Christ the Cornerstone

Joining the Holy Family’s journey from sorrow to joy

Mary and Joseph bring to the Temple their firstborn who, in accordance with the law, had to be redeemed or “bought back” by means of the prescribed sacrifice. Thirty-three years later, Jesus himself will be the sacrifice that is offered on our behalf, for our redemption. (Magnificat, Vol. 26, #12, February 2025)

On Sunday, Feb. 2, our Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This feast is also known as Candlemas Day, because of the blessing of candles that takes place before Mass begins.

The ceremony for the blessing of candles includes this beautiful introductory address given by the celebrant, which summarizes the meaning of this great feast day:

Forty days have passed since we celebrated the joyful feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Today is the blessed day when Jesus was presented in the Temple by Mary and Joseph. Outwardly he was fulfilling the Law, but in reality, he was coming to meet his believing people. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon and Anna came to the Temple. Enlightened by the same Spirit, they recognized the Lord and confessed him with exultation. So let us also, gathered together by the Holy Spirit, proceed to the house of God to encounter Christ. There we shall find him and recognize him in the breaking of the bread, until he comes again, revealed in glory.

The story told in St. Luke’s Gospel (Lk 2:22-40) is filled with rich imagery and hidden meaning brought to light by the grace of God. It is a story of the Holy Family, and it demonstrates how their obedience to the law sets in motion the radical transformation of the sacrifice that is at the heart of Christian worship.

Jesus did not need to be redeemed or “brought back” to God by means of the prescribed ritual of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Jesus is God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, and as the old man Simeon testifies, he is both “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (Lk 2:32).

But Mary and Joseph are serious about their Jewish faith, and they are determined to comply with its laws and customs. Theirs is an act of profound, religious obedience which allows the Holy Family to be open to the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Simeon and Anna represent the people of God that the Incarnate Son of God has come to redeem. They have waited patiently for a sign that the salvation promised is at hand. Simeon gives voice to the miracle he has witnessed with his own eyes: “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 the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and ­glory for your people Israel” (Lk 2:29-32). This joy-filled exclamation, the “Nunc Dimittis,” which the Church proposes to us nightly in the Liturgy of the Hours, is a confession of faith that will echo throughout the millennia.

Simeon also gives prophetic voice to the sorrows that Jesus’ mother, Mary, will endure: “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” (Lk 2:34-35).

The glory of God that is revealed in this child is a double-edged sword. It will free humankind from the tyranny of sin and death, but it will also be the occasion for great suffering and personal sacrifice. Mary will suffer grievously because of her closeness to Jesus but, by the grace of God, her sorrow will become great joy.

The suffering of Jesus is discussed in the second reading for this feast day. The Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 2:14-18) says that Jesus “had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the ­people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested” (Heb 2:17-18).

The suffering and death of Jesus is redemptive. It is through his suffering that Jesus takes away our sins, frees us from the consequences of death, and gives us eternal life in and through him.

As we celebrate the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, let us thank God for the obedience of the Holy Family which revealed the promised salvation “in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and ­glory for your people Israel” (Lk 2:31-32). †