Someone read: (Luke 2:22-40)

“When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus 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 turtledoves 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, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant 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 to your people Israel."

And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed - and a sword will pierce your own soul too."

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.”

February 2010 PD Growing in God's Blessing

This is our first communication for the year and it is the first time that I have the opportunity of reflecting with you. So it is a new beginning. On 2nd February we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, just a few weeks after we celebrated his birth. I would suggest that as we begin to settle into the year at the close of our summer holidays and people returning to work and study, we could well meditate on this Gospel story to help direct our lives the way we would wish. In particular, for us who are Marist, we may wish to reflect on how I would want to grow in my Marist way of living and how we would like to see the Marist Laity grow here in New Zealand. So let’s turn to this Gospel passage.

I am sure we have all at some time taken a child in our own arms. Perhaps our own son or daughter, a grandchild, a baby of a friend, or as is often the case for me, a baby presented for Baptism. We can gaze at the marvel of such a beautiful baby and wonder about his or her future. How will she grow up? What will be his personality? Even perhaps, how long will he or she live? We probably also have dreams for the child as certainly all good parents do every time they marvel at the gift of their little one. In a way, the Gospel story is something like this. We have four people focused on Jesus and wondering about the future.

Mary and Joseph bring their child to the Temple in Jerusalem. Both have been touched deeply in their prayer and dreams about what this child will become and now they are taking the first step in faith by bringing Jesus to the temple. The other two people are described as prophets. Both are good and prayerful people who tell about the future greatness of Jesus. Simeon, who has been waiting for the Saviour, gives thanks to God and describes how Jesus will be a challenge for many, including Mary herself. Anna, the widow committed to temple prayer and devotion also gives thanks for Jesus and spoke of how Jesus would set people free.

So there is an element of gratitude and one of looking forward. And it is all done in the temple and in the context of openness to the Holy Spirit in prayer. As we reflect prayerfully also, we could give thanks to God for Jesus in our own lives and we could look forward to this year and how it might be for us. We can also do it from the point of view of Marists. We have a wonderful gift of this way of living as Christian; to think, judge, feel and act like Mary might. And it is a way of life that can always grow. But we are not just individual Marists, we belong to the Family of Mary in association with many others who are trying to live this way of life. So we can also ponder on our expectations this year for the Marist Laity.

In the temple Mary ritually presented Jesus to God in gratitude. We are told that she, together with Joseph, was amazed at what was said about Jesus and his future. Like Mary, let us also pause with gratitude in our hearts that we can live as Marists and allow ourselves to be amazed at what could happen.

In the Gospel story, only the words of Simeon are recorded. Even so, we can imagine the sentiments of the others as they give thanks to God for the life of this special child. There are two prophets in the story; Simeon, who we are told is a good man, and in touch with the promptings of God in his heart, gives thanks for the birth of Jesus, who is to be the saviour of the world. His words tell us how Jesus will be a challenge for people. He will reveal deep secrets, and so cause suffering for Mary his mother. The other prophet is the widow, who, we are told, devoted her life to prayer and fasting. Her words are not recorded, but she gives thanks to God for the birth of the saviour.

When asked what lay Marists do and where their unity would be, Fr Colin, the first Marist, said that their unity was in the spirit of Mary, but what they did depended on local circumstances. He had grown up during the French Revolution and knew that the church had survived, not so much because of the clergy, but through the brave commitment of the laity. He had lost his own father as a result of the persecution. Our New Zealand church is quite different from Fr Colin’s time, but we do have a changing church in which clergy are not as plentiful and the life and management of the church depends much more on the laity. In this way, it’s not unlike Fr Colin’s experience. I believe Marist Laity have a key role to play in our church, as they did in Fr Colin’s time and indeed, as Mary herself did after Pentecost when the church was developing. What is done will depend on local circumstances. There are different forms of Marist Laity in New Zealand; The Third Order, Marian Mothers, Kautaha o’ Malia and so on. But what binds us together is the spirit of Mary. And my dream is that this bond will continue to grow stronger this year; that each Marist will grow in the spirit of Mary and feel part of a family that is playing its part in the mission of our church.

After the child Jesus had been presented in the temple we are told that Joseph and Mary took him back to Nazareth where he grew in strength, wisdom and God’s blessing. As we contemplate this Gospel story, may we also grow in God’s blessing and the spirit of Mary.

Do remember that you can always use whichever questions suit, or substitute your own.

* What does this Gospel story suggest to me?

* What are your expectations for your group this year?

* What aspects of Marian Mothers are you most grateful for?

(We would appreciate you sharing the results of this discussions with us.)

Conclude your meeting with the following:

Lord, teach me to embrace my duties and fulfil them faithfully.

Offer me opportunities to show my obedience

and through my obedience and faithfulness to my obligations

grant me peace in all my affairs with the secure knowledge

that I had good intentions and did the best I could. Amen.