Pope Francis reflects on the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple which, he says, serves as a reminder that Jesus is for the salvation of all peoples and our light, and invites us to truly seek the encounter with God.
By Lisa Zengarini
VATICAN CITY — Greeting pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on today’s Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple.
Taking his cue from the Gospel of Luke (Lk 2:22-40), which recounts Mary and Joseph bringing the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, he drew attention to the prophetic words of Simeon and Anna there about Jesus, proclaiming that the long-awaited redemption of Jerusalem has arrived.
God is present among His people
Their recognition of Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise underscores the radical newness of this moment: “God is present among His people—not because He dwells within four walls, but because He lives as a man among men.”
Mary and Joseph, the Pope continued, listen as Simeon identifies Jesus with three significant words: salvation, light, and a sign of contradiction.
Jesus is salvation
First, Jesus is salvation. Simeon declares that in this child, universal salvation is revealed, an awe-inspiring truth that emphasizes that God’s redemptive love is fully embodied in one person.
Jesus is light
Second, Jesus is light, He illuminates the world much like the rising sun, dispelling the darkness of suffering, evil, and death which, the Pope noted, continues to afflict humanity today.
Jesus is a sign of contradiction
Finally, Jesus is a sign of contradiction, revealing the deeper truths of human hearts. Through Him, history is judged by one criterion: that of love.
“Jesus reveals the criteria by which all history and its drama are judged, as well as each of our lives. This criterion is love: whoever loves lives, whoever hates dies.”
Concluding, Pope Francis encouraged the faithful to examine their own spiritual expectations asking themselves: “What am I waiting for in my life? What is my greatest hope? Does my heart desire to see the face of the Lord? Am I waiting for the manifestation of His plan of salvation for humanity?”
Finally, the Pope invited all to pray together to Mary, “that she may accompany us through the lights and shadows of history on our journey to the Lord.”
