Today’s Feast of the Sacrifice of the Lord, popularly called “Groundhog Day”, offers us two facts. Above all, it is a memory of Christmas, it is the symbolic end of the Christmas circuit – a kind of echo of Christmas. It is a memory of how the Virgin Mary brought Jesus to the Jerusalem temple. We will remind you of that first. But today’s holiday is also a great task for each of us: We are to be the light of the world. And so we want to realize that we are supposed to be that light, to radiate, warm and aw, taken new life. The Virgin Mary had baby Jesus all to herself for forty days. And now she came with Joseph through the east gate to the temple of Jerusalem to fulfill the prescription of the law of Moses. The priest comes and leads the mothers in line to the temple. There he stretches his hands over the children and announces: Every firstborn boy is dedicated to the Lord. He mentions how in Egypt the heathen firstborn boys perished, but the boys of the chosen nation of Israel were saved, and now they are to thank for it. Joseph handed over two baby pigeons and, like everyone else, dropped five shekels of silver into the temple treasury.
The ceremony in the Jerusalem temple is over, and the women are leaving. The Virgin Mary came out last. And in front of her stands an old man. Her hair is white as snow, and she reaches out to her with her shaking hands. The Mother of God knew that at this moment the whole world was reaching out its hands to Christ the Lord. The whole world is waiting for redemption. Maria handed her child to the venerable old man. And the old Simeon first looked to the sky and thanked the Lord for waiting so many years and not in vain. And then he looked at the child and uttered the prophetic words: God, I can die now. I saw the Savior. He will be a light to the entire world and bring glory to his nation. And an eighty-four-year-old old woman, the prophetess Anna, daughter of Phanuel, approached. She also praised the Lord. And it seemed to the Virgin Mary that two people were standing there who had been expelled from Paradise – Adam and Eve. They stand there and give thanks that rescue is coming. They thank you for
Now the old man Simeon turned to the Virgin Mary. What does he want to say to her? Simeon predicted: This child of yours will be accepted by others and will be for their enlistment. But others will stand against that child – to their destruction. And you will observe and experience all this, and a sword will be dug into your soul. Maria knows that. The others will rejoice, and she – Seven Pain – will cry. Redemption will come to the second, and she – the Seven Painful One – will experience pain. The others will have peace and she – the Seven Pain – will be pierced by a sword. Yes, the Seven-Pained Mother of God will stand under the cross of her Son, she will not be able to give her Son even a sip of water when he cries “I am thirsty”! She will stand under his cross and will not be able to hold back the spear with which they will open Christ the Lord’s Divine Heart. But at that moment both hearts will be pierced. One spear and the other,
And so they left the Jerusalem temple and walked around Herod’s palace. He will be the first to take the dagger to pierce Christ the Lord. And Mary will run again at night – just like on Christmas Day. Herod will be the first, but not the only one. His nation will rise against Christ. The world will eventually rise against him. But his cross will shine triumphantly in heaven when he comes in his glory. Yes, today’s holiday is the last memory of Christmas, but also the first harbinger of Easter. The firstborn sons in Egypt were killed on the Passover. And this child is already preparing for his Easter. That is the event of today in the life of the Virgin Mary. Today’s holiday is also a task for each of us. Christ the Lord is the Light of the world, and he commands us all – be the light of the world too! And we ask: How can we spread this light of Christ? To that end, we will tell a small story from life.
Friends invited a lonely young man to come to their house on Christmas Day. They had a cottage on the hill not far from the bus. After the festive dinner, they were supposed to go to midnight mass together. And so the young man set off on his journey. It was afternoon and the sun was shining. He went uphill, first through the forest, then the forest stopped, but the weather changes quickly in the mountains. And suddenly the wind blew a blizzard, heavy snowflakes stuck to his eyes, he waded through the snow up to his knees, sweating with fatigue and fear. He thought, “What if I fit in here, what if no one finds me?”
He started calling for help, but no one heard him. The young man remembered God: “Lord, you are my light and my salvation. Please don’t leave me!” And the blizzard and the white milky mist disappeared as quickly as they had come. He saw the hill and the illuminated windows. He had a wonderful Christmas Day. Yes, people can get lost, not only in the mountains. People can also go astray in their lives. May they always find someone to show them the way? May they always find the light of Christ? Let Christ the Lord be our light. May the Virgin Mary be our star, as it is said in one poem: “Mary, Mother, you have been in me – like a starfish to a swimmer at sea.” – Just as that little star shines and delights – the one who prays and the one who sins.” Let us be the light of the world and let us all meet one day when the eternal light will shine.
