Offertory of Life!

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Mal 3:1-4; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40

Today we celebrate the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. 

Today we commemorate the fact that Jesus offered up his very life for the salvation of all. The altruistic love of Jesus calls for imitation. 

In this regard, the readings help us with profound thoughts on Jesus’ sacrifice. 

The first reading highlights the coming of the two messengers. Scholars believe that the words describing the first messenger, who will prepare the way of the Lord, allude to John the Baptist himself. The second messenger refers to Jesus Christ the Lord, who comes to the temple as the fulfillment of the old covenant and to institute a new covenant. The purpose of the Lord’s coming is to refine and purify His people, especially the Sons of Levi, the priests, as it is made clear through the imageries of the refiner and the launderer whose work is only to clean, not to destroy. The prophecy promises that after this refining process, the people will be able to offer proper worship and live in alignment with God’s will. The first reading’s insistence is on making God’s people pure and holy so that their offerings will please the Lord. 

The second reading highlights the purpose of Jesus’ incarnation as a sign of total identification with sinful humanity. Jesus assumed human nature in all its weakness and frailty so that he subjected himself to death only to break the power of death. Here, we are called to understand that death was not part of God’s plan for human beings, and it was brought into the world by the devil. Hence, Jesus the High Priest comes to expiate the sins and defilement of the people through his own death on the cross. The sacrifice of the eternal high priest freed people from fear of death and delivered them from the bondage of sin. Since the high priest took on the human self for our sake, the compassionate Savior will not only empathize with human weaknesses but will also help those who are tempted and provide them with the grace they need. We have been cleansed, purified, and saved by the sacrifice of Jesus, who also made us into a worthy offering pleasing to the Lord. 

1.The Gospel text on the presentation of the Lord highlights that Jesus is formally stamped as a member of God’s chosen people, through whom the salvation of the world would be achieved. 

2. The image of Jesus being offered in the temple implies two things: the one who is faithful to the observance of the Mosaic Law also shows his fidelity to God’s promise to humanity that its redemption would be achieved through his sacrifice. 

3. Jesus is offered up in the temple not only for the people of Israel but for all. By this, we understand the inclusive nature of the salvation of God that Jesus comes proclaiming. God’s people are important, but others are not excluded. In other words, the love of Jesus encircles both God’s people and the Gentiles. 

4. The feast of the presentation highlights the attitude of Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph. They both recognized the life of Jesus as a gift and not as a possession. It is this attitude that enables them to make an offering of Jesus, not only as a sign of fulfilling the religious obligation but also as an acknowledgement of the fact that all lives belong to God, who directs our lives according to His will. As such, their act of presenting Jesus in the temple symbolizes their surrender to God’s will, which was the salvation of the world through Jesus’ supreme sacrifice.

4. The words of Simeon, known as the ‘Nunc Dimittis,’ reveal that the sacrifice of Jesus will be carried out amid rejections and humiliation. Jesus will make an offertory of life on the cross. However, it is that ‘sword’ that will bring humanity its salvation. 

5. Prophetess Anna plays a prominent role in the presentation of Jesus in the temple. She was steadfast in her faith regarding the redemption that God had promised for Israel. When the opportunity presented itself, Anna made a prophetic revelation about the identity of Jesus. Thus, though she was advanced in years, God reserved an important ministry for the very end of her life. 

The feast of the presentation challenges us with three insights from the readings. 

1.The first reading insists on a worthy sacrifice, one that is known by offering one’s very life. A life lived well is a worthy offering to the Lord. What more can be pleasing to the Lord than a life that justifies itself through the love of God and the love of neighbors? 

2. Jesus won us redemption only by sacrificing himself. His initiative reminds us that if not for the manifestation of his altruistic love on the cross, his incarnation would not have been complete. By his act, Jesus shows that Christian love is made more profound by the way we uphold each other in love. The life of Jesus is an example of the fact that love is the only way we can better express ourselves as Christians. 

3. The feast of the presentation of the Lord is a powerful reminder that our lives belong to God. As recipients of the gift of life, we need to offer it for the glory of God. In other words, our lives should be lived in such a way that God is glorified through the meaningfulness of our existence. 

Let us pray that we may be inspired by Jesus’ offertory of life to make our lives worthy and meaningful. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar