During his Pastoral Visit to the Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church at New Achimota, the Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare, Auxiliary Bishop of Accra Archdiocese reflected on the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus, highlighting the importance of presenting oneself to God during Holy Mass.
In his homily, he said that the Feast of the Presentation, which commemorates Mary and Joseph bringing the infant Jesus to the Temple, serves as a reminder for all Catholics that each participation in the Holy Mass is an opportunity for personal presentation before God.
“ Although we were officially presented to God on the day of our Baptism, we present ourselves and our dear ones on the altar before God our Father through our Savior Jesus Christ at every Holy Mass,” he said.
He added: “Hence, we need to live our daily lives with the awareness, both that we are dedicated people consecrated to God, and that we are obliged to lead holy lives.”
He also called on the congregation to remember and pray for their godparents, who played a crucial role in presenting them to the Lord on the day of their Baptism.
Bishop Asare also addressed the need for respect and honour to the elderly who have the wisdom and experience to train the younger generation.
He said, “It’s good for the elderly to communicate their wisdom to the young; and it’s good for the young people to gather this wealth of experience and wisdom, and to carry it forward, not so as to safeguard it in a museum, but to carry it forward addressing the challenges that life brings, to carry it forward for the sake of the respective religious orders and of the whole Church.”
Citing Simeon and Anna, who awaited the arrival of Jesus in the Temple as an example, he encouraged everyone to place themselves in God’s presence in their everyday lives.
“ we can rewire our brains and our souls to put ourselves in the presence of God in our everyday lives. In the ordinariness of our everyday temples of work and home and school and church, we can listen to the prompting of God’s Spirit, perceive God afoot in the mundane, and gracefully live in constant expectation of God adventing in our lives. We can daily experience the power of Christ’s presence point Christ out to others,” he said.
The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus can also be called; The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Hypanthe feast or Feast of the Purification of Mary, the Feast of Encounter, and Candlemas.
By: Veronica Sena Amenya//Newswatchgh.com
