As we place our emphasis on Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our Christian faith, perhaps it is easy for us to forget that Jesus was raised in a devout Jewish household. Mary and Joseph faithfully observed all of the prescribed rituals and obligations of their Jewish faith. Forty days after Jesus’ birth, the Holy Family made the journey to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the prescription of the Jewish law that obligated them to present Jesus to God. This law stated that “every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord." As prescribed by law, Mary and Joseph presented the sacrificial offering of two turtledoves.
Conscientiously and lovingly, Mary and Joseph observed the Jewish faith traditions of their ancestors, even though these traditions demanded considerable sacrifice of them to make the arduous journey to Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph taught Jesus well, as he carried out these Jewish faith traditions throughout his adult life and ministry, interpreting these traditions in the light of his identity as the Son of God.
We note that for the Holy Family and for Jesus, there is no contradiction between their commitment to the prescribed Jewish rituals and their personal spirituality and personal relationship with God. As integral members of the Jewish faith community, the faith of Mary and Joseph was grounded in the ritual traditions of the Jewish people, rituals that sustained the community for generations. These same rituals sustained the Holy Family as they passed on their Jewish faith to Jesus.
In our society, people often see a tension between being religious in a ritualistic sense and being spiritual, in devoting ourselves to the pious practices of our faith and obeying the laws of God in practicing social justice and in reaching out to our neighbor, to the poor, to the oppressed. May we follow the example of the Holy Family that we celebrate today on the feast of the presentation of the Lord. May we have a balance faith that follows all of God’s laws and commandments in the reality of our lives.
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