7th Sunday in Ordinary Time C – Feb. 23, 2025

 7^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C – Feb. 23, 2025

1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; 1 Cor 15:45-49; Lk 6:27-38

 

Theme: What it Takes to Be True Disciples of Jesus: Love One’s Enemies, Do Good to Them, Bless Them, and Pray for Them

 

A.   A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 6:27-38

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Our text under study is part of the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-49). This big section contains Jesus’ five different teachings: The Beatitudes that we studied last week (6:20-26), the exhortation on the love of enemies that we are studying today (6:27-36), the exhortation on judging others (6:37-42), the analogy of a tree known by its fruits (6:43-45), and the parable of the Two Foundations (6:46-49). Through all these teachings, Jesus prepares his newly chosen Twelve apostles and all his followers to know what it takes to be faithful disciples. Suffering is inherent to discipleship. So, Jesus’ disciples should be kind to those who will eventually mistreat them. 

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel is a narrative story. Jesus introduces his teaching in vv. 27-28 with four action words that the twelve apostles and other disciples must do to those who will eventually mistreat them: love, do good, bless, and pray for them. Vv. 29-35 constitute the body of the text, in which he explains in detail what he mentioned in the introduction. He concludes this theme in v. 36 by asking them to be merciful in imitation of God their Father. The lectionary added vv. 37-38 that generally belong to a different theme about Judging Others.

 

3. Detailed Analysis

Vv. 27-28. Love…do good… bless… pray…: In the Beatitudes’ teaching (6:20-26) that immediately precedes our text, Jesus let his Apostles and other disciples know that people may mistreat them because of his name. Then, in these first two verses, he teaches them how to treat their persecutors: They should love their enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them.

Vv. 29-35. Here, Jesus gives some examples to explain what he means by loving, doing good, blessing, and praying for the eventual persecutors of his followers. (1) They should offer their second cheeks to those who strike them on their first cheeks (v. 29a). Matthew speaks of the “right cheek.” “When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.” (Mt 5:39b, NABRE.) For a right-handed person to strike someone on his/her right cheek, the person must use the back of his/her hand, which was a humiliation and insult in the Jewish culture. Although Luke did not mention the “right cheek” (because he does not find it necessary to talk about the Jewish culture to his Gentile readers), the lesson is the same as that of Matthew: Jesus’ followers should not practice retaliation when they are humiliated and insulted.

(2) “From the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.” (v. 29b). This phrase is inverted in Matthew: Tunic comes first and the cloak second. “If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.” (Matthew 5:40, NABRE.) In both cases, the interpretation is that Jesus’ followers should permit their persecutors to retain what they take away from them with violence or fraud.

(3) In the rest of the examples, Jesus calls his followers to refrain from violence (v. 30) and to practice the golden rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (V.31). When they do these, then they will be different from the wicked and they will qualify to be called “children of the Most High.” (Vv. 32-35). 

Vv. 36-38. Jesus’ disciples must imitate the mercifulness of God, their Father. Being merciful means they should stop judging and condemning. Instead, they should forgive and give (vv. 37-38). These last two verses show the correspondence between the conduct of Jesus’ followers toward their fellows and God’s conduct toward them. When they do not judge others, God also will not judge them. Judging here is not a prohibition against recognizing people’s faults. Rather, it is against passing judgment in a spirit of arrogance, forgetful of one’s own faults. It is also against the people who play the role of God by judging and condemning others.^[1] “Not condemning” and “forgiving” others mean that Jesus’ disciples should offer a second chance to their fellows as God does to them. With “Give and gifts will be given to you,” Jesus means that his followers must practice charity first before God grants them their requests.  

 

4.      Synthesis

Our text is Jesus’ teaching to his newly Twelve apostles and all other disciples about how they should conduct themselves toward their eventual enemies. In the introduction, he summarizes this conduct into four action verbs that his followers must do: love their enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them (vv. 27-28). He supports his teaching with practical examples such as to the person who strikes them on one cheek, they should offer the other one; to the person who takes their cloaks with violence or by fraud, they should not withhold even their tunics; they should not demand back their belongings from those who take them with violence; and they must do to others as they would have other do to them. Jesus uses all these examples to call his disciples to no violence and great love, differentiating them from the wicked and qualifying them to be called “children of the Most High” (vv. 29-35). In the conclusion, Jesus synthesizes his teaching into one word: “mercifulness.” He calls his disciples to be merciful as their Father God is merciful. To be merciful is not to judge or condemn others but to forgive and give (vv. 37-38). What they do to others is what God will do to them.

 

B.    Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

Last Sunday, we heard that suffering is inherent in discipleship. We should not give up our faith and mission regardless of the present real economic and social injustice we face. Those who keep their faith amid suffering are identified as “blessed,” and those who give up their faith and mission because of the “fake” joy and happiness of this world are “Woeful.” In the second part of this Sermon on the Plain that we read today, Jesus teaches his followers another lesson on what it takes to be his true disciples.: They must be merciful to their persecutors. In our first reading, David shows us an example of how to love our enemies. He did not harm King Saul, who tried to kill him. In our second reading, Saint Paul exhorts us to bear the image not of Adam, the earthly man, but of Jesus, the heavenly one.

 

2.      What the Church Teaches us Today

In Beatitude’s teaching (6:20-26), which immediately precedes our text, Jesus revealed to his Apostles and us that people may mistreat us because of his name. Now, in these first two verses that open our Gospel story, he teaches us how to treat our persecutors. Jesus calls his Twelve apostles and all of us to love our enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them (vv. 27-28).

Jesus gives practical examples to illustrate his teaching (vv. 29-35). In the first example, he asks his followers to offer their second cheek to the person who strikes them on the first one (v. 29a). Matthew speaks of the “right cheek.” “When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.” (Mt 5:39b, NABRE.) For a right-handed person to strike someone on his/her right cheek, the person must use the back of his/her hand, which was a humiliation and insult in the Jewish culture. Although Luke did not mention the “right cheek” (because he does not find it necessary to talk about the Jewish culture to his Gentile readers), the lesson is the same as that of Matthew: we, Jesus’ followers, should not practice retaliation when we are humiliated and insulted.

In the second example, Jesus says, “From the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.” (V. 29b). This phrase is inverted in Matthew: Tunic comes first and the cloak second. “If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.” (Mt 5:40, NABRE.) In both cases, the interpretation is that Jesus’ followers should permit their persecutors to retain what they take away from them with violence or by fraud. The lesson here is that Jesus’ followers must be non-violent.

In the rest of the examples, Jesus calls his disciples and all of us again to refrain from violence (v. 30) and to practice the golden rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (V.31). When we do these, then we will be different from the wicked and qualify to be called “children of the Most High.” (Vv. 32-35). Jesus synthesizes his exhortation by calling his followers, including us today, to be merciful in imitation of God, our Father (v. 36).

In vv. 37-38, taken from the portion about “Judging Others,” Jesus shows the correspondence between the conduct of his followers toward their fellows and God’s conduct toward them. When we do not judge others, God also will not judge us. We should not play the role of God by judging the salvation or damnation of others. Instead, our role is to offer our brothers and sisters a second chance, as God does to us. With “Give and gifts will be given to you,” Jesus means that we, his followers, must first practice charity before God grants our requests. One may say that this teaching of Jesus is absurd and impossible to live out. However, the story of David and King Saul we heard in today’s first reading and Paul’s exhortation in our second reading demonstrate that we, too, can live out what our Gospel teaches us today.

Regarding our first reading, Saul was a king when he had this conflict with David. He had lost favor with God because he felt to carry out God’s command against the Amalekites, one of the violent enemies of Israel. By God’s recommendation, Samuel secretly anointed David to succeed him (1 Samuel 16:1-13). In the collection of our first reading, we see Saul with his three thousand warriors pursuing David, who had just six hundred men, to kill him. But God delivered Saul into David’s hand. He put him asleep along with his soldiers. David came to where Saul was lying asleep but did not harm him. David spares his enemy when he could easily kill him with impunity. Note why David did not kill Saul: “Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the Lord’s anointed and remain unpunished?” Though a sinner, Saul remains the anointed one and God’s creature. David shows us that it is also possible for us to love our enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them. He teaches us that we cannot harm our enemies because they are created in God’s image.

In our second reading, Saint Paul gives another reason we should be merciful to those who mistreat us. He compares Jesus with Adam in the book of Genesis. According to Paul, Adam, who was from the earth, is our origin and model as plain human beings; and Jesus, who is from heaven, is our origin and model as baptized Christians. So, before our baptism, we have borne the image of the earthly one. And after baptism, we bear the image of the heavenly one, Jesus Christ. So, Saint Paul reminds us that we are in the likeness of Christ, and we should constantly grow into it. Therefore, we must look at our enemies as Christ does.

May the liturgy of this Sunday transform us so that we might love our enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

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[1] NABRE, note to Matthew 7:1.

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time C. Feb. 16, 2025

6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C. Feb. 16, 2025

Jeremiah 17:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-26

 

Theme: What it Takes to be True Disciples of Jesus: Sufferings are Inherent to Discipleship

 

A.   A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 6:17, 20-26

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Our Gospel story is taken from the section of the Sermon on the Plain in Luke’s Gospel. Its historical context is found in the previous two stories that immediately precede this Sermon. In those two stories, Luke reported that Jesus first called and chose his Twelve apostles among his followers to be with him and to be sent out on a mission (6:12-16), and second, he ministered to a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people who followed him from different places, including the Gentile territories (6:17-19.) Now, in the “Sermon on the Plain” (6:20-49), Jesus prepares his newly chosen apostles and all followers to know what it takes to be faithful disciples. Suffering is inherent to discipleship. In our text under study, particularly, which opens this Sermon, he exhorts them not to give up their faith and mission regardless of the present real economic and social injustice they face. Those who keep their faith amid suffering are called “blessed,” and those who give up their faith and mission because of the “fake” joy and happiness of this world are “woed.”

The Gospel of Matthew contains a version of this Sermon called “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5:1-7, 27). Talking only about the “Beatitudes,” there are some differences between these two versions. (1) Luke’s version addresses humanity’s real economic and social conditions, but Matthew emphasizes the religious and spiritual values of Jesus’ followers in the heavenly kingdom inaugurated by Jesus. (2) Luke’s version gives less attention to Jewish law and practice since it includes Gentiles among Jesus’ followers. (3) Matthew’s version counts only the series of “Blessed,” but that of Luke is structured in two collections: four “blessed are you” and four “woe to you.” (4) in Matthew, Jesus teaches on the Mountain, but in Luke, he teaches on the plain.

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel passage is a teaching account with metaphors. V. 17, taken from the previous story, introduces our pericope. The body of the text can be divided into two parts: The series of four “blessed are you” (6:20-23) and the series of four “woe to you” (6:24-26). 

 

3. Detailed Analysis

V. 17. He came down with them: Jesus, his newly chosen Twelve apostles, and the rest of his followers were first up on the mountain (see 6:12-16). Now, all of them came down. Jesus stood on a stretch of level ground: Unlike Matthew, who reports that Jesus delivered his sermon on a mountain, Luke reports that this sermon took place on the plain. A large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon: For Luke, Jesus’ followers were not only the Jews from Judea and Jerusalem but also the Gentles from outside Palestine.

Vv. 20-23. Consists of blessings and vv. 24-26 of woes. Poor - rich, hungry - the satisfied; those weeping - those laughing; the outcast - the socially acceptable: Unlike Matthew, who emphasizes the religious and spiritual values of disciples in the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus, Luke addresses humanity's real economic and social conditions. First, he exhorts all people who are poor and mistreated because of his name not to relinquish their faith regardless of their suffering because their present unfortunate conditions will be reversed into blessings. Second, he calls out to and reminds those blinded by their present fortunate situation who do not recognize and appreciate the real values of God’s kingdom that their present fake fortunate conditions will be reversed to woes.^[1]

 

4.      Synthesis

Jesus prepares his newly chosen Twelve apostles and other disciples to know what it takes to be true followers, especially to know that suffering is inherent to discipleship. Through Jesus’ Beatitude teaching, Luke addresses people’s real economic and social conditions, mainly among the Gentiles. He first strengthens the faith of the people who are poor and mistreated because of his name, reassuring them that their present unfortunate condition will be reversed to blessings in the future. Then, he calls out to the wicked to repent lest they will be “woe” in the future.

 

B.    Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

The scripture readings of last Sunday talked about the stories of the callings of Isaiah (first reading), Paul (second reading), and Simon Peter (the Gospel). Through those stories, the focus was on God and Jesus, who called them and continues to call each of us today regardless of our weaknesses and sins. In today’s scripture readings, the focus is now on us, who are called to be with Jesus and be sent out on missions. All of today’s readings divide the believers into two groups: “The blessed are you:” those who do not abandon their discipleship amid the suffering they may encounter (Gospel). Jeremiah compares this category of people to a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream (first reading). For Saint Paul, this category of people is those who believe in the resurrection of the dead (second reading). The second group of believers are those who choose the happiness of this world over discipleship. Jesus says it will be woeful for them (Gospel). Jeremiah compares them to a barren bush in the wasteland that enjoys no change of season (first reading). For Saint Paul, they are those who do not believe in the forgiveness of sins and salvation (second reading). The Church invites us to join today’s Psalmist and sing, “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”

 

2.      What the Church Teaches us Today

In the collection of the “Blessed are you,” Jesus calls blessed those who weep, are poor, hungry, and outcast. Note that Jesus is not saying that to be blessed, we must necessarily be poor and hungry, or we must weep and mourn, or the people must hate us. The context is that Jesus here addresses his Twelve apostles and all his followers, including us, who accept to be his witnesses amid all trials we may encounter in our mission and Christian lives. He strengthens us so that we might not give up our faith no matter what we go through because of his name and mission. When we do so, he calls us “blessed” and reassures us that our present suffering will be reversed into a blessing, if not now in this world, in eternal salvation since we believe in the resurrection of the dead, as Saint Paul exhorts us in the second reading. In our Responsorial Psalm, we sang with the Psalmist: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” In our first reading, the prophet Jeremiah compares us to a tree planted beside the water that stretches out its roots to the stream, fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green, and bears fruits.

In the collection of “Woe to You,” note that Jesus is not against the rich and the people who are happy and laugh. Instead, he delivers a series of warnings of extreme caution to those who prefer denying their faith in exchange for the pleasure of this world. The world we live in today presents us with the wrong meaning of happiness. The devil deceives us by offering us the option of a supposed “good life” but without a relationship with God. Many people, unfortunately, are choosing this option. Jesus woes and reassures them that their present fake fortunate condition will reverse into a “cry,” if not in this world, in the life to come because the resurrection of the dead for either eternal condemnation or eternal salvation is not an illusion, as Saint Paul exhorts us in our second reading. In our first reading, the prophet Jeremiah calls them “cursed” and compares them to a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season but stands in a lava waste. There is no good life without a deep relationship with God. True happiness is found in God only. 

May the liturgy of this Mass strengthen our faith and commitment to continue following Jesus and serving him wherever we live, even amid suffering. Amen. 

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

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[1] NABRE, note to Luke 6:20-26.

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[1] NABRE, note to Luke 6:20-26.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time C. Feb. 9, 2025

 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C. Feb. 9, 2025

Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11; Luke 5:1-11

Theme: “Put Out Into a Deep Water and Lower your Nets for a Catch.”

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 5:1-11

 

1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

The Gospel text under study is the story of the Miraculous Fishing and the Call of Simon, the fisherman. Before our Gospel passage, Luke already told the stories of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, such as Jesus’s rejection by his hometown people at Nazareth (4:16-30), the cure of a demoniac in Capernaum, a town in Galilee (4:31-37), and the healing of many other sick, including Simon’s mother-in-law (4:38-44). Because all these incidents have already been narrated, especially the cure of Simon’s mother-in-law, Luke made it easier for his readers to understand why, in our text, Simon and his partners accepted to follow Jesus. So, by placing our story, which he took from Marcan's source (Mk 1:16-20), after the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, Luke used the example of Simon’s acceptance of becoming Jesus’ disciple to counter Jesus’ rejection by his hometown people in Nazareth. The story of the Cleansing of a Leper (5:12-16) immediately follows our text. 

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel is a narrative account of Simon’s discipleship call. Vv. 1-3 can be considered an introduction. Here, Jesus teaches the crowd using Simon’s boat. The body of the text (vv. 4-10) covers Simon’s one-on-one experience with Jesus. V. 11 concludes our passage. Simon and his partners decide to leave everything and follow Jesus.

 

3.      Detailed Analysis

5:1-3. The scene occurs in the Lake of Gennesaret. This lake is also known as the Sea of Galilee. The crowd is hungry for the Word of God, so they are pressing in on Jesus toward the water, preventing him from preaching to them better. To solve the problem, Jesus uses the boat and creates a distance between him and them. This boat belongs to Simon.  

5:4-10. “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” (v. 4). What Jesus asks Simon to do in this verse seems foolish and dangerous for several reasons. First, Simon is an expert in fishing, whereas Jesus is just a carpenter’s son. So, it does not make sense that a carpenter advises a knowledgeable fisherman on any fishing techniques. Second, the Sea of Galilee is eight miles wide and up to one hundred and fifty feet deep; moreover, the sea squalls can easily capsize the boats during the day. Third, the fish swim as deep as possible during the day to avoid the bright sunlight. The best time for fishing in the Sea of Galilee is night, not day. In conclusion, Jesus’ demand to Simon to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a catch cannot make sense to any professional fisherman. So, Jesus asks Simon to execute something potentially dangerous and visibly foolish. Master: Simon addresses Jesus as a “Master.” In v. 8, he will relate to him as “Lord.” Simon, an expert in fishing, listens to instructions about his profession from Jesus, the carpenter. When Simon Peter… “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (V. 8). For the first and only time, in this episode, Luke uses the name “Simon Peter.” There are indications in this v. 8 that attest to the post-resurrectional context of this story, as is the case in John’s version of this similar story (see Jn 21:1-11.) First, Simon’s recognition of himself as a sinner here evidences that he is aware of when he has denied knowing Jesus (see Lk 22:54-62.) Second, he addresses Jesus as “Lord,” which is a post-resurrectional title used for Jesus (see Lk 24:34; Acts 2:36). Therefore, the fact that Simon recognizes himself as a sinner and addresses Jesus as “Lord,” indicates that the post-resurrectional context of this story is the original one. Catching men: This expression means Simon will become Jesus’ disciple and have a mission of calling people to conversion.

This scene features a conversation between Jesus and Simon. Though many fishermen are in the lake, Jesus only speaks to Simon, and Simon is the only one who replies. Luke stresses Simon here to prepare his audience for the leadership role that Simon (later Peter) will play in the rest of his book. 

V. 11. They left everything and followed him. Simon and his partners' discipleship is a total dedication and a complete detachment from material possessions.

 

4.      Synthesis

Despite all his frustrations because they spent the whole night without catching, Simon let Jesus use his boat to teach the crowd the Word of God. Then, he had a one-on-one experience with Jesus, leading to Simon and his companions’ decision to become Jesus’ disciples with total dedication and a complete detachment from material possessions.

 

B.     Pastoral Implication

 

1.      Liturgical Context

The scripture readings of this Sunday tell us the calling stories of three giants of our faith: Isaiah in the first reading, Paul in the second, and Simon Peter in the Gospel. They felt unworthy as they recognized their sins and weaknesses. Through these readings, our Holy Mother Church reminds us that today, God continues to call each of us to discipleship and assign us his mission regardless of our weaknesses. He gives us his grace when we recognize our sins and repent.

 

2.      What the Church Teach us Today

In the introductory part of our Gospel (vv. 1-3), our Holy Mother Church calls us to imitate the crowd, Jesus, and Simon. First, this crowd presses in on Jesus, showing their hunger for the Word of God. We are called to feel hungry for reading, listening to, studying, and praying with the Scripture. Second, seeing the crowd’s hunger for God’s Word, Jesus finds a way to teach them better. Like Jesus, we are called to teach and share the Word of God with our brothers and sisters, especially in our families. Third, we should also imitate Simon. This meeting between Simon and Jesus occurs when Simon is hugely disappointed, sad, and discouraged because he worked all night without catching fish. Despite his bad feelings, Simon allows Jesus to use his boat and teach the crowd. The boat here can represent oneself, our families, and our times. Jesus meets us in our daily worries and wants to use us, our families, and our times to evangelize the people around us. We should not let our daily burdens prevent us from allowing Jesus to use us, our families, and our times to evangelize our brothers and sisters.

The body of the Gospel story is Simon’s one-on-one experience with Jesus (vv. 4-10). Like a coach, Jesus instructs Simon for a fish catch. Jesus instructs each of us every day. He asks us to put our “boats” (our lives and families) into deep water (relationship with God, our Church, families, and everywhere we live) and lower our nets for a catch (ministering to the people and calling them to come to Jesus). Jesus calls us to put ourselves and our families into a deep relationship with God without fearing all the potential dangers our world presents us. He also calls us to trust him even though we do not understand fully the mystery of our vocation. Note that the more we are in a deep relationship with Jesus, the more we recognize how sinner and weak we are and how much more we need God’s mercy. The three giants of our faith, Simon, Isaiah, and Paul, experienced this in today’s Scripture readings. Once they encountered God, they recognized their sins and weaknesses, confessed them, and obtained God’s mercy and graces. Their sins and weaknesses did not stop God from calling them and assigning them his missions. So, we should not feel unworthy to serve God because whenever we recognize and confess our sins sincerely, Jesus forgives us, gives us more graces, and renews our baptismal mission of ministering to his people.   

Luke ends our story by presenting Simon and his companions as the models of the perfect disciples. They leave everything and follow Jesus (v. 11). This is total dedication and a complete detachment from material possessions. Let us dedicate ourselves to serving God’s people in our Church, families, and wherever we live.

May our encounter with our Lord during this Mass give us the confidence so that we always allow him to use our “boats” and obey his instructions of “putting out ourselves and families into deep relationship with him and “lowering our nets” by ministering to his people without fear. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator 

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time & World Day for Consecrated Life - Feb. 2, 2025

4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time & World Day for Consecrated Life - Feb. 2, 2025

Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrew 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40

 

Theme: We are Called to Imitate Mary, Joseph, and Jesus

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 2:22-40

 

1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

The Gospel passage we heard is the story of Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple, found in chapter 2 of Luke’s Gospel. Before our story, the evangelist already told the stories of Jesus’ Birth (2:1-14), the Visit of the Shepherds (2:15-20), and the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus (2:21). And after our passage, he tells the story of the Boy Jesus lost and Found in the Temple (2:41-52). In our text, Luke intends to depict Jesus’ parents as devout Jews who faithfully observe the Mosaic laws.  

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel passage is a narrative story with prophecies. Vv. 22-24 can be considered an introduction. Here, the evangelist explains the context of Jesus' purification according to the mosaic law. The body of the text involves two personages in the scene with their prophecies about the Child Jesus and his Mother Mary: Simeon (vv. 25-35) and the prophetess Anna (vv. 36-38). Vv. 39-40 can be considered a conclusion of our text in which the narrator informs his readers that Jesus and his parents returned to Nazareth, their hometown, after fulfilling all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord.

 

3.      Detailed Analysis

2:22-24. According to the law of Moses: This law is explained in the book of Leviticus (Lev 12:1-8). This law states that the woman who gives birth to a child remains unclean until the day of her purification. The period of uncleanness is forty days if she gives birth to a boy and eighty days if the infant is a girl. She cannot enter the temple or touch anything sacred during this period. At the end of this period of impurity, she must undergo purification rites, during which she is required to offer a year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a turtledove or young pigeon as an expiation of sin. The woman who cannot afford a lamb must offer two turtledoves or two young pigeons instead, as Mary does here.  Their purification: Synthetically, “their” refers to Mary and Joseph. So, the fact that Luke includes Joseph in the purification rites poses a problem because the Levitical prescriptions apply only to the mother, not to the husband (see Lev 12:1-8). To solve this problem, some early manuscripts rewrite “his purification” instead of “their purification,” understanding Jesus’ presentation in the temple as a form of purification. Yet, changing the referent of the purification from the parents to Jesus poses another problem because Leviticus does not require the infant boy to undergo the purification rites. 

The Bible scholar Michael Patella comments that Luke, as a Gentile Christian, is not always accurate when he explains the Jewish cultic and legal codes. Luke’s mention of the consecration of the firstborn according to the law of the Lord (see Ex 13:2) is correct, but this redemption is accomplished by paying five shekels to a priest (see Num 3:47-48). This means the sacrifice of turtledoves Luke mentions in v. 24 is not part of the firstborn’s presentation ceremony but for a woman’s purification rite. Patella argues that Luke’s preoccupation in these verses is not to describe the Jewish laws accurately but to underscore the Jewish context of Jesus’ birth and mission and show how Mary and Joseph faithfully followed the Jewish law. 

Vv. 25-35. Simeon… awaiting the consolation of Israel: Simeon (and Anna in v. 36) represents the devout Jews who, at that time, were expecting the restoration of God’s reign in Israel. Jesus’ birth then fulfills their hopes and expectations. Simeon prophesizes two things in vv. 34-35. First, he predicts that the child Jesus is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be contradicted. This means there will be some people who will believe in him, and others will reject him. Second, he reveals to Mother Mary that a sword will pierce her heart. These words elevate Mother Mary to the role of the first and model disciple. Her blessedness will be challenged. A disciple is the one who loves and suffers with Jesus.

Vv. 36-38. Anna…spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem: In these verses, Luke describes the prophetess Anna as the first evangelist. She evangelized her fellow Jews about the Child Jesus.

Vv. 39-40. They returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth: Like Matthew, Luke affirms through these concluding verses that Jesus was born in Bethlehem but spent his youth and young adulthood in Nazareth, which is why he is referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth” but not “Jesus of Bethlehem.” By mentioning Mary and Joseph first in Bethlehem and then returning to their town, Nazareth, Luke’s preoccupation is to convince his readers that there is no doubt that Jesus stands in the line of Davidic Messiah. 

 

4.      Synthesis

The Gospel story recounts that Mary and Joseph faithfully followed Jewish laws. They presented their firstborn Jesus in the temple and offered all the sacrifices as written in the law of the Lord. Simeon and Anna represent their fellow faithful and devout Jews, who were expecting Israel's restoration. Jesus’ birth is the fulfillment of their hope and expectations. Both Simeon and Anna bless God for the child Jesus. Simeon delivers two prophecies. First, he says that this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be contradicted. This means Jesus’ mission will bring division; some will believe in him, and others will reject him. Second, he reveals to Mother Mary that a sword will pierce her heart. With these words, Mother Mary is recognized as the first and model disciple who loves and suffers with Jesus. In her turn, the prophetess Anna spoke about Jesus to her fellow Jews. She is then portrayed as the first evangelist. Luke concludes his story by letting his readers know that after fulfilling all the prescriptions of the Lord’s law, Jesus and his parents returned to Nazareth, their hometown. Here, Luke wants his readers to know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but Nazareth is his hometown where he grew up. So, there is no doubt that Jesus stands in the line of Davidic Messiah.

 

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

In our first reading, the prophet Malachi prophesied that the Lord (Messiah) the people of Israel were waiting for would suddenly come to his temple and would be like a refiner’s fire. The presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the words of Simeon and Anna about the child Jesus we heard in our Gospel fulfill Malachi’s prophecy. The sacred author of our second reading defines the mission of Jesus as that of destroying the devil and freeing those who, through fear of death, had been subject to slavery all their lives. In this solemnity of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, we also celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life. Our Holy Mother Church invites us to pray and support all the men and women who consecrated their lives to serve God and his Church as religious priests, brothers, and sisters.

 

2.      What the Church Teaches us Today

By suggesting this Gospel passage today, our Holy Mother Church wants us to imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth's virtues. The first virtue is the obedience of Jesus’ parents to the law of Moses (today, we will say the law of the Church). They presented their child in the temple and offered all the sacrifices according to the law of the Lord. The observance of the law of God is an essential characteristic of the Holy family. They were faithful to the commandments of God. This is the virtue that our families today need to imitate. We are called to be loyal to the laws of the Church.

The second virtue is humility. Mary and Joseph did not use their “holy family” status or other reasons to excuse themselves from fulfilling this religious obligation. Instead, they humbled themselves and observed all the proper regulations of the Mosaic law.  Let us follow their example. We should not use excuses not to fulfill Church obligations. Instead, let us be humble and faithfully obey the Church's teachings.  

The third virtue that this Holy family teaches us is piety. They put a priority on worship and rearing their child in the faith of the Church. We will make our families great if we consider worship our priority and rear our children according to the faith of our Church. Sunday is the day of the Lord when all families are called to gather together in the Church and form one Church Family to worship God in the liturgy of the Eucharist. Worshiping God in the Church brings us all the blessings that we need. Our Gospel tells us that this Holy Family received beautiful blessings and insights from the devout man Simeon and the prophetess Anna in the temple. God waits for us every day (especially on Sundays) in our Church in the Eucharistic celebrations (Masses) and other sacraments, and he is ready to bestow his blessings on us. So, with a spirit of obedience and humility, we must come to Church, especially on Sundays and days of obligations, and observe our daily prayer time.

The fourth lesson is the Child Jesus’ mission, which reminds us of our own missions. The prophet Malachi (first reading) prophesied that the Messiah’s mission would be refining and purifying people (Malachi 3:2-3). For Simeon (Gospel), the Child Jesus “is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted.”  (Luke 2:34). The sacred author of our second reading tells us that Jesus’ mission consists of destroying the devil, who has the power of death, and free those, who through fear of death, had been subject to slavery all their lives (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus’ mission is our mission. Through our baptism, we became the “other Christ.” Let us imitate Jesus and continue the mission he started. This mission is to “refine” and “purify” our brothers and sisters, bringing them to Jesus so that they can offer themselves as righteous offerings to the Lord (see Malachi 3:3). In our mission, as Jesus’ followers, we may become signs of contradictions and divisions as Simeon prophesied about Jesus. We should not be afraid, and we should not give up. Our second reading reassures us that “because [Jesus] himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help [us] who are being tested.” (Hebrews 2:18). The same favor of God that was upon Jesus (Luke 2:40) is also upon all of us who continue Jesus’ mission.

In the liturgy of this Mass, let us pray especially for the Consecrated priests, Brothers, and Sisters that God might increase their faith and determination so that they might not get discouraged and give up their mission of serving God through his Church and us his people. For each of us today, we pray that this Mass might enable us to imitate the Holy Family of Saint Joseph, the Blessed Mother Mary, and the Child Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator