Bible Study, Prayer, and Homily Resources
by Fr. Tommy Lane
Forty days after the birth of a Jewish baby, the mother offered a sacrifice to God. Mary had given birth to the Savior of the world and did not need to offer a sacrifice, but in humility she and Joseph complied with the Jewish law.
Luke tells us Mary and Joseph offered a pair of birds in sacrifice. This shows that Mary and Joseph did not have much money; they were relatively poor because if a couple could afford it, instead of offering two birds, they would offer one lamb and one bird in sacrifice. So Mary and Joseph could not afford to offer the sacrifice of the well-off.
For the Jewish people, the firstborn son belonged to God and had to be, so to speak, bought back from God by giving a contribution of money, five shekels. Luke does not mention Mary and Joseph paying this offering of five shekels, which suggests that they did not pay the five shekels to buy back Jesus from God the Father. They gave Jesus over completely to God when they presented him in the temple. That is also suggested in the way Luke wrote his Greek. When we read that Mary and Joseph went “to present him to the Lord,” Luke very cleverly wrote his Greek in such a way that it could also mean Mary and Joseph went to offer Jesus in sacrifice to God, in the sense of giving him over completely to God, acknowledging that Jesus was entirely belonging to God the Father. That helps us understand later when Mary and Joseph could not find Jesus, why he said, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49)
When Jesus was presented in the temple, Simeon described Jesus as light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for his people Israel (Luke 2:32). Simeon was saying Jesus was for all people: anyone who is not a Jew is a Gentile and Simeon said Jesus was light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for his people Israel. Describing Jesus as light means that when we are in darkness, Jesus is the one to whom we should go. Jesus is the one to brighten our lives. Jesus is the one to enlighten us. Since candles give light, around the year 380 a blessing of candles was added to Masses celebrated in Jerusalem every year on February 2, the fortieth day after Christmas (we know from the pilgrimage diary of a lady named Egeria), and from there it spread to Rome and from there it spread throughout the world. So, as the candles were blessed today that you will use in your homes during the year ahead, it reminds us that Jesus is our light. When we are in darkness, Jesus is the one to whom we should go. Jesus is the one to brighten our lives. Jesus is the one to enlighten us.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2025
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for February 2: The Presentation of Our Lord
Meeting Jesus like Simeon and Anna 2020
Jesus the fulfillment of Simeon’s and Israel’s hopes 2016
The Presentation of Jesus in the temple: new priesthood and pure sacrifice 2010
Related Homilies: Handing Jesus over to the Father in the temple 2023