how does the church celebrate the presentation of jesus

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Why do Catholics celebrate the feast of the Presentation?

This feast day celebrates both the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, as well as the Purification of Mary, which was required by the Mosaic Law forty days after the birth of a child.

The Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2, also called Candlemas for the custom of using lighted candles. In the early Church it was often celebrated on February 14th, 40 days after the Epiphany, in keeping with the practice of celebrating Christmas on that date in the East. Among the Orthodox it is known as the Hypapante (“Meeting” of the Lord with Simeon).

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Why is the Presentation of Jesus important?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 529) teaches,

The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord. With Simeon and Anna, all Israel awaits its encounter with the Savior-the name given to this event in the Byzantine tradition. Jesus is recognized as the long-expected Messiah, the “light to the nations” and the “glory of Israel,” but also “a sign that is spoken against.” The sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christ's perfect and unique oblation on the cross that will impart the salvation God had “prepared in the presence of all peoples.”

It is also important to note that, as a poor family, the Holy Family gave an offering of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. However, the Lamb whom they brought to the Temple was the Lamb of God.

At what age was Jesus presented in the temple?

He was presented when He was still a newborn, only 40 days old.

“In the mysterious encounter between Simeon and Mary, the Old and New Testaments are joined. Together the aging prophet and the young mother give thanks for this Light which has kept the darkness from prevailing. It is the Light which shines in the heart of human life: Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, ‘a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of his people Israel.’” – Pope St. John Paul II

Who are Simeon and Anna in the Bible?

The Gospel of Luke 2:22-40 states:

And 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 male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said 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, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Regarding Simeon and Anna, Pope Benedict XVI said,

Even the priests proved incapable of recognizing the signs of the new and special presence of the Messiah and Saviour. Alone two elderly people, Simeon and Anna, discover this great newness. Led by the Holy Spirit, in this Child they find the fulfilment of their long waiting and watchfulness. They both contemplate the light of God that comes to illuminate the world and their prophetic gaze is opened to the future in the proclamation of the Messiah: “Lumen ad revelationem gentium!” (Lk 2:32). The prophetic attitude of the two elderly people contains the entire Old Covenant which expresses the joy of the encounter with the Redeemer. Upon seeing the Child, Simeon and Anna understood that he was the Awaited One.

“… while we are still at the dawn of Jesus’ life, we are already oriented to Calvary. It is on the Cross that Jesus will be definitively confirmed as a sign of contradiction, and it is there that his Mother’s heart will be pierced by the sword of sorrow. We are told it all from the beginning, on the 40th day after Jesus’ birth, on the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, so important in the Church’s liturgy.” - Pope St. John Paul II

What does the name “Simeon” mean?

This is a Hebrew name that means “he has heard” or “God has heard.”

When is St. Simeon’s feast day?

The Church celebrates his feast day on the day after Candlemas, February 3.

Was Simeon a prophet?

In Hebrew navi, a prophet is one who tells, a spokesperson of God, speaking divine truth, or foretelling what will be the consequences for the future. On both counts, Simeon was a prophet, who revealed the truth about who Jesus was, as well as the implications for Israel, for Jesus Himself and for Mary.

What does the name “Anna” mean?

Originally taken from the Hebrew name Hannah, it means “favor” or “grace.”

When is St. Anna’s feast day?

Anna the Prophetess shares a feast day with St. Simeon on February 3.

“In the encounter between the old man Simeon and Mary, a young mother, the Old and New Testaments come together in a wondrous way in giving thanks for the gift of the light that shone in the darkness and has prevented it from prevailing: Christ the Lord.” - Pope Benedict XVI

What did Simeon say when he saw Jesus?

St. Simeon offered this prayer,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

Called the Nunc Dimittis, for the first words in the Latin Vulgate, it is one of the three major Canticles used in the Church’s liturgy. It is said each evening at the end of Night Prayer, the last Divine Office of the Liturgy of the Hours, or Breviary. The other Canticles are that of Zechariah, used for Lauds or Morning Prayer, and of Mary (the Magnificat), used for Vespers or Evening Prayer.

What did Simeon say about Mary?

After speaking of Jesus, St. Simeon then spoke to Mary of her role of accompanying her Son in His redemptive suffering. Simeon reveals, as well, Mary’s own mission of intercession and compassion for us, her spiritual children.

Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:34-35)

“This is the meeting point of the two Testaments, Old and New. Jesus enters the ancient temple; he who is the new Temple of God: he comes to visit his people, thus bringing to fulfilment obedience to the Law and ushering in the last times of salvation.” - Pope Benedict XVI

Who is Anna in the Bible?

Anna is the prophetess who saw the Holy Family at the Presentation of Jesus at the temple. The Gospel of Luke 2:36-38 tells us about Anna:

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

What does the Purification of Mary mean?

The purification was ritual, preparatory to worship, in this case after the momentous events of childbirth and the time of rest or “laying in” afterwards. Thus, the Jewish priest purified himself by bathing before entering the holy place, and, similarly, the priest at Mass washes his hands before beginning the Eucharistic Prayer and handing the Body and Blood of Christ.

Mary, although morally pure, fulfilled her religious obligations by being purified 40 days after Jesus’ birth. Throughout her life, the Blessed Mother was always obedient to God’s Will, in this case expressed through the laws given to Israel through Moses.

“Simeon’s words seem like a second Annunciation to Mary, for they tell her of the actual historical situation in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely, in misunderstanding and sorrow. While this announcement on the one hand confirms her faith in the accomplishment of the divine promises of salvation, on the other hand it also reveals to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering, at the side of the suffering Savior, and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful.” — Pope St. John Paul II

Why is it called Candlemas Day?

This is the day when candles are blessed in the Church and traditionally have been lit in celebration of the feast.

Pope St. John Paul II said, “Christian traditions of the East and West have been interwoven, enriching the liturgy of this feast with a special procession in which the light of candles both large and small is a symbol of Christ, the true Light who came to illumine his people and all peoples.”

How many days after Christmas is Candlemas celebrated?

Candlemas is celebrated 40 days after Christmas. According to Leviticus 12, women should be purified 40 days after a son’s birth (33 days after the boy’s circumcision) and 80 days after a daughter’s birth. The purification was ritual, and preparatory to worship, in this case after the momentous events of childbirth and the time of rest or “laying in” afterwards.

Is Candlemas the end of Christmas?

In the Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite, the liturgical forms and calendar as revised after the Second Vatican Council, the last day of the Christmas Season is the Baptism of Our Lord, when His hidden life ended and His public ministry began.

However, the Church maintains an Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite which utilizes the forms and calendar in use prior to the Council. In this usage, the Christmas Season continues until the Feast of the Presentation. Many Catholics, therefore, maintain their Christmas decorations through Candlemas.

What is the significance of Candlemas Day?

Pope St. John Paul II said,

The prophetic words spoken by the aged Simeon shed light on the mission of the Child brought to the temple by his parents: “Behold this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against ... that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35). To Mary Simeon said: “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Lk 2:35). The hymns of Bethlehem have now faded and the cross of Golgotha can already be glimpsed; this happens in the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered. The event we are commemorating today is thus a bridge as it were, linking the two most important seasons of the Church's year.

What do you eat on Candlemas?

Pancakes are the traditional choice on Candlemas. In Mexico, people eat tamales on this feast day, and in France, they eat crepes.

What are the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary?

The Joyful Mysteries include:

• The Annunciation
• The Visitation
• The Nativity of Our Lord
• The Presentation in the Temple
• The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

What is the World Day for Consecrated Life?

The Presentation is celebrated in the Church as the World Day for Consecrated Life. Pope St. John Paul II instituted this annual celebration in 1997 as a day of prayer for religious men and women and other consecrated persons. This recalls the special offering which they have made to the Lord through their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In Rome, the Holy Father celebrates a special Mass for them at St. Peter’s, which the religious living in Rome attend.

Pope Benedict XVI said,

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is an eloquent image of the total gift of one’s life for all those, men and women, who are called to represent “the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, n. 1) in the Church and in the world, through the evangelical counsels. For this reason Venerable John Paul II chose today’s Feast to celebrate the Annual World Day of Consecrated Life.

The Feast of the Presentation

According to the Church’s liturgical calendar, the feast held on Feb. 2 each year is in honor of the Presentation of the Lord. Some Catholics recall this day as the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary because such was the feast day named until the 1969 changes in the Church’s calendar.

In fact, according to Luke’s Gospel, the presentation of Jesus and the purification of the Blessed Mother took place in the Temple on the same day, and both are remembered during Mass on Feb. 2. Also, in several countries, Candlemas is simultaneously celebrated on this day and involves a candlelight procession that was popularized in the Middle Ages. Until the Second Vatican Council the feasts on Feb. 2 ended the Christmas season. Today, the season ends in January on the feast of the Baptism of our Lord.

As early as the fourth century Christians commemorated the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, but, at the time, there was no feast name attached. In seventh-century Rome, the Church named the celebration the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Mother Mary, and it remained that way for nearly 1,300 years. In the reforms after Vatican II, the feast was given a stronger focus on Jesus (by stressing the Presentation of Jesus), but clearly the events of purification and presentation that took place when Jesus was 40 days old (see Lk 2:22-39) are tied together and thus commemorated together.

Purification and Presentation

Under Mosaic law found in the Old Testament Book of Leviticus, a Jewish woman who gave birth to a child was considered unclean (see 12:1-8). The mother of a newborn could not routinely go out into public and had to avoid all things sacred, including the Temple. If her child was a male, this exclusion lasted for 40 days. If the child was female, the period lasted 80 days. This was a ceremonial seclusion and not the result of sin or some kind of wrongdoing on the part of the mother.

At the end of the 40 or 80 days the woman presented herself at the Temple to be purified. If the baby was her firstborn male child, the infant was brought along to the Temple to be dedicated to the Lord. The law in Exodus specifies that the first male child belongs to God (see 13:2-16). This law is a tribute to God for His sparing the firstborn Israelite males during the time of the Exodus from Egypt. The firstborn Egyptian male children, of course, were not spared.

The mother’s purification ritual obliged her to bring, or purchase at the Temple, a lamb and a turtledove as sacrificial offerings. The lamb was offered in thanksgiving to God for the successful birth of the child; the turtledove was a sin offering. Families that could not afford a lamb could bring two pigeons or two turtledoves. After these animals were sacrificed, the Temple priest prayed over the woman and she could once again resume her normal role or status.

Mary, the ever spotless Mother of God, certainly did not have to comply with this ritual, but did so to honor God and observe all the rules handed down by Moses. She was the holiest of all women, but she still submitted to the humbling requirements of the law. She remained at home for 40 days, denied herself all association with sacred things and on the day required walked the five miles from Bethlehem to the Temple in Jerusalem. Arriving at the Temple, Mary likely stood in line and waited her turn to see the priest.

Nunc Dimittis

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus, Mary and Joseph go to the Temple offering two turtledoves for Mary’s purification. Along with Mary’s willing submission, Jesus is presented into the hands of the priest and thus to God. In accordance with the Old Testament, the child was blessed and then bought or ransomed back by the family who would pay five shekels into the Temple treasury. The Savior of the world is ransomed in the manner of every other Hebrew boy. “When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord’”(Lk 2:22-24; see Nm 18:15-16).

The Gospel of Luke explains that the old prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna were at the Temple that day (see 2:22-38). They, like many others, had spent their lifetime waiting, longing for a Messiah, and the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Savior. Among all the children and mothers coming into the Temple, Simeon recognized Jesus as the Christ Child; he held Jesus and exclaimed this hymn of thanksgiving, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (2:29-32). The hymn has traditionally been termed the Nunc Dimittis , from the Latin, “ Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace .”

Like Mary, Jesus the Divine Son of God did not have to undergo these rituals, but His parents willingly complied in order to pay tribute to Jewish laws, to avoid any possible scandal and in so doing demonstrated profound humility. They acquiesced to the law like all poor Jewish families.

The Holy Family must have experienced great joy, even wonder at all that had happened to them. Consider the events of the previous weeks. First, the shepherds miraculously arrived to adore and praise Jesus on the night He was born. And now, Simeon, another stranger, singles out Jesus as the Savior, not only of Israel but of the world. Someday all the other children being presented will know Jesus as their Savior. But here in the Temple there is also pain. The old prophet, moved by the Holy Spirit, tells Mary that she will experience unspeakable grief because of the outrageous way the world would judge and treat her Son. But Mary remained always committed to God’s will and to her Son.

Feb. 2 is on the liturgical calendar as the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, but in addition to the presentation, the Mass recalls Mary’s humble submission to the purification ritual.

D.D. Emmons writes from O’Fallon, Ill.  

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The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

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Known originally as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient celebration. The Church at Jerusalem observed the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely earlier. The feast celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th day after His birth.

Quick Facts

• Date:  February 2
• Type of Feast:  Feast
• Readings:  Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40 ( full text here )
• Prayers:   Nunc  Dimities , the Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32); see below
• Other Names for the Feast:  Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, the Meeting of the Lord, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

History of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

According to Jewish law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to "buy him back" on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" ( Luke 2:24 ) in the temple (thus the "presentation" of the child). On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification").

Saint Mary and Saint Joseph kept this law, even though, since Saint Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ, she would not have had to go through ritual purification. In his gospel, Luke recounts the story ( Luke 2:22-39 ).

When Christ was presented in the temple, "there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel" ( Luke 2:25 ) When Saint Mary and Saint Joseph brought Christ to the temple, Simeon embraced the Child and prayed the Canticle of Simeon:

Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel ( Luke 2:29-32 ).

The Original Date of the Presentation

Originally, the feast was celebrated on February 14, the 40th day after Epiphany (January 6), because Christmas wasn't yet celebrated as its own feast, and so the Nativity, Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany), and the feast celebrating Christ's first miracle at the wedding in Cana were all celebrated on the same day. By the last quarter of the fourth century, however, the Church at Rome had begun to celebrate the Nativity on December 25, so the Feast of the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days later.

Why Candlemas?

Inspired by the words of the Canticle of Simeon ("a light to the revelation of the Gentiles"), by the 11th century, the custom had developed in the West of blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation. The candles were then lit, and a procession took place through the darkened church while the Canticle of Simeon was sung. Because of this, the feast also became known as Candlemas. While the procession and blessing of the candles is not often performed in the United States today, Candlemas is still an important feast in many European countries.

Candlemas and Groundhog Day

This emphasis on light, as well as the timing of the feast, falling as it does in the last weeks of winter, led to another, secular holiday celebrated in the United States on the same date: Groundhog Day. You can learn more about the connection between the religious holiday and the secular one in Why Did the Groundhog See His Shadow?

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Why We Celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

“God enters the temple not as a powerful ruler but as a little child in his Mother’s arms. The King of glory comes not with a show of human force and power, not with a great fanfare and noise, not causing fright and destruction. He comes into the temple as he came into the world, as an infant in silence, in poverty, and in the company of the poor and the wise.” – Pope John Paul II

On February 2, we observe the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, honoring Jesus Christ’s presentation in the Temple when he was a young child.

Fulfillment of the Old Covenant

Jesus’ presentation in the Temple reflects how he fulfills the Old Covenant. According to Old Testament law, a sacrifice had to be offered in the Temple when a child was consecrated to the Lord. Mary and Joseph honor this tradition, as Luke 2:22-24 describes:

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Simeon, a devout and upright man, had been told by the Lord he would meet the Messiah before his death. When Jesus comes to the Temple, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy. Simeon and the prophetess Anna, acting – in the words of Pope John Paul II – as “representatives of the Old Covenant” – recognize Jesus’ Lordship as Messiah in this culmination of their watchful waiting. When Simeon receives Jesus, he blesses him, and prophesies Jesus’ future as Savior, proclaiming him the Light of the world:

[H]e took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:  “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” – Luke 2:28-32

Living a Consecrated Life

On this day, we also reflect on the gift of consecrated life. While the momentary satisfaction of selfish living ultimately leads to emptiness, living a life of holiness, dedicated to God’s service, will give true contentment and peace. As Pope Francis has expressed :   

Consecrated life is born and reborn of an encounter with Jesus as he is: poor, chaste and obedient… And while worldly life soon leaves our hands and hearts empty, life in Jesus fills us with peace to the very end, as in the Gospel, where Simeon and Anna come happily to the sunset of their lives with the Lord in their arms and joy in their hearts.

Depictions of the Presentation of the Lord in mosaic can be found in the West Apse of the Great Upper Church and in the Rosary Walk and Garden located outside the Basilica.

Butler’s Lives of Saints , ed. Bernard Bangley

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The Presentation of the Lord: a symbol of the Messiah’s embrace

By ACI Prensa

ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 2, 2024 / 04:00 am

Every Feb. 2, the universal Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Mary and Joseph bring the newborn Jesus to the Temple, the holy place, the house of God. The presentation of the firstborn son is equivalent to his “consecration” — it is an act of thanksgiving for the gift received from the hands of the Creator, the source of life.

In the Temple, the Holy Family — Jesus, Mary, and Joseph — meet two elderly people, faithful keepers of God’s law: Simeon and Anna. That simple event contains a profound Christian symbolism: It is the embrace of the Lord of his people, who await the Messiah. That is why the liturgy sings: “You, Lord, are the light that enlightens the nations and the glory of your people Israel” (Acclamation before the Gospel, Lk 2:32).

The Law of Moses

On this day, simultaneously, we remember the ritual purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary after she gave birth to the Savior: “When the time for Mary’s purification according to the Law of Moses had passed, she and Joseph brought the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, according to what is written in the law, ‘Every firstborn male child shall be consecrated to the Lord,’ and also to offer, as the law says, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” (Lk 2:22-24).

According to the ancient custom of the people of Israel, 40 days after the birth of a firstborn child, he was to be brought to the Temple for his presentation. For this reason, the Church counts 40 days after Christmas Day (Dec. 25) to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2.

The prophecies of Simeon and Anna

Arriving at the Temple, the parents of Jesus with the child in their arms meet Simeon, the man whom the Holy Spirit promised would not die before seeing the Savior of the world. It was the same Spirit who put in the mouth of this prophet that this little child would be the Redeemer and Savior of mankind: 

“This child is destined to bring about the fall of many in Israel, and also the rise of many others. He was sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will come to light, and a sword will pierce your own soul” (Lk 2: 34-35, from the Canticle of Simeon, Lk 2:22-40, known as “Nunc Dimittis” because of the Latin words with which it begins: “Now you leave”).

“Also that day there was in the Temple the daughter of Phanuel, of the Tribe of Asher, named Anna. She was a woman of very advanced age; she had been widowed only seven years after her marriage and remained so until she was 84 years old. Anna walked day and night in the Temple, worshipping God, offering fasting and prayers. When she saw the child, she recognized him and began to proclaim to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem that salvation had come” (Lk 2:36-38).

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Presentation of the Lord

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Image: Saint Bernard Church, Burkettsville, OH | v | photo by Nheyob

Saint of the day for february 2.

The Story of the Presentation of the Lord

At the end of the fourth century, a woman named Etheria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journal, discovered in 1887, gives an unprecedented glimpse of liturgical life there. Among the celebrations she describes is the Epiphany, the observance of Christ’s birth, and the gala procession in honor of his Presentation in the Temple 40 days later. Under the Mosaic Law, a woman was ritually “unclean” for 40 days after childbirth, when she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice—her “purification.” Contact with anyone who had brushed against mystery—birth or death—excluded a person from Jewish worship. This feast emphasizes Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple more than Mary’s purification.

The observance spread throughout the Western Church in the fifth and sixth centuries. Because the Church in the West celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25, the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days after Christmas.

At the beginning of the eighth century, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession; at the end of the same century the blessing and distribution of candles which continues to this day became part of the celebration, giving the feast its popular name: Candlemas.

In Luke’s account, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people, Simeon and the widow Anna. They embody Israel in their patient expectation; they acknowledge the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Early references to the Roman feast dub it the feast of Saint Simeon, the old man who burst into a song of joy which the Church still sings at day’s end.

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Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Forty days after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, an event that the evangelist Luke recounts in Chapter 2 of his Gospel. In the East, the celebration of this feast dates back to the 4 th century. By the year 450, it was called The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord because Jesus enters the Temple and “meets” the priests, as well as Simeon and Anna, representatives of the people of God. Around the middle of the 5 th century, we know the feast was also celebrated in Rome. At a certain point, the blessing of candles was added to this feast to recall that Jesus is the “light to the gentiles”. Thus, this feast is also sometimes referred to as Candlemas.

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord , and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons , in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”  (Lk. 2:22-25, 27-32)

The offering

According to the Mosaic law, the first-born male was the Lord’s possession and was destined to serve in the temple. Later, when the descendants of Levi, the Levites, assumed this service in the temple, this prescription was no longer enforced. However, the first-born son had to be redeemed with a monetary offering to maintain the priests.

The meeting with Simeon

“ He came in the Spirit into the temple ”. This is a detail that must be highlighted. Simeon is moved by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains how he “recognizes” Jesus as the Awaited One, the light of the Gentiles. He is the Light before whom one needs to take a stand: “ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world…but the world did not know him” (Jn. 1:9, 10).

A sword will pierce your heart

Simeon blesses both parents, but addresses his words only to the Baby’s Mother. The Baby will be a sign of contradiction: Jesus is the light of the world, but He will be rejected. Jesus will be admired and loved, but He will be crucified, defeated. He will die and rise. He will trod the way of contradiction that will pierce His Mother’s heart.

The meeting with Anna

The Prophetess Anna arrives in the Temple too. From the details the Evangelist gives, it is evident that she too is a godly woman. She is elderly, a widow. Her being a “prophetess”, allows her to discern what others find it difficult to see: the presence of God. She knows how to go beyond appearances in order to see the Baby her people have been waiting for.

The average age at Jesus’ time was approximately 40 years. But Luke says that both Simeon and Anna were “elderly”. People who are elderly generally live on their memories. They are nostalgic for times gone by. It is the young, instead, who live in hope, who look to the future. In this case, we find before us two old people who, before this Child, look toward the future, who expect something, who are awestruck. They sing of joy and hope. These details make us understand how young at heart they were because God and His promises dwelt in their hearts – and God does not disappoint.

We too are involved in this “vision” because all who live the Gospel are and will be signs of contradiction. Courage is required to take a stand before the Lord Jesus, the “ Light for revelation ”. Even more so, this requires first of all being “of God”, like Simeon and Anna. Furthermore, it requires an awareness that everything will not always be completely clear. After all, Joseph and Mary were “ amazed ” by what was said. But, as we know, before this difficulty, Mary “ kept all these things, pondering them in her heart ”.

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Sunday Connection

The presentation of the lord.

God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. The Sunday Connection provides useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

• Readings & Background

First Reading Malachi 3:1–4 The Lord you seek will come to the temple. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24:7,8,9,10 The Lord is the king of glory. Second Reading Hebrews 2:14–18 Jesus became like us in order to save us. Gospel Reading Luke 2:22–40 (Shorter Form: Luke 2:22–32) Simeon recognizes the infant Jesus as the promised Messiah.

Background on the Gospel Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. The Presentation, which is celebrated 40 days after Christmas, is not mentioned in the other Gospels. Only Luke tells the story, most likely because he writes for Gentile Christians who are not familiar with the Jewish rite of presentation and purification. In addition, the intent of Luke’s Gospel is to show that God’s promise to Israel, fulfilled in Jesus, extends to Gentiles.

Luke recognizes Joseph and Mary as faithful Jews who bring Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. Here they present their firstborn son to the Lord. Jesus is thus consecrated as required by the Law of Moses. Present in the temple at this time are Simeon and Anna. Both are awaiting the restoration of God’s rule in Israel.

Simeon had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see Christ the Lord, the Messiah, before he died. The holy man immediately recognized the infant Jesus as the promised Savior, a “light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” Anna also recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise of redemption and spoke about him to all.

Gospel Reading Luke 2:22–40 (Shorter Form: Luke 2:22–32) Simeon recognizes the infant Jesus as the promised Messiah.

Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3) Children at this age like to receive gifts. Simeon and Anna and the people of Israel waited hopefully for the greatest gift of all—a Savior. We too must prove ourselves faithful followers of Jesus by being “gifts” to all we meet. Materials Needed

• Presentation written on a sign or chalkboard
• Symbols of Baptism, such as holy water, candle, oil, white garment, and/or baptismal certificate

Preparation for the Scripture Readings

• Say: In the Gospel Reading for the Presentation of the Lord, we hear about Jesus’ Presentation. Does anyone recognize inside this long word a shorter word that would help us understand the reading? (present) Surely we know what a present is. Raise your hand if you’ve ever received a present. What’s another word we use to describe a present? (a gift) That’s right. Jesus is the greatest, the greatest gift we have ever received.
• Explain: The Gospel for this feast day is long so we are going to read only part of it. Listen carefully and then we’ll talk about it afterward. Read aloud Luke 2:22–32, omitting verse 23 if desired.
• Say: Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to be presented to God. Your mother and father also brought you to church to be presented to God. Look at the items in the front of the room. What are they a sign of? (Baptism) That’s right. Your parents presented you to God in church just as Jesus’ parents presented him to God in the Temple. Baptism is the first sacrament we receive.
• Continue: When Mary and Joseph arrived with baby Jesus, a holy man named Simeon was in the Temple. He was waiting for someone who would save him and all the people of Israel. He was waiting for a savior. Who is our Savior? (Jesus) Simeon knew the minute he saw the baby Jesus that he was the one he was waiting for—a Savior for all people. Simeon recognized the birth of Jesus as a great gift.
• Say: We recognize, just as Simeon did, that Jesus is the greatest gift ever given. All of us who are followers of Jesus are also asked to be “gifts” to others by caring for them. What are some ways we can show we care? (Accept all reasonable answers.)
• Conclude by praying the Glory Be to the Father with the children.

Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6) At this age, children are familiar with their parents or other adults introducing them to people they have not met before. Explain that Jesus, too, was “introduced” by Mary and Joseph to God. Materials Needed

• Collection basket of “play” money
• Say: This Gospel is probably not familiar to most of us. It is read on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which is celebrated yearly on February 2.
• Ask: What do you understand by the word presentation? (Accept all reasonable responses.) A presentation can be the introduction of a new product or a new idea or a new person. Let’s listen to this Sunday’s Gospel. Think about which definition applies.
• Read aloud Luke 2:22–32, omitting verse 23 if desired.
• Continue: In today’s reading, who or what is being presented? (Jesus) Who is presenting him? (Mary and Joseph) What was the name of the man in the temple? (Simeon) Whom did he recognize Jesus as? (the promised Savior) What was Simeon’s reaction? (He broke into prayer.) What had God had promised Simeon because of his great faith? (He wouldn’t die before seeing the Savior.)
• Say: I didn’t expect you to remember all the answers after hearing the Gospel only one time. The important thing to remember is that God kept his promise by sending his Son to be our Savior.
• Ask the children why there is a collection basket with “money” up front. Remind the children that in the Gospel story, “[Mary and Joseph took Jesus] to present him to the Lord . . . and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. . . .”
• Explain: Everything that we have comes from God. From the beginning of time, people have offered sacrifice to pay homage to God and to thank him for his great gifts. Mary and Joseph offered turtledoves or pigeons. At Mass we offer gifts of money to support the spread of God’s Word and to care for people in need. As I pass this collection basket, take one “dollar bill” and write on it one thing you will do to show your love for God. Then put it in your pocket or in a drawer at home as a reminder until you do your good deed.
• Say: Now spend some quiet time with Jesus—your Lord, your friend, and your Savior. After a few moments, pray the Sign of the Cross together.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8) At this age, young people are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities. Remind them that the Gospel, too, is a call to action. We read and study the Scripture to become better acquainted with the ways we can serve God. Materials Needed

• Copies of Luke 2:25–40 (one per student)
• Canned goods and other nonperishable food items

Preparation for the cripture Reading

• Explain that this feast day’s Gospel is a reading for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which is celebrated on February 2.
• Pass out copies of the Scripture reading and ask a volunteer to read aloud verses 25–28 and 33–34a; another to read Simeon’s words: verses 29–32 and 34b–35; and one to read about Anna: verses 36–40. Encourage the readers to speak distinctly and reverently; ask the other young people to follow along silently.
• When finished, ask the young people: How did Luke describe Simeon? (devout, anxious for the redemption of Israel) What promise did the Holy Spirit make to Simeon? (that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah of the Lord) How was Simeon able to recognize the baby Jesus as the Savior? (through the power of the Holy Spirit) Anna also recognized the infant Jesus as the Savior. What enabled her to do so? (She worshiped night and day, fasted, and prayed.)
• Say: Both Simeon and Anna were holy persons whose lives were focused on the coming of the Savior. Even though Jesus was only a newborn, they recognized him because they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
• Point out the canned goods and other items in the front of the room and ask why they are there. (Accept all reasonable answers.) Then say: We are also called to recognize Jesus. We will find him in others. Sometimes they simply need a kind word or acknowledgment; often they may need food or clothing.
• Pray aloud: Let us pray that, like Simeon and Anna, we too will be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can recognize the goodness and holiness in all the people we meet and have the courage to help where needed. Come, Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with compassion and kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen.

Family Connection Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Discuss with the family the persons of Simeon and Anna as they meet Jesus. (Luke 2: 25–40)

Because Simeon and Anna lived lives of prayer and fasting in the Temple, they were filled with the Spirit of God. That is why they were able to identify Jesus as the Savior even though Jesus was only a baby. To these two holy people, he was recognizable as the Redeemer who had been promised. Simeon described Jesus as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

We too are called to recognize Jesus as Lord. Together as a family discuss ways to recognize Jesus as Lord by praying and attending Mass, fasting, and serving others. As a family, decide on one specific sacrifice you can make in order to alleviate the suffering or need of someone you know.

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Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Lectionary: 524

    Thus says the Lord GOD: Lo, I am sending my messenger     to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple     the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.     Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming?     And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire,     or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver,     and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver     that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem     will please the LORD,     as in the days of old, as in years gone by.  

Responsorial Psalm

R.    (8) Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels;     reach up, you ancient portals,     that the king of glory may come in! R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Who is this king of glory?     The LORD, strong and mighty,     the LORD, mighty in battle. R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels;     reach up, you ancient portals,     that the king of glory may come in! R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Who is this king of glory?     The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory. R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!  

Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

R. Alleluia, alleluia. A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. R. Alleluia, alleluia.  

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord , and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.  He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

    “Now, Master, you may let your servant go          in peace, according to your word,     for my eyes have seen your salvation,         which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:     a light for revelation to the Gentiles,         and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted -and you yourself a sword will pierce- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of 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.

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. 

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Ordinary Time: February 2nd

Feast of the presentation of the lord.

Other Commemorations: St. Catherine de Ricci, Virgin (RM) ; Other Titles: Candlemas

MASS READINGS

February 02, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

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• Marian Hymn: Beautiful, Glorious
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• Marian Hymn: Salve Regina
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• Marian Hymn: Virgin Blessed, Thou Star the Fairest
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Library (5)

• Light For The Nations, Glory Of Israel | Pope Saint John Paul II
• Presentation Prefigures the Cross | Pope Saint John Paul II
• Simeon is Open to the Lord's Action | Pope Saint John Paul II
• The Purification, Commonly Called Candlemas-Day | Alban Butler
• The Season's Finale | Dr. Pius Parsch

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• A Sunday Feast: the Presentation of the Lord
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• Christmas to Candlemas: When is the Real End of the Christmas Season?
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Simeon and Anna were two venerable elderly people dedicated to prayer and fasting and so their strong religious spirit rendered them able to recognize the Messiah. In this sense we can see in the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple an extension of the ‘ Pro Orantibus Day’ (For those who pray) that is celebrated on the feast of the Presentation of Mary (21 November). On this day, the Church demonstrates its gratitude to all those in the community that dedicate themselves in a privileged way to prayer, to those who have a particular religious vocation to the contemplative life. In the figure of the venerable Simeon, Jesus’ presentation in the temple, also reminds us that prayer and contemplation are not just a waste of time or an obstacle to charity. On the contrary, time could not be better spent than in prayer as true Christian charity is a consequence of a solid interior life. Only those who pray and offer penance, like Simeon and Anna, are open to the breath of the Spirit. They know how to recognize the Lord in the circumstances in which He manifests Himself because they possess an ample interior vision, and they have learned how to love with the heart of the One whose very name is Charity.

— Excerpted from Congregation for the Clergy

Free eBook:

The Presentation of the Lord

(Malachi 3: 1-4, Psalm 24: 7-10, Hebrews 2: 14-18, Luke 2: 22-40)

St. Ignatius of Loyola taught a method of prayer in which we pray by imaginatively entering a scene from scripture. Doing this enables us to be touched by God in a way that gives us “our daily bread” from God—a meaning from the story that guides, comforts, confronts, or encourages us—a meaning from God particular to us.

Today is the Feast of the Presentation. The Gospel is the story of when Mary and Joseph took the now 40 day old Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to present him to God, in accordance with Jewish law. This story is also the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary.

It is too easy for me to pray familiar scenes like the Presentation in a way that actually insulates me from the daily bread that God would give me from them. They are familiar, so, as I name the fourth mystery I say, “The Presentation in the Temple,” briefly see Mary and Joseph in a structure that looks like pictures of the temple I have seen, and move on with mind and mouth to “Our Father…” followed by mind disconnected from prayer, off on my own concerns while my mouth or part of my mind says “Hail Mary” and my fingers move the beads.

St. Ignatius’ method applied carefully to one of the Mysteries of the Rosary from time to time enables me to be more present to all the mysteries on a regular basis. My prayer group has been studying St. Ignatius’ “imaginative prayer.” I thought perhaps doing it on paper might be a good way to “present” the presentation to you. Doing it so carefully helped me greatly. Perhaps my writing it here will encourage you to do this with mysteries of the rosary or any story in scripture.

As the story begins I picture Mary and Joseph coming from Bethlehem. Bethlehem was just six miles from Jerusalem (about as far as my office is from my parish church). Mary and Joseph have a baby now, so they probably leave Bethlehem with substantially more stuff than they brought from Nazareth. They plan to go home to Nazareth, so all must come with them. For this reason I imagine Joseph guiding the laden down donkey, while Mary walks and carries Jesus. I imagine the two of them walking with smiles on their faces and a lilt to their step. Today is the day they present their child to God! Today they will “ransom” him from God with two pigeons or turtledoves. In this ritual prescribed for Jews from the days of Moses, God says in effect, “your children are mine, but I give them to you to be yours.”

It is 40 days after his birth, so Jesus has filled out a bit. Mary has fed him well. He has bright, inquisitive eyes. He sleeps through most of the journey, but I imagine him alert, looking all around, once they get to the temple. This is his Father’s house, and surely he must have felt some sense of home there.

Leviticus 12: 6-8 describes what was required: “And when the days of her (the mother’s) purification are fulfilled, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tent of meeting, unto the priest. And he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood….And if her means suffice not for a lamb, then she shall take two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons…”

Mary and Joseph took the option for the poor, and offered it as an “act of redemption for the son.” Numbers 18: 15-16 describes this in a bit more detail: “Every living thing that opens the womb, whether of man or of beast, such as are to be offered to the Lord, shall be yours; but you must let the first-born of man, as well as of unclean animals, be redeemed. The ransom shall be…”

These laws, made when the Hebrews were leaving Egypt, were clear about God’s goodness and were in contrast to the cultures of neighboring people. God did not require of the Hebrews that they sacrifice their first-born children to him. “They shall be yours.” But that first-born was, by the standards of the times, God’s. Jewish law and culture ritualized that in the purification of the mother and the redemption of the son. The child did not need to be sacrificed; God accepted as little as two-turtle doves or pigeons as ransom enough to give a child back to his parents. (My mind takes a modern turn here to appreciate how wise that was—to have a ritual for helping all parents understand all human life is a gift from God. I sadly contrast that with our world where abortion kills thousands of children each day.)

I see Joseph purchase the birds and hand them over to the priest. Perhaps Mary and Joseph now turn to go toward Nazareth…or perhaps they pause to pray or visit, as Simeon and Anna come on the scene.

Luke says that Anna was elderly—84 years old. He describes Simeon as having been told he would not taste death until he had seen the Messiah, so I tend to imagine him elderly, too. I see them as two older, righteous people, who loved God much, who pray much, and who yearn for the Messiah. At their age, they won’t be around thirty years later when Jesus begins his public ministry.

So God gives them a special, special gift.

Simeon and Anna see Jesus and recognize him—without benefit of star or angel chorus. Their spiritual eyes who have sought God so much now are joined with their physical eyes to see God’s Salvation in an ordinary, poor child. Their joy is exuberant. Simeon asks Joseph and Mary if he may hold Jesus. They smile a yes, and Mary hands him over. As Simeon’s arms cradle Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives him such beautiful words, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

But then the Spirit gives Simeon additional prophecy of what being the one to bring God’s Salvation will mean for Jesus and his parents, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Just then Anna joins the scene. I become Anna. I feel tears of joy as I see this tiny child and KNOW this child is the answer to my years of prayer. With Anna, I thank God. I see her hold Jesus and carry him over to friends in the temple—Mary and Joseph right at her side. As she gives Jesus back to his parents, I see her going off to tell more people who were also “awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.”

I finally imagine Mary, Joseph, and Jesus heading now toward home in Nazareth, wondering at the day, at this child whom God this day has given back to them.

Today I encourage you to read Luke 2: 22-40 slowly two or three times. Then let yourself enter the scene. What in the scene as you pray draws you and holds you? That is what God gives you today. For me, today, it was this rich sense of being Anna, of joy of having seen and touched Jesus, of my life (as Anna) having a sense of fulfillment. I’m not quite sure of the meaning of that, but it seems to be encouraging me toward more prayer, or, perhaps, God is saying that it is good for me to be often in church praying, talking with the people who come, seeing and loving the face of God in each of them.

What might God be saying to you today?

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Through your reflection, I have been blessed. Thanks.

What a beautiful scene! As I close my eyes, taking myself to be there following & watching the Holy Family in all of their activities from home to the temple and on the rituals of offering & cleansing, i feel different emotions. It is like in a 3D movie, as if I was really there.

Watching Simeon, with Anna, looking the facial expression of Joseph & Mary, really it touches me deeply.

Thank you Sis Mary, you have lead my inner self into a new discovery. Thank you so much for this beautiful and awesome learning. A deeper contemplation of the mysteries of the rosary and of the scripture reading. Your narration too help a lot in knowing the background of the story.

There still more and a lot to be learned here!

Thank you for the example of a very all present form of prayer. God Bless.

As I reflect on this scripture reading of the Presentation of baby Jesus for the purification offering at the Temple in Jerusalem as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child, I remember the baptism of my great nephew, Anthony Michael, on the 6th day of June 2005, he was born April 6. A wonderful celebration attended by family / friends, remembering how I felt that day as I held this tiny baby in my arms.

Thank you Mary, I have been blessed so much reading your reflection on the Presentation, St . Ignatius method of prayer is so wonderful. God bless you .

As i reflect on today’s reading this hymn comes to mind” Oh Blessed are those who fear the lord and walk in his ways” The characters of today’s reading revered the lord true their obedience to the Lord and also their personal relationship with him. In the end they were happy. Its about time i developed a personal relationship with God so i could hear him speak to my spirit and also gain true happiness.

It seems to have a great significance to me that it was human hands that held our saviour and presented him to his father in heaven. And it was human hands that took his life as he presented himself to the father on the cross. As we are human, we as a race were present by representation and were participants at both events. A real mystery to contemplate indeed.

Many thanks Mary for the beautiful comments on this feast. It will help my homily tomorrow. Bob Slattery s.j.

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What's happening at the Presentation of the Lord?

Later this week the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord.

It's a feast that happens every year on February 2nd.

We read about the presentation of the Lord in Luke 2, but the text can be a little mysterious.

What is actually happening  there?

Some claim that Luke himself didn't know . . .

What Luke Says

Here is what Luke actually says about the event . . .

[22] And 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 [ 23 ] (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") [ 24 ] and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

He then records the encounters with Simeon and Anna the prophetess, but at the moment our focus is what Luke refers to as "their purification."

What is he talking about?

The Purification of the Mother

The first thing to note is that Luke is not talking about the time of Jesus' circumcision. That occurred on the eighth day after his birth . Luke has already talked about that and is now referring to a later time.

Specifically, he's talking about the fortieth day after Christ's birth.

We know that because of he quotes from Leviticus 12:8 ("a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons"), which refers to the purification ritual that a Jewish mother needed to perform to become ritually clean again after childbirth.

In the case of a boy, this was on the fortieth day after childbirth (which is why this feast is on February 2--40 days after Christmas, counting Dec. 25 as the first day).

In the case of a girl child, the purification was later.

This leads to a question . . .

Why "Their" Purification?

Leviticus only mentions the purification of the mother, not anybody else. So why does Luke refer to the time of "their" purification?

Some have thought Luke was fuzzy on how all this was supposed to work.

That seems unlikely to me. Luke may have been a Gentile Christian, but he was living amidst numerous Jewish Christians, and in keeping with his habit of investigating things thoroughly, he would have been able to find out precisely how these things worked.

I think another explanation is more likely, and there are several possible ones.

One is that Luke is just speaking in a general way. The rite of purification was something that the whole family was present for. They all made the journey to the temple together, and so it was in some sense "their" effort, even if it was Mary in particular who was being ritually purified.

If a modern family goes to a restaurant to celebrate the birthday of one of it's members, it is in one sense "their" party, even if in another sense it is the party of the one having the birthday.

In the same way, if the whole family goes to the temple for a purification, Luke can speak of it as "their" purification, even if they aren't all being purified.

A Poor But Obedient Family

There are a couple more things to note about Mary's purification.

The first is that the offering she made indicates that the Holy Family was poor. The ordinary offering was a lamb and a dove, but in cases where a family was too poor for that, two doves were used instead.

Despite its noble lineage, belonging to the line of David, Joseph's family had fallen on hard times and was among the poor.

They were still obedient to what the Law of Moses required, though. This is the reason why Mary offers the second dove as "a sin offering" (see Lev. 12:6), though she herself was immaculate.

This act does not indicate that she was a sinner any more than Jesus' circumcision, baptism, or participation in other sacrificial rites indicates that he was a sinner.

And there is more happening here . . .

The Redemption of the Firstborn

Luke also quotes  Exodus 13:2, which deals with the redemption of firstborn males.

The idea behind this ritual was that every male firstborn--whether human or animal--is holy to God, the same way that the firstfruits of a crop were holy to God.

Consequently, they had to either be given to God in sacrifice or redeemed--bought back from him.

Since human sacrifice was illegal and immoral, all firstborn boys had to be redeemed, which was done by their father paying a priest five shekels.

Luke Confused Again?

Again, people accuse Luke of being confused about this. It is argued that the redemption of the firstborn didn't take place at the temple, and so there was no reason for the Holy Family to bring Jesus there.

Again, the criticism is misplaced.

While it may have been possible  for a boy to be redeemed anywhere, it was natural for this to be done at the temple, and we know--in fact--that there was a tradition of doing so.

We read about that in Nehemiah 10:35-36, where the people took an oath, saying

We obligate ourselves . . . to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the first-born of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law.

No Mention of Redemption?

Interestingly, Luke does not mention Joseph paying the five shekels to a priest. Why not?

It could be that he simply takes this act for granted, just as he doesn't go into the details of the rite of Mary's purification. He's cited the Old Testament passages referring to these rites, and he takes that as sufficient indication they were performed.

But some have thought there may be a deeper significance to his failing to mention Jesus being redeemed.

Why might that be?

Still Consecrated

The obvious answer would be that Jesus was considered as still  consecrated to the Lord.

Two reasons suggest themselves. First, as the Jewish Encyclopedia notes :

Not only priests and Levites, but also Israelites whose wives are the daughters of priests or Levites, need not redeem their first-born . 

Joseph was the husband of Mary, and Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, who was "of the daughters of Aaron" (Luke 1:5), so perhaps Mary's lineage didn't require her to have her Son redeemed.

In that case, he was presented at the temple in acknowledgement of his consecration to God.

Or, if the redemption was done, Luke may meant to suggest, on a literary level, that Jesus remained totally consecrated to God.

Benedict XVI comments:

"Evidently Luke intends to say that instead of being 'redeemed' and restored to his parents, this child was personally handed over to God in the Temple, given over completely to God. . . .  Luke has nothing to say regarding the act of 'redemption' prescribed by the law. In its place we find the exact opposite: the child is handed over to God, and from now on belongs to him completely" ( Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives: 3 ).

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Jimmy Akin Jimmy was born in Texas and grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, “A Triumph and a Tragedy,” is published in Surprised by Truth . Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine , and a weekly guest on “Catholic Answers Live.”

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Home › Articles › Why the Feast of the Presentation is More Important Than You Think

Why the Feast of the Presentation is More Important Than You Think

Ellyn von huben, february 2, 2017.

“Down with the rosemary, and so Down with the bays and mistletoe Down with the holly, ivy, all, Wherewith ye dress’d the Christmas Hall” —  Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve  by Robert Herrick

There is one more sacred day that should not be lost in avalanche of the “winter holidays.” February 2 – the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord – deserves more attention than just being the absolute final day for the Christmas decorations. (Not that I am above playing the ‘Catholic card’ when questioned about our lingering tinsel) We celebrate the blessing of the candles for the year – Candlemas – on February 2, as well as the American secular news/meteorological event of Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is what is foremost in many minds when February 2 is mentioned. (Though this winter has been especially harsh in the U.S., so one can hardly blame people for being focused on an eventual respite from the weather. Even if said respite is predicated on the actions of a large rodent named Punxsutawney Phil.) 

After celebrating the Nativity of our Lord, with its splendor in both the Church and the popular culture, it would be easy for one’s mind to drift and overlook the significance of the fortieth day after the Lord’s birth. But we should look beyond our hustling to banish the decorations to the attic, the obsession over the days remaining in this strenuous winter, and endless chatter about Super Bowl Sunday. Because the events set in motion with the Annunciation and Nativity continue with the significant presentation of our Lord in the Temple.

Joseph and Mary’s presentation of the baby was no pro forma event. The words of the prophet Malachi are fulfilled in the poor parents presenting their firstborn son along with their humble sacrifice of two turtledoves. ( Now I am sending my messenger— he will prepare the way before me; And the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple; The messenger of the covenant whom you desire—see, he is coming! says the LORD of hosts.  Malachi 3:1) The mother of God – the Theotokos, in no need of ritual purification – and her husband did not set themselves above the Law.

In their conformation to the Law is God’s entrance into his Temple. Simeon and Anna, pious and elderly, having spent their lives in prayer and waiting in the Temple for the Messiah, have their ‘moment.” There is the glorious Nunc Dimittis of Simeon. (Having sung the Nunc Dimittis at the end of Lutheran Eucharistic liturgies as a child, the phrase “light to lighten the Gentiles” puzzled me. Were the Gentiles substantially heavier than the Jews? Newer Biblical translations often seem less poetic, but Simeon’s words retain the wondrous exaltation nonetheless.) 

With Candlemas we celebrate the coming of the Light of the World. But a shadow also passes; a shadow foretelling the suffering that will precede the victory of the Light over darkness. Simeon not only proclaimed that he had seen his salvation, but also told the Mother of our Lord that her share would include a sorrow pierced heart. In  Redemptoris Mater , Pope John Paul II wrote that Mary heard in Simeon’s words something akin to a second Annunciation, “for they tell her of the actual historical situation in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely, in misunderstanding and sorrow. While this announcement on the one hand confirms her faith in the accomplishment of the divine promises of salvation, on the other hand it also reveals to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering, at the side of the suffering Savior, and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful.”

This is where it starts to get ‘real’, i.e. moving past the holly, tinsel, and jolly carols. The tiny child snuggled in the crèche a few weeks ago is now revealed to be a sign of contradiction. His gentle obedient mother faces a future of sorrow. Simeon asked to depart in peace. What shall we ask of the Lord as we celebrate his Presentation?

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The presentation of Jesus in the temple in Luke 2

The lectionary reading for Epiphany 4 in Year C is Luke 2.22–40 as we celebrate the Presentation of Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem; this is also celebrated as the feast of Candlemas(s) and in many churches it marks the formal end of the Christmas season. (In the Church of England lectionary, we have this reading both for Epiphany 4 and the Presentation, though other versions of the RCL continue reading in Luke 4 for Epiphany 4. In Years A and B, the readings for Epiphany 4 are from Matthew 5 and Mark 1.)

If you are following Luke in the lectionary, this will all feel slightly odd; last week we heard about the beginning of Jesus’ teaching ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth, and have already reflected on the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus’ own baptism, as well as the miracle in Cana . So this is a step back in the narrative before we move on to the catch of fish in Luke 5 and then loop back again to the temptations of Jesus at the beginning of Lent. It feels a bit like playing gospel narrative hop-scotch!

James Blandford-Baker and I discuss the passage in the video here; below it you can find the usual article discussing the text in detail underneath it.

This section in Luke 2 continues Luke’s unique nativity material; Matthew moves straight from the events surround the birth, including the visit of the Magi and the flight to Egypt, to the ministry of John the Baptist. But, in keeping with first-century expectations of a ‘life’ of a significant person, Luke offers (brief) descriptions of Jesus’ upbringing, including the episode in the temple when he is 12 years old.

The narrative once more includes three characteristic emphases of Luke’s work: the importance of Jewish pious devotion as the context for all that happens; the active role of the Spirit in directing events; and the understanding of Jesus as the fulfilment of eschatological hopes.

1. Jewish pious devotion

The whole narrative section begins and ends with an emphasis on pious devotion in fulfilment of the requirements of the law; the ‘requirement of the law of Moses’ in Luke 2.20 is matched by ‘required by the law of the Lord’ in Luke 2.39. We have already been told that Jesus was circumcised (and named) on the eighth day in the previous verse, and now Luke describes two important acts that follow on, the purification of Mary and the dedication of the child, interleaved as   chiasm:

A    ‘purification rites’ B     ‘present him to the Lord’ B’    ‘as it is written… “every male is to be consecrated..”‘ A’    ‘to offer the sacrifice…’

The regulation cited in the outer theme A–A’ is set out in Lev 12.1–8; a woman who has given birth is ceremonially unclean (which, note, has nothing to do with sin) for different lengths of time (depending on whether the child born is a boy or a girl) in this case, for 33 days, so we are a month on from the date of circumcision.  It is often noted in preaching that Mary and Joseph offer the more affordable of the two possible sacrifices as a concession to poverty—but in fact Luke makes nothing of this, and the emphasis is not on this, but on their compliance with the requirements set out in the Law. And we need to beware of projecting our own socio-economic framework on a different culture, where even skilled craftsmen might still be not far from subsistence living.  Like other aspects of the birth narrative, this doesn’t really suggest that they were particularly poor ; it just identifies them as ordinary .

The inner theme of Jesus’ presentation comes from the offering and redemption of the first-born sons (and animals) set out in the Exodus narratives. This offering and redemption appears to have two explanations. The first is in connection with the Passover deliverance itself; in Exodus 13.1–16, the firstborn are to be dedicated to and redeemed from the Lord in parallel with the loss of the firstborn of the Egyptians when the angel of death passes over.

This offering of the firstborn is reiterated in Num 18.14–16, though now in the context of the priestly role of the the tribe of Levi. This goes back to the incident of the Golden Calf in Ex 32; whilst those in the other tribes committed idolatry by bowing down to the calf, the tribe of Levi alone kept themselves pure, so that we read in Num 3.11–12 that the tribe of Levi now has this priestly task .

Originally, God intended that the first-born of each Jewish family would be a kohen – i.e. that family’s representative to the Holy Temple. (Exodus 13:1-2, Exodus 24:5 Rashi) But then came the incident of the Golden Calf. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai and smashed the tablets, he issued everyone an ultimatum: “Make your choice – either God or the idol.” Only the tribe of Levi came to the side of God. At that point, God decreed that each family’s first-born would forfeit their “kohen” status – and henceforth all the kohanim would come from the tribe of Levi. (Numbers 3:11-12)

What is striking in Luke’s narrative is that, though Jesus is dedicated to the Lord in the temple, he is not redeemed and thus exempted from priestly service. Like Hannah’s dedication of Samuel in 1 Samuel 1.24–28, Jesus remains dedicated to the Lord, which makes the episode in the temple when Jesus is 12 seem to follow on quite naturally. It also signals that Jesus’ ministry will restore to God’s people their priestly role, an idea that is picked up in Revelation as one of its points of connecting with Luke’s gospel. In Rev 1.5–6, Jesus is the one who has ‘freed us from our sins’ and ‘made us to be a kingdom and priests’ to serve God, taking up the pre-Golden-Calf language of Ex 19.6. In Rev 7.3, God’s people are sealed on their foreheads with the seal of the living God, which turns out in Rev 14.1 to be the name of the lamb and God, and by Rev 22.4 this turns out to be the high-priestly adornment as they do priestly service in the presence of God in the New Jerusalem which is shaped as a cube like a giant Holy of Holies.

The integration of these two rites serves to emphasise Mary and Joseph as pious observant Jews, which has two effects. First, it undoes the common claim that Jesus welcomed the outsider, but rebuked the religious; throughout Luke it is both the religiously observant and the ‘sinner’ who hears the good news. Second, it contributes to a consistent assertion that God honours the devotion of his people, a theme continued in Acts as the early followers of Jesus continue to worship in the temple.

2. The role of the Holy Spirit

The emphasis on pious devotion is interweaved in this passage with the importance of the role of the Spirit, just as it has already been in the case of Mary (humbly devoted and then clothed with the Spirit and power) and will be in Jesus’ temptations (disciplined obedience which leads to being filled with the power of the Spirit).

Simeon is ‘righteous and devout’ ( dikaios kai eulabes ); the term for ‘devout’ here only occurs in Luke’s writings (Acts 2.5, 8.2 and 22.12) but its cognates also occur in Heb 5.7, 11.7 and 12.28 to describe Jesus, Noah and the gathered followers of Jesus in worship. Although the ‘righteous’ are contrasted with the ‘sinners’ Jesus has come to call to repentance, it is clear in Luke (and especially in Matthew) that being ‘righteous’ is a positive quality to be desired and pursued. But along with this, there is a threefold emphasis on the Spirit: the Spirit is ‘upon him’; the Spirit has ‘revealed to him’ that he will see the Messiah; and the Spirit ‘moves him’ to go to the temple at that moment. It is safe to assume that the Spirit has also moved him, like Mary and Zechariah before him, to utter a prophetic oracle often now known by its opening line in Latin translation, the Nunc Dimittis (‘Now you dismiss…’). Given the juxtaposition of pious devotion and the Spirit, it seems fitting that Simeon’s prophetic utterances now finds its place in Anglican pious devotion as part of Night Prayer in Common Worship (previously in Evening Prayer in the BCP).

The description of the prophetess Anna provides a parallel with the description of Simeon, as one of Luke’s many male-female pairs. Her pious devotion is expressed in narrative terms, as she prays and fasts in the temple in her widowhood. The detail on fasting reflects a special interest of Luke; he offers us detail that the other gospels omit, namely that Jewish devotion involved ‘frequent’ fasting (Luke 5.33), and that this took place on two days a week (Luke 18.12) which we know from the Didache happened to be Mondays and Thursdays. Luke makes much of meals and eating, as symbolising messianic rejoicing; as its converse, fasting symbolises both sorry for sin and exile, and a longing for the messiah to come. Thus here is is connected with Anna’s anticipation of the ‘redemption of Jerusalem’ (the city serving as a metonym for the whole nation). Luke doesn’t mention the Spirit explicitly in relation to Anna, but like Simeon she offers a prophetic comment on the child.

We might say that, for Luke, the disciplines of pious devotion form the vessel into which he pours his Spirit, and without the Spirit such a vessel is empty. On the other hand, the work of the Spirit issues in these devotions of discipline, and without such disciplines the work of the Spirit is incomplete.

3. The fulfilment of God’s promise

The statements of both Simeon (recorded in detail) and Anna (offered in summary) are saturated with the theme of the eschatological fulfilment of the promise of God, as have (in their different ways) the first two of the three canticles in this part of the gospel. This theme will be repeated again in both the ministry of John the Baptist and the teaching of Jesus in Nazareth. There are some important things worth noting about the nature of this fulfilment.

First, Simeon follows Mary in seeing God’s promises already fulfilled in the person of Jesus. Where Zachariah, in the Benedictus, retains a future sense, Simeon (with the Magnificat) uses the language of realised salvation. Even though all that was promised has not yet happened, the confidence in the person of Jesus is such that it is as if we already have all the answers to the hopes that we longed for.

Second, this fulfilment is rooted in Scripture . Every line of the  Nunc Dimittis echoes one of the promises in Isaiah 40–66.

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. (Is 40.5) I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles. (Is 42.6) Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. (Is 60.1)

(See also Is 46.13, 49.6, 52.10 and 56.1).

Thirdly, this biblical pattern of promise is also personally fulfilled . Just as God has promised something to his people, which he now fulfils in Jesus, so God has promised something to Simeon (that he will not die…) which he now fulfils in Simeon’s encounter with Jesus (…until he has seen with his own eyes). The Spirit of God in Simeon has brought the word of God to Simeon, just as the Spirit has brought the word of God to his people in scripture.

Fourth, all these announcements are marked by joy and wonder , as have all the events around Jesus’ birth, both for those bringing the word of disclosure and for those who hear those words. The theme of joy continues to be a significant part of Luke’s account, both in the gospel and in Acts.

Fifth, and in some contrast, they also include warnings of division and pain . This will affect both the nation (‘the rising and falling of many’, Luke 2.34) and the individuals involved, especially Mary herself. The ‘sword that pierces her heart’ (Luke 2.35) might refer to the demotion of Mary in importance for Jesus as she takes second place to the imperative of gospel ministry, but it surely reaches its clearest fulfilment in her witnessing her son’s excruciating death on the cross.

Joel Green, in his NIC commentary on Luke, notes the wide number of themes in this short passage which interconnect with themes already present from the beginning of the third gospel.

There is much to learn from the individuals in the narrative, but if we are going to focus on the most important thing in preaching (not what we must do but what God has already done) we might note in this passage that God honours pious devotion, God sends his Spirit to guide, reveal and speak, and God fulfils all his promises in the person of Jesus.

(The artwork at the top is The Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple by Philippe de Champaigne , 1648.)

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10 thoughts on “The presentation of Jesus in the temple in Luke 2”

Ian, One of the striking aspects concerning Jesus to be found in these early chapters of Luke is the stress on his authority and power : “He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” [1:16] ; “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit —and was led by the Spirit in desert”[4:1]; and “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit —–and he taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.” [4:14]. And yet – in Nazareth? They too recognized this authority and power, but if we allow Mark to contribute to this scene, it compliments what Luke is declaiming: “He could not do any miracles there — — he was amazed at their lack if faith” (ESV -“unbelief”) [Mark 6: 5-6]. Jesus did not acquiesce in this atmosphere of outright hostility and venom. He did not try to placate his detractors. On the contrary he went on the offensive (not, I hasten to add, by his attitude and demeanour, but by employing the Tanach to devastating effect)! There are (at least ) two conclusions to be drawn from this:- First, This passage illuminates the forcefulness, the singlemindedness and the refusal to compromise the truth of the Word of God; something that is clearly exhibited, not only in Christ’s preaching/teaching , but in his whole being. Secondly, this encounter begins a train of events (and continued in The Acts) which reveal that being empowered by the Holy Spirit does not neseassarily lead to unalloyed bliss. On the contrary, it led to persecution and death. And it is no different for this generation!

Yes, I would agree with you. I note quite often in the texts on Luke that he specifically makes reference to power, sometimes where the other gospels omit it.

I think this continues through Acts—the apostles exercise a spiritual power which is at odds with the institutional power of the Jewish leaders.

Than you Ian. You put a lot of work into these posts.

Does Jesus not being ‘redeemed’ also point to his sinlessness; there was no need for him to be redeemed?

You speak of Jesus’ priestly role. I agree. Christ acted as a priest but was not formally a priest. Sometimes we lose sight of the book of Hebrews – if Jesus were on earth he would not be a priest. He came from the wrong tribe. And so his priesthood comes through Melchizedek. It functions from heaven as part of his enthronement and his indestructible life.

Your point that all God’s people are now priests is intriguing. We are all kings too. I’m wondering if the Bible comments on the democratising dynamic. Christ has made us a kingdom of priests. Is this the work of the indwelling Spirit that equips us for a priestly role?

Ian Paul – that was a very nice post – many thanks for putting it up and all the work you put into it.

One issue that arises is pious devotion. Some of the things you mention were clearly prescribed in the Pentateuch; they are meticulously following these things, but they belong to the ceremonial law which was fulfilled and no longer plays any role (circumcision, the length of time one is ceremonially unclean after birth, what one is supposed to do at the end of this period, etc …).

Other things don’t seem to fall into this category. Is there any mention in the Pentateuch of fasting, specifically on Mondays and Thursdays?

So I’m wondering – what would constitute `pious devotion’ which is pleasing to God for Christians living in the 21st century? Clearly the Pharisees thought that their rigorous lifestyle corresponded to `pious devotion’, but Jesus only has condemnation for them. So – what should we be doing?

” – the apostles exercise a spiritual power which is at odds with the institutional power of the Jewish leaders”. Absolutely true! However let’s bring this up to date. “In the last days —- there will be times of difficulty ——–“. There will be those who have “the appearance of godliness but denying its power”. Without entering into a debate on the meaning of the last days, we are now witnessing a Westernised Christianity (not least within Anglicanism) which possesses a form of institutional *authority” – but with a growing declivity in *spiritual power* ; a manifestation I would suggest of a desire, among other things, to recreate a Jesus Christ who somehow conforms to the ever present need in some quarters for *relevancy* (conformity?) to secular values; a Jesus, perhaps, who in response to the question ” Is this not Joseph’s son ?” would probably have answered: ” That doesn’t matter really. I’m only here for you”.

Colin – perhaps true where you are. Right now, I’m living in a Catholic country, where the regime panders to the ultra-religious head bangers. They’re certainly not trying to recreate a Jesus Christ who conforms to secular values – quite the opposite.

How does one comment regarding a situation where information regarding the country is non-existent and where the ecclestical information is sparse – except to say that I have a long- standing, working knowledge of a European country with a Catholic majority. As far as I am concerned, what you have presented Jock is the exception; not the rule!

Colin – yes – I think you hit the nail on the head there.

Apologies for giving “ecclesiastical” short shrift!

Colin – absolutely no problem – you’re right about it being the exception. I’d simply prefer not to go any further down that road and give details, since Ian Paul put up a very nice post – and I don’t want to be responsible for taking the comments section `off topic’.

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Ian Paul: theologian, author, speaker, academic consultant. Adjunct Professor, Fuller Theological Seminary ; Associate Minister, St Nic's, Nottingham ; Managing Editor, Grove Books ; member of General Synod. Mac user; chocoholic. Tweets at @psephizo

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THE BLESSING OF CANDLES: ON THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD IN THE TEMPLE A TRADITION OF THE BYZANTINE RITE

-St. Cyril of Alexandria

Jerusalem, a Holy City! It is holy because it was consecrated by the suffering and death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Church of Jerusalem is the Mother Church of all Christians, since the liturgical year had its beginning there and the liturgical services of the Christians were formulated there. The Christian Community of Jerusalem commemorated the main events of the life of Christ with liturgical celebrations in their historic settings. These solemn festivities, however, were greatly enhanced by the participation of pilgrims who began to throng the Holy Places after the Constantinian Peace of 313. The festive celebration of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, as described by the Evangelist Luke, had its beginning in Jerusalem in the fourth century.

1. The oldest written account of the solemn celebration of the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord dates back to the fourth century and is the work of a Spanish Nun, Egeria, who kept a diary of her pilgrimage to the Holy Land toward the end of that century. In it she writes: “The fortieth day after Epiphany (read : Christmas) is indeed celebrated here (in Jerusalem) with the greatest solemnity. On that day there is a procession into the Anastasis (Basilica of the Resurrection), and all assemble there for the liturgy, and everything is performed in the prescribed manner with great solemnity.” (Egeria, Diary of a Pilgrimage, ch. 26).

It seems that at that early date, the Feast did not have a specific name and was simply called The Fortieth Day After the Nativity. Later it was called The Encounter of Our Lord (Gr. Hypapante; O. SI. Stritenije), referring to the encounter of St. Simeon with Jesus in the Temple which is the theme of the oldest homily on the Feast, ascribed to Hesychius of Jerusalem (d. after 450). In the West, the Feast was called The Purification from Mary’s compliance with the legal purification prescribed by the Law (Lk. 2, 22) . In the English speaking world, however, the term of Presentation was adapted since on that day Jesus was presented (offered) to God in the Temple (Lk. 2, 22). In other places the Feast was called The Candles, since on that day the solemn blessing of candles was prescribed.

In the fifth century, the solemn celebration of the Feast was transferred from Jerusalem to Egypt (cf. St. Cyril’s Homily), Syria and Asia Minor (cf. Homily of Theodore of Ancyra). In 542, Emperor Justinian I established the celebration of ” Hypapante” (Stritenije) as a Solemn Feast in the entire Byzantine Empire. (cf. Nicephorus Call ., History of the Church, XVII, 28). At the turn of the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) introduced the celebration of the Feast in Rome from where it spread throughout the entire West.

2. When St. Simeon took the Child Jesus into his arms, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit and chanted the hymn, “Now You can let Your servant go in peace, 0 Master . .. ” (Lk. 2, 29-32), which was integrated into the service of Vespers. In his inspired hymn, St. Simeon referred to Jesus as the “Light to the Gentiles,” it prompted the first Christians to carry a lighted candle or lamp in the procession that day, symbolizing the mystical presence of the “True Light” (In. 1, 9), Jesus. The solemn procession itself symbolized the journey of Joseph and Mary to Jerusalem in fulfillment of the Law.

The Spanish Pilgrim Egeria made no mention of the use of candles in the procession in Jerusalem, since this custom was introduced later, toward the middle of the fifth century, by a Roman matron, Ikelia. Both St. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444) and Theodore of Ancyra (d. 446) mention the use of lights in the procession of the Feast in their homilies.

The Chronicle of Theophanes attests to the candlelight processions in Constantinople in the sixth century.

In all the religions of the world, the symbol of the deity is the light and the lighted candle symbolizes the Divine Presence. This is more pronounced in the Christian religion in which God is referred to as the “Light” (In. 1, 5) and that He dwells in the ” inaccessible light.” (I Tim. 6, 16) In the Old Testament, God Himself ordered the Israelites to burn lamps as a sign of His presence among the people. (Lev. 24, 14)

In the New Testament, the Christians followed the same prescription as attested to by St. Epiphanius (d. 403) in his letter to the monk John of Jerusalem.

As the Saint was passing through the country around Anablatha, he passed by a building in which he noticed a ” lamp burning.” In answer to his inquiry, he learned that the building was a “Christian Church.” In our churches today, the Presence of a burning vigil-light indicates the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist on the altar.

St. John the Evangelist presents Our Lord Jesus Christ to us in his gospel as the” Light of Life” (In. 8, 12), a spiritual life, a life of grace. In this context, the burning candle presented to us at Baptism is a symbol of the new spiritual life we receive through the sacrament.

St. Matthew refers to light as a symbol of Christ’s teaching: “The people that lived in darkness (of ignorance) have seen a great light .. . ” (Mt. 4, 16) Hence the custom of having two lighted candles, one on each side of the Gospel, when it is read during a liturgical service, as explained by St. Jerome in 378 A.D. “In all the churches of the East, whenever the Gospel is to be read, candles are lighted although the sun is already shining. Of course, it is not done to dispel the darkness but to express our joy … Under the material light that Light is represented of which the Psalmist speaks: ‘Your Word, 0 Lord, is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path ‘ ” (St. Jerome, Against Vigilantius, 7). The burning candles, then, flanking the Gospel during the reading , remind us that the teaching of Christ should enlighten us and guide us on our way to salvation as indicated by the words of Our Lord Himself: ” I am the light of the world; anyone who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life.” (In. 8, 12)

3. In the East, this custom is mentioned for the first time in the biography of St. Sabas which was written in 556. It seems that this practice was introduced during the sixth century by the hermits who, in order to create a prayerful atmosphere in their caves, burned oil lamps or candles in front of the icons. (J. Moschus, Spiritual Meadow, 155) St. Germanus, the Patriarch of Constantinople (715-733) and a great defender of the veneration of icons, explained to one of his bishops: ” Let it not scandalize some that lights and incense are burnt before the holy images, for these rites were devised in their honor, .. . since visible lights are a symbol of their gift of divine grace and the burning incense is a symbol of pure inspiration and the fulness of the Holy Spirit.” (Epistle to Bp. Thomas)

In 787, the Council of Nicaea II approved the custom of offering lights (candles or oil lamps) in honor of the icons of Our Lord, the Blessed Mother of God, the Angels and all the Saints, as well as in honor of the Holy Cross and the Book of Gospels, for ” this was a pious custom since ancient times.” (cf. The Decree of the /I Nicaean Council)

The burning candles and lights placed in front of the holy icons should remind us of the light of the exemplary lives they lived and inspire us to model our lives after their’s in imitation of their “good works.” (compo Mt. 5, 16)

4. The custom of blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation was introduced to fill the “needs of the people.” (I Prayer of the Blessing) Its introduction into our Rite was relatively recent, during the seventeenth centu ry, but its roots reach venerable antiquity. As recorded in The Chronicle of St. Theophanes, Emperor Justinian I had issued an order in 541 A.D. that on the Feast of the Presentation, a candle-light procession be held throughout the city to implore Divine Protection against pestilence and the numerous earthquakes that plagued the city.

And in answer to this holy gesture, God caused the pestilence and the earthquakes to subside. This gave rise to having similar processions on other occasions when the common welfare of the people was in danger.

These solemn processions, which eventually developed into Litia services in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, were later discontinued and limited only to the churches. The faithful , however, continued to use the candles as the means of Divine protection. This prompted the blessing of candles on the Feast of the Presentation which then were distributed to the faithful.

In homes, the blessed candles are lighted and placed before a holy icon in time of serious sickness or the threat of a storm to implore Divine protection, as the family is gathered in prayer. The blessed candle is popularly called the hromnicja” or ” hromnichka” from our Ruthenian word “hrom” (thunder), because it is used at the time of a thunder storm. It is also used by the parents to dispel the fear in children caused by darkness or thunder.

The candle blessed on the Feast of the Presentation is also used when the Last Rites of the Church are administered to a member of the family. It should also be placed into the hand of the dying as the priest recites The Prayers for the Departure of the Soul, sending him to God as the ” champion of Faith” (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. on Hebr., IV, 7).

The blessing of candles on the Feast of the Presentation is closely related to the Gospel narrative, introducing Jesus as the “Light of the people” (Lk. 2, 32) The burning candle symbolizes the abiding presence of Jesus Christ in the midst of the Christian community as He, Himself, had promised :

“Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in their midst.” (Mt. 18, 20) For this reason, the ritual of the Church prescribes that at least two candles be lit on the altar at all liturgical services, and the greater the solemnity, the greater the number of candles used.

The burning candles also create a more prayerful atmosphere in the churches. They remind us that our prayers should come from a heart burning with love of God and they should be directed toward heaven, where God abides in the “inaccessible light.” In this manner, candles make a positive contribution to the fervor of our prayers. The burning of a votive candle in church, besides its sacrificial value (donation), has also a symbolic meaning, namely, the continuation of our prayers after we leave the church.

Lighted candles are also carried in procession for the ” Glory of God” (cf. /I Prayer of Blessing) as well as for the support of our prayers, imploring Almighty God to show us His “mercy” (cf. I Prayer of Blessing).

From this “‘intercessory” character of processions, the protective power was ascribed to the candles blessed on the Feast of the Presentation.

Therefore, at the present time, the faithful use them to implore God’s help in their every sickness and distress.

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Why does Christmas end on the Baptism of the Lord and not on the Presentation of the Lord?

The Presentation of the Lord is celebrated exactly 40 days after Christmas, yet Christmas ends on the Baptism of the Lord, which is the beginning of Ordinary Time.

Why is the Christmas season short when compared to the Easter season, which is celebrated for 50 days? How was it decided that the day celebrating the Lord's baptism marked the end of Christmas?

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• 3 The Vatican says it ends on February 2 Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord (120) . –  Ken Graham ♦ Commented Dec 11, 2018 at 12:09
• Christmas needs to lead into Easter if it is to mean anything. The Rev. Baxter – a former minister of Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh said: "Separate Christmas day from Good Friday and Christmas is doomed. The manger and the cross must be seen together if we are to understand." Christmas and Easter must form a continuum - a never-ending circle of grace - a never-retracted gift of God giving his Son, that we need to receive by faith, irrespective of any date in the liturgical calendar. Make of that what you will. –  Anne Commented Dec 11, 2018 at 20:03
• 1 @KenGraham In your linked document Vatican clearly states , that "Christmastide closes with the Baptism of the Lord." (119) Only until 1969 Presentation of the lord ended Christmas time: "Until 1969, the ancient feast of the presentation of Our Lord(130), which is of Oriental origin, was known in the West as the feast of the Purification of Our Lady, and closed the Christmas season, forty days after the Lord's birth." (120) –  K-HB Commented Dec 11, 2018 at 21:13
• @Anne, Rev. Baxter's comment overlooks a particular interpretation of Jesus' incarnation. Yes He came as a gift from God to atone for our sins. However, some argue that He also came to Redeem our lives --- our lives in full: our work, our meals, our dreams, our daily toils, our play, our prayer, our love! Our lives become redeemed because Jesus' ordinary life (His life outside ministry) was lived --- and lived in full obedience to God the Father. In other words, the life of Jesus Christ has meaning (and is a gift of grace to us) beyond only The Gift (Christmas) and The Payment (Easter). –  ltcomdata Commented Dec 13, 2018 at 22:13
• @Itcomdata, yes, I agree. Although the gentleman is long dead, I think he would have agreed too! The gift of the Son had to include both his incarnation and his sacrificial death. I think that was the point he was making. That tiny quote could not incorporate everything about the wondrous gift given, which we need to receive by faith. Only once we grasp the enormity of who Mary's child was shall the meaning of the cross impact us. –  Anne Commented Dec 15, 2018 at 13:10

Christmastide and the Christmas Season are not the same thing!

The Christmas season still ends on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Some so called liturgical calendars seem to state that it ends with the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, but this is not congruent with the Church's sacred tradition.

The Christmas Season starts with First Vespers of the Nativity of the Lord and continues with a holy joy until the 2nd Vespers of the feast of the presentation of the Lord (February 2nd).The celebration of a 40 day season for Christmas goes so far back into antiquity that it is impossible to know at what point in time it became a tradition. The Feast of the Presentation was established as a feast on this date at least by the 6th century. Mary was obliged by Jewish law to present Our Lord to the Lord 40 days after his birth, thus bringing the joys of Christmas to a natural conclusion.

The Christmas Season ends on February 2nd, but Christmastide ends on the Feast of the Epiphany!

Until 1969, the ancient Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, which is of Oriental origin, was known in the West as the feast of the Purification of Our Lady, and closed the Christmas season, forty days after the Lord's birth .- Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (120) of the Vatican Website .

Traditionally speaking, our Christmas trees should go up on Christmas Eve and brought down on the Feast of the Epiphany with the arrival of the Magi with their gifts of gold ,frankincense and myrrh. On this day the three wise men are added to our manger scenes! In Europe, the Christmas Crèches are only taken down on February 2nd.

Here is what Dom Gueranger has to say on this subject:

We apply the name of Christmas to the forty days which begin with the Nativity of our Lord, December 25, and end with the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, February 2. It is a period which forms a distinct portion of the Liturgical Year, as distinct, by its own special spirit, from every other, as are Advent, Lent, Easter, or Pentecost. One same Mystery is celebrated and kept in view during the whole forty days. Neither the Feasts of the Saints, which so abound during this Season; nor the time of Septuagesima, with its mournful Purple, which often begins before Christmastide is over, seem able to distract our Holy Mother the Church from the immense joy of which she received the good tidings from the Angels [St Luke ii 10] on that glorious Night for which the world had been longing four thousand years. The Faithful will remember that the Liturgy commemorates this long expectation by the four penitential weeks of Advent. The custom of celebrating the Solemnity of our Savior's Nativity by a feast or commemoration of forty days’ duration is founded on the holy Gospel itself; for it tells us that the Blessed Virgin Mary, after spending forty days in the contemplation of the Divine Fruit of her glorious Maternity, went to the Temple, there to fulfill, in most perfect humility, the ceremonies which the Law demanded of the daughters of Israel, when they became mothers.

Besides, who has ever known of a joyous liturgical season (Christmas) being shorter than the season of preparation and joyful penance. Please recall that in some regions, Advent is six weeks long, not four like ours.

Unlike the Roman Rite, the Ambrosian Rite celebrates six Sundays of Advent (beginning with the Sunday after St. Martin’s Day) with proper epistle and gospel readings. These six Sundays were marked by seven Prefaces altogether: one for each of the first five, with two assigned to the Sixth Sunday of Advent. - Ambrosian Preface Texts for Celebrating Advent

If a table of comparision between the Ordinary Rite and the Extraordinary Rite would interest you, the following may be informative:

Christmas to Candlemas: When is the Real End of the Christmas Season?

The liturgical seasons of the Ordinary Form (OF) and the 1962 Extraordinary Form Calendar (EF)

Although there are several differences between the current General Roman Calendar (OF) and the 1962 Extraordinary Form Calendar (EF), the structure of both of the liturgical seasons is still very similar. Christmastide is not another name for the Christmas season , which extends from Christmas Eve until the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord in the Ordinary Form of the Mass. Christmastide in the Extraordinary Form (EF) extended from Christmas Eve until the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6). For on this feast three miracles took place: Catholic tradition holds that on this day the Magi come to visit Jesus, that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan and that Jesus performed his first miracle. Liturgical books of the Mass of Pope St. Pius V call the time following the Epiphany the Time after the Epiphany which is still remained encompassed in the Christmas season of 40 days.

The 1960 Code of Rubrics defined " Christmastide " as running "from I vespers of Christmas to none of 5th of January inclusive.

Closely connected with the salvific events of the Epiphany are the mysteries of the Baptism of the Lord and the manifestation of his glory at the marriage feast of Cana. Christmastide closes with the Baptism of the Lord. Only in recent times has the feast been rehabilitated, and hence has not given rise to any particular displays of popular piety. However, the feast presents an excellent opportunity for the faithful to be reminded of their rebirth as children of God in Baptism. The rite of asperges could be opportunely used at all Masses on this day, and homilies could well concentrate on the symbols associated with Baptism. - Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (119) of the Vatican Website .

Epiphanytide is a whole different subject yet closely related to Christmastide because it follows it.

• Thanks for your answer! I thought that because Christmas lasts until February 2nd, priests would wear white vestments until then, but they return to wearing green vestments the day after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. –  BJ Dela Cruz Commented Dec 11, 2018 at 18:21
• 1 And yet the 1969 General Roman Calendar states "The season of Christmas lasts from First Vespers of the Nativity of the Lord up until the Sunday after Epiphany, or after the 6th day of January, inclusive." –  Matt Gutting Commented Dec 11, 2018 at 21:17
• @BJDelaCruz There were some medieval customs along that line, but they didn't persist nor were universal. –  eques Commented Jan 3 at 16:14
• @MattGutting we can distinguish the ending in a strict liturgical sense from a broader theological or cultural sense. The modern books do say as you cited and the older books distinguish Christmastide from Epiphanytide from time after Epiphany, yet there's still a sense of Christmas through Candlemass. –  eques Commented Jan 3 at 16:15

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