Meditation;
Feast of the Purification of Mary,
and the Presentation of Jesus
(2 Feb, 40 days after Christmas)

Meditation;
Feast of the Purification of Mary,
and the Presentation of Jesus

by Saint Alphonsus Liguori

First Meditation

Typical Mikvah   The Jewish ritual of purification by immersion, the mikvah, is undoubtedly a foreshadowing of baptism.  In ancient Judaism a cleansed leper, a woman after her menstrual period, and ceremonially defiled person, and a Gentile convert to Judaism, had to undergo the mikvah and be immersed in water, prior to being declared 'pure' and able to enter the Temple, or re-enter society. According to the Mosaic law a mother who had given birth to a man-child was considered unclean for seven days; moreover she was to remain three and thirty days "in the blood of her purification"; for a maid-child, the time which excluded the mother from sanctuary was even doubled. When the time (forty or eighty days) was over, the mother was to "bring to the temple a lamb for a holocaust and a young pigeon or turtle dove for sin"; if she was not able to offer a lamb, she was to take two turtle doves or two pigeons; the priest prayed for her and so she was cleansed. (Leviticus 12:2-8)

When the time had come in which, according to the Law,  Mary was to be purified in the Temple, and to present Jesus to the Eternal Father, she, accompanied by Saint Joseph, directed her steps towards Jerusalem. Joseph took two turtle-doves, which were to be offered, and Mary took her beloved Infant. She took the Divine Lamb to offer It to God, as a token of the Great Sacrifice which He would one day accomplish on the Cross.

My God, I also unite my sacrifice to that of Mary; I offer Thee Thy Incarnate Son, and by His merits In beseech Thee to grant me Thy grace. I do not deserve it, but Jesus sacrificed Himself to Thee to obtain it for me. For the love of Jesus, then, have mercy on me.

Amen

Second Meditation

Behold, Mary entered the Temple, and in the name of the whole human race made the oblation of her Son. But, especially on this day, Jesus offered Himself to His Eternal Father. "Behold Me, O Father", He said, "to Thee do I consecrate my whole life; Thou hast sent Me into the world to save it; accept My blood and My life, I offer them without reserve to Thee, for the salvation of the world".

Unfortunate should I have been, my dear Redeemer, hadst Thou not satisfied the Divine Justice for me. I thank Thee with my whole soul, and I love Thee with my whole heart. And whom shall I love, if I do not love a God Who sacrificed His life for me?

Amen

 

Third Meditation

This sacrifice was more precious in the sight of God than if all men and Angels had offered Him their lives. Yes, because it was in this offering of Jesus alone that the Eternal Father received infinite (∞) honor and infinite (∞) satisfaction. Jesus Christ said one day to Blessed Angela of Foligno, "I offered Myself for thee, that thou mightest offer thyself to Me".

Yes, my Jesus, since Thou hast offered Thy life to Thy Eternal Father for me, I offer my life and my entire self to Thee. Hitherto, with the greatest ingratitude, I have despised Thee; but Thou hast promised no more to remember the outrages of a sinner who repents of having offended Thee. My Jesus, I grieve for having offended Thee, and wish I could die of grief. I was dead by sin; from Thee I hope for life, and my life shall be to love Thee, O infinite Good. Make me love Thee; I ask for nothing more. Dispense the riches of this world to those who desire them; I desire nothing but the treasure of Thy love. My Jesus, Thou alone art sufficient for me.

O Queen and my Mother Mary, through thee do I hope for every grace.

Amen