Presentation of the Lord

Dear Parish Family,

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord has held great significance in the life of the Church for a very long time. It is so important, in fact, that we celebrate it this weekend instead of the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. There is a lot to unpack in the mysterious fact that God, who has been worshiped in the Temple in Jerusalem for centuries, now appears in the flesh in the very place people have dedicated themselves to “finding” and “seeing” and “hearing” Him. Now, as Simeon proclaims, “My own eyes have the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people.”

Indeed, our own eyes have seen the salvation of our lives. Every time we gaze on the Cross, we see the fulfillment of that little baby boy’s life – His life given for ours. St. Thomas Aquinas says that when we look at Christ on the Cross, we come to understand what He despises as well as understand what He desires. We are called to lay down our lives for our friends. We are called to turn away from sin. We are called to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us. We are called to be humble. All of these things we see evidenced by Jesus on the Cross. But it’s not only there; we also see these aspects of Christ in the Eucharist: humble, little, vulnerable, wanting to be received.

Every Sunday, the Lord comes into this temple, this place of worship, this house of God. When the bread and wine are consecrated into the Body and Blood of the Lord, we see in the flesh, sacramentally, the Word of God whom we adore. Not only that, but as Simeon picked Jesus up in his arms, so we are privileged to take Jesus up in Holy Communion. Simeon was ready to die after seeing the Lord. He lived with such eager anticipation. What about us? We have such ready and easy access to the Lord. Are we “dying” just to spend some time with Him in the Real Presence of the Eucharist? Let’s not miss His visitation to us as He presents Himself to us at every Mass.

-Fr. Kennell