The birth of a child is always a very special event!
Jewish traditions surrounding childbirth consisted of two main rituals which showed how special it was. The first ritual consisted in offering a gift to God in symbolic exchange for their first-born son. This was to acknowledge that children are a gift from God and so ultimately belong to God. It was also related to the Passover in Egypt when the first-born sons of the Israelites were spared. The second ritual was connected to the holiness of motherhood. After giving birth, women were required by Jewish Law to wait for a specified amount of time before they could appear in the Temple or participate in any public religious ritual. Once the forty days were up, they would participate in public worship once again and offer two sacrifices. In the case of the poor, two turtle doves or pigeons were acceptable. This was a way of acknowledging the sacredness of life. For every child is a gift from God and God is the author and Protector of our lives.
Our Lady arrived at the Temple with Jesus in her arms and she prepared her soul to offer Jesus the Eternal Word, made flesh, to the Father. She would also offer Herself as well. In doing so, she renewed her Fiat, her
let it be done to me according to Thy word.
Simeon and Anna are the only people in the Temple who recognized the Messiah in the arms of Mary. The Holy Spirit rested on Simeon and Anna because they were both very humble and pious. They were people of prayer. It was rare in those times for people to have the Holy Spirit. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Simeon prophesied that Mary’s destiny would be intimately linked to that of Jesus. She would suffer interiorly with Jesus. This is known as her spiritual martyrdom and is why she is referred to in the Church as Co-Redemptrix.
Last Sunday, we continued the ancient tradition of mounting a procession at the beginning of Mass. The candles symbolized how the life of each Christian should give light to others. Christ is the Light of the world. He is the Life of the world and every person. The Light that shows the ay, the Truth that saves, the Love that fulfils. So, in carrying a burning candle in procession, we shared in the Light of Christ.
This Feast also highlights the sanctity of human life and that no human being can be treated like a product. Everyone must be treated as a person. This is why human-cloning and all kinds of artificial reproduction are wrong. A child is not something to be manufactured, bought and delivered, but a sacred gift from God, a person who needs to be respected and the supreme gift of marriage. This is why embryonic stem-cell research is wrong. Those embryos are living human beings. This is also why racism, prejudice, human trafficking, bullying and all kinds of unjust discrimination are wrong. Every human being is created in God’s image and redeemed by the Blood of Christ, regardless of how different, or weak or helpless they may be. The Lord suffered on the Cross for our sins. It is our sins which caused the sufferings of Mary. Let’s aim to make atonement through a life of steadfast prayer and charity.
This Feast is also a special day for Consecrated life. This year it is the 29th World Day for Consecrated Life. In St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, there is a special liturgy for consecrated men and women, because they have offered themselves to God in a similar way that Mary and Joseph consecrated Jesus. We are also consecrated to God in Baptism. We have been given the treasure of the Catholic Faith, so let’s live up to our Baptismal Promises and aim to die a little each day to our own will, so God can reign in us with His Will. Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever.