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Life Goes On


On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
           When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:21-24)        

          When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood. These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean. (Leviticus 12:6-10)

          Let’s begin with a bit of trivia. Mary took a pair of doves or two young pigeons as a sacrifice when she went to the priest to present Jesus and be ceremonially cleansed. That was the sacrifice given by someone who couldn’t afford a lamb. If the magi had presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh before Jesus was eight days old, Mary could have presented a lamb. This is evidence to me that the magi didn’t show up until after that, which makes sense given that when the magi showed up, they were living in a house, not camping out in a stable. End of trivia.
It’s the day after Christmas. If I were up north where there’s room, and I had put a tree up for Christmas, today is the day I would be thinking about taking it down. Tradition says it can stay up until February 2 (Candlemas Day) but I tend to think in terms of “NEXT!” It’s time to tear down the frippery and get ready to begin the coming year with hope, purpose, and dedication. There’s no use easing into 2018. No, we need to hit the ground running. Life goes on.
This is what Mary and Joseph faced. For all the wonder of the night of Jesus’ birth, life goes on. They needed a place for her to recover and for them to live, at least for a few days. Jesus needed to be presented to a priest. Mary needed to complete the cleansing ritual prescribed in Leviticus. Joseph may have needed to find a few odd jobs to provide food and shelter.
          The day after a holiday, life goes on. There’s work to do. It’s time to get ready for the new year.

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