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Jews praying at the surviving
Western Wall, surrounding the original destroyed temple
built by Herod the Great in the year 19 BC to replace the one destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army in 586 BC. It is often referred to as the Wailing Wall in lamentation for the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 AD after a rebellion. Notice the size of the large limestone blocks. It must have been a real feat, using primitive equipment to cut them and raise them to the 62 feet height of the wall (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall).
The Presentation. When
eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name
given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the days were completed for their
purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to
present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be
consecrated to the Lord," and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair
of turtledoves or two young pigeons," in accordance with the dictate in
the law of the Lord. Now there was a man
in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
We should likewise consecrate our children and our families to the God.
This man was righteous and
devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon
him. It had been revealed to him by the
Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the
Lord. He came in the Spirit into the
temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom
of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
"Now, Master, you may let your
servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your
salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for
revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel."
The child's father and mother were
amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his
mother, "Behold, this child is
destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be
contradicted. And your own soul a sword
will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Some marianologists refer to this prophesy as
a second annunciation.
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a
widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night
and day with fasting and prayer. And
coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the
child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem
(Luke 2:21-38).
The
Seven Sorrows of Mary are sometimes pictured as seven swords piercing her
heart in reflection of Simeon’s prophecy.
They are: 1) The prophecy of
Simeon (Luke 2:25-35);
2)
The flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15);
3)
Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50);
4)
Mary meets Jesus on his way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31; John 19:17);
5)
Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (John 19:25-30);
6)
The body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross (Psalm 130; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37);
7)
The burial of Jesus (Isaiah 53:8; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:40-47).
It is speculated that Mary felt a great
pain in her heart at the moment that her son’s heart was pierced by the lance
of the centurion while His lifeless body was still nailed to the cross.
 Looking east from Jerusalem. The Magi probably came from an ancient civilization in what today is Jordan. Imagine the caravan of camels and the entourage of the Magi having to descend from the far hill and then climb the next hill up into Jerusalem.
The
Visit of the Magi.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of
King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We
saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly
troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling
all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where
the Messiah was to be born. They said to
him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the
prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of
Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall
come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the magi secretly and
ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."
Here Christ also identifies Himself with the gentiles, the affluent, and
the educated.
After their audience with the king
they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded
them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and
on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated
themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed
for their country by another way. The star was probably
a confluence of three planets.
The
star was probably a confluence of three planets. Other theories include a comet and a supernova.
The Slaughter of the Holy Innocents
and the Flight into Egypt. When
they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream
and said, "Rise, take the child and
his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to
search for the child to destroy him."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for
Egypt. He stayed there until the death
of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
"Out of Egypt I called my son."
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became
furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from
the Magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been
said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A
voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her
children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more."
Writing to the Jews, Matthew often refers to what was foretold in their scriptures.
Are we not slaughtering so many
innocents today with about a million abortions per year in the United States
alone?
The
Western Wall or Wailing Wall surrounding the destroyed temple.
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| A model of the original temple. |
The
Christ Child Lost in the Temple. When
they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned
to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of
God was upon him. Each year his parents
went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus
remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they
journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
Imagine the anxiety of Mary and Joseph
and the thoughts that must have entered their minds. What happened to the boy? Is He OK?
Will they ever see Him again? Have
we failed in our mission? Surely, they
prayed and trusted that God would work it out for the best in the long run and
indeed He did. May we do likewise during
the hard times in our lives.
After
three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening
to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his
understanding and his answers. When his
parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your
father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not
know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to
them.
The relief and
joy they felt made this the Fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. Apparently the twelve year old Christ child,
although the second person of the Holy Trinity, thought in his human nature with
the maturity of a boy that age.
He
went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his
mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man
(Luke 2:39-52).
There
is no other biblical record of the doings of the Holy Family. The story about the death of St. Joseph in
the arms of Mary and Jesus is tradition passed down. The German mystic, Anne Catherine Emmerich
(1774-1824), wrote a book in the 19th Century about her visions of the hidden
life of Christ and details of His public life.
See
Appendix
(50) Meditations For the Rosary I:
The 4th and 5th Joyful Mysteries, the Presentation and
the Finding of the Christ Child in the Temple.
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