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Christmas 1992: Christ's Presentation to the Temple Scott 915 The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is an ancient feast of the Church, celebrated from at least the 4th century onward. The feast was formerly known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. Jewish law required parents of a firstborn child to present him to the Temple 40 days after his birth. Since the first-born male child belonged to God (“every male child that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), parents offered a sacrifice of doves or pigeons to (in a sense) re-purchase the child. The mother of the child would also be ritually purified according to Jewish custom. The reading for today's feast, as presented in the Gospels of Saint Luke, recount these customs: (Luke 2:22-24): "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."As the account in St. Luke’s Gospel continues (Luke 2:25-38), when Jesus was presented in the Temple, “there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel.” The “Canticle of Simeon” states, “Lord, now let your servant depart 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.” The Gospel states that Mary and Joseph “marveled at what was said about Him.” Simeon also told Mary that many who heard Jesus would fall into sin for not following his teachings, though others would also rise because of His words, while her soul would be pierced, suggesting the sorrow she would witness during Jesus’ life. The Gospel ends with (Luke 2:39-40): "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."The blessing of candles is associated with Simeon’s words “a light of revelation to the Gentiles,” which is why this feast is also referred to as Candlemas, where candles are lit and a procession within a church occurs, a tradition more associated with Western Europe than in the United States. REFERENCES: |
