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On Candlemas

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Today the Church celebrates Candlemas, otherwise known as the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Light of the World (Luke 2:22-40). It was in Gaul (modern-day France) that processions with candles began to mark this event, the official end of the celebration of the Nativity.

Jesus, like all Jewish firstborn sons, was consecrated to the Lord. Mary and Joseph took the child to the temple in Jerusalem at the time he was to be circumcised and offered the sacrifice of two pigeons, the offering of a poor couple who could not afford a more expensive animal sacrifice. Only Mary and Joseph, and possibly Simeon and Anna would have known that the ultimate and final sacrifice, the true Lamb of God, was being presented in the temple. And only they would have known that here was the true temple – the Body of Christ (cf. John 2:19-22 ).

The Ark of the Covenant, which used to be housed in the Jerusalem Temple, had been missing since Jeremiah hid it from invading marauders in 586 BC. Yet, the true Ark, the Ark of the New Covenant, Mary, was now entering the temple with her divine Son. She brought the Light of the World into the world. Saint Alphonsus of Liguori, in The Glories of Mary, says, “Saint Simeon received a promise from God that he should not die until he had seen the Messiah born…but he did not receive this grace except by means of Mary, for he did not see the Savior until he saw him in the arms of Mary. Hence, whoever wishes to find Jesus, will not find him except through Mary.”

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Mary of the Annunciation

Today’s Gospel is the famous account of the Annunciation from Luke 1:26-38. It includes some indirect proof for two major Marian dogmas of the Church – the Immaculate Conception (which was recently celebrated on Dec. 8), and the perpetual virginity of Our Lady. It also gives us part of the biblical roots of the “Hail Mary”.

When the archangel Gabriel greets Mary, it marks the only recorded incident in scripture that an angel greets someone by their title, not their name. “Hail, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you” (Lk 1:28). This, of course, is the first line of the “Hail Mary”, with the second line, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb”, from Luke 1:42. So much for the ridiculous argument that the prayer is “unbiblical”.

But what of those dogmas? Speaking of the phrase, “Full of Grace”, in the original Greek of Luke’s Gospel, it is an interesting term: “kecharitomene”. It means, literally, “one who has been made full of God’s grace” (biblical translations that render this term “highly favored one”, or something to that effect, don’t cut it) . It’s a past perfect, meaning that, at some point in the past, Mary was made perfectly full of God’s grace. This condition extends out into the future, into eternity. This is exactly what the Immaculate Conception is all about  – that, from the first moment of her existence, Mary was preserved free from all stain of original sin. If one is perfectly full of the grace of God, there is no room for sin.

With respect to the perpetual virginity, Gabriel explains to Mary that she will bear the Messiah, and at this point he has said nothing about Jesus being conceived by the Holy Spirit. Yet, Mary says, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Lk 1:34). A very strange question for a young woman to ask, who, as we have already been told, was engaged to be married. Unless, that is, she had already intended to remain a virgin, consecrating herself wholly to God.

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Not Despairing Over Our Faults

Today’s Gospel relates a somewhat embarrassing truth about the Apostles James and John, the sons of Zebedee:

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

– Luke 9:51-56

These two brothers were also known as “Boanerges” – the “sons of thunder”. And, no, it’s not because they had gas. It seems they had a bit of an anger problem – their passion for our Lord led them to want to “zap” those who didn’t accept him.

But Jesus knew about their faults, and called them to be his followers anyway. That’s because he knew that he could transform their faults into strengths. Francis Fernandez, in his magnificent daily devotional, “In Conversation With God”, relates an anecdote about Saint John in later life. St Jerome wrote that the aged Apostle, when speaking with his fellow believers, used to repeat, again and again, “Little children, love one another”. His listeners, perhaps a bit miffed that someone who knew our Lord personally didn’t seem to have any fresh homiletical material, asked him, “Why do you keep on repeating the same thing all the time?” John replied, “Because if we only do this one thing, it will be enough”. John’s desire to call down fire from heaven was changed to a living flame of love.

Jesus’ teaching on love being the hallmark of  a Christian’s life – even for one’s enemies – eventually sunk into John’s ears, especially when he saw it in praxis at the foot of the cross, along with Mary. And when he was chosen by the Master to take care of his Mother, John no doubt was privy to even more lessons on what it means to love, from the person who knew Jesus best.

If Jesus could change this angry young man into “the Apostle of love” – his Gospel and New Testament letters are rife with this theme – imagine how Jesus can turn our weaknesses into strengths, if we stay close to him on the Way.

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Suffering and God

Have you ever received devastating news about a loved one? News that was so unbelievable at the time that it didn’t even register with you for a few moments, or even much longer?

The sudden death of a relative. The unexpected and grim diagnosis. When news like that hits us, our first reaction is often disbelief, a refusal to accept the truth. but after reality sets in, a second question follows: “Why?”

I suppose this is how the followers of Jesus felt after hearing his words recorded in today’s Gospel reading for Mass:

While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

– Luke 9:43b-45

The disciples probably didn’t understand the words of the Master because, given Jesus’ great deeds of power – his control over nature, his exorcisms and healings – he seemed a superman who could never fall into the hands of any enemy.

Unless he did it on purpose.

One of the reasons why Jesus underwent the horrific sufferings of his passion (besides freeing us from our sins) was this: God foreknew from all eternity that people would doubt his intentions, goodness, and even his very existence because of the existence of suffering in this world. But after the passion of Christ, no one can say that God does not know what suffering is like, or that God could not understand one’s pain. For God himself suffered in Christ, and more than that, triumphed over it by his resurrection.

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Good Friday and the “Good Thief”

Dismas, the "Good Thief"Luke’s Gospel tells us about the two criminals who were crucified on either side of Jesus:

“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise'” (Luke 23:32-43).

John’s Gospel mentions that the titulus, or title that was hung on Jesus’ cross to explain his “crime”  – “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” – was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek (John 19:20). This was a sort of summary of the official charges that would be sent to Rome, but it also affirmed, unintentionally, the universal reign of Christ the King. Being written in all three languages would have enabled all those pilgrims from around the world, who were in Jerusalem for the Passover, to read it. And the opposing reactions of the two criminals on either side of Christ, when you boil it down to essentials, represent the only two reactions people have had toward Christ over the centuries: acceptance or rejection.

What is particularly amazing about the reaction of the “Good Thief”, as he has come to be known, is that he was converted not by witnessing Jesus’ miracles, or listening to his sublime, otherworldly teaching. The only sermon he heard was one that spoke far louder than words alone – the Passion of the Christ, the suffering endured by our Lord. He was converted by witnessing the example of Jesus – forgiving his enemies, the way he carried his cross with determination, not despair – everything Jesus said and did as he ascended to his throne, the Holy Cross. This man was given the grace to see what so many others that day could not – the true identity of Christ. And what Jesus had predicted had come true in the life of this man: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15).

On this Good Friday, let us pray that many others will be converted by contemplating the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

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