The Humble and Ordinary

Gospel: Luke 2: 22-40

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord completes the Christmas season and once again highlights the fundamental theme of the entire season.  God provides revelation to the humble and ordinary of this world, not the rich, powerful, or influential.  God comes to be among the ordinary folk here on earth, to pitch tent and eat at table with those who are the salt of the earth.

The Christmas season began with the angel appearing to Mary, a poor woman in Nazareth, an insignificant backwater town in Galilee.  Joseph her betrothed, a poor carpenter,  joins the scene.  Finding no shelter in Bethlehem, they find themselves in a manger visited by poor shepherds led to them by angels, then unnamed astrologers from the East who bring tribute.  Finally today we have Simeon and Anna, two pious folks of no title or rank who find themselves privileged to meet their humble Lord.  

Those of title and influence were in the story: Zechariah the high priest is offered a revelation that he refuses to believe.  Herod too is offered the opportunity to see the Lord, but he chooses to commit mass murder in an attempt to do away with him.  God's revelation is offered to all, but to receive and be changed by it we must be ordinary, humble, and lowly.  Only then can we move forward into the Gospel drama and be transformed by it.