Happy Feast of the Presentation

A colleague of mine sent out an email on February 2nd wishing everyone, “Happy Groundhog Day! Happy National Heavenly Hash Day! Happy Sunny Thursday! Happy National Wear Red Day Eve!”  This was somewhat amusing, but he also forgot a significant feast of the Church (which I am not sure his tradition recognizes, so he is forgiven.  Unfortunately, I also forgot about it last week when I wrote my blog, so I must correct that oversight this week in order to retain my liturgical cred.

The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (a.k.a. Candlemas) gets over looked by most Americans because of the tradition of Groundhog’s Day.  It is (or was) a major feast of the Church. It is 40 days after we celebrate Christ’s birth, and is the usually time when a Jewish family would bring their firstborn son to the temple to present him for service or pay a “redemption” in order to keep him.  This is an old Jewish custom called pidyon haben, in which families had to offer 5 silver coins to a member of the family of Aaron (the priestly Jewish family).  If the family could not afford the coins, they could offer two turtle doves (cue the 12-days of Christmas).  Since it is recorded in the Gospel of Luke that Mary and Joseph offer the doves, it suggests that they were poor.  However, Joseph was a master craftsman and would have made a decent living, so it is probably more accurate that offer was done to be in solidarity with the poor and to whom Jesus would minister. 

The Church also remember this day as the Purification of Mary, which is another ancient custom that women who had given birth were considered ritually unclean until they were declared clean by the priest.  I suspect, although I have no proof, that this is when Roman Catholics believe that Mary’s virginity was reinstated.  This is not my preferred remembrance of the day since I don’t view childbirth as being something that makes a woman “unclean,” but it is part of church history.

In the Anglican tradition, this day is referred to as “Candlemas” because that was the day all the candles for the year used in the church were blessed by the priest.  It is a way to have an outward sign of St. Simeon’s words, “Lord, 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.’ [Luke 2:29-32]

Often, I hear people lament that we don’t have more stories of Jesus’s early life. We don’t know much about Jesus’s childhood because it was ordinary!  We do have this one, and unfortunately, when it falls on a weekday, it goes by unnoticed or uncelebrated. While it may seem arcane, it is also a wonderful acknowledgement of the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph, to follow their customs for their extraordinary child. 

As we enjoy this period between the busyness of Christmas and the starkness of Lent, it is a joyous opportunity to celebrate the light.  As our days lengthen and the earth begins to stir (or at least before the snow falls!), we should stand with Simeon and see the light of Christ burning in our hearts, minds and spirits.  If it isn’t burning, what can we do to set it on fire again?  In a world enamored by darkness and despair, how can we share Christ’s light with all the world?

Collect for the Presentation at the Temple
Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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