Jesus
was presented to God. He was presented to His Father. He was Joseph’s
and Mary’s first-born Son. First-born sons, according to the Law of
Moses, must be consecrated to Yahweh. First-born sons belong especially
to God; hence, parents offer a prescribed sacrifice to buy back from
God their first-born sons.

A
first-born opens his mother’s womb. The Jews believe that a barren
womb is an accursed womb. Life is God’s greatest blessing; life
belongs to God, no one can cause it, no one can take it away, no one
except God. God is the Father of Jesus, but He is our Father, too.
Jesus, according to the Pauline epistles,
is the first-born among the dead. God, our Father, bought us back from
sin and death. Jesus, His own Son, was the price He had to pay. The
First-born Son became the ransom price!

At
the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where I am presently
serving, the Christmas creche at the foot of the sanctuary is just a
few arms away from the crucifix. During our Christmas Eve Mass, I was
looking intently on the two biblical tableaus: one showing us the
humble birth of the Savior and the other reminding us what awaits the
newborn Baby after thirty-three years. Then I catch my self whispering
a prayer: Lord, I hope they notice… I hope they really do… Bethlehem and Calvary are indeed just a few arms away from each other.  Fr. Bobby T.

REFLECTION QUESTION: Bethlehem and Calvary are indeed just a few arms away from each other.

My
Jesus, I present my self to You as You are presented today to the
Father. I unite my self with You so that I, too, like You, may be
pleasing to the Father. Amen.

St. Trophimus, missionary, pray for us.

adapted from Kyregma