The fortieth day having arrived, as prescribed by the law, the Blessed Mother, with the Child Jesus and S. Joseph, went from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, a distance of five or six miles, in order to present the Child to the Lord, according to the law.1 Go thou with them, and in spirit help to carry the Child ; be present and regard attentively everything that takes place — every word and act, for it is a mystery of sublime devotion. They bring, then, the Lord of the Temple to the Temple of the Lord.2 When they entered the Temple court, they bought a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons to offer for Him, the customary offering for the poor. But as they were very poor, it is more likely that the pigeons were their only offering, being of less price than the doves, and therefore mentioned last in the law, and the Evangelist makes no mention of the lamb, which was the offering of the rich. And behold, just Simeon came into the Temple by the Spirit, that, according to a promise he had received, he might see the Lord’s Christ Wherefore he came with haste into the Temple to see Him, and he knew Him by the spirit of prophecy which was in Him, and at once fell down before Him, and adored Him in His mother’s arms. The Infant it may be blessed him, and made gestures, implying that He desired to go to him; which, when His mother knew, though full of wonder, she delivered Him to Simeon. But he joyfully and reverently took Him up in his arms, and arose and blessed God, saying, “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,” etc.3 He also prophesied concerning His Passion. And Anna, a prophetess, likewise came in at that instant, and, worshipping Him, spoke many things of Him. But Mary, wondering at these things, hid them all in her heart. Then the Child Jesus, stretching forth His hands, returned to His mother. After this, they go to the altar, making a procession, a commemoration of which is made in the Church on this day throughout the world. Those two venerable old men, Joseph and Simeon, led the way, hand in hand, singing, in a transport of joy, the Psalms, “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endureth for ever. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works. For this God is our God for ever and ever. We wait for Thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Thy Temple.”4 They were followed by the royal mother, bearing Jesus in her arms, Anna accompanying her by her side — she filled with reverent joy, and pouring forth praises to the Lord beyond expression. Here the procession ended ; but few formed it, but those few embrace all, for human life in all its phases is represented by them. Here are male and female, old men and young, virgins and widows. And when they had reached the altar, the mother knelt reverently, and offered her dearest Son to His Father, saying, “Receive, O most glorious Father, Thy only-begotten Son, Whom, according to the commandment of Thy law, I offer to You, because He is the first-born of His mother. But I beseech Thee, O Father, to restore Him to me again.” Then rising, she laid Him upon the altar.
O God ! what an offering is this ; never had such been made from the beginning of time, nor ever shall be again. Consider every circumstance carefully. The Boy Jesus is placed upon and remains on the altar, as any other little child, and regards His mother and those around Him with a steady gaze, humbly and patiently awaiting what further had to be done. The priests are then introduced into the Temple, and the Lord of all things is redeemed like a slave for five shekels — the usual sum, the shekel being a small coin. When Joseph had paid this to the priest, the mother joyfully received back her Son. Then Joseph gave her the aforesaid birds, that she might present them; and she, kneeling down, and holding them in her hands, raised her eyes towards heaven and offered them, saying, “Receive, O most merciful Father, this oblation, this small gift, the first which Thy Child to-day presents unto Thee, of His extreme poverty.” Then the Child Jesus we may think of as stretching forth His hands towards the birds, and raising His eyes towards heaven ; and though He did not speak, yet by His gestures seeming to unite with His mother in offering them, and so they placed them on the altar.
You have seen, then, the dignity of those who make this offering, namely, the mother and the Son. Could, then, such an offering, although small, be rejected ? God forbid • but rather may we imagine that it was borne up to the highest heaven by the hands of angels, and there presented, and graciously accepted, amid the joyful acclamations of the Heavenly Court.
After this, the holy Virgin departed from Jerusalem, and paid a visit at the house of Elizabeth, as she desired to see John before she left those parts. Go again in spirit with her, and assist her in carrying the Blessed Child. When she had come to the house of Elizabeth, they had great joy in meeting each other, and especially in beholding the boys. And the children rejoiced together; and John, as if conscious of the dignity of Jesus, behaved with becoming reverence. You, too, receive John with respect (for he is great in the sight of the Lord), that you may perchance gain some blessing. And when they had remained some days, they departed, and journeyed towards Nazareth. And here, would you learn from all that has been said, the lesson of lowliness and poverty, you can easily do so by dwelling upon the offering, the redemption of the Child, and this strict observance of the laws.
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