Presentation of Christ in the Temple, February 2nd, 2020

The Presentation of Christ in the Temple,
commonly called
The Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin, February 2nd, 2020

In the Second Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel for today's Mass, we hear the story of St. Joseph and Our Lady presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple.  Simeon prophesied the greatness of this Child and then he spoke these words to the Blessed Mother:  "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,)" (St. Luke 2:22ff)  To say the least, these words, along with all the words that Simeon prophesied that day, must have shocked both St. Joseph and St. Mary, or at the very least caused them to wonder what all of these things meant not only for them but for their Child.  " . ..  and a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also . . . "  As we know, Our Lady's life was filled with much joy.  What joy Our Lady must have felt being in the presence of the Son of God.  How much joy knowing that she was doing the will of God.  What joy knowing that she was in the very presence of the long-awaited Messiah of the world!   When we think about it, in the entire history of mankind, who was more blessed than anyone else if it was not Our Lady?  She had the distinct honour of being chosen not only to give birth to the Saviour of the world but to spend over thirty years in His presence.  She was with Him throughout His entire life.  But despite these joys and honours, we know that she also had sadness and sorrow as well.  To see her Son hanging from the Cross and then ultimately die a cruel death, knowing He was totally innocent.  How horrible that would be for any mother, any parent, quite frankly, but how much more so for her?  And yet we know from the words of Simeon and from the example of Our Lady that there will indeed be sorrow in our life in addition to the joy.  We were never promised that our life would be perfect or that all sorrows or setbacks  . . .  minor or major . . . would be taken away once we became a Christian.  No, there will still be sorrows, and frustrations, and setbacks for the committed Christian.  But for those who are dedicated to God, we are assured that Christ will always be with us  . . .  in the good times and the bad.

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church celebrates Mass each and every Sunday morning in the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.  Please join us as we hear the Word of God preached from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the King James Version of the Bible.  At St. Margaret, we know that Our Blessed Saviour is truly present in His Precious Body and Blood and that each time we approach the altar, we truly receive Him each and every time we receive Holy Communion.  After Mass, join us for Coffee Hour where we enjoy delicious goodies and each others company.

For more information, please visit our website at:

http://indyanglican.blogspot.com/