The Presentation of the Lord

Homily on February 2, 2025.

Malachi 3:1-4, Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10, Hebrews 2:14-18

Luke 2:22-40 or 2:22-32

Encounter with Jesus.

Greetings again dear friends, sharing with you today a little reflection on this Sunday, the feast of the presentation of the Lord. Today we have heard in the first reading the prophet speaking to the people of Israel. The Lord through the prophet promises them a new messenger where the sacrifice with this messenger will be sufficient and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. In the second reading we have heard in the letter to the Hebrews, the explanation why Jesus has become like one of us and the redemption he gives for all of us.

And in the gospel we hear about the encounter between a man who had waited so long to see the savior, whose hope did not disappear and who finally found fulfilment in having the child Jesus in his arms and being able to go away in peace. Reading and meditating on these readings, two thoughts come to my mind, the first in relation to the letter to the Hebrews. It reminds me of God's great love for us. Jesus knew that it was not angels or heavenly beings with whom he needed to share, it was with us humans. Jesus becomes one with us, now he understands our pains and our fragilities. For Jesus our anguish does not go unnoticed, on the contrary he takes it as his own. He knows what it is to feel weak, sad, anxious, worried. But he also knows our joys, our consolations and those passions that drive us to live day by day.

Jesus also knows our trials, but by becoming like us he has set us as an example that it is possible to overcome in adversity. That sin and evil do not have the last word, but God's hope, love and justice do. That the kingdom of evil does not overcome the kingdom of God. Jesus has given us this example where he himself has overcome evil and therefore, when we have an encounter with Jesus, he allows us to come out victorious. It is the encounter with Jesus that fills our hearts, allows us to live with dignity and hope. It reminds us that we are loved and that God is faithful to his promises. This encounter with Jesus allowed Simeon to confirm God's promise, and made him say a beautiful prayer with joy, where he thanked God for his faithfulness to him and to his people. Simeon speaks for himself, but he does not forget his community.

Perhaps that is what the encounter with Jesus is all about, allowing us to speak from our individual experience but without forgetting our community. We often hear that we should let ourselves be embraced by Jesus and although this is true, we should also embrace him as Simeon did. In most encounters of Jesus with people it is Jesus who goes and touches them, but here it is Simeon who takes him in his arms. He has an experience with Jesus, he has had the encounter with him and he knows that his life will never be the same again. This encounter will help him to live with dignity for the rest of his life, it allows him to continue to live with his community and to be a bearer of the good news that is Jesus himself.

Finally, dear friends, I want to invite you to meet Jesus, to allow ourselves to hold him and live with full confidence that his promises will be fulfilled in us. And also we will not forget that Jesus remains with us in our daily trials and that all he asks is faith and trust in the one who became like one of us. Through the intercession of Mary our mother and St. Joseph who brought Jesus to his presentation, may we too always be able to recognize Jesus as our teacher, brother and Lord.