“For our sake He was presented to the Lord that we may learn to offer ourselves to the
Lord” St. Thomas Aquinas derived this explanation of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple
from St. Athanasius (On Luke 2, 2:23) (3a. 37, 3). 1
According to Thomas Aquinas this presentation was of particular importance, “a certain
consecration of the child, because the child was then presented in the Temple for the
first time” (3a. 37, 3).
Baptisms of babies are very important and happy occasions for families because the
future of the child is completely in God’s hands. They pray to God to bless the child’s
life.
In the Jewish tradition, the presentation of the first-born reflected God’s sparing the first-
borns of the Hebrew children: “[This] was a special precept in the law … for the Lord
claimed for himself all the first-born in Israel… the first-born of Israel being saved… the
law is laid down … Here also was Christ foreshadowed, who is the first-born among
many brethren (Rom 8:29) (3a. 37, 3).
Mary and Joseph offered two turtle doves, the sacrifice of the poor. Thomas reflects
“Jesus identified himself with the poor: He wished the poor man’s victim to be offered for
him just as in his birth he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger” (3a.
37, 3, ad 4).
Jesus’ poverty was for us, as Thomas recalls the words of Second Corinthians: “The
Lord, who ‘being rich, became poor for our sakes, that through his poverty you may be
rich … For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, he
became poor for your sakes, so that through his poverty, you might become rich’” (2 Cor
8:9) (3a. 37, 3, ad 4).
Thomas wonders why Mary was purified when she was pure already: “As the fullness of
grace flowed from Christ to His Mother, so it was becoming that the mother should be
like her Son in humility: for God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6) (3a. 37, 4).
First Reading: Malachi 3:1-3
The first reading applies God’s words to Malachi to Jesus’ entrance into the Temple:
Thus says the Lord God:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
1 In Thomas’ Summa Theologiae, the reference gives the part of the Summa, in this case, the
third part, then the question, in this case the third question, followed by the article, in this case, the third or
fourth article. If he is responding to an objection, the Latin word ad (to) indicates which objection.
the Lord whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
Jesus is offered to the Father, he is also God’s messenger coming into his own
house.
At the temple, the Holy Family encounter Simeon. Simeon is not a priest, but is
“just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the holy Spirit was upon him”
(Lk 2:25).
Simeon prophesies to Mary: “This child is set for the rise and fall of many in
Israel and will be a sign that will be opposed” (Lk 2:34). He confides to Mary, “A sword
shall pierce through your own soul that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed”
(Lk 2:35).
In the context of Mary’s and Joseph’s presentation of Jesus in the temple,
Simeon may be speaking of Jesus’ rejection and death. Curiously, Simeon doesn’t
mention Joseph.
Whatever affects a child affects his/her mother. The rejection that Jesus received
would have affected Mary. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people would not
receive him. Her “soul” was affected by the rejection of the neighbors, relatives and
religious leaders.
Pope Saint John Paul II described Simeon’s words as a “second Annunciation”
through which Mary begins to realize that Jesus’ mission will be accomplished in
“misunderstanding and sorrow.” She will live “her obedience of faith in suffering.”
(Mother of the Redeemer, 16).
Thomas Aquinas’ Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews (2:14-18)
Thomas focuses on Jesus’ sharing humanity (flesh and blood) with us:
“It was fitting that He be like them, not only because He confers on them a participation
in the divine nature, which is from grace, but also because He assumed their nature.
Hence, he says, therefore, because the children share in flesh and blood, he himself
likewise partook of the same nature.” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 137)
Jesus took a real human nature: “He is partaker of flesh and blood: for it was not
imaginary flesh … But true flesh and blood, such as children have, were assumed into
the unity of the person” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 138)
Jesus did not share in sin but he did share in our suffering: “That Christ is a partaker of
flesh and blood is not to be understood as referring to the vices of flesh and blood,
because He did not take on sin or commit any … He assumed flesh and soul. It also
included the possibility of suffering, because He assumed our nature capable of
suffering … Christ has a nature capable of suffering, Christ Himself partook of the same,
i.e., of flesh and blood: ‘The Word was made flesh’ (Jn. 1:14)” (Commentary on the
Letter to the Hebrews, 140).
Hebrews states: “Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy
the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil” Thomas comments: “He
assumed a nature in which He could suffer and die, which he could not do in the divine
nature, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, i.e., the
devil” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 141).
By sin, we become servants of the devil but Christ overcame the devil: “‘The Lion of the
tribe of Judah has prevailed’ (Rev. 5:5). But man by sin was the servant of the devil:
‘Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin’ (Jn. 8:34); consequently, humans were
subject to the devil and liable to sin. Therefore, when the cause of servitude was taken
away, man was set free by Christ” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 142)
Jesus, being human and divine, underwent death in his human nature: “Therefore, it
was necessary that the one who satisfied be man and God, Who alone has power over
the whole human race. By the death of God and man, therefore, He destroyed him who
had the empire of death” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 143).
Jesus’ death broke the fear of death: “A man is a servant of sin to the extent that he is
induced to sin. But the most effective inducements to sin are the love of transitory goods
and the fear of present punishments. But these two amount to the same thing, because
the more a person loves something, the more he fears its evil contrary. Fear makes
cowards of us all. Hence, if a man overcomes his fears, he overcomes everything; and
when fear is overcome, all disordered love of the world is overcome. Thus, Christ by His
death broke this fear, because He removed the fear of death, and, consequently the
love of the present life. For when a person considers that the Son of God, the Lord of
death, willed to die, he no longer fears death. … after Christ’s death the Apostle
expresses a desire to be dissolved and be with Christ: Hence, we are told: ‘Fear not
them that kill the body’ (Mt. 10:28). He says, therefore, and deliver all those who
through the fear of death were subject to lifelong service, namely, the servitude of sin”
(Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 144).
Jesus brings the opposite of the Law: “Now the difference between the Old and the New
Law is fear and love. In the New there is love: ‘If you love me, keep my commandments’
(Jn. 14:15). But the Old was the law of fear: ‘You have not received the spirit of
servitude again in fear’ (Rom. 8:15)” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 145).
Our bodily difficulties strengthen our faith and hope: “If he had freed us from bodily
death, men would serve Christ only for their bodily good, and then the merit of faith and
hope would be destroyed. Furthermore, bodily evils enable us to merit eternal life:
‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God’ (Ac. 14:21).
(Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 146)
Jesus’ death helps us accept death: “It should be noted that He freed us from the fear of
death … Christ is risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep’ (1 Cor. 15:20);
secondly … He made us more ready to undergo death for Christ: ‘Christ suffered for us,
leaving you an example’ (1 Pt. 2:2) … ‘Having a desire to be dissolved and to be with
Christ, which is much better’ (Phil. 1:23). (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews,
146)
Jesus with his divine and human nature is with the Father: “This taking hold of human
nature unto the unity of the person of the Son of God exalts our nature beyond
measure. Hence, Chrysostom says: ‘It is a great and marvelous thing for our flesh to be
seated above and to be adorned by angels and archangels. As I turn this over in my
mind, I experience excessive joy, imagining great things about the human race.’
(Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 148)
Because humans are capable of knowing and loving, human nature could be assumed
by the Son of God: “A nature is assumable by the Son of God depending on its fitness
to be united to the person of the Word. But this fitness depends on the dignity, so that
the nature is assumable which is likely to attain to the Word Himself by knowing and
loving Him; and also depending on the need, in the sense that it is subject to a
reparable sin. But the first and second are found in human nature, which is capable of
knowing and loving God, and which has a reparable sin; consequently, it is assumable”
(Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 149).
In his human nature, Jesus could be tempted without sin and could suffer: “Therefore, it
behooved Him to have a nature that could suffer; hence ‘one tempted in all things as we
are, without sin’ (Heb. 4:15). Likewise, they are brethren as to grace: ‘Behold, what love
God showed to us: that we should be called and be sons of God (1 Jn. 3:1); ‘Those
whom be foreknew and predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son’ (Rom.
8:29)” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 150).
Jesus is our judge but He intercedes for us: “Christ as mediator has two functions: one
sets Him over the whole human race as judge: ‘He gave him power to do judgment,
because He is the Son of man’ (Jn. 5:27); the other is in relation to God, before Whom
He intercedes for us as our advocate. In a judge mercy is desired particularly by the
guilty; but in an advocate fidelity. Now both of these qualities were exhibited by Christ
during His Passion. Hence, in regard to the first, he says that by His Passion He was
made like unto his brethren, that he might become merciful.” (Commentary on the Letter
to the Hebrews, 152)
Jesus, the Son of God, was always merciful to us but especially in His Passion: “But
wasn’t He merciful from all eternity? It seems so, because ‘his mercies are above all his
works’ (Ps. 144:9). For mercy consists in having a heart grieved at another’s misfortune:
in one way, by merely recognizing the misfortune, which is the way God recognized our
wretchedness without suffering; in another way, by experiencing our misfortune, which
is how Christ experienced our misery, especially during the Passion. In addition, He is a
faithful advocate; hence, he is called a faithful high priest. ‘But Christ, being come a high
priest of the good things to come’ (Heb. 9:11); and it is required that He be faithful: ‘Here
now it is required among the dispensers that a man be found faithful’ (1 Cor. 4:2): and
all this that He might be a propitiation for the sins of the people, for whom He willed to
die” (Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 153).
Taking our humanity, He suffered and was tempted in order to be merciful to us: “Then
when he says, for in that wherein he himself has suffered and been tempted, he shows
its utility. As if to say: I do not speak of Christ as God, but as man. Therefore, in that,
i.e., in that nature which He assumed, in order to experience in Himself that our cause is
His own. Hence, he says, he suffered and was tempted; therefore, he is able to succor
them also that are tempted. Or, another way: He became merciful and faithful, because
in suffering and being tempted He has a kinship to mercy. He says, tempted, not by the
flesh but by the enemy: ‘Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the
devil’ (Mt. 4:1). For in Christ there was no rebellion of the lower powers against the
higher, but He suffered for us in the flesh: ‘Christ suffered for us, leaving you an
example that you should follow in his footsteps’ (1 Pt. 2:21); ‘Christ, therefore, having
suffered in the flesh, be you also armed with the same thought’ (1 Pt. 4:1)”
(Commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews, 154).
Denis Vincent Wiseman, O.P.