From: Luke 2:22-35
The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
[22] And when the time came for their purification according to the law
of Moses, they (Joseph and Mary) brought Him (Jesus) up to Jerusalem
to present Him to the Lord [23] (as it is written in the law of the Lord,
"every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") [24]
and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the
Lord, "a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons."
Simeon's Prophecy
[25] Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and
this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him. [26] And it had been revealed to him
by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the
Lord's Christ. [27] And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him accor-
ding to the custom of the law, [28] he took Him up in his arms and
blessed God and said, [29] "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart
in peace, according to Thy word; [30] for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation [31] which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,
[32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory to Thy
people Israel."
[33] And His father and His mother marvelled at what was said about
Him; [34] and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother,
"Behold this child is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is spoken against [35] (and a sword will pierce
through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may
be revealed."
Commentary:
22-24. The Holy Family goes up to Jerusalem to fulfill the prescriptions
of the Law of Moses--the purification of the mother and the presentation
and then redemption or buying back of the first-born. According to Levi-
ticus 12:2-8, a woman who bore a child was unclean. The period of legal
impurity ended, in the case of a mother of a male child, after forty days,
with a rite of purification. Mary most holy, ever-virgin, was exempt from
these precepts of the Law, because she conceived without intercourse,
nor did Christ's birth undo the virginal integrity of His Mother. However,
she chose to submit herself to the Law, although she was under no
obligation to do so.
"Through this example, foolish child, won't you learn to fulfill the holy
Law of God, regardless of personal sacrifice?
"Purification! You and I certainly do need purification. Atonement
and, more than atonement, Love. Love as a searing iron to cauterize
our soul's uncleanness, and as a fire to kindle with divine flames the
wretchedness of our hearts" ([St] J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Fourth
Joyful Mystery).
Also, in Exodus 13:2, 12-13 it is indicated that every first-born male
belongs to God and must be set apart for the Lord, that is, dedicated
to the service of God. However, once divine worship was reserved to
the tribe of Levi, first-born who did not belong to that tribe were not
dedicated to God's service, and to show that they continued to be
God's special property, a rite of redemption was performed.
The Law also laid down that the Israelites should offer in sacrifice some
lesser victim--for example, a lamb or, if they were poor, a pair of doves
or two pigeons. Our Lord, who "though He was rich, yet for your sake
He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich" (2 Co-
rinthians 8:9), chose to have a poor man's offering made on His behalf.
25-32. Simeon, who is described as a righteous and devout man, obe-
dient to God's will, addresses himself to our Lord as a vassal or loyal
servant who, having kept watch all his life in expectation of the coming
of his Lord, sees that this moment has "now" come, the moment that
explains his whole life. When he takes the Child in his arms, he
learns, not through any reasoning process but through a special grace
from God, that this Child is the promised Messiah, the Consolation of
Israel, the Light of the nations.
Simeon's canticle (verses 29-32) is also a prophecy. It consists of two
stanzas: the first (verses 29-30) is an act of thanksgiving to God, filled
with profound joy for having seen the Messiah. The second (verses
31-32) is more obviously prophetic and extols the divine blessings
which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men. The canticle
highlights the fact that Christ brings redemption to all men without
exception--something foretold in many Old Testament prophecies
(cf. Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 2:6; 42:6; 60:3; Psalm 28:2).
It is easy to realize how extremely happy Simeon was--given that
many patriarchs, prophets and kings of Israel had yearned to see the
Messiah, yet did not see Him, whereas he now held Him in his arms
(cf. Luke 10:24; 1 Peter 1:10).
33. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph marvelled not because they did
not know who Christ was; they were in awe at the way God was re-
vealing Him. Once again they teach us to contemplate the mysteries
involved in the birth of Christ.
34-35. After Simeon blesses them, the Holy Spirit moves him to further
prophecy about the Child's future and His Mother's. His words become
clearer in the light of our Lord's life and death.
Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, yet He will be a sign of contra-
diction because some people will obstinately reject Him--and for this
reason He will be their ruin. But for those who accept Him with faith
Jesus will be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising
them up to eternal life.
The words Simeon addresses to Mary announce that she will be inti-
mately linked with her Son's redemptive work. The sword indicates that
Mary will have a share in her Son's sufferings; hers will be an unspea-
kable pain which pierces her soul. Our Lord suffered on the cross for
our sins, and it is those sins which forge the sword of Mary's pain.
Therefore, we have a duty to atone not only to God but also to His
Mother, who is our Mother too.
The last words of the prophecy, "that out of many hearts thoughts may
be revealed", link up with verse 34: uprightness or perversity will be
demonstrated by whether one accepts or rejects Christ.
36-38. Anna's testimony is very similar to Simeon's; like him, she too
has been awaiting the coming of the Messiah her whole life long, in
faithful service of God, and she too is rewarded with the joy of seeing
Him. "She spoke of Him," that is, of the Child--praising God in her
prayer and exhorting others to believe that this Child is the Messiah.
Thus, the birth of Christ was revealed by three kinds of witnesses in
three different ways--first, by the shepherds, after the angel's announce-
ment; second, by the Magi, who were guided by a star; third, by
Simeon and Anna, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
All who, like Simeon and Anna, persevere in piety and in the service
of God, no matter how insignificant their lives seem in men's eyes, be-
come instruments the Holy Spirit uses to make Christ known to other.
In His plan of redemption God avails of these simple souls to do much
good to all mankind.
39. Before their return to Nazareth, St. Matthew tells us (2:13-23),
the Holy Family fled to Egypt where they stayed for some time.
40. "Our Lord Jesus Christ as a child, that is, as one clothed in the
fragility of human nature, had to grow and become stronger but as the
eternal Word of God He had no need to become stronger or to grow.
Hence He is rightly described as full of wisdom and grace" (St. Bede,
"In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries".
Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.
Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University
of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from from Four Courts Press and Scepter
Publishers, the U.S. publishers.