Feast of the Presentation of the Lord– February 1-2, 2014
Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Chestnut Hill MA
Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J.
A number of years ago, I was involved in giving a retreat to students at BC
High. In one of the exercises, we asked students to describe their image of God.
Some students described God as a best friend, some described God as a teacher,
some thought that God was a judge. The image I liked best, and one that has stayed
with me over the years, is when one of the boys said, "God is a grandmother."
Clearly, this kid was the apple of his grandmother’s eye. When we asked him why
he came up with this image, he described her: “she is always there for me; no matter
what I do, I know that she will love me; she’s pretty cool and I really like spending
time with her; and when I act up, she sure let’s me know what she thinks, but she
still loves me.” The story reminds me of a homily given by Cardinal Sean in this very
pulpit during a conference at Boston College several years ago on July 26, the feast
of Anne and Joachim. Though they are not biblical figures, ancient Christian sources
report that Anne and Joachim were the grandparents of Jesus. In many parts of the
Catholic world, most notably the province of Québec, Saint Anne is revered as a most
powerful intercessor to Jesus. The Cardinal speculated that the reason for Anne’s
popularity is this: with all due respect to the Virgin Mary, a boy might be able to say
no to his mother, but a boy just can’t bring himself to say no to his grandmother.
Sounds right to me: If my Memère or my Nana had asked me for anything, I can’t
imagine that I would have turned a deaf ear.
Recent empirical studies confirm the close bond between grandparent and
grandchild. Oxford University press recently published a book by USC professor
Vern Bengtson entitled Families and Faith: How Religion Is Passed Down Across
Generations. Though there has been a significant decline in the extent to which
grandparents and their grandchildren have the same religious affiliation, especially
among Catholics, grandparents nonetheless can have a strong influence on
children’s religious development, passing on more than a checklist of beliefs, but a
passion for the next generation to experience the peace, the joy, the hope, and the
inspiration they had found for themselves in religious belief.
Last November 19, Pope Francis spoke about the important influence of
members of older generations and he lamented that they are too often overlooked.
He urges us to “ask for the grace to take care of, to listen to and to venerate our
ancestors, our grandparents.” He also urges us to ask for grace from those he
described as the old Saints - Simeon, Anne, Polycarp from the early Christian church,
and Eleazar, from the book of Maccabees. Today, on the Feast of the Presentation of
the Lord, we hear the gospel story in which two of these old saints figure
prominently: Anna the prophetess (not Jesus’s grandmother) and Simeon, who was
righteous and devout, as he awaited the consolation of Israel.
Anna and Simeon are portrayed as two people who aged gracefully, for
whom the passage of years was not a cause for sadness but a wellspring of life. Luke
tells us that, among the all of those in the crowds that always filled the temple, it was
Anna and Simeon who had the eyes of faith to recognize the presence of God in the
child Jesus. The gospel tells us that Anna beheld Jesus and gave thanks to God and
spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. It was
Simeon who had the graciousness to accept his life’s ending with courage and
equanimity, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace,” for he recognized
Jesus as the glory of Israel and a light for revelation to the gentiles.
Since the late fifth century, at this midpoint between the shortest day of the
year and the spring equinox, Christians have honored Christ as the light of the world
by blessing the candles that we use liturgically throughout the year. Thus, this feast
on February 2 was traditionally called Candlemas.
What are the lessons for us on Candlemas Day, the Feast of the Presentation?
First, let us resolve to honor and heed grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and
uncles, friends and neighbors, all of those who are gifted with the wisdom of many
years. They have much to teach us about life. They have much to teach us about
God. And, second, no matter how old you are, take time to reflect on your life, as the
years pass ever more quickly, one into the other. What kind of an old man or an old
woman do you want to be? What kind of an old man or an old woman does God
want you to be?
Margot Benary Isbert, the twentieth century writer of children’s books, offers
fitting food for thought in her Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess:
Lord, you know better than myself that I am growing older and will soon
be old. Keep me from becoming too talkative, and especially from the
unfortunate habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject
and at every opportunity.
Release me from the idea that I must
straighten out other peoples' affairs. With my immense treasure of
experience and wisdom, it seems a pity not to let everybody partake of it.
But you know, Lord, that in the end I will need a few friends.
Keep me
from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the
point.
Grant me the patience to listen to the complaints of others; help
me to endure them with charity. But seal my lips on my own aches and
pains -- they increase with the increasing years and my inclination to
recount them is also increasing.
I will not ask you for improved memory,
only for a little more humility and less self-assurance when my own
memory doesn't agree with that of others. Teach me the glorious lesson
that occasionally I may be wrong.
Keep me reasonably gentle. I do not
have the ambition to become a saint -- it is so hard to live with some of
them -- but a harsh old person is one of the devil's masterpieces.
Make
me sympathetic without being sentimental, helpful but not bossy. Let me
discover merits where I had not expected them, and talents in people
whom I had not thought to possess any. And, Lord, give me the grace to
tell them so.
And so, on this Feast of the Presentation, this Candlemas Day, let us pray:
Blessed Anna the Prophetess, Blessed Simeon, righteous and devout, grant that,
like you, may grow old gracefully. Grant that, even with diminished ears, we may
hear God’s word. And grant that, even with weakened eyes, we may see the face
of God.