01.28.25 - Presentation at the Temple and Angels and Demons
- tmaley
- Feb 2, 2025
- 10 min read
Updated: Feb 17, 2025
Opening Prayer:
Lord, we thank you for the blessing of reading your word together.
We ask that these words of life, truth and hope would continue to impact us in the days ahead.
May your love and grace follow each of us as we return to our daily lives, refreshed and blessed by you.
We ask all this in Your Name.
Our Father
Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily Bread;
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Upcoming major holy days: Lent begins Ash Wednesday, March 5
Solemnity of St. Joseph, March 19.
TODAY:
Gospel Reading for Sun 2/2 – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Luke 2:22-36
Angels & Demons – Part I
Quote of the Day: Who said: “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.”
St. Francis de Sales, which is fascinating since he was known to have anger issues early on. As he became closer to God, he became a model for calmness and patience, which enabled him to win over many opponents.
Gospel Reading for Sun 2/2 – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Luke 2:22-36
Context: This reading from Luke on the Presentation of the Lord is longer than you might expect, but this in itself tells us that Luke believed it was important.
What is the Presentation and why is it important?
The Presentation was a requirement for Jews to offer the first born male to God at the Temple 40 days after birth (Lev 22). This coincided with the Purification of Mary, which also happens 40 days after birth. (The purification was not a moral purification but a ritual purification based on Leviticus that held that you could not enter the Temple for 40 days if any fluids had discharged from the body. The requirement also men after having sexual intercourse.)
Therefore, since Jesus was the “firstborn,” Joseph and Mary had to offer him to God at 40 days. It was sign of their covenant relationship. (Note, this was not the circumcision, which happens on the 8th day after childbirth.)
Besides fulfilling this firstborn obligation, Jesus’ presentation was a really big deal for another reason. What was it?
Six hundred years earlier, the glory of God left the Temple. Just before Babylon conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple, the prophet Ezekiel, who was a priest of the Temple, had been prophesying the fall of Jerusalem if the Jewish people didn’t change their ways. They did not listen, and in Ezekiel (ch. 10-11) he witnesses the departure of God’s presence from the Temple. It was a devastating event followed by the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, which also included the loss of the Ark of the Covenant. The only consolation was that God tells Ezekiel that He will return in the future when He “will give them a new spirit … so they can be His people again” – Ezek 11:19-20.
After the Babylonian Exile, many of the Jews returned and rebuilt Jerusalem and the “Second Temple” (~500 BC), although it was a shadow of it’s the First Temple of Solomon. However, the people do not act like God’s people and God’s “glory cloud” does NOT return to the Second Temple. At the time of Jesus, this temple became known as Herod’s Temple.
Q: This question was asked last time: Do the Jews believe that God never returned to the Second Temple?
That is correct. They believed in God’s spiritual presence, but not like the significant manifestation of His glorious presence as in the Ark of the Covenant in the First Temple. Also note that 70 years after completing the 2nd temple (`435 BC), the prophet Malachi predicts the Lord will yet come:
1“Behold, I send my messenger (John) to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to the temple… 5Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the widow and the orphan and thrust aside the sojourner…” – Malachi 3:1,5
Jesus is fulfilling another prophecy!
Q: Are the Jews still waiting for God’s presence to return to the Temple?
Yes, but they need to have a temple first! Since the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 AD, there has been no temple in Jerusalem. They believe the temple will be rebuilt when the Messiah returns and then God’s glory will return.
Luke 2:22-36
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted – and you yourself a sword will pierce – so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Why is Jesus’ Presentation at the Temple such an extraordinary event?
Because Jesus is God who has returned to the Temple! Jesus is fulfilling the prophecies that God Himself will come (Mal 3:1-5, Is 35:4, Is 59:20, Ezek 34:11-12, Jer 23:3-4)
Simeon gives a prophecy to Mary – …”and you yourself a sword will pierce.” What does this mean?
Mary will witness the death of her son. This is referred to as Mary’s “internal martyrdom.”
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is reflected in the Mass. Where do we see this presentation in the Mass?
Jesus’ Presentation is re-presented every time the Mass is celebrated at the Offertory. In the Offertory, we not only present bread and wine in the temple to the priest but we are also supposed to be presenting ourselves to God; we are to unite our lives, our work, our accomplishments (gratitude), and our failures (for repentance/guidance) to Jesus’ offering. Next time remember you are not watching the Offertory, you are participating. Unite your entire life to Christ’s!
Angels and Demons – Part I of II
Today (Part I)
Do angels and devils exist?
How many references are there in the Bible?
What are the various names for the devil?
Why does God allow the devil to be involved with humans?
What is the nature of angels?
How many angels are there? Excerpt from Dante’s “The Divine Comedy.”
Do angels exist?
Do you believe in the spiritual realm of God and Heaven? Do you believe that humans have a physical and a spiritual nature? If you said no to these, then it would mean you are an atheist and when it comes to faith, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
Now, if you believe in a spiritual realm, then we should not be so arrogant to think that we are only participants besides God. The angels came first and are considered much more intelligent and powerful than us. If anyone has the “right” to be arrogant, it’s the angels. And, in fact, the fallen angels are arrogant in spades.
How many references to angels are there in the Bible?
285 (108 in the OT + 177 in the NT). Some of the most memorable:
Gen 3 (cherubim placed to guard Eden)
Gen 16 (Hagar comforted)
Gen 19 (Sodom)
Exodus 23 (escape from Egypt)
Isaiah 6 (Seraphim described)
Daniel 9 (message from Gabriel)
Luke 1 (Gabriel-Annunciation to Mary)
Matt 1 (Joseph’s dream to take Mary into his home)
Luke 2 (Announcement to shepherds)
Matt 2 (Joseph’s dream to depart for Egypt)
Matt 4 (Jesus ministered to in the desert)
Acts 12 (Angel rescues Peter from prison)
Do Satan/devils/demons exist?
If you agree that there are angels, then it doesn’t take much of a leap to conclude there are demons since demons are just fallen angels, just like we are fallen humans.
What are the various names for the devil?
Satan, Demon, Devil, Tempter, Evil spirit, Beelzebul, Lucifer), Diablo, Prince of Darkness, Leviathan, Father of Lies.
Satan is the leader and was the highest archangel, called Lucifer. Satan means “accuser” and “scatterer” (divider).
Jesus called Satan a “murderer” and the “father of lies.”
How many references are there for the devil/demons… in the Bible?
118 (38 references in the OT + 80 in the NT). Some of the most memorable:
Gen 3 (serpent tempts Eve)
Job 1-2 (Satan challenges God about Job’s righteousness)
1 Chron 21 (Satan incites David)
Matt 4 (devil tempts Jesus in desert)
John 8 (Jesus calls Satan a murder and a liar)
Eph 2 (Paul calls the devil the “prince of power” on earth)
Rev 12 (devil is the great dragon and the ancient serpent).
Why is the devil allowed in the human realm? Why would God do that?
God didn’t decide this, humans did. God just honored our free will.
In the Fall of Man, which we will delve into next month, we will see how man chose to follow Satan rather than God. Satan may have thought he won the battle to enslave humans, but God gave humans another chance. Instead of victory, the battle for humans continues as evil followed humans into this world. If you remove humans from the world, there is no evil. Things looked bleak for humans except that God kept intervening (Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets) and even at the Fall promised to conquer evil eventually once and for all (Gen 3:15, referring to the Messiah).
In the meantime, Satan is determined to win as many humans to his side as possible a) because he thinks he is right and b) because each human who rejects God is his ideal revenge against God, like sticking a hot poker in God’s eye. For God, there is no such thing as revenge, but each human lost is tears at love rejected.
The crux of the issue (of their own making) is every person’s battle between good and evil, also expressed as justice vs injustice, love vs indifference or hate, harming vs healing, jealousy/envy vs. forgiveness, and division/destruction vs building up/unifying.
Whenever we do the former (injustice, indifference/hate, harm, envy, division, and destruction), we join Satan’s side that is only interested in winning. Whenever we participate in love, healing, forgiveness, building up, and unifying, we are participating in God’s creation, which is still ongoing. Yes, He gave us the power to participate!
Why do we think Angels have a higher nature than humans?
Angels have a purely spiritual nature, which is already considered a step up from physical beings who are subject to space and time. Angels are not limited by either.
According to Aquinas (“Angelic Doctor”), the intellect of the angels is not clouded by physical limitations or the need for sensory data, allowing them to comprehend truths in a more direct and profound way. This is contrasted with humans, whose understanding is subject to/limited by the need for sensory experiences. Humans require “time” to reason out their understanding of things. Angels have immediate understanding and no need of time.
Aquinas also reminds us that angels receive knowledge directly from God, which enhances their understanding. They are capable of contemplating God face-to-face, which provides them with insights and wisdom that are beyond human reach. This divine illumination further elevates their intellectual capabilities.
Augustine says: “Angel” is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek a name for their nature, it would be “spirit;” if you seek the name of their office, it is “angel.” So (technically speaking), “spiritual beings” are who they are, and “angel” is what they do.
With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God (CCC 329), which makes them extensions of God’s will. As Jesus says, they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 18:10), and the "mighty ones who do His word, hearkening to the voice of His Word" (Ps 103:20). Their role as messengers of God, executing His commands and participating in His divine plan for creation, highlights their elevated status as they are entrusted with significant responsibilities in the spiritual realm.
The spiritual realm is greater than the material realm. The physical dimension is but a subset of all reality.
In other words, the spiritual dimension is all around us. We can’t see it, but humans know it’s there.
It may help to think of a color-blind person. Colors are everywhere even though the color-blind person can’t see them. In a similar way, the spiritual realm with the angels and saints are present all around us, though we can’t see them.
The devil does not look like all the nasty depictions of him with red horns, forked tongue, and a pitchfork, whether spiritually, metaphorically, or literally (appearances). If he did, nobody would follow him! He comes to us as the sweet voice of reason, a handsome guy with a winsome smile, a beautiful, alluring woman, etc. They only turn ugly after the fact (after we have engaged evil/sin, especially in the consequences).
Story of the man who is given a choice of Heaven or Hell… the Devil (and Hell) always appears like the apple appeared on the tree to Eve – beautiful, delicious, inviting… immediate gratification beckons. But bad things come afterwards.
Closing Prayer:
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan
And all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.
Amen.
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