Candlemas

What in the world is Candlemas? How many of us have ever heard of it?

Candlemas (or Candle Mass) is also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Feast of the Coming of the Son of God into the Temple, the Meeting of the Lord, and/or the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin. Found on record as early as the fourth century, it is one of the earliest Christian feasts. It shows up in writing as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a 6th/7th Century manuscript collection which was called Gelasian Sacramentary associated with Pope Gelasius I. The feast was named Candlemas because this is the date when many churches bless the beeswax candles to be used in church and home throughout the year. On the night before Candlemas the Armenians light candles during a service and take them out into the darkness to symbolically bring light into the world.

When are we supposed to observe this feast? Traditionally, the feast day is February 2; sometimes it is as late as February 14. The Church of England celebrates Candlemas either on February 2 or on the Sunday between January 28 and February 3.

But what is the significance of this particular date? (After all, we do not want to compete with the Groundhog, Ireland’s Brigit the goddess or Brigit the saint, or the Gaelic festival of Imbolc. The Groundhog could possibly be considered a symbol or prefiguring of the Resurrection when he comes “alive again” after being asleep in his dark hole for so long.)

According to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12) a Jewish woman who had a boy baby must go through a rite of purification for 40 days after the child is born. Mary, the Mother of our Lord, was Jewish, so this procedure was required before she could touch any hallowed object or go into the sanctuary.

If no one really knows for certain when Jesus was born, how come they chose February 2 to be 40 days after the Nativity? Christmas was decreed to be December 25, most people think, to compete with the Roman pagan feast of Saturnalia. (One of my sources says this designation was made in the Fourth Century. Another says that in 601, Pope Gregory settled on the 25th.) Anyway, February 2 was declared to be the date to observe Candlemas or whatever we choose to call it.

We in the Lutheran Church observe the Sunday closest to February 2 as the Presentation of Our Lord. In Luke 2:22-38 we read that upon completion of her purification Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. (Jesus was the first-born son so must be dedicated or called holy to the Lord.) When they arrived, they met Simeon, an old man to whom it had been promised that before he died, he would see the Lord’s Messiah. Simeon blessed Jesus, his parents, and left us with the beautiful prayer, the Nunc Dimitus, which we often use near the end of our service. In this prayer Simeon prophesied that Jesus would redeem the world.

After Simeon blessed Jesus, an 84-year old prophetess, Anna, came in and gave thanks for the appearance of Jesus. She praised God for Him and told everyone that He would redeem Israel. She, too, had been waiting for a long time to see the Messiah.

Thank you, Lord, for coming to us to be our Redeemer and the long-awaited Messiah. We know that You came to be the Savior of the world, not just for one group, but for all.

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that 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)