February 2nd is a Feast day in some Christian denominations including Anglicanism. Sometimes it is referred to as Candlemas, sometimes as the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin, and oftentimes the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. I’d like to spend a few minutes this morning reflecting on how this feast with various names might speak to our faith community of St Barnabas Church.
Under the name Candlemas, today emphasizes the theme of light in the midst of winter’s darkness. It’s a reminder of Jesus as the “light of the world.” Traditionally the candles to be used in the church during the coming year would be blessed at the beginning of the liturgy. But St Barnabas has switched over almost exclusively to oil-burning candles and processing into the service with a jug of candle oil doesn’t have the same sashay as carrying in boxes of new candles.
February 2nd falls 40 days after Christmas, marking the official end of the Christmas season, I’ll unplug my outside Christmas lights and remove outside decorations when I get home. Candlemas coincides with a time of year when people start to notice the days getting longer. It’s a sign that winter’s grip is loosening and spring is on its way. This natural transition can be seen as a parallel to the spiritual journey, moving from a time of reflection and introspection towards a period of renewal and outward focus. In this sense, Candlemas acts as a turning point between the two major Christian feasts of Christmas and Easter. Of course, we always look upon Jesus Christ as the one pure light. But as we turn the corner from Christmas toward Easter we focus on him as the perfect example. His light shone as he lived a perfect, sinless life, demonstrating how humans should ideally live. He embodied love, compassion, forgiveness, humility, and obedience to God. Our light shines through how we live as individuals and as a community. Our light is like that of a candle compared to the light of the sun which is Christ’s light. In a world to often set on darkness, our light might be what it takes to inspire others to seek the light of Christ.
Under the name of the purification of Mary today’s feast focuses on one of religious rituals for which the Holy Family entered the temple as recorded in today’s gospel reading from the 2nd In Jesus’ day, Jewish women followed a purification ritual after childbirth, as described in the Old Testament (Leviticus 12). This wasn’t because childbirth was seen as sinful, but rather a state of ritual impurity, similar to other bodily experiences. Here’s a breakdown: for 7 days following the birth of a baby boy, the mother was considered ritually impure. After the initial period of impurity, there was a longer period of purification during which the woman had certain restrictions. This period lasted for 33 days, after giving birth to a boy. At the end of the purification period, the woman would bring a sacrifice to the Temple in Jerusalem. This usually consisted of a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. If the family was poor and couldn’t afford a lamb, two pigeons or turtledoves could be offered instead. The concept of ritual impurity was different from sin. It was a state that required purification, but not necessarily due to any wrongdoing. During the periods of impurity and purification, women may have had certain social restrictions, such as not entering the Temple or touching holy objects. The purification ritual symbolized the woman’s return to full participation in the religious and social life of the community after childbirth. It would have been a celebratory moment for the Holy Family for Mary to return to the temple.
These purification practices might seem strange, even offensive to us. But consider two practices that we’ve undertaken already this morning. On this feast day, I censed the altar. This is a rite of purification. Censing the altar is a way of preparing it for the celebration of the Eucharist, symbolizing its holiness and the presence of Christ. The first prayer of the mass is the collect for purity in which the priest prayers on behalf of all the gathered, “cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name.” We acknowledge our need for purification, confident that through the sacrifice of Christ and the refining fire of the Holy Spirit we might be made pure and holy.
Under the name of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple we consider the Holy Family participate in another Jewish ritual. According to Jewish tradition, the firstborn son belonged to God. To “redeem” him, parents would offer a sacrifice at the Temple. This was a symbolic act of acknowledging God’s ownership over their child. Presenting Jesus in the Temple was also a public declaration of his birth and his place within the Jewish faith. It was an opportunity for Mary and Joseph to dedicate their son to God and to seek God’s blessing upon him.
In our liturgy we make dedications and seek God’s blessing. When the financial offer is brought forward, I pray “All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.” Moments later I say, pray that this my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to These are a reminder that giving is an act of worship and a recognition of God’s abundant provision. It encourages us to give generously and willingly, knowing that everything we have is a gift from God. In a post-communion prayer often used at our midweek mass, these words are included: And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice unto thee.
When Mary placed her small son into the arms of Simeon, it was the meeting at the old and new dispensations. The old sacrifices, the burnt offerings and oblations, were done away; a new and perfect offering had come into the temple. God had provided himself a lamb for the burnt-offering, his only Son. Christ’s offering was made once for all on the cross. At every Eucharist those who are in Christ recall that sinless offering, and unite “themselves, their souls, and bodies” with the self-oblation of their Lord and Saviour. God, in the person of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit is the originator and source of the action in today’s gospel passage.
I’ve long been inspired by Simeon and Anna for their lives of faithfulness to God, and it warms my heart that God offers them a particular revelation in the infant Jesus as they approach the end of their days. Older adults, with the wisdom that can come with years of faithful practice, are by grace offered an awareness of God’s presence that they might have missed while they were busy making a life for themselves.
Simeon’s words constitute the Nunc Dimittis traditionally sung at Anglican Evensong services, and which we will sing before we leave this space. It is my conviction that every follower of Jesus should anticipate the type of awareness that prompted Simeon to say. “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Simeon’s words potently reflect his attitude of serving the Lord. He recognizes the revelation as a blessing which brings him peace. Peace that comes not in seeing the final endpoint but in the assurance that God is at work and will continue to be at work even after Simeon is no longer physically able to offer himself to God’s service. It is not by human reason and understanding that Simeon, would expect that Jesus, who was then an utterly dependent 40-day old infant, would bring salvation to all. We have 2000 years of witness of what Jesus, and his mystical body the Church, has done. But like Simeon, we cannot know the precise details of how God’s saving work will unfold, rather we move into the future by faith.
Let us learn from this multifaceted feast, to see and reflect Christ’s light, to ask for God’s purifying grace, and to present ourselves and our possessions with gratitude to God’s service. And finally, like the prophetess Anna in the temple, may our words and actions bring praise to God and may we speak about the child to all who are looking for redemption. +