Presentation

In the Fourth Joyful Mystery, we contemplate the presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple.

From the Gospel of Saint Luke (2:22–32)
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord,’ and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons’.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel. (…) It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. (…) Simeon took the Child in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now You are dismissing your in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory for Your people, Israel.’

Commentary by St. Athanasius
The Word, taking upon Himself what was ours, offered it as a sacrifice and destroyed it by His death. Then, He clothed us with His condition.

Meditation 1
Jesus does not break from the ancient traditions, but submits Himself to the laws of the land where He lives and of the people into which He was incarnated as a man. Yet, in obeying or fulfilling these laws, He passes them through His moral conscience, because the law was made for man, not man for the law.

Mary, being the purest of living beings alongside Jesus, also submits to the tradition of ritual purification. When referring to this second part of the mystery, it is necessary to include the word “ritual”, because Mary was always pure, before, during, and after childbirth.

The Son of God subjected Himself to the Law and its precepts! In the life of the Holy Family, respect for the Law is born from the certainty that God is at its foundation. Therefore, the routine fulfillment of what is established, of what is apparently unchangeable, also becomes a place for the revelation of God.

Meditation 2
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is an opportunity for us to contemplate the Holy God, who takes on the rhythm of human beings: He is the God of Love, who reveals Himself in human history without imposing Himself. How much truth and how much revelation of God there is in faithfully fulfilling our daily duties!

Simeon, upon seeing Jesus, recognizes that the Christ, for whom he had been waiting, has arrived, according to God’s promise. He raised his eyes to heaven in gratitude, but also warns Mary that her heart will be pierced. Despite this, Mary continues to trust in God, not knowing what the future holds. May our prayer ask for trust in God’s plan and the patience to wait for it to unfold.

On the day of the Presentation, God received infinitely more glory than in all the sacrifices and holocausts offered in the temple until then. On this day, it is the Son of God himself who is presented to Him, offering the Father an infinite homage of adoration, thanksgiving, atonement, and supplication.

This offering, so pleasing to God, is received from the hands of the Virgin, full of grace. Mary’s faith is perfect. Filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, she has a clear understanding of the value of the offering she is making to God at that moment. The Holy Spirit harmonizes her soul with the inner dispositions of her Divine Son’s heart.

Just as Mary gave her consent on behalf of all humanity when the angel announced to her the mystery of the Incarnation, so on this day she offers Jesus to the Father on behalf of the whole human race. She knows that her Son is “the King of Glory, the new light that came before the dawn, the Master of life and death.”

Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You who revealed Your salvation to Simeon in the Temple,
give us eyes to recognize Your presence in the simplicity of daily life
and open our hearts to accept Your will, like Mary and Joseph.

May we, like the Holy Family, live in obedience to Your laws,
but also, with the awareness that the true Law is born from Your Love.
Help us to fulfill our daily duties with joy and faith,
knowing that Your presence and Your will are manifested in them.

Lord, give us the confidence of Mary,
who, even when she heard about the sword that would pierce her heart,
continued to trust in You without hesitation.
May we, like her, offer You the best of ourselves,
knowing that You are the foundation of our hope.

On this day of Presentation,
we remember that Your Son Jesus
offered himself to the Father out of love for all humanity.
May we also, in our lives, be an offering of love and adoration,
bearing witness to Your glory and Your salvation,
a light for all nations.

Amen

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

The BIrth of Jesus

In the Third Joyful Mystery, we contemplate the birth of Jesus.

From the Gospel of John (3:16; 1:14)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. (...) And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth."

Commentary by Saint Gregory of Nazianzus:
The Son of God became man for love of man. Whoever gives his wealth to others becomes poor. He asks me to give Him my human nature so that He can give me His divine nature.

Meditation 1
God the Creator is incarnate in a creature. For many religions, it seems impossible that God could be incarnate in a human being, just as it seems impossible for the sea to fit into a small puddle of water. If we think only of God's transcendence, yes, it seems impossible, illogical, improbable. However, for God, nothing is impossible.

God is not only transcendent; He is also immanent, already present here and now in the heart of every thing and every person. The expression "God is closer to me than I am to myself" applies to everything; God is at the heart of both material beings and spiritual beings. Therefore, when we think of His immanence, it becomes easier to understand why He took a human form.

God "camped" among us, set up His tent among us, just as He once did when He accompanied His people for 40 years in the desert after liberating them from Egypt. That tent, where Moses met with God in dialogue, representing the people of God, was called the "tent of meeting." Jesus of Nazareth, Emmanuel, "God with us," is the new Tent of Meeting, for in Him, God and man meet. Through Jesus, God comes to man; through Jesus, man goes to God.

Meditation 2
"God became Man so that Man could become God." – St. Irenaeus
As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him (Jesus). Matthew 20:29

Jericho is both the oldest city in the world, with 8,000 years of existence, and the lowest city on Earth, some 500 meters below sea level. In the Bible, Jericho symbolizes sin. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jerusalem represents grace, while Jericho symbolizes sin.

The man who fell among robbers fell into disgrace because he was descending from Jerusalem, 800 meters above sea level, to Jericho. He was traveling from grace to sin; as people say, "He who forgets God lacks all good." To save humanity from sin, Jesus also descends to Jericho, but He does not stay there. He leaves Jericho, and a great crowd follows Him, ascending with Him from the sin of Jericho to the grace of Jerusalem.

The Son of God is born in utter poverty: in unexpected circumstances, without a place, without comfort. To God's poverty, Mary responds with her own poverty: offering the best of herself, enveloping and cradling the fragility of the Infant God, so that He does not lack the most important thing — Love.

The Birth of Jesus is an opportunity to contemplate the Holy God, who gives Himself in weakness: He is the Poor God who always brings out the best in us. How much fragility and powerlessness there is in our lives and in the lives of those around us! How many opportunities we have, like Mary, to offer what we have and to focus on Love! How do I face the difficulties and weaknesses of life? Do I see them as an opportunity to give the best of myself?

Prayer
Lord God,
You sent Your Son to be born among us in humility and poverty.
Grant that, like Mary, we may offer the best of ourselves,
welcoming Your love in every situation of our lives.

Help us to recognize Your presence in fragility and difficulties,
and to see every challenge as an opportunity to grow in Your love.
May we, like Mary, know how to focus on the essential,
offering what we have with generosity and simplicity.

Lord, just as Jesus was born in a humble stable,
make our hearts a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
full of peace, love, and hope.

May we never forget the greatness of Your plan,
where even in the most unexpected and difficult circumstances,
You manifest Yourself in love and mercy.
May we, like the great crowd that followed Jesus,
rise from the darkness of sin into the light of Your grace.

Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC