You will, at times, hear the criticism that the Catholic Church is all about ritual, that worship should be more spontaneous and spirit-filled. The Biblical story of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2) presents a different story. St. Luke emphasizes that Joseph and Mary were doing what they did in order “to fulfill the Law.” It was Jewish ritual that helped to ground them in their identity and, hence, in the identity of Jesus. At the same time Luke says that it was the Holy Spirit that motivated Simeon and Anna in their encounter with Jesus and recognition of his role in the history of salvation. In other words, it was the ritual that set the table for the Spirit to become present. That is consistent with the Catholic approach. Ritual for the sake of ritual can be deadly but rituals do provide the occasion for the Holy Spirit to act in our lives in ways that otherwise would not be possible.
