Image used with permission of Tribe of Many Arrows.
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For the month of October the “That We May Imitate What They Contain and Obtain What They Promise” series will take a daily look at one mystery of the Rosary and how we have the opportunity to imitate it and rejoice in what it promises us.
Today, we look at the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: the Presentation in the Temple.
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him 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 Messiah 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 sight of all 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 (and 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, if the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a window 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. Luke 2:22-38 (NABRE)
I spend a lot of time on this mystery thinking about my son who was born on the feast of the Presentation. I have often wondered how being born on this feast will influence his life. My hope is it will bear much fruit in his life as the mystery celebrates tradition, faithfulness, recognizing the Lord and so much more. It is rich with faithful servants in Mary, Joseph, Simeon and Anna. They are all examples of living for the Lord. Here are some ways you can imitate them in this mystery.
- Follow the traditions the Lord has designed as part of your faith. Mary and St. Joseph follow Jewish tradition of presenting Jesus in the Temple. One might think that they feel they can overlook this because they’ve had angels singing to shepherds who have paid homage to them and magi bearing gifts. They could think the Lord will take care of us, there is no need for the formality of presenting the Messiah in the Temple. Mary and Joseph, however, do not abandon their rituals and traditions because they understand God has designed these for a reason. God would not incorporate a tradition or ritual into faith that is accidental and unimportant. Similarly, we should recognize the deep value of the tradition of our Mass and our Sacraments in the Catholic Church. We should never take for granted our own relationship with God, how “good” we are, and whether we really need the sacraments. We should be like Mary and Joseph recognizing that God placed these things in our lives for a reason, and like Mary received information from Simeon because of taking time for the Presentation of Jesus, we too should expect that the Lord will reveal things in our lives through the Mass and through the other Sacraments, whether for ourselves or for our children and family members.
- Live your life for the Lord, and you will recognize Him. Simeon lived to see the Lord. It’s clear from how he speaks upon seeing Jesus that his whole life was lived for this moment. The awesome thing is that the Lord not only gave Simeon the opportunity to see Him. He gave Simeon the ability to recognize Jesus when Simeon saw Him. Simeon’s life oriented to the Lord gave him the eyes to see the Lord where others in the Temple did not immediately recognize Him. We too have the opportunity to live our lives like this, totally oriented to having the opportunity to see the Lord. For us, that moment will take place in heaven, rather than on earth, but oh the glory we will experience if we live our lives with Jesus as the goal, entering into His presence in heaven. Trust that the Lord is faithful to those who are faithful to Him, loving Him, serving Him, and wanting to have a relationship with Him. With a heart for God, we will see His presence more and more in our daily lives.
- Give thanksgiving to the Lord. Simeon again with total orientation to the Lord offers praise to God for the gift He has been given, seeing the Messiah has finally come. He does not take for granted that God said He would send the Messiah. He isn’t taking the position of entitlement to seeing the Messiah because he has been working hard in the Temple. No, he praises God, recognizing the sweet gift the Lord has granted not only getting to see the Messiah, but that the Messiah has come. Simeon knows our unworthiness to receive such mercy that the Lord would send His Son to us, to save us. Simeon recognizes that only God could create this opportunity for Redemption, an opportunity that we did not earn, but that He instead graciously bestows on us. We should never take for granted what God has done for us, what Jesus endured for us, His time here on earth, teaching us, the scripture we have been left with, the Eucharist. Our lives should be spent in thanksgiving for those things especially and any other blessings outside of that are extra—that is the overflowing cup. The main thing to be thankful for is the gift of salvation, God’s mercy and love, any earthly blessings are God’s abundance.
- Never cease to be amazed at how the Lord is working. Mary and Joseph by this point have had remarkable encounters with angels and shepherds and magi, yet they are still amazed over Simeon’s reaction to Jesus. Can we hold onto that type amazement? The kind where hearing the words Jesus died for you, doesn’t just roll over our heads like no big deal, but instead hits us smack between the eyes and we are amazed…God died for me? Me?! I’m redeemed from my sins?! I have access to heaven to eventually dwell there forever in perfection with God the Trinity, the angels, Mary, the saints. Where is our amazement? Why are we not like Joseph and Mary who are not dulled to the extravagance of the gift of God become man and what it means for each of us? It is amazing that Jesus did this for us. It is amazing that there is a kingdom of heaven that we now have access too even though we are completely undeserving. Let’s look to Mary and Joseph to pay attention to the depth of the words that are spoken to us in the Gospels and what Jesus did for us.
- Let nothing hinder you from standing with the Lord and sharing the Lord. Mary receives a big message here—a sword will pierce her heart. She does not back away from this revelation. She accepts it, not with bitterness, but with grace. Arguably, Jesus could have been offered to the Temple. Mary could have left Him to the Temple, deciding I don’t want to suffer along with Him, what Simeon says sounds awful, but instead, she accepts what the Lord speaks through Simeon and trusts He will give her the grace she needs to withstand the suffering she will experience along with her Son. Anna in a different way shows us how to be unhindered. She does not allow being a widow or being old in age to drive her into a quiet life. She like Simeon is so oriented to the Lord that she recognizes Jesus. In that moment, she begins telling everyone about Jesus, that the Messiah has come, that the Lord fulfills His promises. We should be aware of how the Lord will ask hard things of us and expect us not to abandon Him. He wants us never to cease proclaiming the good news of His life to others. When we do these things, we will recognize Him in our lives. As a son or daughter of God, we should always feel equipped to share the good news about Him. Our witness to others is the greatest gift we can give to the Lord.
When our lives are lived for and with God, proclaiming His goodness, giving thanks for our salvation and all the blessings in our lives, we grow in wisdom and purity of heart, the fruits of this mystery. When we freely participate in the sacraments and the life of the Church, we will receive the grace to grow in these beautiful fruits and we will recognize Him showing up in our lives just like He did for Simeon and Anna. May we continue to give Him thanks for these mysteries and fruits that help us grow in relationship with Him.
Visit Tribe of Many Arrows on Etsy. These images are used with their permission, and I am grateful for these beautiful creations accompanying my reflections this month.
If you missed this week’s earlier reflections, catch them here: Annunciation, Visitation, and Birth of Jesus.
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