The Light of Gentle Strength

Voice over by Carol San San Lwin

Mal 3:1-4, Psalm: 23, Heb 2:14-18, Lk 2:22-40

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Forty days after Christmas, the glow of the Nativity leads us, with Mary and Joseph, to the Temple. Today’s feast is a symphony of paradoxes: the All-Pure submits to a rite of purification; the Eternal High Priest is presented for consecration; the Light of the Nations is revealed in the arms of an old man, who immediately speaks of falling and rising, and of a sword. This is not a sweet epilogue to Christmas, but a profound revelation of Christ’s mission and of our own calling as His followers.

The prophet Malachi sets the stage: “Suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.” But He comes not first as a conquering king, but as a refiner’s fire, to purify. This purification finds its meaning in the Letter to the Hebrews. Christ shared our flesh and blood, becoming like us in all things but sin, “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death.” He is the merciful high priest who can help us, because He was tested through what He suffered.

Then, in the Temple, the prophecy is fulfilled. The Holy Spirit leads Simeon to recognize this infant as the “Christ of the Lord.” Taking the child in his arms, he sings the Nunc Dimittis: “My eyes have seen your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” This is the joyous moment: the long-awaited Light has dawned.

But Simeon’s prophecy immediately deepens. He turns to Mary: “Behold, this child is destined for the falling, and the rising of many in Israel… and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” The Light will reveal the thoughts of all hearts, and this revelation will bring opposition. The Presentation shows us that following the Light means embracing the pattern of His life: offering ourselves to God, which will inevitably involve purification and sacrifice.

This is our comfort and our strength. Christ did not remain distant from our condition. He entered it fully—submitting to the Law, embracing vulnerability, and walking the path of obedient suffering. Therefore, every offering we make—our work, our prayers, our sufferings—is taken up into His perfect self-offering to the Father. Our small candles, blessed today, symbolize this: our lives are called to be a humble reflection of His Light, a light that shines not in spite of sacrifice, but through it.

As Pope Benedict XVI reflected, “This is the mystery of the Presentation: the Son of God, who is the light of the world, enters his temple, inaugurating the final age of history.” We are that living temple now.

St. John Paul II named this the “Feast of the Encounter”—our encounter with Christ, which brings the joyful light of Simeon, but also calls us to the purification Malachi foretold.

Let us go forth from this feast, then, holding high the light of our faith. Let us present ourselves daily to the Lord, offering Him our joys and our sorrows, trusting that He who was presented for us will purify, strengthen, and use our humble offerings to bring His light to a waiting world. Amen.

May God bless you all!