangelizes the nations. On this feast I pray in a special way for you who live the consecrated life that your life always have the flavour of evangelical “parrhesia” (boldness) that in you the Good News is lived, witnessed to, announced and manifested as the Word of truth (cf. “Porta fidei,”).