The two traditional Jewish rituals that Mary and Joseph followed soon after the birth of Jesus are a little bit confusing for us. But their deep meaning in ancient times is still valid for us today, and that's why the Holy Spirit preserved the narration of these events in the Gospel.
What is that deep meaning? Simply put, it is this: Every human life is a precious gift from God, worthy of reverence and respect.
When St. Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph "consecrated" Jesus to the Lord, he is referring to the first ritual. The ritual consisted in offering a gift to God in symbolic exchange for their child, in order to acknowledge that children are a gift from God, and so ultimately belong to God. This ritual was also related to the Passover, when God slew the firstborn sons of Egypt, but spared those of Israel.
The second ritual was connected to the holiness of motherhood. After giving birth, women were required by Jewish law to wait for a specified amount of time before they could appear in the Temple or participate in any public religious ritual. Once the time had elapsed, they rejoined community worship by offering two sacrifices (this is what the "pair of turtledoves" was for). This requirement too reflects the religious value that God's people have always put upon human life; it was a way of acknowledging the sacredness of life. When a woman gives birth, she is participating in a mystery that touches God directly, since he is the creator and sustainer of all life (most especially human life – for the ancient Jews – since all men and women were created "in the image of God"). So it was considered appropriate that she remain segregated from normal activities immediately afterwards, as a sign that she had been involved in something holy.
By submitting to these religious laws, Christ verifies the reverential view of human life that they reflect. Every child, every human life, is a gift from God, a participation in the mystery of God's infinite power and unwearied love. Jesus is pro-life, because he is the author and protector of life – of each of our lives.
This is the real reason behind all of Church's teaching about human life. Every human being is a gift from God and belongs, in the end, to God. So, no human being can ever be treated like a product; each must be treated like a person. This is why human cloning and all kinds of artificial reproduction are wrong – a child is not a product to be manufactured, bought, and delivered, but a sacred gift from God. This is why abortion is wrong – a child in its mother's womb is still a human being, a sacred image of God, a person who needs to be respected. This is why embryonic stem-cell research is wrong – those embryos are not just disposable bunches of cells, like warts or tumors; they are living human beings. This is also why racism, prejudice, human trafficking, bullying, and all kinds of unjust discrimination are wrong – every human being is created in God's image and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, no matter how different or weak or helpless they may be.
In the Second Reading, St. Paul emphasizes this when he points out that Jesus "became like his brothers and sisters in every way." By becoming man in order to save us, Jesus showed once and for that all God loves each of us, and he wants each of us to live in his friendship now and forever. And that love is unconditional – this is why St. Paul can call Jesus the "merciful and faithful high priest before God": In Christ, God shows us that his love for each and every one of us has no limits.
Few truths of our faith have more practical consequences than this truth that every human life is a gift from God, a sacred reality.
The first and most important practical consequence is that we need to take care of our own lives. We are royalty, members of God's family, called to fulfill a mission in God's eternal plan of salvation. That matters and we need to act like it matters. We need to keep our hearts strong and free from sin, using frequently and wisely the gifts of prayer, Holy Communion, and confession. We need to guard ourselves from temptation by exercising self-discipline in how we spend our time, money, and talents. We need to remember that the devil "prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour," as the Bible tells us (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to lead us away from God, precisely because he knows how much God cares for us.
The second practical consequence has to do with the people around us, especially those closest to us. We are so used to focusing on their failures, foibles, and imperfections, that we tend to take them for granted. But God never takes them for granted. Instead, he takes each of us by the hand, loving us without condemning us, and leading us along the path of redemption. And we are called to do the same, to be God's messengers, to be living signs of his love for those around us by how we treat one another.
In this Mass, God will come to each one of us, in spite of our personality flaws, sins, and hang-ups. He goes beyond the surface appearances and sees all of us as we truly are: created in his image and destined for everlasting glory. Today, let's ask him to teach us to do the same.