Pierced Heart

~~~ Feast of the Presentation of the Lord ~~~

~~~ Malachi 3:1-4 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ 

~~~ Hebrews 2:14-18 ~~~ Luke 2:22-40 ~~~

—and you yourself a sword will pierce—

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Simeon and Anna were present when Mary and Joseph

fulfilled the law by presenting Jesus in the temple.

Imagine being told that a sword would pierce your heart

 as you were caressing your son. 

Mary and Joseph were filled with joy 

at the birth of their son.

Every parent can relate to some degree

 what it means to have your heart pierced.

We do not live in a perfect world.

There are so many situations that pierce

 the heart of a mother and a father.

We tend to think of this from a negative view point.

Mary must have had her heart pierced 

with times of joy, happiness, and surprise.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;

and the favor of God was upon him.

Parents take great pleasure 

watching their children grow and develop.

Each small accomplishment is cause 

for your heart to be pierced with joy.

Just as a seedling pierces through 

the hard darkness of the seed coating,

joy can pierce our heart.

Mary had so much joy that she was able to bear

 the sorrow of watching her son,

 Jesus, suffer and die for us.

It was the depth of her joy

 that kept Mary from crumbling at the sight 

of the pain Jesus endured.

The favor of God was with Jesus.

The favor of God was with Mary.

The favor of God is with you too.

It is his love that allows your heart to be pierced.

The seed pierces the soil bringing forth new life.

Mary's heart was pierced, just as Jesus 

was dying to give us eternal life.

Sometimes it is necessary for our heart to be pierced.

Out of the puncture wound goodness is possible.

Blessings in the piercings of the heart.

~~~Peace~~~

Unexpected Message

~~~ 1 John 2:3-11 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Luke 2:22-35 ~~~

Purification...Presentation...Consecration

...the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord...

After the required days for purification
Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple.

They presented him as the Jewish law prescribed
and there they met the prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna.

Joseph provided the gift of a pair turtle doves.
It was in a way buying back your son from God.

The message in the temple was not at all
what these new parents were expecting to hear.

There joy in the birth of their son Jesus
was muffled by the news...

“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Simeon reveals to Mary and Joseph
that his eyes have seen the light of salvation.
The birth of the child Jesus banishes the darkness.
Jesus is the true light of true light.

Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. 
Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;
he walks in darkness
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Jesus brought love into the world...
a world blanketed in darkness.

A great light has come
to inspire and to lead  us to eternity.

Glory to God in the highest.

Blessed into the light of Christ.

~~~Peace~~~
JOY
to the World!

Heavy Hearts

~~~ Feast of the Presentation of the Lord ~~~

~~~Malichi 3:1-4~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Hebrews 2:14-18~~~

 ~~~ Luke 2:22-40 ~~~

Simeon and the prophetess Anna had been patiently 

waiting in the temple for the Lord.

Today's Gospel gives us the rare glimpse 

of a woman praying and fasting

within the temple proper itself.

Anna lived and prayed their for most of her life.

You might consider her a consecrated female 

since the death of her husband.

The two of them were faithful to the promises of the Lord.

"...Jesus likewise shared in them,

that through death he might destroy the one

who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,

and free those who through fear of death

had been subject to slavery all their life..."

We do not have any reason to believe

 that Simeon and Anna feared death,

but after seeing Jesus in the Temple 

that day they were

content to die.

What they had been waiting for 

most of their life had come to pass.

They were blessed with the presence of the Lord in the Temple.

They both had been guided to wait there in the temple.

"...It had been revealed to him (Simeon) by the Holy Spirit

that he should not see death

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord."

 Imagine the surprise of Mary and Joseph

 hearing Simeon presenting himself

for God to take just for seeing their son, Jesus.

He goes on to prepare them for the heartache

they were going to experience in the coming days.

As a mother I cannot imagine being told 

of future heartaches concerning my child.

There is a good reason why we are not 

given the privilege of seeing the future.

For most people it would be too overwhelming.

I do wonder how Mary and Joseph

 were able to hear these prophecies

and continue to experience the joy of their son, Jesus.

Being told a sword would pierce your heart...

"—and you yourself a sword will pierce—

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

The thoughts of many hearts may be revealed...

Mary must have been

confused as to what those words really meant.

I like to think that when I come to Mary in prayer 

she has an understanding

of my prayer already in her heart.

She was given insight into what troubles our hearts most.

She has the insight of a mother's love.

After leaving the temple 

they must have been filled with joy.

They must have also had heavy hearts 

trying to understand the words

that had been spoken to them about their child.

How could they make sense of how prophetic 

the words were to become?

Blessings through hearing heart breaking news.

~~~Peace~~~

Anna Speaks Piercing Words

~~~ 1 John 2:12-17 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Luke 2:36-40 ~~~

The presentation of the child Jesus in the temple
was much more than simply fulfilling a ritualistic law.
This presentation was a validation of who this child truly was...
it confirmed his heritage as the Messiah.

The one sent by God had indeed come to dwell among his people.
God in all of his divinity took on our humanness to the letter of the law.
It would have been very odd and unusual for Mary and Joseph
to have not taken their son, Jesus, to the temple.

The Gospel today gives us another bone chilling picture
of how significant this temple visit was for all of peoples.

There was a prophetess, Anna...

She was advanced in years, a widow...
She never left the temple...

She worshiped, fasted, and prayed.
Ultimately Anna, like Simeon, believed in the prophecies
they had heard their entire life.
I wonder if I would have had such a steadfast faith.

Would I have been honest enough with Mary to reveal to her
 the sadness slated to come her way?

Would I have been more concerned about ruining her joy
from consecrating her son to God?

In spite the destiny of Jesus he remained with his parents,
just as any normal ordinary child does.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

This was the most private time in the life of Jesus.
We can only presume that his family life was typical
for that time and place.

This was the time Mary got to know and love her son
more and more with each passing day.

He learned about life from Mary and Joseph,
but he also grew in the wisdom from his Father in heaven...
the one who sent him to be one of us.

Anna...
gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

She had one chance to speak about the child to his parents...
She had one chance to give thanks to God for this child.

Mary had years to give thanks to God for giving her this child, Jesus.

How she must have loved him each day.
How she must have pondered in her heart
the things she was told that day in the temple about her son.

Do not love the world or the things of the world. 

Loving the things of the world will, in the end,
 only bring frustration and disappointment.

Follow the lead of Mary.
She loved in the midst of sorrow...
She loved when crushing news about her son was delivered to her..
She loved when most mothers would have become
 too frantic and disturbed to remain in joy.

We are blessed to have holy scriptures to confirm
Jesus as our Savior and Messiah.
We join Anna in giving thanks.
We join Mary in loving her son, Jesus.
~~~Peace & Joy~~~

Praise and Thanks to the Lord

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

~~Malachi 3:1-4~~ Psalm 24~~Hebrews 2:14-18~~Luke 2:22-40~~

And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek...

Simeon, one who listens, is waiting in the temple for the Lord.
Simeon knew of this prophecy from Malachi.
God blesses him with longevity of life.
After seeing and touching the Lord he can die a happy peaceful death.
To me Simeon represents the presence of the Holy Spirit
as our Lord, Jesus is being consecrated in the temple.

Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord

The parents of Jesus are devout Jews.
Joseph and Mary follow the prescribed laws for purification.
According to the Mosaic law (Lv 12:2–8),
the woman who gives birth to a boy is unable for forty days
 to touch anything sacred or to enter the temple area
by reason of her legal impurity. At the end of this period
she is required to offer a year-old lamb
 as a burnt offering and a turtledove or young pigeon
as an expiation of sin.

If a woman could not afford a lamb then she was
 to bring two turtledoves or two pigeons, as Mary does.

Jesus was taken to the temple and consecrated to the Lord.
Jesus was formally presented back to his Father.

Anna, means favor or grace. She is quite an unusual woman,
she recognizes the child Jesus for who he is
even as a child.

Anna, like Simeon, is also old. God places
them both in the temple for the presentation of this child.
Simeon takes young Jesus in his arms and gives praise to God.

While Anna, called the prophetess, gives thanks.

In the presence of Jesus we too
are called to give his praise and thanksgiving.

Spirit, wisdom, grace, and salvation along
with young and elderly come together in the temple this day.

Jesus became flesh to bless us with eternal salvation.
Peace!

Revealed in the Temple

~~~ Feast of the Presentation of the Lord ~~~

 

~~~ Malachi 3: 1-4 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Hebrews 2: 14-18 ~~~ Luke 2: 22-40 ~~~ 

 

Simeon and the prophetess Anna had been patiently waiting in the temple for the Lord.

Today's Gospel gives us the rare glimpse of a woman praying and fasting

within the temple proper itself.

Anna lived and prayed their for most of her life.

You might consider her a consecrated female since the death of her husband.

The two of them were faithful to the promises of the Lord.

 

"...Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life..."

 

We do not have any reason to believe that Simeon and Anna feared death,

but after seeing Jesus in the Temple that day they were

content to die.

What they had been waiting for most of their life had come to pass.

They were blessed with the presence of the Lord in the Temple.

They both had been guided to wait there in the temple.

 

"...It had been revealed to him (Simeon) by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord."

 

 Imagine the surprise of Mary and Joseph hearing Simeon presenting himself

for God to take just for seeing their son, Jesus.

He goes on to prepare them for the heartache

they were going to experience in the coming days.

 

As a mother I cannot imagine being told of future heartaches concerning my child.

There is a good reason why we are not given the privilege of seeing the future.

For most people it would be too overwhelming.

 

I do wonder how Mary and Joseph were able to hear these prophecies

and continue to experience the joy of their son, Jesus.

Being told a sword would pierce your heart...

"—and you yourself a sword will pierce—
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

 

 

The thoughts of many hearts may be revealed...Mary must have been

confused as to what those words really meant.

 

I like to think that when I come to Mary in prayer she has an understanding

of my prayer already in her heart.

She was given insight into what troubles our hearts most.

She has the insight of a mother's love.

 

After leaving the temple they must have been filled with joy.

They must have also had heavy hearts trying to understand the words

that had been spoken to them about their child.

How could they make sense of how prophetic the words were to become.

 

'...they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him...'

Jesus grew as every normal child does.

He becomes strong working with Joseph in the carpentry business.

Most importantly he was filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him.

This is where his development as a human takes a turn toward the divine.

 

Not every person is filled with wisdom

and few are blessed with the favor of God.

 

Simeon and Anna waited in the temple for this special presentation.

Mary and Joseph came to the temple following the prescribed Jewish law.

They left the temple as changed human beings.

 

We too hope to be changed when in the presence of the Lord.

We too can be changed in the temple (church), for this is the place

were the holy one resides.

 

The child Jesus leaves the temple with his parents;

he grows in wisdom and favor outside of the temple.

He was filled with the favor of God.

 

Dear Lord, grant me the wisdom to be a better Christian.

Grant that I may be always be held in your favor through my words and actions.

 

Remain in the Light

~~~ 1 John 2:3-11 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Luke 2: 22-35 ~~~

 

...The Fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

five golden rings....

 

The prophecy of Simeon in the temple was hardly a golden ring.

Simeon was aging; he felt the presence of the Lord

when the Child Jesus was brought

into the sacred space.

 

Simeon was open to the promises of the spirit of the Lord

 just as Mary was when the annunciation was made to her.

 

Mary and Joseph had no premonition of what they

would hear that day in the temple.

They were following the prescribed rituals

 for presenting their son to God.

 

'...Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord...'

 

Just yesterday we read of the slaughter of the male infants

today we see Jesus being presented publicly in the temple.

One might think the temple represented a place of safety

since it was the house of God.

Would that be true today?

I cannot say 'yes' for sure.

 

Mary and Joseph enter the temple in joy and leave the temple

with heavy hearts. Simeon had revealed troubling news to them...

 

"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

 

Mary had to muster her courage carry her child out of the temple

and live a life of love.

She could not live in constant fear and apprehension

as to how Simeon's words would come to be.

 

We cannot live in an environment of apprehension.

It is not how we live a life of trusting in the Lord's

Divine providence.

 

'...Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall...'

 

 

 

The light has been given to us.

If we believe then we must embrace the light.

We must walk in the light...

Face the light so as not

to be in your own shadow.

 

The LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty go before him;
praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.

Purification: The Refiner's Fire

Malachi 3: 1-4

In this reading we have the beautiful image of the refiner's fire. "...He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi..." A refiner's fire does not consume like a typical fire. A refiner's fire purifies. A refiner's fire removes the impurities. A refiner's fire changes the substance without consuming it's essence. This is what Jesus does for us if we allow him to work on our inside...our very essence. He can remove the impurities, our sins, if we but come to him. To me gives new meaning to the verse from the Emmaus gospel; "...Were not our hearts burning?" We must have this burning desire in our hearts for God to purify us in spite of the pain we may experience.

Most people have a healthy fear and respect for the flame of fire. This thought of the Lord refining our soul may be a frightening image to contemplate. Giving up our sin can be a painful frightening decision. We are often comfortable remaining in our sins especially if we think they are not effecting others. Which of course is not true since we are all a part of the Body of Christ.

Only the Divine Refiner can purify our souls and lead us to the kingdom of God. Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God.

There is a beautiful song called The Refiner's Fire check out YouTube later.

Luke 2: 22-40

The reading from the gospel of Luke also touches on purification. In ancient times a woman had to wait for a prescribes length of time before she was allowed to return to the temple. Mary's purification is complete so she and Joseph can now present their son to the Lord in the temple. Within the temple is where they encounter the devout man, Simeon. Simeon had been patiently waiting for many years to see the Christ of the Lord. He receives the child, Jesus into his open hands. We have the opportunity to open our hands and receive Jesus each time we receive Eucharist.

Simeon reveals to Mary that her life will be filled with sadness. The immense sadness as we know of losing her son, Jesus, in the most public, cruel, and humiliating way...the crucifixion. How would you feel if a perfect stranger told you your heart would be pierced by a sword? I can only imagine how Mary must have felt hearing those words and looking at her beloved son.

I wonder how she was able to put those words out of her mind and continue to go about the daily tasks of her life? I know from experience it is hard not to constantly focus on those things which are disturbing, especially when they concern those you love or yourself.

Did Anna, the temple prophetess, come forward to comfort Mary? At eighty-four Anna had gained the wisdom and compassion of having lived much life. She had know the sorrow and pain of losing her husband seven years prior.

Out of pain and suffering great joy can come forth not just for Jesus by his Resurrection, but us as well. We do not know what joy can come from the refiner's fire. We do know what joy can come as a result from our pain and suffering.

Some things are meant to be kept in your heart.

Wisdom 3: 6-7

 "...As gold in the furnace, he proved them...he took them to himself...in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through the stubble..."

In eternity we shall dart about like sparks purified by The Refiner's Holy Fire.

I chose the original image of a burning fire because a refiner does make use of the consuming flames.

This kaleidoscope image to me captures the purification as white sparks coming from within the the pure center of God's love for us.

Where does your life need purification?