Celebrating the Presentation of the Lord to the temple

On Friday, February 2nd, 2024, in Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a Mass at the Pro-Cathedral, in celebration of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord to the Temple, which is also considered the Day of the Consecrated. Concelebrating were several Bishops and Priests; in the presence of various religious orders and the consecrated in the Holy Land.

Forty days after the birth of the Divine Child... Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary went to Jerusalem and presented the Divine Child to the temple, as a sign of his consecration to God, and per what the law commanded, as well as offered a pair of doves or two pigeons. The Church has been celebrating this feast since the early days, as an invitation for Monks and those who consecrated their lives to the Lord, to recommit their lives in resemblance to the Divine child, Jesus Christ, vowing to remain virgins, in anticipation of the Coming Kingdom of God, here on Earth (Matthew 19: 12; Matthew 22: 30).

H.B Card. Pizzaballa, blessed the candles at the beginning of  the Liturgy, resembling the coming of  the long-awaited Christ among his people, as stated by Simon the Elder: “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Luke 2:32)

In his homily, Card. Pizzaballa, thanked all the consecrated men and women for their presence in the Holy Land and their important role and service to the life of the Mother Church. He pointed out: "We, the religious should be able....to see the Light, which illuminates every human being living here, to be able to see the redemption of Jerusalem, our beautiful and tormented Jerusalem. So let us not be stopped by the pain, the sword, which pierces us, and the many contradictions, which afflict us. Our bending of knees in prayer and adoration; Our Humble service to the poverty of the people; your willing heart to heal the wounds and pain of the poor; Our willingness to stand by and support the young people who grow and study with us, is but a way of bringing into the lives of those people the Eternity that dwells within...in the sea of hatred that has invaded us, may your lives be a testimony of a love that has been fulfilled; of patient care; of oil poured on the many wounds of this time and these peoples. In other words, may your testimony be a witness of consolation and salvation".

In the end, Sr. Greta of the Rosary Sisters offered a word of gratitude to His Beatitude and then called out all the celebrants of the Jubilee of consecration to recommit their lives, and they are: 

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