Today, 26th of December, we celebrate
Saint Stephen
First Reading: Mal 3:1-4
The Lord God says this: Now I am sending my messenger ahead of me to clear the way; then suddenly the Lord for whom you long will enter the sanctuary. The envoy of the covenant which you so greatly desire already comes, says Yahweh of hosts. Who can bear the day of his coming and remain standing when he appears? For he will be like fire in the foundry and like the lye used for bleaching.
He will be as a refiner or a fuller. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. So Yahweh will have priests who will present the offering as it should be. Then Yahweh will accept with pleasure the offering of Judah and Jerusalem, as in former days.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:7-10
R./ Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R./ Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
R./ Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!
R./ Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.
R./ Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!
Second Reading: Heb 2:14-18
Because all those children share one same nature of flesh and blood, Jesus likewise had to share this nature. This is why his death destroyed the one holding the power of death, that is the devil, and freed those who remained in bondage all their lifetime because of the fear of death.
Jesus came to take by the hand not the angels but the human race. So he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every respect, in order to be the High Priest faithful to God and merciful to them, a priest able to ask pardon and atone for their sins. Having been tested through suffering, he is able to help those who are tested.
Gospel Reading: Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-34
When the day came for the purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought the baby up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God. And they offered a sacrifice as ordered in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
There lived in Jerusalem at this time a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel, and he had been assured by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord. So he was led into the Temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law.
Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God, saying,
“Now, O Lord, you can dismiss
your servant in peace,
for you have fulfilled your word
and my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you display for all the people to see.
Here is the light you will reveal to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”
His father and mother wondered at what was said about the child. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “See him; he will be for the rise or fall of the multitudes of Israel. He shall stand as a sign of contradiction, while a sword will pierce your own soul. Then the secret thoughts of many may be brought to light.”
There was also a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her father’s home, she had been seven years with her husband, and since then she had been continually about the Temple, serving God as a widow night and day in fasting and prayer. She was now eighty-four. Coming up at that time, she gave praise to God and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their town, Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew in stature and strength and was filled with wisdom: the grace of God was upon him.
Raise the Lord in our arms
The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple is also the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, honouring and praying for the lives of all men and women who have heroically consecrated their lives to the Lord, for the love of God and in service to God’s people. Every believer is consecrated to the Lord, and today, we recall our consecration to the Lord at the time of our baptism. Being consecrated, we are set apart to do the work of God,never alone but with our brothers and sisters.
The Feast of the Presentation is also a celebration of the long-awaited arrival of the Messiah in the temple and his meeting with his faithful people. Jesus’ presentation in the temple is an act of community represented by Simeon and Anna.
The Lord comes to us, brought to us by Mary and Joseph, and we go towards him guided by the Holy Spirit. He is at the centre. He draws us to the Temple, to the Church, where we can meet him, welcome him, and embrace him.
The feast invites us to reflect on the meeting between the young and the old: Mary and Joseph, with their infant son, meet the old Simeon and Anna. It is important for the elderly to share their wisdom with the young, as it is for the youth to gather and carry forward this wealth of experience and wisdom, addressing the challenges of life.
Forty days have passed since Christmas, and it may be that the Star of Bethlehem that “we have seen in its rising” is disappearing in the sky. The Church brings us the opportunity to meet that Child again: she invites us to welcome him in our arms, as did Simeon and Anna, the poor of Israel, the people attentive to the voice of the Spirit.
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