"Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel."-Lk 2: 29-32
God is good, all the time.
Friends: Two epochal, milestone events occurred shortly after Jesus’ birth to set the stage for the worldwide recognition of his messiahship: his presentation in the temple and the magi's visit.
Today's gospel is about the presentation. It was essential that all the prophecies that set Jesus apart as the Messiah be fulfilled. One of them was Malachi's monumental declaration, "Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty" (3:1).
Simeon and Anna, the two elderly Jews who happened to visit the temple at the time of the presentation, would represent the Jews to welcome and receive the Messiah. Their visit to the temple at that favorable time was “holy coincidence,” something ordained to be.
The Magi's visit that would follow immediately becomes the Gentiles' time to welcome and receive the Messiah. Therefore, we know that God gave us Christ to redeem and redirect humanity's lost course back to God, just as we know “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
We must follow the new path chosen for us by Christ. Towards such end, St. John logical presentation of what it means to follow Christ's way to the Father can't be clear and challenging enough: "Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." "This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked." "Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall."
Our knowledge of Christ must not be intellectual nor be based on mere faith and conviction in our heart but demonstrably sincere love for people without exception, just as Christ did to give us an example to emulate.