SACERDUS MAGNUS

MY SUNDAY REFLECTION ON THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION:

February 2, 2014

“Our High Priest”

By Herbert B. Rosana, Ph.D.

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign to be contradicted – and you yourself a sword will pierce- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Today is the feast of “Candelaria” or candle mass.  We specially commemorate the presentation of the Lord in the temple.  Joseph and Mary in obedience to the Law of Moses presented Jesus in the temple because Jesus was the first born.  Being poor, instead of the lamb offerings, the couple offered turtle doves for their sacrifice.   This was in obedience to the Law of Moses of which could be read from Leviticus 12:6-8; 5:7-11.  Jesus was the first born and therefore as the law commands he should be dedicated as set aside.  This commemorates the pass over, when the angel of death claimed the first born of Egypt and the first born of the pharaoh but the first born of the children of Israel were saved by the sprinkling of the blood of the lamb and this symbolizes the final deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. 

I imagine Joseph and Mary after forty days bringing their child to the Herodian temple entering through Nicanor’s gate.  Being poor in circumstance, the couple could not afford the lamb but instead brought in the pigeon as substitute for a sin offering as required by the Law.  There are several thoughts that run through my mind as I reflect on this reading. 

First, we saw that Mary and Joseph were examples of devotion.  Despite of their poverty, they joyfully and willingly complied with the requirements of the Law.  Second, It brings me to reflect upon the role of the Mosaic rituals in relation to the New Covenant revealed by Christ.  The Mosaic rituals were in essence ineffectual in saving men from the grip of sinfulness because they were symbols pointing to the one holy sacrifice made by Jesus on Calvary. That is why the Mosaic rituals have to be done repeatedly year after year. But St. Paul said, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin.” Hebrews 10:3 (NAS).  What then is the purpose for the elaborate and detailed rituals of the Mosaic and Levitical rituals?  These rituals were symbols pointing us to the reality of the saving work of God.  This is the reason why Aaron and His sons were instructed to carefully observe the specifications given as for the worship of the One True God, because these rituals were windows and shadows of the heavenly worship.  These rituals, laws and precepts were meant to be our tutor, to prepare the people of God for the final redeeming act to be accomplished by God through His Son Jesus as pointed out in the promise in Genesis 3:15. 

          Thirdly, as pointed out by the second reading, the presentation in the temple revealed to us the priestly role of Christ.  He came as a poor man.  Blessed as are the poor for they shall inherit the Kingdom of God.  The blessedness of the poor consists in the fact that Christ embraced poverty.  He came to the world as poor, born in a stable, lived as an ordinary man and died the most abject form of death.  He passed through all the things we have experienced including temptation but He never committed a sin and he triumph over all these temptations.  So that when He ascended on High, He can be our advocate, a real Priest, not in along the line of Aaron but according to the order of Melchizedek.  Like Melchizedek without an origin and without an end. Christ came in poverty, he embraced poverty because He came to give hope, to announce the coming of the Kingdom and to usher in the age of grace that will eventually lead to the Parousia.  In order to accomplish this he has to be with His people who are poor and who are living in darkness.  So that by being with them, He can give them hope, give them salvation, and heal them.  That is why today we say that the Church is a church of the poor because the church has to carry out Christ’s mission of saving the poor.  The Church has to carry out this mission of giving hope and proclaiming the Parousia.  When Christ offered Himself on the cross and when He ascended into heaven, He became our advocate a real Priest, our high Priest.  A high Priest who is not detached from His people but is one with them.  This thought is captured by Hebrews 2:14, “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 through their life.”

And lastly may this feast of the presentation not only encourage us to love the poor and to bring the saving hope of Christ to the poor but lead us more to the appreciation of the Eucharist.  For when the breaking of the bread is done, Christ is there, truly present, body, soul and divinity.  It takes us to the foot of Calvary, symbolized by the altar on which the Eucharist is offered.  Christ our High Priest offers Himself as propitiation for our sins, a sacrifice pleasing to God our Father.  May this Eucharist be always be the source of all our love, for it is the one sacrifice that will sanctify us, give us hope and make us inheritors of God’s Kingdom, in this life and in the life to come.  May the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose heart was pierced with a lance as prophesied by Simeon, accompany us in this journey.  Let us not fear...we have a High Priest on High who is able to strengthen us, to comfort us and to finally enable us to inherit God’s Kingdom.  This same High Priest- Christ Jesus, has strengthened the hearts of the ancient martyrs who braved the Lions and gladiators and willingly joined their blood and hearts to the Savior.

Happy feast day.  Amen.