Dec 24, 2008
First Reading – Sir. 3:2-6, 12-14 or Gen. 15:1-6; 21:1-3
Responsorial Psalm – Ps. 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 or Ps. 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
Second Reading – Col. 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 or Heb. 11:8, 11-12, 17-19
Gospel Reading – Lk. 2:22-40 or 2:22, 39-40
If you happen to be someone who prays the Rosary, you will immediately recognize this Sunday’s Gospel reading from Luke for the Feast of the Holy Family. It is the fourth joyful mystery, the presentation of Jesus in the temple. It is in Luke’s Gospel that we begin our reflection.
Samuel and Jesus
One of the main things I would like to point out right away are some amazing parallels between the account of Samuel’s birth and early life and the birth and early life of Jesus.
1. Hannah is barren; Mary is without child (1 Sam. 1:5; Lk. 1:27).
2. There are profound similarities between Hannah’s hymn of praise after Samuel’s conception and birth and Mary’s Magnificat (1 Sam. 2:1-10; Luke 1:46-55)
3. The Greek word for “inn” (katalyma) is used both accounts (1 Sam. 1:18; Lk. 2:7).
4. Hannah and Mary name their child (1 Sam. 1:20; Lk. 1:31).
5. After his birth Hannah brings Samuel to the sanctuary and encounters an aged priest named Eli (1 Sam. 1:20, 24-28). After his birth Mary brings Jesus to the temple, and encounters the aged Simeon who administers a blessing (Lk. 2:22-35).
6. While at the temple Mary also encounters a woman named Anna, which is the same name as Hannah (Lk. 2:36-38). Also, in 1 Sam. 2:22 there is reference to women, who like Anna, “served at the entrance of the tent of meeting.”
7. Both instances have the language of them returning to their home (1 Sam. 2:20, Lk. 2:39).
8. We are told that Samuel “grew up in the presence of the Lord…” and “now the boy continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people” (1 Sam. 2:21, 26).; Jesus “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him…” and “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor” (Lk. 2:40, 52).
9. There is the language of “going up every year” to offer sacrifice (1 Sam. 1:3, 2:19; Lk. 2:41).
Jesus is here being portrayed as a new and greater Samuel. The main point of these parallels is to show that Jesus, like Samuel, is wholly dedicated to the Lord. Hannah’s desire was that Samuel “may appear in the presence of the Lord, and abide their forever” (1 Sam. 1:22). But even greater than this is that Jesus is the Lord whose presence is among us so that we might abide with him forever.
The aged Simeon
(Column continues below)
Now let’s consider the interaction of the Holy Family with Simeon.
We are told that Simeon was “righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (Lk. 2:25b). The aged Simeon is righteous (seeking to do the will of the Lord) and devout. This expresses how he kept the law of the Lord faithfully, with all his heart.
Simeon awaited the consolation of Israel. He was waiting for the fulfillment of prophecies from Isaiah, such as, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God…The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of God will stand for ever” (40:1, 8).
The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one. Then, taking Jesus in his arms he says those beautiful words, “…for my eyes have seen your salvation…” (Lk. 2:30). How many of us would think to ever say that we have seen salvation? Simeon teaches us something here. We too, especially as Catholics, see salvation at every Mass. Like Simeon we hold salvation, Jesus, in our hands. We should keep in mind that Jesus’ name means Yahweh’s salvation. With that we should also be able to pray, “Now let your servant depart in peace.”
As Simeon speaks he uses much language that draws even further from the message of Isaiah, a message which includes hope for the salvation of Israel and the Gentiles.
It calls to mind Isaiah’s words, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations…I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness” (42:1, 6-7).
Simeon was perhaps also thinking of this prophecy: “I will bring deliverance, it is not far off, and my salvation will not tarry; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory” (Is. 46:13).
Jesus is the one who will take Israel’s vocation on himself; therefore he is salvation for Israel, and a light of salvation to the Gentiles.
Sirach
In the whole of our Gospel reading from Luke we keep on encountering those who are righteous, those who keep the law, those who do the will of the Lord. This leads us to a connection with our Old Testament reading from Sirach. The passage from Sirach is an extended reflection on the fourth commandment of the law of the Lord, “honor your father and your mother” (Ex. 19:12).
Sirach (also called Ecclesiasticus) falls within what is considered the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. The Navarre Bible tells us, “One could say that the central idea of the book is given in 15:1: ‘He who holds to the law will obtain wisdom,’ and that it was written for those who wish ‘to gain learning, being prepared in character to live according to the law’” (Wisdom Books, p. 383).
In was written in the context of a world influenced very much by Greek culture later in Israel’s history by Jesus Ben Sirach (Jesus, son of Sirach). The book was translated from Hebrew to Greek by his grandson (whose name is not given in the book). He did so during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes, of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Greece, somewhere in the 200’s B.C.
In the book there is a call to faithfulness to God through the traditions and law of Israel in a cultural context where one could be tempted to succumb to the more nefarious aspects of the Greek culture.
It is used in this Sunday’s readings for the Feast of the Holy Family to make the obvious connection between the fulfillment of the commandants by Joseph and Mary, as well as Simeon and Anna.
We know that Jesus will fulfill the fourth commandment all the days of his life. It goes without saying that he “…was obedient to them…” (Lk. 2:51).
However, in our reading we are being told that Simeon and Anna are honoring the father and mother of the Christ. We also know that in the fourth commandment God makes a promise to those who fulfill it: “…that you may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Ex. 19:12). In Exodus this of course meant the Promised Land of Canaan, but this Promised Land was only meant to point ahead to a greater Promised Land, heavenly glory. We can see why Simeon would pray, “Lord, not let your servant depart in peace…” (Lk. 2:29).
Given all of this we too are being taught to honor Joseph and Mary because they are the father and mother of the Lord, but also because they are mystically the father and mother of all Christians. If we do not honor Joseph and Mary we will have broken the fourth commandment and will not be allowed to enter the new and greater Promised Land. This, of course, also goes for our earthly mothers and fathers.
“Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them” (Sir. 3:3).
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