Scripture excerpts from Luke 2
When the (40) days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written (that) Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the law of the Lord.
Simeon…a man who was righteous and devout, with the Holy Spirit upon him…Thus it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law (to present Jesus), Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, in this child, for he is a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel…Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign…so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Merry Christmas, I could rightly say to you, again, today. We have a Church calendar feast to recognize the 40th day of Jesus life as a babe. December 25 He is born, and on Feb. 2nd He went to the Temple, taken by Mary and Joseph, to be presented as their first-born baby boy for his 40th day Presentation to God. It is done in the great Temple of Jerusalem, which happens to be just 7 miles from Bethlehem.
It’s a part of the Christmas story, and it even precedes the Coming of the Magi to honor the Child, and then the Bethlehem Innocents Massacre and then the Flight into Egypt. But much of our Christmas scene is packed up for the season—as in modern Christmas observance.
Yet the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is, in some sense, the very, very end of Christmas. It usually is honored in just a weekday Mass by the few that go to it, but in 2025 this 40th day falls on a Sunday, so we give it much more acclaim.
In some cultures or customs, the Christmas decorations stay up until Feb. 2nd and this special day in Jesus’ life. Yet for most people, they do not. I know some folks who’ll keep their Christmas decorations up to St. Patrick’s Day, but only out of lack of interest of the work of putting it all away!
There is a line from the holy man who does the presentation blessing. Simeon recognizes Jesus the babe as The Chosen One, The Christ. He also says “He is a light for revelation! This description of Jesus as the Lord of Light then has added to this Presentation Day as also a blessing of candles day. For ages, the churches all had to use candles for any illumination, and a Paschal Candle in it for representing Jesus as the Light of the World. Thus, this 40th day became a candle blessing day. So we shall bless candles at the close of Mass today. Among the candles blessed will be the ones we use for the St. Blaise throat blessing, which has been done on Feb. 3rd each year, but parishes also may add it to the Sunday prior or after. Thus, we do it today after Masses, and anyone here, including 40 day old babes and the little ones, can be prayed over.
When I think of artistic portrayals of Jesus depicted in washes and rays of light, I can’t help but think of how it was featured greatly in the work of Rembrandt. A particular one of his was done for this very Presentation feast. The artist has the people in the scene at the Temple for the baby Jesus’ lawful blessing as people in the shadows, but the Christ Child is depicted in light. Yet He is not merely in the light; He is the Light. It is He Who is shining of those nearest to Him, illuminating their lives, and His light is gradually conquering the surrounding darkness.
Good job, Rembrandt!
The world can often be dark, cold, and cruel. Sin and its sinister seduction also draws us into the clutches of shadows or shades or into darkness. Even after we recognize its emptiness, we sometimes are deluded to think that going deeper into the abyss will eventually provide some satisfactory answer to our desire for meaning and our desire for fulfillment. To cast our lot in with the world and its power or to give ourselves over to sin is always the path to nowhere. It is the path to emptiness. We know it, deep inside our mind or soul, and we even see the warning signs, no outlet, dead end, no way through here—but oddly still take it, because the Tempter tells us differently, but it’s his plan to snare us. It’s the way of the world of sin versus the kingdom of God plan.
Rembrandt painted a wonderful Prodigal Son work, as well, in which he sees the father figure embracing his thought-dead but turned back son. The father represents God the Father and we are the son, the sinner, needing to head back into God’s embrace. Rembrandts use of light again is marvelous.
God, though, is the best painter, and He wants to paint you and I as children of the light, and children won to Him via the salvation of Jesus Christ alone. “He is the light to the Gentiles, and the Glory of His people, Israel,” so says Simeon out to the world, to get to know this Jesus, this Christmas Gift, Star Child, Savior, Redeemer, Eternal Hope.
Simeon is splashed with light in Rembrandt’s Jesus at the Presentation—for it shows that the Holy Spirit has helped him to recognize Who is right there in his presence: the King of Kings and Lord of Lords—the same one offering His presence to us. We need splashes of light, and all through all lives need it renewed.
I wish you Merry Christmas for the last time this season. I pray you have something from Christmas of this time around that has touched you, and let it take your 2025 into a jubilee of hope.
Last week I brought to your attention our Holy Year and some things we’ll do for it this year. Look on the parish website for my Jubilee video and also look at last week’s homily on Jubilee and when Jesus announced it in Nazareth 1991 years ago, speaking of Himself as our Jubilee.