1. Circumcision and Presentation.
The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus is a popular devotion here. The devotion was introduced at the time the nation was introduced to the Catholic Faith. But so much of those things that were contributory to the evangelization of the island has been set aside as the island celebrates its 500 anniversary of Christianity. Catholic Philippines is celebrating its anniversary in a Protestant way.
It would be helpful to look at the Liturgy of today’s feast that combines the feast of the circumcision of Christ and the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. Of course, the latter feast includes the Purification of the Blessed Virgin.
2. Circumcision was an Old Testament practice wherewith a Jew consecrates a boy to God. It consists in cutting the foreskin of the male part. It was a mere physical gesture by which parents consecrates their first born to God. Most religious gestures in the worship of God in the Old Testament were expressed in external physical gestures; like when Jesus was presented in the temple and when Mary was purified in the temple. All were external physical gestures. Mary did not have to be purified because she was pure but nevertheless she went to the temple to express physically in an outward way her obedience to the Old Testament prescriptions
3. This offering of a child to God through circumcision was further confirmed when the child was presented in the temple. The main message of the Liturgy is this; Do not present yourself to God without being circumcised. So all the Jews were first circumcised before they were presented in the temple. Joseph and Mary obeyed that prescription.
4. Circumcision
To be worthy to receive the grace of everlasting life, the soul must love God and neighbor. The way to love God is to keep His commandments; ‘if you love Me, keep My commandments.’ If the soul loves God, that love will overflow towards one’s neighbor.
So the entire Scriptures and all the teachings of the Catholic Church consist in knowing and obeying the commands of God. In fact, the very essence of evangelization is ‘to teach all nation all God’s commands and how to obey them,’ according to St. Matthew.
God the Father gave the easier commands in the Old Testament. These commands were easy because it was based on the nature of man and all men can know and obey them. These commands are summarized in the famed 10 commandments.
These commands were mature natural human acts which all men can know and obey. God saw to it that these commands were written in the hearts of all men. And as mentioned, it can only be obeyed by mature men acting according to his human nature.
To aid the human race, God prescribed external human acts so man can express his desire to obey the commands of God. To show God in the form of a religious Liturgical act that man wants to obey the 6th and 9th commandments of God in the Old Testament, God prescribed the religious ceremony of circumcision.
Circumcision in the Old Testament.
So through the act of circumcision, man is expressing his desire and intention to avoid sins against the 6th and 9th commandments; i.e. not to desire nor commit acts that are sinful pleasures of the flesh. Circumcision is a promise to avoid pleasures of the flesh that are sinful. Note that this is circumcision in the Old Testament which consist in avoiding sins against the 6th and 9th commandment.
Circumcision in the New Testament.
While circumcision in the Old Testament is giving up of sinful things, circumcision in the New Testament if giving up of lawful or good things. While circumcision in the Old Testament is obedience to two commandments in the Old, circumcision in the New is obedience to all the commands of Christ in the New Testament.
These New Testament commands may be summarized in the three evangelical counsels. Circumcision is the ‘cutting off’ of lawful or good things. Cutting off of evil things is in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the cutting off or the giving up is of lawful or good thing. The first to be cut off are attachments to material possession, like attachment to money; ‘go home sell all your things,…’. The second is attachment to human relations; ‘ he who loves parents more than me…’. The third is attachments is to your own opinions; ‘he who loves his life will lose it….’
Note again, that what is circumcised are lawful and good things. Why? St. Augustine wrote; ‘he who is attached to his possessions will surely steal what belong to others to add to the possessions he loves. But he who has given up his possessions will not steal what belong to others.
He who indulges in lawful things will surely fall into unlawful things. He who indulges in human love for his wife will surely look at another who is not his wife. He who indulges in following his own opinions will surely fall into doing his sinful opinions.
So circumcision of the soul as described by St. Paul in the New Testament as observing the spirit of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. ‘The Spirit…’ not the vows.
To be presentable to God, we must undergo the circumcision of the Old Testament by not sinning through disobedience to the commands of God the Father, especially the 6th and 9th commandments AND we must deny ourselves of lawful and good things that are not conducive to the salvation of our souls.
This is what Holy Mother the Church is telling us to do during this Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, as we celebrate His circumcision and His Presentation in the Temple; be circumcised in your spirit before presenting yourself before God’s judgment seat.
5. New environment in the Vatican Church.
There is no Old Testament circumcision in the Church. There is no giving up of the sinful pleasures of the flesh. The pleasures of the flesh is even multiplied today. To live with another woman not one’s wife is tolerated. A clear violation of the 6th and 9th commandments of God. People today don’t even marry.
The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah are not judged as punishable sins. Who are we to judge.
If we are unable to undergo the circumcision of the Old Testament we will not be able to undergo the circumcision of the New Testament where grace is needed; and grace will never be given to those who have disobeyed the Old Testament commands.
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