Presentation of the Lord

We celebrate a beautiful feast as we journey with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to the temple so that our Lord can be presented in the temple to God. As the announcement for this day states, "Dear brethren, 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" (Third Edition, Roman Missal, 816). We give thanks and praise to God for the gift of His only Son. Jesus has come into the world to be its light, to be its Savior. As Simeon and Anna recognized the Messiah, so we pray that we will recognize him when he returns in glory. Let us always prepare ourselves for the return of our Lord and let us make the Collect our own: "Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure" (Roman Missal, 819). We respond with a resounding "Amen," for we believe this is true! Have a blessed day!!!