Third Sermon for the Feast of the: Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“ He was offered because it was His own will.’’—Is, liii. 7.

We celebrate to-day, my brethren, the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Purification, which was accomplished forty days after the birth of her Divine Son, as prescribed in the law of Moses (Lev. xii. 2-4). For we read in the Book of Leviticus that a woman who, in the ordinary way, gives birth to a man-child, “ shall be unclean seven days, and on the eighth day the infant shall be circumcised” ; thereafter, intent on cleansing and purifying herself, she abstained, such was the law, from entering the sanctuary for the space of three and thirty days, at the expiration of which she should offer her child to the Lord with the gifts enjoined. But who does not perceive that the very first phrase of this law sets the Mother of Christ free from its obligation? It looks, indeed, as if Moses was about to say simply, “ If a woman gives birth to a man-child she shall be unclean,” but fearing to be found guilty of the crime of blasphemy against the Lord’s Mother, he premised the restricting phrase, “‘ in the ordinary way.” For where was the necessity of these words unless he foresaw that Mary was to bring forth without detriment to her virginity ? It is manifest, therefore, that this law was not made for the Mother of the Lord, since she did not give birth to her Son in the ordinary way, as was predicted by Jeremias when he said, “the Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth.” What new thing, do you ask? “A woman shall compass a man ” (Jer. xxxi. 22). Not by man’s co-operation, not according to the ordinary law of human conception, shall she conceive, but remaining ever pure and undefiled she “‘ shall compass a man,” so that, in the words of another Prophet, the Lord, coming in and going out by this Eastern Gate, shall nevertheless leave it always shut (Ezech. xliv. 2).

Let us imagine, therefore, that Mary was disturbed in mind about submitting to this ordinance of Moses, and argued thus with herself: ‘‘ What need have I of purification? Why should I abstain from entering the sanctuary, I, who, without the co-operation of man, have become the living temple of the Holy Spirit ? Why should I not go into the temple of the Lord, who have given birth to the Lord of the temple? In this virginal conception, in this child-birth, there has been nothing impure, nothing illicit, nothing that needs to be cleansed: for the Infant Whom I have brought forth is Himself the very Fountain of all purity, and He has come into the world to ‘make purgation of sins’ (Heb. i. 3). What has this legal purification to purify in me, who, spotlessly pure already, have been made purer still by my immaculate parturition ? ”

It is true, O most blessed Virgin, it is very true that thou hast no cause, no necessity for purification. But, tell me, had thy Son any need of circumcision ? Be, therefore, amongst women as an ordinary woman, because thy Child made Himself as one of the ordinary children of men. If He willed to be circumcised, surely He wills also and much more to be offered to His Father. Offer thy Son, then, O holy Virgin, present to the Lord the “‘ blessed Fruit of thy womb ” (Luke i. 42).

Offer for the reconciliation of us all the “ living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God” (Rom. xii. 1). Certainly, God the Father will accept this new Oblation, this most precious Victim of Whom He says, “ This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased” (Matt. iii. 17). l

But it seems to me, brethren, that this first oblation of the Infant Saviour has about it something peculiarly sweet. For now He is merely presented to the Lord, redeemed with innocent birds and carried home again immediately by His parents. The time will come, however, when He shall be offered, no longer in the temple, no longer between the arms of holy Simeon, but outside the city and between the arms of the cross. The time will come when, so far from being redeemed Himself with foreign blood, He shall redeem all other men with His own Blood: for He is the redemption that the Father “‘ hath sent to His people ” (Ps. xc. 9). That will be the ‘“‘ evening sacrifice,” this in the temple is the ‘“‘ morning sacrifice ’’ (Exod. xxix. 41, Ps. cxl. 2). The latter is the more joyous, but the former will have greater fulness, because in it the Victim shall have arrived at the fulness of His years, whereas in the other He is offered in His infancy. But of both oblations may be understood what the Prophet predicted, “He was offered because it was His own will” (Is. liii. 7). For to-day, in the temple, He was offered, not because there was any necessity requiring this, not because He was bound by the prescription of the law, but solely because He willed it. And with regard to the sacrifice of the cross also, it was not for His deserts He was offered thereon, or because He was unable to resist the power of the Jews, but because such was

FEAST OF PURIFICATION OF THE B.V.M. ror

His own will. Therefore “ I will voluntarily sacrifice to Thee, O God” (Ps. liii. 8), because Thou wast voluntarily offered for my salvation, and not through any necessity of Thine own.

But, dearest brethren, what have we to offer? Or “what shall we render to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to us?” (Ps. cxv. 3). He offered for us the most precious victim He possessed, yea, a victim the most precious that can be conceived. Let us, therefore, do what we can, and offer Him the best that we have, which, namely, is our own selves. He sacrificed Himself for thee : who art thou that hesitatest to sacrifice thyself for Him? Oh, who will grant me that so lofty a majesty may condescend to accept my poor oblation! Lord, I can boast of but two miserable possessions : I mean my body and my soul. Would that I could perfectly offer them to Thee as a sacrifice of praise! For it were better for me, it were far more glorious and advantageous, that I should be sacrificed to Thee than abandoned to myself. ‘“‘ My soul is troubled within myself” (Ps. xli. 7), but in Thee my spirit shall rejoice (Luke i. 47), that is, if it be truly offered to Thee. Brethren, whilst the Lord was still by His own decree destined to die, the Jews were wont to offer Him dead victims, but now: “I live, saith the Lord: I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezech. Xxxiii. 11). The Lord, then, desires not my death, and shall I not willingly offer Him my life? This is a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, “ an atoning sacrifice’ (Exod. xxix. 33). But at the oblation of the Lord in the temple there were, so we read, three presences, and the Lord expects to find three things present also in our oblation of ourselves. The former oblation was attended by the presence of Joseph, the husband of the Lord’s Mother and the reputed father of the Lord Himself, by the presence of the Virgin Mother, and by the presence of the Child Jesus, Who was Himself the Victim being offered. Accordingly, let there be in our oblation virile constancy, continence of the flesh, and humility of heart. Let there be, I say, in the will a manly purpose to persevere, in the flesh the purity of a virgin, and in the heart the simplicity and humility of a little child. Amen.