Three Cool Things on the Presentation of the Lord: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Old School with Advent and Christmas

·     Advent on the days of Advent

o  I’ve said this again with many of you, I do not listen to Christmas music until it is Christmas

·     Then, I celebrate Christmas on Christmas

o  Christmas tree up on Christmas or after

·     The letter/pictures out

o  Now, I’ll be honest, I wrote a comment to my family and friends that I was writing it during the octave of Christmas…and it took forever…aka after the Christmas season

Then I realized the traditional celebration of Candlemas which brings us to this blessed weekend: The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

·     So #1: Joseph, Mary and Jesus present Jesus to the temple

o  40 days after his Birth

·     As we heard in Luke: Simeon

o  “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.”

·     #2: The purification of Mary according to the Law of Moses

·     #3: “By the offerings of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph and the prophecy of St. Simeon, the life of Christ here begins to point toward his resurrection

So back to Candlemas

·     In the beginning of Christianity, the Eastern Churches called this date as “The Meeting”

·     The West started in the 6^thcentury

·     Why?  To have candles to be blessed for Jesus Christ, for Mary, for the presentation to Simeon and his mission to move forward

Finally, did you know that Rome is now taking down their Christmas trees, decorations for Christmas?  So I hope my letter does make it in time!