THE WORD AND THE FEAST
February 2, 2026 - The Feast of the Presentation of the LordMalachi 3: 1-4; Luke 2: 22-40
The readings of today were offered for our reflection only recently, on the 8th day after Christmas. They are given once more today, but they open a whole new perspective today with all that surrounds it liturgically! Today is also the 30th World day of Consecrated life - a message for which from Pope Leo: Consecrated Persons : Prophetic witnesses of peace in a Wounded world.
Keeping all of these in perspective, we have one lovely challenge posed: the Challenge of Total Offering to the Lord. Not just persons in Consecrated Life, but every one of us is called to offer ourselves totally to God and that alone can give us true meaning, happiness and above all true peace in life and to the world.
From the readings of today, we can pick up three signs of our total offering to the Lord:
Familiarity: As the Holy Family which enters the Temple with that ease and eagerness to perform their spiritual duty, so are we called to remain always familiar with the Lord.
Flexibility: Performing the duty was not merely a ritual, even for us it shouldn't be so! We are called to be pliable in the hands of God, as malleable as the silver and gold in the hands of the smith, so that we can become what the Lord wants us to.
Filiality: It is towards filiality that we are ultimately invited, as the Word reminds us repeatedly. This filiality inspired and enthused Jesus to belong to God totally and we are called to imitate the same self-giving!
Let us grow more and more, familiar, flexible and filial - that we could become true testimonies and instruments of peace to this wounded world.