4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) – The Presentation of the Lord : Sunday 2nd February 2020

The parents of Jesus, in obedience to the law of Moses, bring Jesus to the temple. They do this to fulfil the religious obligation, which requires the circumcision and the ritual presentation of their first-born child to God. At this sacred event, Jesus is recognised as the Promised Saviour by Simeon and Anna, two elderly persons who humbly and faithfully wait in the temple for the revelation of God’s salvation.

Simeon, who recognised Jesus as the anointed of the Lord, prophesied that Jesus would be a “light to enlighten the gentiles …” But even as he blessed Jesus’ parents, Simeon warned Mary that her son would be ‘a sign of rejection, and a sword would pierce her.’ It foreshadowed the universal salvation that Jesus was to work for humanity and the consequent necessity of suffering in this mission of the Messiah.

In the second reading, Jesus shares his humanity with all human beings for their liberation from the slavery of sin and death. At Jesus’ Presentation in the temple, He was recognised as the Messiah, who took on human form to be “like his brothers” so that through His death, He can atone for all the sins of humanity. As Simeon and Anna recognised Christ as the Messiah, they proclaimed Him with joy, may we, this day, acknowledge His presence and accept Him as the “light” of our lives.

Lord, you are the light to the nations.