Homily for Feast of Presentation of the Lord

Homily for the Feast of the
Presentation of the Lord

Feb. 2, 2020

Mal 3: 1-4
Luke 2: 22-40
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx, N.Y.

“Suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire” (Mal 3: 1).

The prophet Malachi has been asking, “Where is the just God?” (2:17).  He answers that the Lord will appear suddenly, right in the place where Israel believed he dwelt, the temple in Jerusalem, and he’ll come as a messenger of the covenant, of the special relationship between Israel and the Lord God.  He’ll come to refine and purify—to cleanse impurity and sin from even the priests of the temple.  Purified priests then will be able to offer clean, pure sacrifices pleasing to God.  God’s justice will be restored; it will be evident.  This is what Israel seeks.  This is the Lord whom Israel seeks.

Presentation of the Lord

Our Lady of the Valley Church, Orange, N.J.

St. Luke then shows us the Lord coming into his temple:  the infant Jesus brought in by his mother and St. Joseph.  He comes humbly and quietly, not like a powerful judge whom Malachi may have pictured.  He comes to bring salvation (Luke 2:30), which old Simeon perceives by a special revelation.  But Simeon also perceives that this Lord Jesus will become a sign of contradiction; i.e., many will oppose him as well as support him (2:34).  As Malachi had prophesied, there will still be a need for refinement and purification.

Later in this same ch. 2 of his Gospel, Luke will show us the boy Jesus coming again to the temple, amazing scribes, the wise men of Israel, with his wisdom (2:46-49).  In Jesus the wisdom of God is personified.  He is the messenger of God coming to purify wickedness from Israel, coming to renew the covenant relationship.

Still later, Jesus will re-enter the temple to purify it of the buyers and sellers who desecrate it by their presence and their profane activities.  “He is like the refiner’s fire” (Mal 3:2).  It’s Jesus’ mission to purify Israel, to drive out sinfulness, to keep God’s people in a healthy relationship with God.  He’s the wisdom of God in person.  He’s the messenger of the covenant whom Israel in its heart desires.

Each one of us has to choose whether we’ll find our wisdom in Jesus Christ, whether we’ll listen to his message.  He becomes for us a sign of contradiction because we must make a choice, for him or not.

At the Last Supper and on Mt. Calvary Jesus didn’t renew that old covenant of which Malachi spoke; he made a new one, a covenant sealed by the sacrifice of his own body and blood.  The Lord present among us in his flesh and blood by his incarnation in Mary’s womb now remains with us in his Eucharistic presence.  Thru his sacrifice and his continuing presence, he “destroys the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and frees those who … had been subject to slavery all their life,” the Letter to the Hebrews explains (2:14-15).  He has freed us by his resurrection from death and by incorporating us with himself thru the sacrament of his Body and Blood.  He invites us to enter the heavenly temple of God his Father along with him—and that’s what we celebrate at every Mass.  As we prayed at the start of the liturgy, “may we be presented to you with minds made pure”—not only our minds but also our hearts and souls, so that we may be purified and worthy of eternal life alongside Jesus our Savior.