The presentation of the Lord’s biblical beginnings

Jan 30, 2015

By Father Lawrence E. Mick
When does Christmas end? Some think it ends on Dec. 25. Others observe the 12 days of Christmas. Our current liturgical calendar says the Christmas season ends with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, usually the Sunday after Epiphany.

There was a time when Christmas ended on Feb 2 with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which made Christmas last for 40 days.

It makes sense that this feast was considered part of Christmas because the biblical basis is part of the infancy narrative in the Gospel according to St. Luke. The Gospel reading for the feast begins with these words: “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.”

What law were they following? One passage deals with the purification of the mother. Leviticus 12:1-8 says that a woman who gives birth to a boy becomes ritually unclean for seven days. Then the boy is to be circumcised, and the mother is to spend 33 more days becoming purified. (If the baby was a girl, this required 80 days.)

This passage also calls for an offering of a lamb and a pigeon or a turtledove. If the family is poor, they may offer just two pigeons or doves.

In another passage, from Exodus 13:2, God says, “Consecrate to me every firstborn; whatever opens the womb among the Israelites, whether of human being or beast, belongs to me.” So Jesus, the firstborn child, is presented in the temple to consecrate him to God.

Another part of the Gospel we hear on this feast led to another name for it. When he sees the child Jesus, Simeon says that Jesus will be “a light for revelation to the gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” This led to the custom of blessing and using lighted candles at the Mass of the day, which gave the feast its nickname of Candlemas Day.

Some readers may remember seeing boxes of candles blessed on this day for use in Church throughout the year. Some may also remember getting two candles to take with them for home use. Our current missal puts the emphasis on the ancient practice of the faithful holding lighted candles, which are then blessed and carried in procession (or held during the entrance procession of the ministers, if the whole assembly cannot process).

At one time, the faithful lit and held their candles during the Gospel and during the eucharistic prayer at this Mass, but today, the candles are used only in the opening procession. Holding candles on this day might remind us of our baptismal candles and our mission to be “the light of the world” and lead others to Christ.