Luke 2
KNECHTLuke 2:1
BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
[Luke 2. :—7]
IN those days a decree went forth from the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus¹, commanding that all the people of the empire should be enrolled. Each one had to give in his name “in his own city,“² i. e. in the tribe and city to which he belonged. So
Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem³ (Fig. 63), the city of David, because they were of the family of that king.
¹ Augustus. He was ruler of the vast empire to which Judæa now belonged (Old Test. LXXXVI). Herod was not an independent sovereign, but governed in the name of the Roman emperor, to whom he had to pay part of the taxes as tribute. The enrolment of the subjects of the empire had, therefore, to take place in Judæa as well as elsewhere; and, according to the Jewish custom, it was made by tribes and families.
² In his own city. i. e. the town where his family originated, and in which the public register was kept.
³ Bethlehem. Bethlehem was the town to which David had belonged (Old Test. I.), and as Mary and Joseph were descended from him, their names had to
— V. BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
But the city being crowded with strangers who had come for the enrolment, they could not obtain lodging in the inn, and were forced to seek shelter in a stable¹ outside the city. “And it came to pass that, when they were there, Mary brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes,
be inscribed at Bethlehem. This town lay about five miles to the south of Jerusalem (see Map). The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was one of seventy miles, and full of difficulties. The town of Bethlehem stood on the ridge of a hill a little higher than Mount Sion, which was the highest part of ancient Jerusalem, and about 2300 feet high. It still exists, and is chiefly inhabited by Christians to the number of between three and four thousand, though in all the other towns of the Holy Land the Turks, in whose possession Palestine is, outnumber all other creeds.
¹ A stable. When Mary and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem, the only public inn in the place was quite full; so they went to a cave or grotto outside the town, which in bad weather was used as a stable by shepherds, and which was therefore fitted with a manger. The emperor Constantine and his mother, St. Helena, built a splendid church, which still exists (Fig. 64), over the grotto in which our Lord was born. In the grotto of the Nativity (Fig. 65, p. 400) thirty-two lamps are always kept burning.
— V. BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
and laid Him in a manger¹, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
COMMENTARY.
Divine Providence. The Prophet Micheas (Old Test, LXX) had foretold that the Saviour would be born at Bethlehem. But how was it likely that this prophecy would be fulfilled, seeing that she who was chosen to be the Mother of the Divine Saviour dwelt at Nazareth? The Providence of God directed that the pagan emperor of Rome should order all his subjects to be enrolled, and that this decree should
be executed in Judæa at the very time when the Birth of the Redeemer was at hand. Obedient to authority, Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem to inscribe their names in the city from which originated their royal race, and thus, unwittingly, the Roman emperor was made to take a part in the
fulfilment of the prophecy that the Redeemer would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.
The Divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is true Man, born of the Virgin Mary, the child of Mary, the son or descendant of David. But He is also true God, the Son of the Highest, as was announced to the Blessed Virgin by the angel. He shows Himself to our sight as Man, for in the crib we can see nothing but a little child. But He reveals Himself as God to our hearing, for His angels come and announce that this little Child in the crib is the Saviour, Christ the Lord Himself. Therefore let us fall on our knees before the crib, and adore
¹ A manger. While Mary was absorbed in prayer the Child was born to her. The Virgin Mother wrapped Him in swaddling clothes with her own hands, and laid Him in the manger belonging to the stable, and, full of faith, adored Him as the Son of the Most High.
— V. THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
the Child there, saying: “I believe in Jesus Christ, His (the Almighty Father’s) only Son, our Lord.”
The love of God. The Eternal Son of God became Man, and hid His Omnipotence and Majesty under the form of a poor, helpless child. He, the Lord, took the form of a servant, and became like to us in all things, sin only excepted. Why did He become Man? Why did He suffer and die? Why did He wish to redeem us? It was because He loved us with an infinite and divine love. “God so loved the world, as to give His only-begotten Son &c.” (John 3, 16). “Let us therefore love God, because God first loved us” (1 John 4, 19).
Christmas. According to tradition our Lord was born in the night between the 24th and 25th of December. Christmas, or the Nativity of our Lord, is therefore kept on the 25th of December, and on this great Feast three Masses may be said by each priest.
The sufferings of Jesus began with His Birth. The Son of God became Man to suffer for us, to make satisfaction for our sins, and to redeem us from sin and hell. All His life He suffered unspeakably for us, and His sufferings began with His Birth. He came into the world in a state of the utmost poverty and humility. For the Son of God to take to Himself human nature at all would have been an infinite humiliation, even had He been born in a royal palace, and laid at His Birth on silken cushions, in a golden cradle. But He wished to humble Himself still more, and therefore was born into the world in a poor stable, and laid in the rudest of cribs. The Lord of the universe, the son of David, of whose kingdom there was to be no end, could find no home in the city of David! Shut out from the dwellings of man, rejected by human society, He was driven to find a refuge among the beasts, and, wrapped in the coarsest of swathing bands, was laid in a manger belonging to the shepherds. “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head” (Luke 9, 58). He had no comfortable little bed, no soft, warm pillow. His tender body lay on the hard straw, in a narrow crib, and was exposed to the damp, raw winter-air. A piece of wood at His Birth, and a piece of wood at His Death, that was all that Jesus received from this world! Truly the Divine Infant was poorer than the poorest child! Our Lord chose for Himself this extreme poverty and humility to make satisfaction even from His Birth for our many sins of pride, for our concupiscence of the eyes and of the flesh, and to give to us an example of humility, self-denial and mortification. Man fell by pride, desiring what was impossible, namely to be as God, and his fall was so deep that he fell into the bondage of Satan and the concupiscence of the eyes and of the flesh, and into sins and crimes of the basest description. In order to free us from sin and hell, God the Son became Man, and was like to us in all things, sin only excepted, so that we might become once more the children of God. He humbled Himself that we might be exalted. He became poor that
KNECHT, Commentary, 3 ed — VI THE SHEPHERDS AT THE MANGER.
we might be rich in grace here, and richer still some day in heaven. Let us thank Him as we kneel before His crib, and renounce all pride, all avarice, and fleshly desires!
APPLICATION. Jesus, your Saviour, is so humble, poor and patient, and yet how proud, covetous and impatient you are!
THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISH
[Luke 2, 1 21 Mat 4, 15 22 Mark 1, 16 20]
JESUS preached one day near the Lake of Genesareth¹, which is also called the Sea of Galilee. A great crowd came to Him to hear the word of God². He saw moored on the shore two
¹ Lake of Genesareth. This lake (Fig. 71, p. 462), which is about thirteen miles long and six broad, is oval and surrounded by mountains. To this day it is well stocked with fish. In the time of our Lord, its shores and the plain between it and the foot of the mountains were covered with populous towns and villages.
² The word of God. The preaching of Jesus, the Son of God. — XIX THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISH.
fishing-boats, one of which belonged to Simon Peter; and, going into Peter’s boat, He desired him to put off a little from the shore. Then, seating Himself in the bark, He taught the people.
When he had ceased preaching, He told Peter: “Launch out into the deep¹, and let down your nets for a draught.” Peter
answered: “Master, we have laboured all night² and have taken nothing, but at Thy word³ I will let down the nets.” Having done so, they caught so great a multitude of fish that their net
¹ The deep. From the shallow water near the shores into the middle of the lake, where the water was deeper. The words: “Launch out!” were addressed to Peter, he being in command of the little ship, whereas the words: “Let down your nets”, were addressed to all those who were assisting, of whom there must have been a good number, for, later on, the Gospel speaks of “all who were with him”.
² All night. “We have already been out in the deep sea, casting our nets, first here, then there.” They went out fishing in the night, as fish are more easily caught then than in the day-time.
³ At Thy word. “In obedience to Thee, and confiding in Thy help.” He meant to say: “Having caught nothing in the night-time, we cannot naturally expect to catch any thing in the broad day-light; but we have confidence that, if we act in obedience to Thy command, our labour will not be in vain. The miracle which ensued was a reward for this faith and confidence, as well as for the service rendered by the loan of the boat.”
— XIX. THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISH.
was breaking¹. They beckoned² to their partners, James and John, who were in the other bark, to come and assist them. They came, and both barks were so filled with fish that they were in danger of sinking.
Wonder and terror came upon all that were in the ships. But Simon Peter fell down at the feet³ of Jesus, saying: “Depart⁴ from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Jesus said to him: “Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men.‘⁵ Having pushed their ships ashore, they left all things⁶ and followed⁷ Jesus.
COMMENTARY.
The Divinity of our Lord. Jesus, by the miraculous draught of fish which He procured for His disciples, showed that He was Lord over nature. The fish of the sea obeyed His will and gathered together in the place where the disciples cast in their nets.
The object of this miracle which Jesus worked solely for Peter and the other disciples was twofold: 1. Like all the other miracles it was meant to increase and confirm the faith of the disciples; 2. it was meant to prepare the disciples, and especially St. Peter, for the apostolic office, which was typified by this miracle. Through it Jesus meant to say to His disciples: “Even as just now you put out to sea and cast in your nets, at my bidding, and captured this extraordinary draught, so in the future shall you fish for the souls of men in the sea of this world; and you will have as great a success in that office as you have had just now with your nets, and will bring thousands of souls into the kingdom of God, i. e. the Church.” Thus the miraculous draught of fish typifies the apostolic work of the Church of Jesus Christ. The sea is the world; the fish are the men living in the world. The bark is the Church; the helmsman is Peter (and his successors). He steers the bark, and with the help of his companions (the Apostles, and after them the Bishops), casts his net by preaching the doctrine of Christ, and by holy Baptism receives into the Church those who will believe. Our Lord Jesus Christ is in the bark of Peter, i. e. in the holy Catholic Church, teaching men,
¹ Breaking. There were such large holes in the nets that many of the fish escaped, and yet, in spite of this, both little ships were filled with fish.
² Beckoned. i. e. made signs to them to come and help, because they were too far from the shore for calling.
³ At the feet of Jesus. Who was with him in the boat.
⁴ Depart. Leave my boat, because I, a sinful man, am not worthy to be so near to Thee.
⁵ Men. By these words He encouraged Simon, and explained to him the meaning of the miracle He had just wrought.
⁶ Left all things. That were dear to them, their family, home, and occupation.
⁷ Followed. As His constant disciples. — XIX. THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISH.
and bringing them to salvation through her. The danger of sinking which threatened Peter’s little ship, signifies that the Church will be beset by many perils and persecutions. The rent in the net, through which so many of the fish escaped, means that many souls will be lost to the Church by schism and heresy. The first “draught of fish” (i. e. of souls) which Peter made on the day of Pentecost, was an extraordinary one, 3000 being baptized. And after his second discourse, when he had cured the lame man, the number of those baptized amounted to 5000. The conversion of the world by ignorant fishermen is one of God’s greatest miracles. To this very day the Pope, St. Peter’s successor, keeps sending forth his fishermen into all parts of the world, in as much as he alone gives real power and jurisdiction to bishops, priests, and missionaries to teach the truth of Jesus Christ and to sanctify souls by His Sacraments.
Listening to the word of God. The way that the crowd pressed round Jesus to hear Him is an example to us of the zeal with which we should listen to God’s word.
Industry. “We have toiled all the night”, said St. Peter. Industry is a virtue, whereas sloth is a sin.
The Blessing of God. In all our occupations we should bear in mind that nothing can prosper without God’s blessing.
St. Peter’s virtues, as shown by this story: 1. Faith. He believed that he would not put out to sea in vain, if he did so at our Lord’s bidding. 2. Obedience. 3. Humility. “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Because he humbled himself, our Lord exalted him, and called him, before the others, to be a fisher of men. 4. Love of Jesus. He left all and followed Him.
The following of Christ is the way of virtue and perfection. We need not forsake everything as did the Apostles, but we must follow the example given to us by our Lord, if we would be with them in heaven. “Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow His steps” (1 Pet. 2, 21). He who wishes to be a real Christian must not only believe in Christ, but must follow Him, i. e. must imitate His virtues, His love of God and of His neighbour, His obedience, humility, meekness &c.
APPLICATION. Do you like work? Do you learn your lessons well and regularly? Do you help without grumbling in the work about the house given you to do by your parents? Do you work with a good intention? Whenever you are told to do anything distasteful to you, say to yourself: “O Jesus, I will do this for love of Thee!”
— XX. THE CURE OF THE PARALYTIC, AND FORGIVENESS OF SIN. 465
Luke 2:8
THE SHEPHERDS AT THE MANGER
[Luke 2, 8—20]
THERE were in the same country¹, i. e. in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, shepherds watching, and keeping the night-watches over their flock. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared before them, and the brightness of God² shone round about them, and they were seized with a great fear. But the angel said: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people; for this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ³ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.‘⁴
Then there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and singing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will!”
¹ In the same country. In the valley below the town. It was in these parts that, once upon a time, David, the forefather of the Redeemer, kept his father’s sheep.
² The brightness of God. Changing the dark night into brightest day. The light was not only the glory of the angels, but a glimpse of that supernatural, never-dying light by which God, who cannot be gazed upon by mortal eye, revealed Himself. The Son of God, who hid His divine glory under the form of a poor child, desired to reveal His Divinity through the angels, who are clothed with His glory.
³ Christ. i. e. the Anointed, the promised Messias.
⁴ Laid in a manger. How marvellous a sign! Christ the Lord a little Infant, lying in a manger, poorer than the poorest child! The shepherds might, perchance, have doubted such a sign; but immediately another was given to them. A multitude of the heavenly host, i. e. an innumerable throng of angels, appeared, singing: “Glory to God in the highest!” The pious shepherds believed themselves to be translated to heaven. The heavenly splendour, the host of angels, the enchanting, inspiring song filled them with a holy awe, as well as with unspeakable joy.
— VI. THE SHEPHERDS AT THE MANGER.
When the angels had disappeared, the shepherds said one to another: “Let us go¹ over to Bethlehem, and see the word that has come to pass, which the Lord hath shown us.” Going in haste², they found³ Mary and Joseph in the stable, and the new-born Babe lying in the manger.
The shepherds adored Him, and went back to their flocks, praising and glorifying God for the wonders they had seen and heard. All the people that heard these things from the shepherds were astonished. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them⁴ in her heart.
And after eight days the Child was circumcised, and His name was called Jesus, that is, Saviour, as the angel had commanded.
COMMENTARY.
Glory to God in the highest. Our redemption began at the Birth of Jesus Christ. For this reason the angels rejoiced and sang: “Glory to God!” The unbelief and disobedience of man had robbed God of the honour due to Him. Jesus Christ restored the honour of God by being obedient to His heavenly Father, even unto death on the cross, and by teaching the one true faith in God and the one true worship of God.
Peace to men of good will. Our Lord Jesus Christ has brought peace to man by reconciling earth to heaven, and winning pardon and grace for us. This peace on earth, which leads to the eternal peace of heaven, can only be obtained by those men who are of good will, i. e. by those who are willing to believe the doctrines of Christ, and who correspond with His grace. The shepherds were men of good will; they believed the angel, and hastened to obey his injunctions. It is
¹ Let us go. All doubt on the part of the shepherds had fled. They believed that “the Lord” had sent them the message, and but one thought filled them: “Let us go and see.”
² In haste. Impelled by an eager desire to see the Child who, according to what the angels had said, was come to be their Saviour.
³ They found. Finding the Babe exactly as the angel had described, they believed all the rest which had been told them about the Child, namely, that He was Christ the Lord; and they fell on their knees before the manger and adored. With their hearts full of the glad news they had received, they related all they had seen and heard, first of all to the holy Mother of God and to St. Joseph, and then to all their friends and acquaintances.
⁴ Pondering them. She treasured up every word of what the shepherds had seen and heard. She compared every word: they had told her with the promises of the Messias contained in the prophets, and with what Gabriel had announced to herself; and on all sides she discovered a confirmation of her own belief that her Child, so wonderfully born of her, was the Son of God.
26* — VI. THE SHEPHERDS AT THE MANAGER.
in this way that we should obey the inward admonitions of grace to do what is right. If we do this, we shall one day be with Jesus in heaven.
The Christmas Tree represents Jesus Christ, who is the true tree of life in the newly restored paradise. He that eateth of this tree shall live. The burning tapers on the tree are meant to show that Christ is the light of the world, “full of grace and truth”. The various fruits and sweets hanging on the branches symbolise the rich gifts and blessings brought by Jesus Christ to the children of men. The latter too are accustomed to give presents to each other, because on this day God has given to the world His only Begotten Son and with him everything else.
The Christian era. As quite a new era began with the Birth of Jesus Christ, an era of grace and reconciliation, our years are counted from that time. The year in which our Lord was born was the first year of the Christian era. On Christmas-Day this year, 1910 years will have passed since the Birth of Jesus Christ.
Why Jesus subjected Himself to circumcision. Our Lord was without sin, so He stood in no need of circumcision. But He submitted to the rite for the following reasons: 1. According to the prophecies the Redeemer was to be a true Israelite and son of Abraham. To be such, and to be recognised as such, circumcision was necessary. 2. By His Incarnation our Lord took upon Himself the sins of mankind, so as to make satisfaction for them. For this purpose He shed His Precious Blood for the first time in His circumcision, and showed us thereby that He was come to redeem us by His Blood. Therefore the name of Jesus, or Saviour, was given to Him at His circumcision. 3. By voluntarily obeying the law and submitting Himself to the rite of circumcision, He wished to give us an example of obedience to the divine law.
The Name of Jesus is the sweetest of all names; for if that blessed name did not exist, neither would there exist for us pardon, or grace or eternal happiness. It is the object of our faith, our hope and our love. Moreover the name of Jesus testifies to the divine nature of the Redeemer: it not only means Saviour, but Divine Saviour, and says to us: “Jehovah, God, is our salvation and deliverance!” Thus St. Paul writes: “In the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, or under the earth” (Phil. 2, 10).
APPLICATION. Are you of good will as the shepherds were? Do you listen to the admonitions of your guardian angel, of your parents and superiors? From henceforward try, for love of Jesus, to be very obedient.
— VII. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.
Luke 2:22
THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE¹
[Luke 2, 22-35]
FORTY days after His birth, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord,
¹ The Temple, which was rebuilt under the direction of Zorobabel (Old Test, LXXX), had several additions made to it by king Herod, which he undertook for the purpose both of gaining renown for himself, and of ingratiating himself with the Jewish people. The work was begun in the year 16 B. C., and was nearly completed at the time of our Lord’s Presentation (Fig. 66, p. 407). By means of enormous supports, the court of the Temple was increased to a width of a thousand feet and a length of nearly one thousand seven hundred feet. This great space was enclosed by a high wall, inside which were two beautiful porticoes, 74 feet wide, supported by columns of white marble, and with flat ceilings of cedar-wood. On the south side of the enclosure were three similar halls, supported by pillars, the centre one of the three being 150 feet high. These halls with columns belonged to the first or outer court of the Temple, which was also called the court of the Gentiles, because even Gentiles were allowed to enter it. This outer court, which was very large, contained a synagogue, and cells for the Levites. It was also a market, fitted with the tables and booths of the money-changers, and of the cattle-merchants who sold beasts for the sacrifices. Inside this outer court, and surrounded by it on all sides, was the Temple proper, into which neither Gentiles nor unclean Israelites might enter, under pain of death. The Temple, to which access was obtained by ascending twenty steps, was surrounded by a wall that, on the inside, stood 33 feet high. Nine gates, four on the north, four on the south, and one on the eastern side, led into the Temple. The principal gateway was the one on the eastern side: it was made of brass, richly ornamented with gold and silver, and was 73 feet high by 60 broad. It required the united strength of twenty men to close the gate in the evening. At this gate took place the purification of lepers, and of women after childbirth. Through this principal gate the court of the women was entered, in which stood a chest for offerings with thirteen trumpet-shaped openings. This court was surrounded with porticoes and galleries into which the women passed, while the men remained below. Through the court of the women and up fifteen steps was the entrance to the outer court of the Israelites, or of the men. From this was reached the outer court of the priests and Levites, and there stood the colossal altar of holocausts, and the brazen sea or laver (Old Test LIX). From the outer court, twelve steps led to the porch of the Temple itself. Immediately after passing through the porch was an outer hall 150 feet broad and 150 feet high, and next to it the actual Temple, which was 150 feet broad and 83 high. The Temple, as well as the outer hall, was built of great blocks of white marble and richly overlaid with gold, both inside and out. Two-thirds of the Temple proper formed the Sanctuary, and the remaining third, which was at the western end, formed the Holy of Holies. This latter, which was quite empty, was separated from the other part by a costly curtain. In the Sanctuary stood the seven-branched candlestick, made of gold, the golden table of proposition, and the golden altar of incense. The ceiling of the Temple was overlaid with plates
— VII. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.
as the law of Moses¹ prescribed. They carried with them the usual offering of the poor, a pair of turtle-doves².
There was at that time in Jerusalem a just and God-fearing man named Simeon³. He was looking anxiously for the coming
of gold. The whole building, raised up on high with its terraces, white marble columns and blocks, and golden decorations, must have presented a very majestic appearance, as it stood glittering in the sun.
¹ The law of Moses. See Old Text. XXXIII.
² Turtle-doves. According to the law a mother was considered unclean for forty days after the birth of a son, and during that time might not appear before the Lord in the Temple. On the fortieth day she had to offer a sacrifice of purification, namely a lamb and a young pigeon; or, if she were poor, she made the offering of the poor, namely two young pigeons, one to be a sin-offering, and the other a burnt-offering.—Let us accompany the holy Mother with her Divine Child to the Temple. Standing at the great gate on the eastern side, which led to the outer court of the women, Mary handed to the priest the two pigeons, the offering of her poverty. The priest then went into the outer court of the temple, sprinkled the blood of one pigeon on the side of the altar as a sin-offering, and burnt the other in the fire as a thank-offering. Mary had to stay at the gate, but in spirit she accompanied the priest to the altar and thanked God from her heart that He had chosen her to be the Mother of God. Truly, the offering of the most pure Virgin was more pleasing to God than the sacrifice of either Abel or Melchisedoch. After this, she presented the Divine Child as an offering to the Lord. She handed Him to the priest, and, having paid the five shekels (about thirteen shillings) redemption money, received Him back again. We can imagine how wholly she gave her Child to the Lord, to belong entirely to Him and fulfil His holy will! Her heart, indeed, was full of anxious forebodings, for she knew that her Son was the Redeemer, and that, according to the words of the prophets, He would suffer and die a violent death. But she gave herself over entirely to the will of God. “Take Him, O Lord”, she said, “for He is Thy Son. I will bring Him up for Thee. Do what Thou wilt, and if so be I must see Him die for the salvation of men—Thy will be done!”
³ Simeon. Mary’s forebodings were soon to be confirmed by Simeon. As Mary passed through the crowded outer court with her Divine Child, she was unobserved; the crowd had no suspicion that the Messias, whom all the sacrifices in the Temple typified, had just entered His Father’s House for the first time. One man alone, the aged Simeon, recognised his Saviour in this Child. Scripture calls him a “just” man, for he had observed the law of the Lord from his youth up. His longing for the Redeemer was a holy and religious longing, unlike that usually entertained by the Jews, who looked for a merely earthly Messias. He hoped for One who should bring redemption, grace and truth, and as he saw the corruption of his people increasing, he prayed the more fervently to God to send the promised Saviour. God heard his prayer, and the Holy Ghost gave him the assurance that, before he died, he should behold the Christ. For this reason Simeon went daily to the Temple where the Messias was to manifest Himself to him. As Mary entered with her Child, an inward illumination of the Holy Spirit made known to him that this Babe was He whom he expected. Full of a holy joy he took the Child in his arms, and raising his eyes to heaven, sang his canticle “Nunc dimittis”.
- Temple 2. Fort Antonia. 3. Gate of Nicanor. 4. Hall of Solomon. 5. The Golden Gate. 6. Outer Pinnacle. 7. Royal Hall. 8. Hulda Gates. 9. Subterranean Passage to the Lower City. 10. Gate for Suburb. 11. Bridge to Upper City. 12. Valley of Tyropean. 13. Valley of Cedron. 14. Stone Palings with Inscriptions. 15. Steps to the Forest.
— VII. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.
of the Messias, the Holy Spirit having revealed to him that he should not die till he had seen the Christ of the Lord. Led by the Spirit, he came that day to the Temple, and seeing the Child brought in by Mary and Joseph, he took Him in his arms, and blessed God, saying:
“Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant¹, O Lord, according to Thy word², in peace³; because my eyes have seen Thy salvation⁴, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light to the revelation⁵ of the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.“⁶
He then blessed⁷ Joseph and Mary, who wondered⁸ at these things, and to Mary he said: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel⁹, and for a sign which shall be contradicted¹⁰. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce¹¹, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.”
¹ Thy servant. i. e. me. ² Thy word. i. e. according to Thy promise.
³ In peace. Now I can leave this world in peace, I can die contentedly and joyfully.
⁴ Thy salvation. The Saviour promised by Thée, whom Thou hast sent for all nations.
⁵ The revelation. That He may, by His divine teaching, enlighten the heathen who are living in the darkness of unbelief.
⁶ Israel. Being the people of whose race the Redeemer was born, and the place where He worked miracles and founded His Church.
⁷ Blessed. Or congratulated them on having received the Divine Child. Then the inspired old man turned especially to Mary, the Mother of the Child, and foretold how much she would have to suffer on His account.
⁸ Wondered. Joseph and Mary had indeed been taught by the angel that the Child was the Son of the Highest, and the promised Redeemer, but it filled them with astonishment that God should have revealed to Simeon the secret He had confided to them, and revealed it just at the moment when Jesus had been presented in the Temple and redeemed with money like an ordinary Israelite child. It astonished them, also, that Simeon should extol Him not only as the glory of Israel, but also as the light for the revelation of the Gentiles. The words which Simeon uttered by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost gave Mary and Joseph a deeper insight into the plan of Redemption than they had before possessed.
⁹ Many in Israel. The people of Israel would be forced to come to a decision about our Lord. Those who rejected Him and refused to believe in Him would fall by reason of their unbelief, as did most of the Pharisees. But, on the other hand, those who did believe in Him would receive salvation, as did, for instance, the apostles, Nicodemus &c.
¹⁰ Contradicted. He will be the mark against which will be levelled the hatred and persecution of the enemies of God, and of truth and virtue. How far this hatred would be carried is hinted in Simeon’s next words.
¹¹ Pierce. This word is not to be understood in a literal sense; the term rather signifies the violent pain which would pierce Mary’s heart like a dagger.
— VII. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.
There was also in Jerusalem a prophetess¹ named Anna—a woman far advanced in years, who departed not from the Temple—by prayer and fasting serving the Lord night and day. She also coming in, and seeing the Child, gave praise to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all who were looking² for the Redemption of Israel. And when these things were accomplished in obedience to the law of God, Mary and Joseph, with the Divine Babe, returned to Galilee³, to their own city of Nazareth, and dwelt there in peace.
COMMENTARY.
The Faithfulness of God. By the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the prophecy of Aggeus (Old Test. LXXX) was fulfilled.
Jesus is the Messias. The Holy Ghost revealed Him as such to Simeon, who, full of joy, greeted Him as the Saviour of all men, and the Light of revelation to the Gentiles.
Jesus is God. Anna, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, testified to this, when she extolled the Child as “the Lord”, and joyfully announced that in this Child God had revealed Himself as the Redeemer.
Faith is a gift of God. It was only by the help of the Holy Ghost that Simeon and Anna were enabled to recognise in the Child Jesus the Divine Saviour of the whole world, of Gentiles as well as Jews.
Good works. Simeon and Anna obtained the great grace of faith in our Lord’s Divinity by a faithful observance of the law, by fasting and prayer, and a great inward desire for His coming.
Belief in Jesus Christ drives away all fear of death. Simeon now rejoiced at the prospect of death. Such a sensation was hitherto unknown in Israel. “Pious Israelites closed their eyes in death, weary of life and submissive to God’s will; not altogether hopeless, but full of horror of the future. Death was a thing to be feared, and each new day of life which was granted was looked on as a gain” (Grimm). But
This pain was suffered by Mary at the foot of the Cross. There the love of three hearts (thoughts of many hearts) was revealed: the love of God and man in the Heart of Jesus and the love of Mary, His and our mother.
¹ A prophetess. A person endowed by God with the gift of prophecy, and known as such to all the people. Therefore her testimony had greater weight with them than that of Simeon. Moreover, Anna was a woman of extraordinary virtue, her life being one of exceptional holiness and mortification.
² All who were looking. We can see by these words that many of the Jews were expecting the speedy advent of the Redeemer.
³ Returned to Galilee. This does not mean that they returned at once; for a number of other events which St. Luke passes over come between, as the adoration of the Magi and the flight into Egypt mentioned by St. Matthew.
— VII. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.
all at once every thing was changed. Holy Simeon had seen the Saviour, and was now ready to die joyfully. In fact, he did die very soon after; a pious tradition even goes so far as to say that he died before he left the Temple. He was thus the first to take the joyful news to Limbo that the Saviour was born and the day of salvation at hand.
Humility and obedience of Mary. Mary was without sin, therefore she needed no purification. Nevertheless she remained excluded from the Temple for forty days just as if she were an ordinary, sinful mother, and submitted to the law of purification which in no way applied to the most pure Mother of God. Her humility made her wish to appear in the eyes of the world as an ordinary, sinful woman. She wished, moreover, to give an example of obedience to the precepts of the law, her love of her fellow-creatures making her shrink from being a cause of offence and giving scandal by any neglect of the legal purification.
The Feast of our Lady’s Purification, or Candlemas. We keep a feast on the 2nd of February, forty days after Christmas, in memory of our Lord’s Presentation in the Temple. This feast has several names. First, it is known as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus. Secondly, it is called the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But the usual and popular name for this Feast is Candlemas-day, because on this day candles are blessed before Mass, and there takes place a procession with lighted candles. Candles are blessed and lighted on this particular feast, because on it Simeon acknowledged and confessed Christ to be “the Light of the world”.
The dolours of Mary. Mary is, as the Holy Ghost foretold by the mouth of Simeon, the Mother of sorrows, feeling in her own heart all the sufferings of her Divine Son. The dolours of Mary are usually enumerated as follows: 1. the prophecy of Simeon, 2. the flight into Egypt, 3. the loss of the Child Jesus for three days when He was twelve years old, 4. the meeting with Jesus, carrying His Cross, 5. the Crucifixion and death of Jesus, 6. the taking down from the Cross, 7. the Burial of Jesus. Mary suffered for a longer time and more acutely than any of the holy martyrs, and therefore she is called the Queen of martyrs.
The “Contradiction” of Jesus. In what way has Simeon’s prophecy that our Lord should be a “sign of contradiction” been fulfilled? Even when He was an Infant, He was persecuted by Herod, and had to flee. When He began His public life, He met with the greatest opposition, especially from the Pharisees and Sadducees. The inhabitants of Nazareth thrust Him out of their city (chapter XVII). The Pharisees slandered Him and said He was in league with the devil (chapter XXVII); and, on the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple, the Jews wished to stone Him as a blasphemer (chapter LIII). He was accused before Pilate of being a seducer of the people &c.; and His enemies never rested till He was nailed upon the Cross. Even after His Resurrection the opposition to His doctrine and His Church continued. “Christ crucified,
— VIII. ADORATION OF THE MAGI.
unto the Jews indeed a stumbling-block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness, but unto them that are called, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1, 23. 24). And this contradiction on the part of the unbelieving will continue till Christ comes again to judge the world.
The testimony of the Holy Ghost. There had been no prophets in Israel since Malachias; but as soon as the Messias had appeared, the gift of prophecy was richly bestowed on those who believed. Zachary, Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon and Anna, all proclaimed the goodness of God, who had given His only begotten Son for the salvation of the world. “For four hundred years the spirit of prophecy had been dumb in Israel: it was a long and dreary winter, but it was followed by the most glorious spring-tide! Song filled the air; for He had come whose name was Wonderful! The angel Gabriel, Mary, Zachary, Elizabeth, the angel who spoke to the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna basked in the ray of salvation which streamed down from heaven. Heaven itself streamed down with it; and the sons of the earth lifted up their heads with a feeling of rapture, for the Prince of peace had come and reconciled earth to heaven! The great God, the ‘Father of the world to come’ (Is. 9, 6) lay a little Babe in Mary’s arms” (Stolberg). Thus was the advent of Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer, borne witness to in various ways.
APPLICATION. Have you, like Mary, always observed the commandments of God with exactitude? Against which of the commandments have you most often sinned? You too were presented to God in your Baptism, and you ought to belong to Him, to love Him and serve Him. Say thus to yourself: “I will keep God’s commandments all the days of my life.”
Simeon thanked God with a full heart for having sent the Saviour. In what way do you thank Him for the unspeakable grace of Redemption? You should thank Him every day of your life for the great gift of the Christian, Catholic faith.
Luke 2:40
JESUS AT THE AGE OF TWELVE YEARS GOES TO THE TEMPLE
[Luke 2, 40-42]
NOW Mary and Joseph went every year¹ to Jerusalem to celebrate the Pasch. When Jesus was twelve years old, He accompanied His parents to the holy city.
The festival days² being over, Mary and Joseph set out for their distant home; but the Child Jesus remained³ in Jerusalem, and His parents knew it not⁴. They thought, at first, that He was in the company of some of their relatives, and so they jour-
¹ Every year. It was commanded by the law that every male Israelite should go to Jerusalem each year, for the three principal feasts (Old Test, XXXIX). This was not obligatory on the women, but pious women and maidens liked to take part in the pilgrimage, and Mary did not shrink from the severities of the long journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem which enabled her to visit the Sanctuary of the Lord. Boys above the age of twelve were bound to fast, to go to Jerusalem for the three feasts, and in all things to observe the law.
² Festival days. Which lasted a week. ³ Remained. Intentionally.
⁴ Knew it not. Owing to the great throng of about 500 000 pilgrims pressing through the gate, they lost sight of the relatives and acquaintances who accompanied them from Nazareth.
— X. JESUS AT THE AGE OF TWELVE YEARS GOES TO THE TEMPLE. 421
neyed a whole day without noticing His absence. But when evening came, they looked for Him, and, not finding Him¹, were overwhelmed with grief.
They returned immediately to Jerusalem, and during three days sought Him² through the city, but in vain; no one had seen the Child. At length, on the third day, they went to the Temple, and there they found Him³, sitting in the midst of the doctors of the law, hearing them and asking them questions. All the doctors were astonished⁴ at His wisdom and His answers.
Mary and Joseph were filled with wonder⁵ and joy at seeing Him again, and His Mother said to Him: “Son, why hast Thou done so⁶ to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing.” But He answered: “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?“⁷ But “they understood not⁸ the word that He spoke to them.”
¹ Not finding Him. What anxiety must they not have felt when they lost Jesus, who had been entrusted to their charge by God! Was He lying in prison - or killed? Had His sufferings already begun? Such thoughts filled their hearts with the keenest pain, and they could neither rest nor sleep till they had once more found the Divine Child.
² Sought Him. They sought Him on the way back, inquiring about Him from all the pilgrims behind them, and at all the places through which they had passed; but nobody could give them tidings of Him. With growing anxiety they arrived at Jerusalem, and vainly searched the streets of the city.
³ They found Him. In a hall in the outer court of the Temple, where the doctors met to expound the law, and to answer questions and objections. To these assemblages there came both the earnest inquirers and the carious, all of whom sat at the feet of the doctors on low stools, placed on the ground. Jesus however was not sitting among the inquirers, but among the doctors, who were held by the people in the highest esteem. He listened to them, put questions to them, and answered their questions, so as to lead them to a knowledge of the truth. Most likely the discourse was about the prophecies.
⁴ Astonished. Because such questions were unheard-of as coming from a boy of twelve years old. They suspected that they were in presence of some supernatural manifestation.
⁵ Wonder. They “wondered” at seeing Jesus seated among the doctors, and the gaze of every bystander turned on Him with astonishment and veneration.
⁶ Done so. Remaining behind without our knowledge. These words are the expression of the great love and anxiety of soul which Mary had experienced on account of her beloved Child.
⁷ My Father’s business. You should not have sought me, nor have feared for me, for you ought to have remembered that I leave you only to do the work which my Heavenly Father has given me to do.
⁸ Understood not. They understood, indeed, the literal meaning of what He said, but not its deeper sense. They knew that Jesus was the Son of God, the
— 422 X. JESUS AT THE AGE OF TWELVE YEARS GOES TO THE TEMPLE.
And rising, He went with his mother (who “kept all these words in her heart’¹) and His foster-father² to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And Jesus increased³ in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men.
COMMENTARY.
The Two Natures in Jesus Christ. Our Lord is at once true God and true Man. The foregoing story manifests both His natures to us. As Man, Jesus was the Child of Mary; as Man, He increased in age, and with time developed into boyhood, youth and manhood. Each of the foregoing chapters testify also to Jesus being true God, though we have hitherto seen the Incarnate Son of God in a state of humility, poverty, and persecution, and have heard no word proceed from His mouth. In this last chapter we hear Jesus speak for the first time, and His words are words of superhuman wisdom, and bear most clear testimony to His divine nature. As soon as Jesus had completed His twelfth year, He was an adult in spiritual matters, so now, for a time, He withdrew Himself from the protection of His parents, and came forward, according to the will of His Father, as a teacher of the law, and allowed a few gleams of His divine wisdom to escape Him, thus preparing the way for His future public appearance as fulfiller of the law and prophets. He Himself refers directly to His divine nature by the words: “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” He calls God His Father, and thus proclaims Himself to be the Son of God. This was our Lord’s first declaration of His Divinity.
Redeemer from sin, and the Light of the Gentiles, but they did not understand in what way He would accomplish the great work of Redemption, and how His remaining behind in the Temple could be connected with it.
¹ In her heart. She pondered over them and compared them with what she had heard from the angel, from the wise men, from Simeon &c., and thus she entered more and more deeply into the mystery of Redemption.
² Foster-father. Our Lord passed among the people for the son of Joseph the carpenter, though He was the Son of God, and St. Joseph was only His foster father.
³ Increased. Shortly before (Luke 2, 40), the Gospel says: “The Child was full of wisdom”, and yet now (Luke 2, 52) it says: “He advanced in wisdom and grace.” How then is this increase of wisdom to be understood? In a literal sense, Jesus could neither increase nor decrease in wisdom and grace, for from the first moment of His Incarnation He was full of grace and truth (John 1, 14), but He appeared in the eyes of men to increase in wisdom and grace as He advanced in age, by revealing, with increasing years, more and more of the hidden fulness of wisdom and grace which were within Him. Jesus increased in favour with men, because, the more they came in contact with Him, the more they loved and appreciated Him; and in favour with God, because, the more Jesus did for the glory of God, the more His eternal Father was pleased with Him.
— X. JESUS AT THE AGE OF TWELVE YEARS GOES TO THE TEMPLE. 423
Obedience (4$^(th)$ Commandment). Until He was thirty years old, Jesus practised the most complete obedience towards His Mother and foster-father. He did as they bade Him; He helped His Mother in her household work, and served Joseph as an apprentice in his laborious trade of carpenter. Meditate well on this: Who was obedient, and to whom? The Creator to the creature, the Lord to the servant, the Son of God to man! And in what was He obedient? In everything. For how long? For as long as He dwelt with Mary and Joseph, namely thirty years. And why did Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, practise such obedience? 1. That through His perfect obedience He might make satisfaction for the disobedience of sinful man. 2. In order to give a great example of obedience to all children and inferiors.
Piety. The example of Jesus, who went to the Feast at Jerusalem and remained for three days in the Temple, shows us that we ought to like to be in the house of God, to listen attentively to His word and the expounding of it, to busy ourselves with the things of God and to avoid all distractions.
Industry. Jesus worked, and has thereby made work holy, and taught us to work willingly, each one at his own business, and to be ashamed of no kind of labour. Industry is a virtue, and sloth one of the deadly sins.
Growth in holiness. Finally, Jesus, by His hidden life at Nazareth, teaches us that, as we advance in years, so also ought we to advance in wisdom and grace with God and man. We grow in wisdom if we get to know God and His holy will better, by means of religious instruction, sermons and spiritual reading. We grow in grace or favour with God by good works, and especially by prayer and a worthy reception of the holy Sacraments. Grace or favour with men we gain by brotherly love, friendliness, gentleness and unselfishness.
Zeal for God’s Glory. Mary and Joseph went every year to the Temple at Jerusalem. Mary was not bound to do so, but she did it, because it was a work pleasing to God. The example of Mary and Joseph ought to teach us to be obedient to the law of God and zealous for His glory. God still imposes commands on us through His holy Church—to hear Mass on Sundays and Holydays &c. &c.
The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph) in the house at Nazareth is a model held up for the imitation of all families. Love, unity and peace reigned there; no sound of discord, no evil word could be heard. The days passed by in work and prayer, and while the members of this Holy Family were occupied with their labour, they raised their hearts to God. Towards their neighbours they were modest, friendly and helpful, taking every opportunity of doing good to others.
The loss of Jesus. Mary lost Jesus through no fault of her own; but with what sorrow she sought Him, with what joy she found Him!
— XI. JOHN THE BAPTIST, THE PRECURSOR OF CHRIST.
We lose Jesus through our own fault when we separate ourselves from Him by mortal sin. This is the greatest of all misfortunes, for he who has lost Jesus, has lost all, and can never be happy without Him. He to whom this misfortune has happened must seek Jesus with sorrow and tears of penance, and he will find Him again in the Temple (His Church), if he will reconcile himself to God by a good and contrite confession.
APPLICATION. Do you like going to the house of God? Have you never, of your own fault, neglected the services of God? And how do you behave in church when you are there, and how do you listen to the sermon?
As a Christian child you ought to follow the example of Jesus Christ. But how can you be a follower of Him, if you are not obedient to your parents and superiors? Obedience is for you the first and most necessary virtue; and if you will not obey those who stand to you in the place of God, you are not worthy of the name of Christian. How has it been with you hitherto in this respect? Have you always obeyed your parents and superiors both exactly and promptly? If on any future occasion you are told to do something which is distasteful to you, say to yourself: “Jesus, I will do this for love of Thee.”