Foreword

Foreword

Foreword Issue 460

You may be surprised by the theme of this issue, "Christmas Finale"? We already had the baptism of Jesus (Denho Feast) on Jan 6 and Jesus assembling his team of disciples. John the Baptist is already beheaded. And we are talking of Christmas again?

The reason behind this anomaly is that we are condensing what happened in Jesus' life - from birth to ascension - spanning about 33 years into a single year of church calendar. Christmas happens in December 25 and Easter happens about March-April. So, lot of things gets condensed in 3 months. Dates that happened a few years apart gets overlayed on another. To complicate matters further, we have fixed dates for some events (eg., Christmas, Circumcision, Denho, Mayaltho, etc.) and floating dates for others (eg., Easter with associated changes for the start of the Passion week, the Great Lent, start of Nineveh Lent, Ascension, Pentecost, etc.)

Mayaltho, the presentation of Jesus at the Temple (along with Purification ceremonies) happened 40 days after the birth of the child on December 25. So, the date is fixed on February 2. The Baptism of Jesus is set on Jan 6 (happened about 30 years after the birth of Jesus). This leads to this juxtaposition in dates.

Mayaltho is officially the end of Christmas season. That is why we call this issue the Christmas Finale. This year, the Great Lent begins on Sunday, February 11 at Sunset - 9 days after Mayaltho.

Mayaltho is an important feast day in our church. By Presenting the first-born at the Temple, as per Mosaic Laws, and paying the required contribution to the Temple, for the purification ceremonies, Jesus has fulfilled all that was required according to Jewish laws. So, he was brought up as a perfect Jewish boy, with his family history traced to King David, important requirements for the Messiah.

During Mayaltho, we meet two persons, Simeon and Anna, who were looking to see the Messiah. Mary and Joseph were surprised by the reception they gave to the child.

Janelle Aijian, Assistant Professor, Torrey Honors Institute of Biola University explained the importance of Simeon:

Simeon is unique among the characters we encounter in the Gospel narrative. Many appear in the nativity story for the purpose of hailing the new Messiah, but only Simeon lived his life knowing that this was his task and destiny. While others were given the surprising grace of an encounter with Christ, Simeon devoted his life to waiting and preparing for a single task: to recognize and bless his Messiah.

Luci Shaw explained, in a poem, described the meeting of baby Jesus and Simeon

Simeon
by Luci Shaw
Expectant, though never knowing quite
what he was watching for, the old man
had waited out the years of a long life
to be in the right place,
at the right time.
How many generations of crying babies
brought by new parents into the holy precincts
for dedication? How many innocent doves
wrung by the neck for their blood,
and burned on the altar? Yet, when they
came with their child and their pigeons,
and when the man Simeon, seized by Spirit,
took the infant in his arms, his eyes
looked into the eyes of God; there was
the flash of absolute knowing.
So, as the Law decreed, he gave the child
back to the Master of the Universe, singing
for joy (salvation now had come),
And grief (a sword was in his song).
Here was the fulfillment
of Simeon’s expectation.
Here in the Presentation, he saw the
commencement of the Offering.

Simeon made predictions on the future of the child as well as advised Mary that a "a sphere will pierce her heart", prophesies that came true on Good Friday at Calvary. The poem or canticle Simeon sung on the day of Mayaltho is one of the last canticles that appear in the infant narratives of Luke. The current issue of Malankara World Journal and the previous issues cited from archives goes in depth about the significance of Mayaltho.

With that said, we are bidding the final goodbye to Christmas 2017. Next Sunday is called Aneede Sunday, a day we remember all departed faithful. And then on February 11, we will start the Great Lent, recalling the first sign/miracle performed by Jesus, turning water into wine at Cana.

Until next time,

Dr. Jacob Mathew
Chief Editor, Malankara World