Candlemas

Mine Eyes Have Seen Thy Salvation

The night before the Exodus from Egypt, God instructed the Israelites that he would spare the firstborn of every house if they smeared blood over their doorpost. Because of this gracious act, the Jews honored God with their firstborn sons, dedicating these sons’ lives to the service of God and acknowledging their gratefulness to God for sparing the life of their child. The presentation of firstborn sons at the Temple reflected this, remembering the Exodus and fulfilling the law.

Likewise, the purification of the mother came from instructions in Leviticus that commanded that at the fortieth day after the birth of her son, the mother should appear at the door of the Tabernacle, bringing a lamb—or if her family could not afford a lamb, two pigeons or turtledoves—for sacrifice. The priest would accept this offering and pray for her, and she would go on her way cleansed.

This might seem strange to us because the act of having a child has been almost universally accepted as a blessing in Jewish and Christian cultures. We might ask, “Why would Mary—or any new mother—have to be cleansed from sin?” However, the law of purification was not for the forgiveness of sins; it was merely an offering meant to reflect the mother’s awareness of her own reliance on God during the birth and healing period.

Here lies the significance of Mary and Jesus’ journey to the Temple, as Jesus was the main thing that was presented at the temple. Mary had relied on God with utmost faith during her pregnancy and delivery of Jesus. Now, at their appearance at the Temple, it was clear that Jesus was the offering! He was the perfect fulfillment of the law!

St. Simeon, who was waiting in the Temple, recognized this and prayed the Nunc Dimittis, saying, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:28-32).

A Brief History

The Feast of the Presentation and Purification comes forty days after Christmas, fitting the pattern of forty days can also be found in the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter or the time between Easter and the Ascension.

As we discussed in our post for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, because Christmas has been celebrated on December 25th since the earliest centuries of the Church, it makes sense that Candlemas has also been celebrated on February 2nd for nearly as long, with celebrations documented beginning in at least the fourth century. There are many sermons for this feast written by some of the early Church fathers including Cyril, Gregory, and John Chrysostom, all dating back to the fourth century.

The name Candlemas (Candle Mass) has developed over time. It stems from Simeon’s symbolic reference to Jesus as “a light to lighten the Gentiles.” Consequently a day for the blessing and consecration of candles in the Church, this date has often been an occasion for meditation on Christ coming to be a light to the world, a culmination of the traditional meaning of the Epiphany season.

Further, since Candlemas is the end of Christmas-Epiphany, many historically associated the feast with a somewhat bittersweet and melancholy feeling. After all, it marks the end of a two-month period that has been spent rejoicing in the place that the infant Jesus has in our lives and our households. It can certainly be hard to let go of that special joy and warm comfort that the Christmas cycle brings Christians.

Additionally, the celebration of Candlemas reminds many of the impending darkness of Lent, a period in which Jesus’ light is very much needed as Christians spend another forty days reflecting on the gravity of our Lord’s sacrifice for us. Yet even as Candlemas marks the end of one of the most celebratory seasons of the liturgical year, we pray that its commemoration in our parishes and homes may help us all to remember the light that Jesus is in our lives and his perfect fulfillment of the law.

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God: we humbly beseech Thy Majesty, that, as Thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our flesh, so Thou wouldst grant to us also to be presented unto Thee with purified souls; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Lessons

Resources

References:
1. Parsch, Pius. The Church’s Year of Grace: Advent to Candlemas. The Liturgical Press. 1963.
2. Weedon, William. Celebrating the Saints. Concordia Publishing House. 2016.
3. von Trapp, Maria. Around the Year with the von Trapp Family. Sophia Institute Press. 2018.
4. Newland, Mary Reed. The Year and Our Children: Planning the Family Activities for the Church Year. Image Books. 1964.

Images:
1. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Albrecht Dürer, Germany, 1511.
2. Presentation Of Jesus In The Temple, Merry-Joseph Blondel, France, 1849.
3. Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, Giovanni Bellini, Italy, 1493.