CONSECRATION TO THE ALL OR NOTHING

V/​ I will turn to you O God, 

R/​ to God who gives joy to my youth

V/​ Give me the Wisdom that sits by your throne; 

R/ that I may be counted among your children

Lord, in your all-providential plan, you have led me to this moment to rediscover me in your Word and Wisdom. Aid me to make this time of meditation and prayer enriching, transforming, and liberating for my well-being and others. Amen!

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION

2nd February 2025

Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24 (23):7-10; Hebrews 2:14:18; Luke 2: 22-32

The Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple represents the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies, highlighting the Lord’s intention to cleanse His temple and renew the locale of worship in His body. Of this coming, Malachi in our first reading, prophesied the purging of the sons of Levi who in their irreverence and abuses failed to recognise the Lord in their consecration to him. Hedged in the Historical context of Israel’s exilic experiences, what follows is a loss of national identity, spiritual confusion, and a widespread resentment stemming from Pharisaic hypocrisy and the Sadducean compromise with the Romans. The Prophetic voice in Israel had been silent for centuries, leaving the people without spiritual guidance or hope. Israel lost every privilege and honour, becoming an offal for further exploitation plaguing the society.

Comfort and redemption, more expedient. The telltale sign of the longed-for messiah was a “Self-consecration”, reinvented from the old customs and rites, and reignited with intentionality. “…And for their sake, I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (Jn 17:19) Consecration became the remedy to this plague ravaging Israel and still does in our world today marked by sin and violence. More so, our consecration consists in living a life that is consistent with Christ’s. A genuine change in our world is only viable to the extent that there are many more persons willing to undergo personal transformation on a deep level, the level of the heart. God himself invites us to cooperate with him to end the deluge of sin and death. St. Luke parallels today’s reading on the presentation with the Passover and purification epitomized on the cross. “Consecrate to me the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites.” (Exodus 13:2)

The Presentation of Jesus guarantees the coming of the Lord to purge our hearts, which is the totality of our response to the divine workings. Simeon understands that the Child will unveil the true dispositions of people’s hearts, challenging them to confront their inner intentions without pretence. As in a mirror, we see what stuff we are. As Fulton Sheen says, “Simeon reveals that Mary’s son would be like a mirror; men would either love or hate him, according to their reflection.” Encountering Jesus, the source of all consecration, would evoke profound responses, leaving no space for indecision; one would either embrace or reject him based on their own radical response to the Father’s will.

To this end, in our Second reading from the letter to the Hebrews, the Lord of Glory clothed in our humanity finally takes on the “mercy seat” as the means to lift the humble, who acknowledge their need of God. In humility, we must lay bare our faults even those that go unnoticed, and under the yolk of our eternal high priest purge ourselves of them.

In the light of this revelation, the prophet Simeon, recognizes the “Nunc Dimittis” of Israel in the restoration to “glory”, in this Child whose life illumines humanity. The Kingdom of God is precisely the reign of God in the lives of all who profess Christ. We too can be light and salt of the earth, and a welcome witness to truth and love, upon which our society and culture are sanctified. The voice of conscience cannot be silent. As we reflect on our consecration to God, we must reflect on how we embody the cross, the “sign of contradiction” whenever we meet with resistance and the pressure to conform within and from without. Consequently, St. Edith Stein highlights the importance of embracing the mystery of the Cross, reflected in the mystery of the Presentation. She says, “The mystery of the Cross is the key to the mystery of life.” (The Science of the Cross, 15). Wherein the old self is crucified in Christ, the firstborn of redeemed humanity, to the “praise” and “glory” of God. Like Paul, may I never glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

May this feast inspire us to deepen our faith, shine forth the light of Christ, and consecrate ourselves in more profound ways of self-abandonment to God’s service. And with St. Thérèse of Lisieux confess, “My God, I choose everything, I will not be a saint by halves, I am not afraid of suffering for thee, I choose all that thou willest.” (Story of a Soul, p. 40)