Daily Catholic Lectio
Mon, 2 February ‘26
Presentation of the Lord, Feast
Mal 3:1-4. Heb 2:14-18. Lk 2:22-40
Presenting to the Lord
Today, with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Christmas season comes to its quiet and profound conclusion. Forty days after his birth, Mary and Joseph bring the child Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. What appears to be a simple act of obedience to the Law is, in fact, a moment filled with deep meaning for the whole mystery of salvation.
Saint Luke uses a striking Greek word to describe this act: parastēsai, which means to offer, to place before God as a sacrifice. This is not just a ritual presentation; it is an offering. What is truly offered is no longer kept back. What is sacrificed cannot be retrieved. Already, at the very beginning of his life, Jesus is placed entirely in the hands of the Father.
This moment in the Temple foreshadows his final offering in the same city of Jerusalem, on Mount Calvary. The child who is offered today will one day offer himself freely on the cross. His whole life is one continuous movement of self-giving.
This is why today’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews is so significant. It tells us that Jesus “had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.” In the Old Testament, there was always a distance between the priest and the sacrifice. But in Jesus, there is no gap. He is both the priest and the victim, the one who offers and the one who is offered. His sacrifice is total, personal, and loving.
Saint Paul uses the same word, parastēsai, in Romans 12:1 when he exhorts the community: “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” The Presentation of Jesus, then, is not only about him; it is also about us. What happens in the Temple invites every disciple to a life of self-offering.
This is beautifully expressed in today’s liturgy through the lighted candles we carry. A candle gives light only by consuming itself. As it burns, it melts away. In the same way, Jesus’ life becomes light for the world through his self-giving. And we are reminded that our Christian vocation is not to preserve ourselves at all costs, but to give ourselves—our thoughts, words, actions, and time—to God and to others.
The prophet Malachi calls the Messiah the “messenger of the covenant.” In the Temple, the child Jesus becomes the living bridge between generations: between Joseph and Mary, and Simeon and Anna; between the old Israel of promise and the new Israel of fulfilment. In him, God connects past and future, hope and fulfilment.
A special word is spoken to Mary through Simeon—a word that points toward suffering and a sword that will pierce her heart. Mary responds with silence. This silence is not weakness; it is faith. At this moment, Mary begins to let go of her physical hold on Jesus in order to enter a deeper, spiritual relationship with him. She learns that loving her Son will mean accompanying him all the way to Calvary.
From today’s feast, three clear lessons emerge for us:
(a) We are called to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice—surrendering our thoughts, words, and deeds to God each day.
(b) We are called to be messengers of the covenant, building bridges of faith, reconciliation, and hope in our families and communities.
(c) We are invited to remain silent before the mysteries of life, trusting God when we do not fully understand his ways, as Mary did.
Today is also the Day of Consecrated Life. We thank God for men and women religious who have chosen to live this offering in a radical and visible way, presenting their entire lives to the Lord for the sake of the Church and the world.
As the psalm invites us: “Lift up your heads, O gates!” Let us lift up the doors of our hearts and allow the Lord to enter. Even today, he continues to offer himself through us—if only we are willing to be presented to the Lord.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
Leave a comment