Candlemas and the Feast of the Presentation
UPDATE: I found this marvelous homily on the Presentation: HERE. I have to highly recommend this priest’s blog: Domine, da mihi hanc aquam.
On this day, we consider the Holy Family arriving at the Temple to present their first born child and give the proper sacrifice. We think about the Holy Virgin completing her 40 days with the sacred bath that the Jewish Law required so that she could return to Temple worship. We read the words of Simeon and Anna as they are influenced to speak to Mary and Joseph about the child Jesus. We marvel at the strangeness, to us, of the Jewish laws. And we enjoy exploring the traditions of our Faith such as Candlemas.
“There is just something about Mary.” We admire her dedicated motherhood and her steadfast following of her Son even to the foot of the cross. House Unseen, Life Unscripted blogged on Mary. I enjoyed it particularly because of the many responses which echoed my own response to our Lady. Then she added, on this feast day of the presentation of the child Jesus at the temple about her own 20 week ultrasound! How appropriate and delightful. And it all made me feel much better about my own upcoming c-section to think about her happy news and Mary bringing Jesus to the Temple and hearing how she too would suffer with him. Mary is a comfort.
Bishop Zubik
Bishop Zubik’s letter about President Obama saying, “Go to hell” to the Catholic Church. I was impressed that any of our Bishops wrote independently of the template used by the majority of the Bishops to speak more strongly against this violation of the first amendment. I admired his clarity on the seriousness of this threat. Unsurprisingly, he did get some criticism about what he said. I am delighted with this Bishop’s no holds barred responses to the violation of our First Amendment Rights by this current president’s health care policies.
Bishop Zubik’s follow up response to his letter about President Obama’s plans to violate the first amendment rights of Catholics (Full Text). His follow-up was even better. He took common objections and answered them one at a time with clarity and charity and no compromise. It is an example of a Bishop TEACHING!! Oh how it is a longing in the hearts of Catholics who have been struggling to live the teachings of the Church in the face of hostility in the culture and within the Church itself to those very teachings and to read this, a Bishop teaching, is so very very very welcome like rain on a parched garden.
Thank you Bishop Zubik and thank you Fr. Z for blogging on what this Bishop wrote so I could read it and be encouraged.
My prayers have been for all the Bishops. Tonight I add more prayers specifically for this courageous Bishop Zubik.