S4, E12 - The Presentation in the Temple Decade Meditation

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. In this episode, listeners are invited to pray with their imaginations through a decade meditation on the account of the Presentation in the Temple from Luke 2: 22-24, 36-38. May we all be in Heaven together 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. In this episode, we will meditate on the Fourth Joyful mystery of the Rosary, the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, as we pray a decade of the Rosary. This meditation is inspired by the prophetess Anna, who encounters the infant Jesus in the temple and knows that she is in the presence of the Savior. Before we start, let's pause and reflect on what we're bringing to prayer. What are your joys in this moment? What sorrows are you feeling right now? Do you have any fears in this moment? What are you desiring? Whom do you wish to pray for? In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jesus, we ask you to speak directly into our circumstances. Mary, thank you for praying with us and for us now. Holy Spirit, please anoint the gift of our imagination so that we might come to encounter Jesus more deeply through it. The Fourth Joyful Mystery is the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. A reading from the Gospel of Luke. When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus 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. There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her 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 were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Anna had experienced heartbreak at the death of her husband. The life she had anticipated for herself had not unfolded as she expected. She had not envisioned being a widow after only seven years. Her grief and the pang of loneliness that came with it were so heavy. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. In her desperation for consolation, she could have turned to many things. She chose to turn to worship, fasting, and prayer. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, amen. Scripture tells us who Anna is in detail, who her father was, what tribe of Israel she was from. She was fully known, not forgotten. As Anna turned to God in desperation, God was already turned to Anna, eager to console her heart. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. As Anna poured out her heart to God, peace, hope, and perspective became the fruits of her prayer. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. Anna kept worshiping, kept fasting, kept praying, eager to receive more and more from God. Her prayer was the only place she felt truly consoled. It became her entire life. She gave her heart to God. God gave his heart to her. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. One day, as she was worshiping, a young couple came into the Temple carrying their infant son, ready to present him according to the custom of the Mosaic law. Although this was a sight she had witnessed multiple times a day for years, something was different about this family. The Holy Spirit stirred her heart. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. She witnessed Simeon's proclamation over the boy. My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. His words affirmed what her heart already knew. She was in the presence of the long awaited Savior. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. In that moment, Anna was utterly humbled by the Father's love for her. Already she had been deeply consoled in prayer. It would have been enough, but God wanted to give her even more. The Father orchestrated that Anna should be in the physical presence of the one who would bring salvation to all. Oh how the Father loved her. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, amen. Anna's heart, which had known deep sorrow, now experienced inexpressible joy. She bubbled over with thanksgiving to God and could not help but speak of him to all who were looking for consolation and redemption. She met Jesus, and she received inexplicable freedom and knowing she was loved by God. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, amen. O God, you are a Promise Keeper. How long I have lived, -eighty four years. You have permitted me to see your Promise before my very eyes. You have been my companion all these years, and now you give me this great gift. Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere. I have seen redemption, I have seen life. Heed, O Israel, your redemption is at hand. The Father will heal you and bring you home. You are his, he claims you. Turn to him and be saved. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, amen. O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy, amen. Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O Clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Thank you, Holy Spirit. We promise to be praying for you. We ask you humbly to please pray for us. May we all be in heaven together one day. Praise be to God.