Readings for Sunday, February 2 — Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24:7-10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40

Suggested Reflection Questions:

• The prophet Malachi tells how the Lord will purify the people like a refiner purifies gold and silver. How is Jesus like a refiner? How does he purify his people?  What is the sacrifice for which they must be purified?
• Psalm 24 talks about the king of glory entering into the Temple. He enters the Temple as a victor who saves and protects his people. Like the psalmist we are called to ask ourselves, who is the king of glory? How is Jesus, brought as an infant in his mother’s arms, the king of glory? What is the significance of his entering the temple?
• Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple to present their son to God according to the custom of their people. It is Simeon and Anna, two elderly and devout members of the community of faith, who are able to recognize Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. What do these interactions between Simeon, Anna, and the infant Jesus demonstrate for us about the importance elderly members of our own faith communities?