Presentation of Jesus

thumb|Presentation of Jesus (Beato Angelico, 1439 ca.) The Presentation of Jesus is an early episode in the life of Jesus, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated by many churches on February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, or the "Feast of the Presentation of Jesus". The episode is described in chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. Quotes Bible Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),See Exodus 13:1-2 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”See Leviticus 12:1-8 Gospel of Luke 2:22-24 NKJV. Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Gospel of Luke 2:36-40 NKJV. Others After the enumeration of the generations, Matthew proceeds thus: Now the birth of Christ was on this wise. Whereas His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. What Matthew has omitted to state here regarding the way in which that came to pass, has been set forth by Luke after his account of the conception of John. [...] as also the incidents reported by the same Luke to have occurred after the days of the purification of Mary were fulfilled — namely, their taking Him to Jerusalem, and the words spoken in the temple by Simeon or Anna concerning Him, when, filled with the Holy Ghost, they recognized Him. Of all these things Matthew says nothing. [...] I refer to the circumstance that each evangelist constructs his own particular narrative on a kind of plan which gives it the appearance of being the complete and orderly record of the events in their succession. For, preserving a simple silence on the subject of those incidents of which he intends to give no account, he then connects those which he does wish to relate with what he has been immediately recounting, in such a manner as to make the recital seem continuous. At the same time, when one of them mentions facts of which the other has given no notice, the order of narrative, if carefully considered, will be found to indicate the point at which the writer by whom the omissions are made has taken the leap in his account, and thus has attached the facts, which it was his purpose to introduce, in such a manner to the preceding context as to give the appearance of a connected series, in which the one incident follows immediately on the other, without the interposition of anything else. On this principle, therefore, we understand that where he tells us how the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and how they went back to their own country by another way, Matthew has simply omitted all that Luke has related respecting all that happened to the Lord in the temple, and all that was said by Simeon and Anna; while, on the other hand, Luke has omitted in the same place all notice of the journey into Egypt, which is given by Matthew, and has introduced the return to the city of Nazareth as if it were immediately consecutive. Saint Augustine of Hippo, Harmony of the Gospels, Book II, Ch. V- A Statement of the Manner in Which Luke's Procedure is Proved to Be in Harmony with Matthew's in Those Matters Concerning the Conception and the Infancy or Boyhood of Christ, Which are Omitted by the One and Recorded by the Other. Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple to present him to the Lord, but no sooner have they entered than a man and a woman immediately fight over him: Jesus does not belong to the temple, he belongs to man. He belongs to us, to all thirsty men and women, to those who never stop searching and dreaming, like Simeon; to those who can see beyond, like Anne, and are enchanted by a newborn baby, because they feel God as the future. Jesus is not welcomed by the priests, but by an elderly man and woman without status, two lovers of God whose eyes are clouded by old age but still lit up with desire. It is the old age of the world that welcomes the eternal youth of God into its arms. q:it:Ermes Ronchi, Gesù, la luce preparata per i popoli, avvenire.it, 13 January 2014 (in Italian). References See also Anna the Prophetess Simeon (Gospel of Luke) External links Presentation of Jesus Christ at the Temple Category:Episodes of the life of Jesus