Homily (Reflection) for the Memorial
of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, (21st November, 2017)
on the Gospel and the Memorial
(Tuesday of the Thirty-Third Week in
Ordinary Time (I))
2Macc 6:18-31;
Ps 3:2-7. (R.v.6);Lk 19:1-10.
Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the
sixth century. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does
appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast for some time
disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the
universal Church. As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the
temple only in apocryphal literature. What is recognized as an unhistorical
account, the Protoevangelium of James
tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was 3
years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still
childless.[1]
Topic: Still God’s creature.
In yesterday’s gospel, we saw Jesus on His way to Jericho. And
today while passing through Jericho, Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, a rich but
short man could not see Him on account of the crowd. He ran ahead and climbed a
sycamore tree beside the road Jesus was to pass. When Jesus reached there, He called
him by name and asked him to come down and welcome Him as his guest. People
grumbled because he was a known sinner. Zacchaeus vowed to give half of his
possessions to the poor and to repay everyone he had defrauded four times. Jesus
said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son
of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Zacchaeus had been earmarked by the people for Hell. In the
Jewish culture, such persons have no room for repentance. However, even the
worst sinner still retains God’s trademark (God’s creature). Hence, Jesus even
addressed him by his personal name. And God is still interested in the
salvation of all even those who have lost the hope of being saved.
The memorial of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
ought to reawaken in us the necessity to offer ourselves entirely to God. Our
lives ought to be in line with Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, “If we live,
we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we
live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom 14:8).
Dear friends, what is still holding you down? Jesus is
calling you today as He called Zacchaeus. Follow the example of Zacchaeus who
admitted that he was a sinner. Jesus loves all His children, cf. Jn 13:1. Zacchaeus confessed by telling
Jesus the things he was to do to make his path straight. You are required to do
restitution.
Bible Reading: Ps 51.
Thought for today: God is still waiting for you.
Let us pray: Lord, give us the strength not just
to leave our old ways but also to make amends – Amen.
Blessed Virgin Mary – Pray for us.
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with others if you consider it worthy.
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