04 Rosary Rant – Joyful – 4 – The Presentation of Jesus

Remember that the easiest way to pray the rosary is to recognize that Jesus and Mary and Joseph are with you right here, right now, as they are in heaven, not as they were a couple thousand years ago. Sure, take a look at what they did for you and all back in the day, but, in our Lord’s grace, with a spirit of humble thanksgiving for them, right here, right now.

Remember, it’s not about your imagination that you are in their presence – which Pelagian effort of imagination is a lot of hooey – rather, your act of the will, in our Lord’s grace, to humbly thank Him and our Blessed Mother is what the prayer of the rosary is all about.

Clever meditations, whether in “rant” style or, later, please God, in a style presented in a more genteel manner (when I get all the Scripture tomes out of the boxes and on some now non-existent shelves), don’t get anyone anywhere. The only way what is presented on this blog is going to help anyone is if that someone, by the grace of our Lord, uses these words as an occasion to humbly thank the Holy Family right now for what went on back in the day.

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For this preliminary “rant meditation” on the fourth joyful mystery of the most holy rosary, let’s take Luke 2,21-40, for which a summary interlinear comment will be provided, based on my own in-your-face translation from the Greek, with an eye to the Vulgate. I’m not into the esoteric practice of translating one word for one word, as if, magically, all languages had absolutely perfect one word for one word equivalents. Such pretension cannot ever provide a great translation, unless you’re in a position to create the language, as was the case with the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, which made up a goodly number of words, but paraphrased the rest. Instead, trying to avoid coining any words, I’ll provide a translation with more in-your-face accuracy than any one word for one word translation could ever present. The perfect verbs in Greek, with all of their perfectly continuing perfection, are not easy to translate!

Luke 2,21 And when the eight days were fulfilled, to circumcise Him, His Name was then called Jesus, the Name called by the angel before His being conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of their purification were fulfilled according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord – 23 just as it is written in the Law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord – 24 and to give a sacrifice according to that which perfectly continues to be dictated in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.

25 And behold! A man was in Jerusalem who had the name Simeon, and this man was righteous and holding [the Law of the Lord] well, eagerly awaiting the promised-consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it was perfectly continuing to be perfectly revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he might not see death unless he should see the Anointed of the Lord. 27 And he went in the Spirit into the Temple, and while the parents of the Child Jesus brought Him up that they might act according to that which was perfectly continuing to be the perfect custom of the Law concerning Him. 28 And he received Him into his arms and praised God, and said, 29 “Now you set free your slave, O Master, according to your word, in peace, 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared before the face of all the peoples, 32 a Light for revelation for the nations, and the glory of your people, Israel.” 33 And His father and mother were being struck with awe over the things being spoken about Him. 34 And Simeon spoke well of them, and said to Mary, His mother, “Behold! This One is laid down for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel and as a sign being spoken against, 35 and a sword shall pierce through your very soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

36And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She had advanced through many days, having lived with her man seven years after her virginity; 37and she was a widow until eighty-four. She never left the temple, worshiping with fastings and prayers night and day. 38And she, being present in that very hour, gave thanks to God and spoke about Him to all eagerly awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 And when they fulfilled all things according to the Law of the Lord, they turned back to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth. 40 And the infant grew and became strong, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.

Now, let’s go through that again, this time with some interlinear commentary:

Luke 2,21 And when the eight days were fulfilled to circumcise Him [A punishment for Abraham and his progeny. Jesus took on the punishment just as He would take on all the just punishment of our sin, though remaining innocent Himself. Abraham was punished for not believing the Lord for some 25 years, but he finally did believe. The Lord promised Abraham that the old man would have his own child with his own wife. He just couldn’t wrap his mind around that. His educative punishment was for his progeny to go into exile into Egypt, becoming slaves of the Egyptians. The co-punishment was to be circumcised, himself and all his offspring. This was a kind of sign that it is necessary to be open to life. Rather graphic, but very fitting. The grace to live this openness to life was provided by Jesus, who brings us to eternal life. The need for the sign of the old circumcision was no longer needed, It was redundant, even an insult to the life the Lord provides us. Our Lord took on the punishment so as to have the right in all justice to have mercy on us.], His Name was then called Jesus [which means “Savior”. Hosanna is Hebrew for begging the Lord to save us. It’s the same root word for Savior.] , the Name called by the angel before His being conceived in the womb. [Now there’s something, naming a baby before it is conceived... This is God coming among us.] 22 And when the days of their purification were fulfilled according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord – 23 just as it is written in the Law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord [Even though, as the angel pointed out to Mary, Jesus would be born holy in the act of being born. This speaks to a miraculous birth, with no blood involved, for the blood would make both child and mother “unclean”. Jesus went through the womb of Mary in a way analogous to the way He went right through the doors of the upper room in which the Apostles had locked themselves out of fear of persecution.] – 24 and to give a sacrifice according to that which perfectly continues to be dictated in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons. [Again, going through the various educative punishments, if you will, so as to have the right to be rid of these for us.]

25 And behold! A man was in Jerusalem who had the name Simeon, and this man was righteous and holding [the Law of the Lord] well, eagerly awaiting the promised-consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it was perfectly continuing to be perfectly revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he might not see death unless he should see the Anointed of the Lord. 27 And he went in the Spirit into the Temple, and while the parents of the Child Jesus brought Him up that they might act according to that which was perfectly continuing to be the perfect custom of the Law concerning Him. [That’s almost as if to say, and it is, that the Law was there for Him, that thereby He might have the opportunity to heap upon Himself all our disobedience.] 28 And he received Him into his arms and praised God, and said, 29 “Now you set free your slave, O Master, according to your word, in peace, 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared before the face of all the peoples, 32 a Light for revelation for the nations, and the glory of your people, Israel.” [Christ Jesus is for everyone without exception.] 33 And His father and mother were being struck with awe over the things being spoken about Him. 34 And Simeon spoke well of them, and said to Mary, His mother, “Behold! This One is laid down [by our Heavenly Father, in the Most Tender of Mercies...] for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel [not only resurrection, but fall... God is ultimate realist. We have free choice. We can still choose hell for eternity if we want. Many do, sadly. Not good. But there we are. Despairing? Don’t. Just turn to the Lord. He came to save sinners. That would be us, right? So, rejoice, in all repentance, but do rejoice.] and as a sign being spoken against [by the selfish, egotistic crowd] , 35 and a sword shall pierce through your very soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” [Once a mother, always a mother. Mary would see the literal hell her Son would be put through, and her heart would be with His. His Heart was pierced through. Spiritually, how could her heart not be pierced through? It took someone with the strength of an Immaculate Conception to stand there, under the cross, and intercede for us, seeing perfectly, as she did, our need for the redemption our Lord had the right to give us, taking on as He did, the worst we could give out, which is what we deserve. How would this bring about the revelation of the thoughts of many hearts? People wanting to go to hell for eternity (the only way to go), find security only in themselves. To do that, they hide their inmost thoughts, coveting themselves, as if that could give them security, not knowing their extreme vulnerability in being far from the only God of Life. Those on their way to heaven reveal their inmost thoughts, in confession [!] and in humble thanksgiving to the Son of Mary. That revelation of the thoughts of our hearts took Mary’s heart being sundered in two with Her Son’s Heart.]

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She had advanced through many days, having lived with her man seven years after her virginity; 37 and she was a widow until eighty-four. She never left the temple, worshiping with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she, being present in that very hour, gave thanks to God and spoke about Him to all eagerly awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. ["Jerusalem"... She's from one of the lost tribes of the North, from the region of Tyre and Sidon, enemies to the South, but she's praying for the heart of all Israel, to be found in Jerusalem. Very awesome, that.] 39 And when they fulfilled all things according to the Law of the Lord, they turned back to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth. 40 And the infant grew and became strong, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.