S4, E11 - The Presentation in the Temple Bible Study (Luke 2: 22-38)

The mission of the Ponder and Magnify Podcast is to seek an encounter with Jesus through praying the rosary, relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Mary. Join us as we dive into the Fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary! In this episode, Jess, John, and Fr. Hecktor discuss the account of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple from Luke 2: 22-38. May we all be in Heaven one day! Praise be to God!

Transcript

Jessica 0:04

Hello, and welcome to the Ponder and Magnify podcast, where our mission is to seek an encounter with Jesus through praying the rosary, relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Mary. I am so happy that you are here. Welcome everyone to this week's episode. We are going to be jumping into the Fourth Joyful Mystery, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. I'm joined again here by John and Father Hecktor, and we're looking forward to a beautiful conversation. Come, Holy Spirit. Father Hecktor, would you mind opening us up in prayer?

Fr. Hecktor 0:42

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. As we consider this evening the Presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple, we remember Lord Mary and Joseph presenting their firstborn to you, dedicating him to you. And we remember also, Lord, how you present our Lord Jesus Christ to all of us as Savior of the world, the one who gives us hope and light. And we thank you, Lord, for the wonderful hope that you give us amid any darkness in our lives. We ask you, Lord, always to guide us in all that we do in our contemplation of you and this mystery. Thank you, Lord, for bringing us together. We make these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Jessica 1:22

Thank you, Father. John, something you're thankful for.

John 1:29

I am feeling thankful for um. I don't know. I don't know if I have or Father Hecktor, do you have something you're thankful for that you could go first?

Fr. Hecktor 1:44

Sure.

Jessica 1:48

We're just an unthankful bunch.

John 1:51

We're just a bunch of grinches.

Fr. Hecktor 1:52

Very ungrateful tonight. Uh, I would say I'm certainly glad to be here. It's always nice to be here with you two, and I am grateful for that. I'm grateful I didn't get to see my parents last Sunday. I get to see them this Sunday, or looking forward to seeing them this Sunday. So I'm looking forward to that and grateful for that. Grateful for this weekend. We got a lot going on at the parish, and I'm always grateful for such an active parish. Exhausting sometimes, but it's it's a wonderful to be a part of such a exciting and faith-filled parish and again, active parish. Lots of things going on so a lot of good things to be thankful for. Jess, how about you?

Jessica 2:26

I am thankful for a reminder I had this week to slow down and that everything is gonna be okay. One of the most, well, I'll just say the most stressful part of my day is the morning trying to get everyone out the door, all four kids. And Wednesday, it was Mass, school mass day. I'm running late, and I'm stressed because Mass starts at eight. And our daughter is gonna be late, and I'm thinking, oh gosh, I'm gonna have to get everyone out of the car and walk her into Mass. And I roll up to St. Justin at 7:57, and Father Hecktor is crosses my path on the sidewalk. He pauses, he opens the door for our daughter, he takes the time to help her get her backpack out of the car, all as if this is no burden to him in the slightest. Even though we are now making him late. And I was just so thankful. I felt like it was God being like, okay, even the the priest is taking the time to slow down, and he's the one running the whole Mass. You can you can relax, it's okay, and it's just a good reminder to me to not get so caught up in so I'm thankful for that. And thank you, Father Hecktor, for being a good example.

Fr. Hecktor 3:48

You're welcome.

Jessica 3:49

Johnny. Hey, there we go. Johnny.

John 3:57

I'm feeling grateful for and thankful for our my work team, the people I get to work with. I feel like this week, but especially lately, um it's just been a really good good mix and match of people where I you know everyone compliments each other well and just everyone's been positive and and just working together, and that is kind of infectious. And I feel like it's even like spilled over into the like our patients that we get to see. And you know, if work can be fun, that's a pretty unique, unique thing, and uh that it makes a makes a huge difference.

Jessica 4:40

You do work with a good group of people, such a gift. All right, Father Hecktor, let's jump into the Scripture. Would you read it for us?

Fr. Hecktor 4:49

Absolutely. This is a reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke. 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 turtle doves, 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. 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 you yourself a sword will pierce, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phaniel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four, she never left the temple, but worshipped 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 are awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Jessica 6:58

John, after taking some time to pause the recording and pray, what is sticking out to you here?

John 7:06

So this one's kind of the I don't want to say like the toughest mystery for me. Not to talk smack on it, but I just feel like it doesn't have the same like punch of the other ones, you know. You have the Annunciation, like the Nativity, like these like huge events, and I don't know, this one just seems more more subtle. So it's it's kind of harder for me to take something away from it at first. But was really just kind of rereading and kind of honing in on Simeon's reaction to seeing Jesus in the temple and uh just the the conviction that he has and the almost like like yeah, I can die a happy man now, like because I know I've seen it, and just that kind of that confirmation that he's a model and example and that I want to have that same conviction after communion or you know things like that. I just kind of admire his peace that comes about him just from from seeing from seeing Jesus in the temple. Although it's I picture Mary and Joseph also being like, all right, get this guy away from my kid so it's uh I don't know, I'd be as as a parent, I would be like, okay, guy, step, step away.

Fr. Hecktor 8:23

Put it very nicely. Yeah, they were amazed. Yeah.

John 8:27

But yeah, those were those were kind of my takeaways.

Fr. Hecktor 8:29

You gave me something really good to think about. Simeon seeing Jesus Christ, now he could go in peace. And then you talked about receiving communion. Why the heck? Yeah, why it never occurred to me. Why can't I, okay, I've just received Jesus Christ. I've seen him, I've received him into myself. Now I can go about my day in peace too, right? No matter what you know big challenges lie ahead of me or whatever I'm afraid of. Wow, that that's something for me to really consider. Thanks for that. I'm glad you said that. That that is really good to think after receiving Christ. Now I can go in peace too. I'll consider that more now at Mass, yeah.

Jessica 9:03

I thought the same thing. That was very wise, John. I also like too, like he took him into his arms, even more so like with the Eucharist. Like we take Jesus in into our hands, into our bodies. Like, of course, that that feels real. So much wisdom, John.

John 9:21

I feel like I did good on a test. I don't know.

Jessica 9:26

A plus.

John 9:33

Well, Jess, anything stick out to you?

Jessica 9:36

That line actually is what stood out to me um in a different way, though. Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation. The first thing that occurred to me is just I've been thinking a lot about like titles of Jesus and titles of Mary. It makes sense to me that when Jesus is proclaimed publicly for the first time, that Simeon's words that are Holy Spirit inspired, we know from earlier in the passage, like I have seen your salvation, like naming Jesus like your salvation. And I just I like imagining Jesus delighting the most in being referred to as savior because even his name, like in Hebrew, Father Hecktor, jump in if it's not correct, Yeshua, meaning God saves. He is named for his mission. I mean, it's just I like imagining his delight in being called Savior and being accepted as Savior. So that stuck out to me first. The other thing that just stuck out to me, that line is it's giving a real truth about the source of peace, is just taking the time to contemplate salvation. That has been something I've been trying to do in prayer more is going to prayer to just contemplate my own salvation and the salvation of those I love and all of those souls everywhere. But in particular, too, in challenging situations, like a fractured relationship, being able to imagine in heaven with both people or whoever in the light of the Lord, seeing clearly, agreeing upon the truth and being able to reconcile. Like that view of salvation gives such peace in a situation like that. Or I think about like John, our miscarriage that we had, and just like imagining heaven and our whole family like finally being together, like knowing our family will never be fully complete while here on earth, and just having that really instill in me a deeper longing for my salvation and the salvation of our family. And I think too, we have um a daughter who has a chronic illness and has to wear monitors on her body to keep everything in check. And there was one time in particular where I was just feeling a real tenderness of heart and prayer over this, and I just felt like I got an image of her being in heaven. Um, and Mary and Jesus just like taking those off of her, those monitors and being like, you don't need this anymore, you're healed. Um, and just I don't know. I feel like taking the time to contemplate our salvation in the midst of our suffering is just really a true, a true avenue to peace. So I'm thankful for Simeon's words there. Father Hecktor, how about you?

Fr. Hecktor 12:35

Yeah, you you kind of touched on what I was thinking, uh, contradiction. You know, this is a sign that we'll be contradicted. You talk about uh the suffering that we have here on earth, yet at the same time as Christians, we're called to uh have have the peace of Christ and trust and hope for something better to come. Uh so we have these two things going on at once in our lives. Jesus, the the future contradiction of the cross, the the glory and might of God would be crucified on a cross, a dark, gloomy Friday, and would die on a cross. Uh, you know, what a what a terrible contradiction. But here in this moment, the the contradiction I always it always stands out to me is Simeon holding up Jesus and saying these amazing things, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, a glory for your people Israel. Here's this little baby who's going to be the savior of the world. He's going to be this light, this glory for all peoples. And Mary and Joseph, they are amazed at this, as it says. And how uplifting that must have been to hear all these amazing things said about their child. But then, at the same a few sentences later, he turns to Mary and says, you know, you yourself a sword will pierce. You know, you're you're you're at the height of joy and peace right now with this child, but a sword will pierce your heart later. You know, I can't imagine, yeah, as parents, or especially a mother, seeing their child suffer, and for Mary, for that to happen to Mary, and for him to foresee that, for Simeon to foresee that, what a what a what a contradiction, what a emotional swing there that she has to deal with. Perhaps preparing her for all the challenges that that she was about to undergo in uh being the mother of God. But that always stands out to me and reminds me of, you know, there's there's really good days in our lives and everything seems like it's great, and then there's other challenging days when just nothing is going right and that there seems to be no hope some days. Yet even on those days, we are called as Christians to trust in Jesus Christ, who is with us, that he is our salvation, he is a light in my life, in my darkness. He proclaims this glory, he is this glory to all of us, and we're called to remember that even in the depths of our sadness and darkness sometimes.

Jessica 14:51

I think about my own personality too. And I think Mary being told a sword will pierce your heart. I wonder how many times she was like, oh, is this my heart being pierced? Like, oh, we have to flee to Egypt. This is for sure the piercing. Oh, wait, where's Jesus? You know, we've left Jerusalem. Where is he? Like, oh, for sure this is the sword. How many times was she like, oh, thank goodness I have that behind me? And that I don't know. It's just yeah, kind of crazy. And I love just imagining her like holding trust as well in all of those moments. It comes back to the question too, John, that I feel like you've been raising all season long when these episodes of just we are all called to suffering in a way. And that's just like very mysterious. I feel like, I don't know. And especially like Mary, you know, you said who you would think the red carpet would be rolled out for. Like even Mary, who's so who we know is so beloved by God, experiences suffering. So we know when we experience suffering, it's not of a lack of love from the Father. It's just it's part of all of our existence.

Fr. Hecktor 15:59

I do think of sleep sometimes when I hear this canticle of Simeon... now you let your servant go in peace. This is what we pray in the liturgy of hours at night, at night prayer, you know, just before bed. And so here, Lord, you let me go in peace now. I can go to bed and go in my nice, comfortable bed and go to sleep. And hear Simeon, he's about to die. He can let you go in peace. What faith and trust that he had that, you know, he's seen the savior and now he's ready to go. Pretty amazing faith and trust.

Jessica 16:26

John and I have some good friends in the Carmelite sisters here in St. Louis. And one of them, at one point, um, a sister was dying, and another another sister was talking to me about how much she was so consoled, and just saying, We've been praying every single night together for forever, those words, like now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace according to your word. My eyes have seen your salvation. And that she was like, I have no fear or no doubt that we will be together again. And just the beauty of like having that scripture on your heart over and over and over again, just what a difference that can make. That was a true witness for me.

Fr. Hecktor 17:08

Yeah, good, virtuous life and a wonderful faith and hope in in in our Lord. Yeah, that's amazing.

Jessica 17:12

Uh-huh. And that that isn't just reserved for those who are called in religious life. I mean, that's an invitation for all of us.

Fr. Hecktor 17:19

All of us, everyone.

Speaker 17:20

Yep. John, Father Hecktor. Anything left to say?

Fr. Hecktor 17:27

All good. Jessica, we have spoken, now you can let us go in peace.

Jessica 17:34

Oh, thank you. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the gift of the scripture, the gift of this conversation, the gift of being together in a mysterious way with all those who are listening. We promise to be praying for you. We ask you to please, please be praying for us. May we all be in heaven together one day. Praise be to God.