Forty days after His birth, St. Joseph the Betrothed and our most blessed Lady Theotokos went to the Temple in accordance with the Law of Moses to present the Child in the Temple, and make the offering for Him required by the Law. The Law required a lamb for a burnt offering to the Lord, and a turtledove or pigeon for a sin offering for the mother. As well, the Law required that every first-born male be consecrated to the Lord, both human and animal. This was, in part, acknowledgement that God had slain the first-born males in Egypt at the time of the tenth, and final, plague that preceded the Exodus of His people from slavery in that land. Sons were to be redeemed by the offering of a sacrifice; and so it was that the holy family went to the temple to offer their first-born son, and to make the required sacrifices.
We know that the Law does not save us. The Law was given to instruct us, and show us holiness; but the Law, by itself, is powerless to save us. Salvation is in Christ alone; and He is the only sinless one. Parents, take heart: Your faithfulness in living the Orthodox faith, in following the Orthodox way of life, is a positive influence upon your children, just as the obedience and faithfulness of St. Joseph the Betrothed and the Theotokos was a positive influence on the holy Child in their care. Of course, our children don’t live without sin; but how much harder it will be for them, if we do not set for them a good example! And even if our children have grown and now live on their own, and those who do not have children of their own, the way in which we live, the degree to which we follow the Orthodox way of life – praying, fasting, giving alms and offerings, struggling to overcome our passions with the virtues, loving and caring for each other, and worshipping God – we bear witness to the reality of the presence of God, and this can have an influence on many others who see us.
The “trick” – if I can call it that – is learning to write the Law on our hearts, so that it is not just something we follow out of fear of punishment (although there is some merit to that, to be sure). Rather, we remember our Lord’s summary of the Law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” – and let this law of love govern every thought, every word, every deed, every feeling. If we love each other as we love ourselves, we will not act to hurt or harm another in thought, word, or deed. If we love God with the fullness of our being, we will do all we can to keep ourselves from sinning.
And let us never forget that we were bought at a price. An offering was made by God to God, to redeem us from death, and our captivity to sin. In this, then, let us behold the love of God for us in Christ Jesus our Lord; and let us, in reply, meet Him in His temple, and make our hearts a temple to Him as well, that we may dwell in Him, and He in us, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
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