Mary learns the cost of being Jesus’ mother

Recently, I brought my mother along for a visit to the Jesuit community where I lived for about four years. At least two Jesuits told me the same thing about how my quiet unassuming mother reminded them of their own mother. For these two companions, although their mother passed away some time ago, the memory and presence of mom remains strong in their life. There is something about the mother-child bond that holds even after death. This fact makes it easier to consider all the ways Mary plays a vital role in the life of her son’s redemptive mission.  

In this Sunday’s Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the readings emphasize Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple, which the Church celebrates forty days after Christmas. Mary and Joseph fulfill their role as faithful Jewish parents when they dedicate their newborn son in this sacred house. Mary’s purification comes to completion forty days after giving birth. 

Ancient peoples viewed the shedding of blood as a taboo act that required ritual purification afterward. The law of Moses required mothers to undergo purification rituals in the Temple forty days after giving birth. Luke uses this ritual purification as a setting for a prophecy in which Mary sheds blood in a different way. Simeon foretells that her own heart will be "pierced by a sword." Her presence in the Temple takes on a mystical significance as a prophetic action that foreshadows her own suffering and that of her son.

The readings this Sunday are deeply rooted in the world of worship. The second reading from Hebrews helps us think of Jesus as our spiritual high priest. Think of Jesus, says the author, as the merciful high priest “before God to expiate the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17). Likewise, in this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Luke recounts Jesus’ first entrance into the Temple, during which the holy family is stopped by two elders who are also prophets. Both Simeon and Anna confirm through their prayer the role that Jesus now assumes. From Simeon’s prayer there is no doubt in his mind: “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples” (Lk 2:30-31). Meanwhile, regarding Anna, we learn that “she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:38). 

In these prayers from elders of the community, this Sunday’s Gospel provides a spotlight that illuminates Jesus’ role as redeemer. Readers of the Gospel might expect this much. What one might not expect, however, is how these prayers affected Jesus’ mother. Mary is hardly passive in this Temple scene. Simeon has a prophetic message for her specifically. “Behold, this child is destined to be a sign that will be contradicted,” he warned her, “ and you yourself a sword will pierce” (Lk 2:34-35). When Simeon says “you yourself a sword will pierce,” the implication is that Mary will share in her son’s passion. Any mother would suffer when her child suffers.

Mary’s own journey is marked by frequent reflection as “she kept all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:51). If Mary holds a place of privilege in the life of the church today—and she does—it comes through her lived experience of reflection, often marked by the suffering her own heart will have to endure along with her son’s. The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord that we celebrate this Sunday does not symbolize the enthronement of a king, but provides a foretaste of a redeemer’s life that is not devoid of hardship. Mary gives witness to that experience as she herself had her heart pierced several times throughout her life. She remains a model and guide for any who live with broken hearts today. 

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.