Millions Around the World Shocked to Discover Pope Still Required to Be Catholic
Jewish law required that after the birth of a first born son the parents present their child to the temple and offer a sacrifice in accordance with their financial state to redeem him. It also required that the woman present herself for purification, for the blood of birth was considered to make her unclean.
Neither Jesus nor Mary were required to follow the law. Mary was never unclean. She shed no blood during the birth of Christ. Early Church Fathers taught that Christ exited her womb in the same manner that He exited the tomb - in a flash of light - without doing harm to her of any kind. He simply passed through her flesh as He would later pass through walls. This is part of the reason we teach her perpetual virginity.
Jesus, being the redeemer of the world, was not required to be redeemed. After all, what could humanity offer to redeem their savior?
Yet the Holy Family humbled themselves and presented themselves in obedience to Church authority. They brought the sacrifice of those living in poverty - two turtledoves - to redeem Christ. Imagine the savior of the world being redeemed with just two birds! Never has so small a price been paid for so great a treasure.
Going up to that temple, right there in the heart of Jerusalem, was not without risks. There were the risks of traveling with a newborn infant on a long and not always safe road. There were also risks that Mary and Joseph might not be received by the priest, since many believed their child to be born of fornication.
Then, there was the risk that Herod might hear of the child’s birth and seek to take his life before he could rise up to become who he was born to be. Would the priest understand and recognizing the value of the savior in this small child? There was no way to know until they obeyed.
Because of their humility and their submission to the authority of the priesthood, they each received a blessing and so did everyone present in the temple that day. Mary also received a warning about what her future held that ensured when the end came, she already knew what her son’s fate would be and could prepare herself with the help of the Holy Spirit to support him in His mission rather than do what most mothers would do and beg for her sons’ life to be spared.
There comes a day and time when we must present our work for the Lord to the Church to seek out her blessing and her approval. It can be frustrating when the work we’re doing isn’t valued or the priest we submit it to does not give us the blessing we require to move forward.
However, if our initial request meets rejection or does not get approved, this mystery reminds us that it is not a call to abandon our work. It is a call to submit it to the authority of the Church, continue to pray over it and to ask God for the right next step to take, and then to do whatever He tells us to do.
If Christ and Mary, though without sin, submitted themselves to the authority of the Church as it was in the days of HIs birth, how much more so ought we to do so who are sinners?
The mystery assures us that while the road may be long and the path may be filled with risks along the way, our obedience will ultimately bring blessings to us and to all those who are near us when the time comes that we receive the recognition and approval we seek from Church authorities.
It is easy for our pride to become a stumbling block if what we present is not initially accepted. Bitterness and rancor can take over as we feel unappreciated and maligned. Plenty of saints have weathered the challenges of church authorities who did not recognize the gift God was trying to give them at first.
During this time, it’s wise to surrender the cause to Christ and entrust it to Him, letting Him shape and direct us into the person we must be when the time comes for the Church to lend us her authority. The Rosary can help us develop the necessary patience and humility required to avoid any hint of bitterness or rancor settling in our soul so that we can continue to be a worthy vessel of Christ’s love and His message.
Award-winning international speaker and author, Brandy M. Miller is a Catholic revert. Raised in a culturally Catholic home, she left the faith at 16 in search of the truth and returned 12 years later when she found it right where she left it. Today, she is convinced that the Catholic Church is the cure to society's ills and is eager to help share the Gospel truth to those who have ears to hear it. When she isn't writing for or about the Catholic Church, she offers her writing talents to Catholics who would like help sharing their witnesses of Christ's work in their lives.
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