February 2 2020 - Feast of the Presentation - Light of Encounter

The Jerusalem Temple, as you know, had profound significance for the Jewish people. Of all the places in the world, in the cosmos, the one True God, Creator of the universe, chose to make his dwelling on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem on planet earth. A temple was built for Him to be a place of dwelling and encounter. A place where God’s glory would shine forth, signifying God’s presence with Israel and Israel’s mission to glorify God by their lives.

The Temple was the place where divinity and humanity could meet and encounter each other. In my bulletin column this week, I explain how this feast of the presentation, in the eastern churches, is called the Feast of the Encounter, for here in the Temple, Simeon encounters God—God made flesh—Jesus Christ true God and true man.

The temple was also the place where sacrifice was offered. Mary and Joseph go to the temple in the Gospel today to offer Sacrifice. Sacrifice was offered as a way of turning one’s life to God. Faith and love, entrusting ones life to God, were made concrete through Sacrifice.

In the case of sin, sacrifice was a plea for reconciliation. Sacrificed was offered as showing you were serious about turning away from sin and back to God, and recognizing that God and God alone has the power to forgive sins. Reconciliation is one of my favorite words in our faith dictionary. From the latin reconciliation, It contains  the word cilia—recon-CILIA-tion…cilia are eyelashes. Reconciliation means to turn back from sin eyelashes meet God again. Reconciliation makes encounter possible.

In the time of the prophets, the sins of the nation had compromised the religious life of Israel and the ability to encounter God in the Temple. Things got so bad in Israel, the people had fallen so out of right relationship with God due to sin, that the prophet Ezekiel had a vision of God’s glory departing from the temple. Sin was so great, faith and love were so lacking, the light of God was extinguished in the Temple.

This certainly makes us think of what happens to the human soul who falls into mortal sin. The act of sin creates a condition in which grace has no place to dwell. Light is extinguished. And the only way grace is restored, rekindled, and re-illumined in the soul is through the humble confession of sin in the sacrament of reconciliation.

The faithful remnant of Israel longed for God’s glory to return to the Temple. We hear this sentiment in the later prophets of the Old Testament. Our first reading this weekend, from the prophet Malachi, describes the promise of glory’s return: “Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek” He will bring purification and refinement and right worship and perfect sacrifice to Israel.  Where Ezekiel described God’s departure from the Temple, Malachi foretells God’s return.

Malachi’s prophecy was fulfilled when Joseph and Mary, 40 days after the birth of Jesus, bring him to the temple to be presented to his heavenly Father.

We can then begin to appreciate the sentiment of Simeon who filled with the Holy Spirit recognizes His Lord. Master, he says, now your servant can go in peace, I can die peacefully, knowing you have returned as the prophets foretold.

Simeon goes on to echo another prophet, Isaiah, who foretold how the Savior the savior of Israel would also be a light for the whole world. Master, my own eyes have now seen your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. Simeon recognized that the promised era of light and glory has now begun, an era in which all the nations of the world, would turn to the God of Israel to be saved by Him. The light of God’s glory would never be extinguished again. His light would emanate from this child that he now held in his arms, and his light would enlighten the whole world.

Hence our blessing of candles today. Candles for Christians are symbolic of the light of Christ which now shines in the world through the Church to which all people and nations of the earth are now summoned. Candles are lit particularly during our liturgical rites, especially at Mass, because when we are gathered together, rich and poor, members of every nation, we shine most brightly with the light of God.

The sanctuary candle reminds us that Christ can truly be discovered and worshiped in this temple, he is truly present here, as he was in that Jerusalem temple so many centuries ago.

I think too how our parish, for so many years, nearly a 100 has been a beacon of the Christ light for our neighborhood. Our beautiful tower, here at St. Ignatius of Antioch, the tallest in the diocese, is like a giant candle, or lighthouse, guiding the wayward home, guiding pilgrims to this place of encounter. It’s a symbol that God can be found here. Sinners can be reconciled here. Souls can become enlightened here. The spiritually hungry can be fed here. The sorrowful can be consoled here. The lost and confused can be given direction here.

We do well to ask ourselves as individuals and as a parish, what can we do to better and more faithfully shine with the light of Christ. In our worship. In our service and charitable outreach, in our attitudes and actions. What can I do to better lead people to this place of encounter, what can I do to better lead people to Christ? For the glory of God and salvation of souls.