This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation. No, not the presentation of the Vince Lombardi trophy, though that will happen later in the evening. We celebrate the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem according to Jewish custom. This feast is always February 2nd, but rarely falls on a Sunday (in which case it supplants the regular Sunday of Ordinary Time), and so it is a special gift to be able to observe this feast with more of the community present. The Presentation is for Christians a kind of bridging between the old and new covenants, as the longed for Messiah is brought to that holiest of holy places in the Jewish tradition, the tradition in which he was raised and from which Christianity organically develops. In the Gospel, we are introduced to two fascinating figures, Simeon, a “righteous and devout man,” who has long awaited the consolation of Israel, and Anna, a prophetess, who “never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.” They remind me of some of those parishioners in past assignments whose life, especially in old age, seemed to revolve around the Church. We get a sense of their steadfastness and devotion, their longing, and, finally, their joy in greeting this child. Simeon cries out, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation...a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” And Anna offers a prayer of thanks to God and speaks of this child to all awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. This feast is also the traditional day for the blessing of candles, what we used to call “Candlemas,” as that image of light fits so beautifully with the coming of Christ our Light into the world in this more formal presentation in the temple. In these still long, cold and often dreary days of winter, may we imitate the patience and faithfulness of Simeon and Anna. And may Christ our Light be present in us and shine through us to the world. --Fr. Thom
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The famous 4th/5th century bishop and translator of the Bible, Saint Jerome, once said, “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” These are haunting words for Christians and maybe for Catholics in particular, as we are (sadly) not always known for our familiarity with the sacred texts of our tradition. To be fair, Catholics often know their Bible better than they give themselves credit for, as they are exposed to it constantly in the liturgy. There are three biblical readings at every daily Mass (1st reading, psalm and gospel) and four on Sunday (1st reading, 2nd reading, psalm and gospel). By actively participating at Mass and listening attentively to the proclaimed word, Catholics get a lot more of the Bible than they think The fact that we have so much more exposure to the Bible in the liturgy is, to my mind, one of the greatest gifts of the reform of the liturgy following the Second Vatican Council. And so, we may not always be so good with chapter and verse, but we know “it’s in there somewhere,” and certainly the ideas soak in like drops of water on a sponge over the course of our lifetime. Still, there is a need for more intentional, dedicated study of scripture among all Christians. For this reason, Pope Francis recently announced that there should be a special “Sunday of the Word of God” to highlight this need and to encourage the faithful in their reading and study of the Bible. This will be observed in Catholic churches across the globe this Sunday, including here at Christ the King Chapel. Students, faculty, staff and any of our guests are encouraged to bring their own personal Bibles from home with them to Mass. We will bless these Bibles and encourage people to find a place of prominence for them in their home or dorm room, and most importantly, to read them daily. I remember hearing a Catholic speaker several years ago talk about his own particular routine for reading the Bible: “No Bible, no breakfast. No Bible, no bed.” Whether it was just a single passage or a whole chapter, he would read the scriptures daily in the morning and in the evening. Perhaps this is something we should consider. Also, I especially encourage our students to take advantage of the various small group faith sharing and Bible study opportunities led by our Peer Campus Ministers or to take part in Bridge, an interdenominational Bible study that meets weekly in our chapel on Tuesday nights. Whatever form it takes, let’s take this Sunday to rededicate ourselves to our reading and study of God’s inspired word. --Fr. Thom
Have a question about a program or event going on in Campus Ministry? Got an idea for something you'd like to see happen? EMAIL US at ministry@sau.edu.
Follow us online for news, events, prayer and spiritual resources, plus much more:
This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation. No, not the presentation of the Vince Lombardi trophy, though that will happen later in the evening. We celebrate the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem according to Jewish custom. This feast is always February 2nd, but rarely falls on a Sunday (in which case it supplants the regular Sunday of Ordinary Time), and so it is a special gift to be able to observe this feast with more of the community present. The Presentation is for Christians a kind of bridging between the old and new covenants, as the longed for Messiah is brought to that holiest of holy places in the Jewish tradition, the tradition in which he was raised and from which Christianity organically develops. In the Gospel, we are introduced to two fascinating figures, Simeon, a “righteous and devout man,” who has long awaited the consolation of Israel, and Anna, a prophetess, who “never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.” They remind me of some of those parishioners in past assignments whose life, especially in old age, seemed to revolve around the Church. We get a sense of their steadfastness and devotion, their longing, and, finally, their joy in greeting this child. Simeon cries out, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation...a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” And Anna offers a prayer of thanks to God and speaks of this child to all awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. This feast is also the traditional day for the blessing of candles, what we used to call “Candlemas,” as that image of light fits so beautifully with the coming of Christ our Light into the world in this more formal presentation in the temple. In these still long, cold and often dreary days of winter, may we imitate the patience and faithfulness of Simeon and Anna. And may Christ our Light be present in us and shine through us to the world. --Fr. Thom
