The Presentation of the Lord in the Temple (2 February)
“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.” (Luke 2:22-25)
According to an ancient Eastern tradition, the aged Simeon who held Christ in his arms was one of the seventy elders who translated the Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek in Egypt, at the command of King Ptolemy.
The same story says that when he reached the words “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son”, doubt came over him: “It is impossible for a virgin to give birth.” So God cast him into a deep sleep, and he saw in a dream that he would not die before he had seen Christ the Lord born of a virgin. It is said that he lived for nearly three hundred years, until he held Christ in his arms, the Holy Spirit having made him known to him. Then he blessed God, 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 in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). Simeon rejoiced in the child, as did Anna the prophetess, who also worshipped in the Temple awaiting the Lord’s salvation. And it was said: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel” (Luke 2:34): those who believe in him rise from sin, and those who reject him fall. Simeon also foretold the Virgin Mary’s share in the sufferings of her Son Jesus: “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:35).
This feast is also called “the feast of light”. Candles are prepared for it and blessed according to a special liturgical rite. The candle blessed on the day of Christ’s Presentation in the Temple symbolizes the light of Christ: we await the light and carry it, just as Simeon awaited it, beheld it and carried it. The candles are blessed and given to the faithful, as a sign that the Lord, through his life-giving Passion, sent forth the rays of his grace on those who sat in the darkness of sin and the shadow of death. We take this candle home as a sign that we are bringing the light of Christ into our household. It is often lit in times of hardship, sickness and distress.
It is worth noting that the wax for this feast is made from beeswax, a natural product with no artificial ingredients: the bees feed on nature (and the worker bees are virgins). In the same way, Christ’s human nature was taken from the Virgin Mary. And the server who lights the candles should have every virtue. This visible symbol expresses the Church’s “meeting”, in faith, with the One who is “the light of men”, whom she welcomes with all the fervour of faith, so as to pass this “light” on to the world.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, on this feast of the Presentation of Christ, I remember the gift that Joseph and Mary gave to the world when they presented the child Jesus to you in the Temple. I present to you all the children in my family; I place them before your sovereign will and entrust their future to you. Help me to let go of my own ideas and plans for their lives, and show me how to guide them so that they may live according to the purpose for which you created them. Help me to learn from the example of the holy Mother, whose heart was pierced by the sword of her Son’s sufferings, how to trust in your plans at all times. Holy Family, pray for us. Amen.
Prepared by Rita, of the Sawt el Rab team
