Sacrifice
When it comes to a sacrifice, you give what you can.
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too." There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. - Luke 2:22-40
There is a good deal of symbolism going on in this reading.
The turtledoves mate for life. The blood of these is offered at the altar to purify Mary after having given birth. Their blood is sprinkled around the altar symbolizing the blood of the Messiah that will be offered on the altar.
But it is the love of these two for each other that stands out.
When one dove dies, the other mourns. And the wooing of the dove is reminiscent of the cry of one in the wilderness, longing for the one who is to come.
We see this in Simeon who longed for the day he could see the Messiah, and in the woman whose love had died and like the devoted dove, she mourns this loss.
So, the sacrifices made here are deep and loving. While the point to something great for the world, there is pain and heartache involved as well.
The turtledoves represent the most affordable sacrifice for a poor couple, but they are not to be considered cheap. Like the widow who offered her last two coins to the treasury, they are everything that matters.
More to come...