These were always hang ups for me. They aren’t as “obvious” for some of us. For the Presentation I try to think about the fact that neither Mary not Jesus needed to go to the temple, but it’s done out of obedience. Also, Christ IS the temple so it’s kind of like out with the old in with the new. Somewhere in there you would have Jesus’ circumcision, which is the first letting of Our Lord’s blood in a ceremonial sense. Also the offering Mary and Joseph give is that of a poorer class, and we are reminded again of not only Christ’s humble origins, but those of his parents, despite their lineage.
For the Finding of Jesus in the Temple I think about Mary’s emotions- she’s not only lost her son, a terrible ordeal for any parent, but the most special child ever born. And it’s a little bit of foreshadowing, 3 days buried after the crucifixion and all that. She also realizes, probably more deeply, that her son isn’t exactly her own and will be less so the older he gets.
I don’t know if that helps or makes sense.
