A Festival of Light & Hope
Kimberly Hiles / Lent, 2023, Issue 6
On February 2, the Church celebrates the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, also commonly called the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin, since both events occurred on the same day. This feast falls forty days after Christmas and is commonly referred to as Candlemas. Sandwiched between Christmas and Lent, Candlemas is an ancient feast that has developed over the centuries. It is the third of three “festivals of light” (after The Nativity of our Lord and Epiphany) celebrated, literally, in the darkest time of the year.
The liturgy on Candlemas focuses on the meeting of Christ with the aged Simeon, a devout man awaiting the Messiah, the consolation of Israel. Jesus, in the substance of human flesh, is presented in the temple by his parents, according to the custom of the law. A spirit-filled Simeon takes Jesus into his arms, recognizes Him as the Messiah, blesses God, and breaks out into what is now known as the Nunc Dimittis. Simeon’s song includes two Christological statements, both of which are fulfillments of prophecies in Isaiah: Jesus is a Light to lighten the Gentiles” (42:6, 49:6), and He gives “glory to your people Israel” (46:13). This is the first time an Israelite will state the inclusion of the Gentiles! Do not miss the fact that all three songs in the infancy narratives (Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis, Zechariah’s Benedictus, and Mary’s Magnificat) are liturgical in form and have shaped the Church’s prayer offices from the earliest times. Their ancient songs have become our continual song!
Though Candlemas is ultimately a feast of light and hope, it also serves to remind us that the coming of the Lord includes difficult things. Immediately following his Nunc Dimittis, Simeon blesses Mary and Joseph, turns to Mary, and predicts, with a kind of passion prophecy, that Jesus is “set for the rise and fall of many in Israel” and for "a sign of contradiction" (Is. 8:14). God himself is designated as a rock against which men stumble and fall. The theology of the glorious, light-filled coming of Christ is linked inseparably with the theology of the Cross. The Suffering Servant has the great mission to bring God’s light to the world, yet it is through the darkness of the Cross that this mission is fulfilled. But take heart! Candlemas situates us to carry the light of the revelation of the glory of God as manifested in Jesus Christ into the darkness, agony, and death of Lent.
The tradition of lighting and blessing candles on Candlemas can be traced back to the 4th century (300s), when special candles were lit during communion services, and the parish Church candles were blessed and set apart to be used throughout the rest of the Liturgical year. Growing out of this tradition, parishioners are encouraged to bring their candles from home to be blessed for times of personal and family devotions as a reminder that the Light of Christ has come into the world, this Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot comprehend or overpower it. Like Simeon, we can now depart in peace, for “mine eyes have seen thy Salvation.”
Kimberly Hiles is a healthcare professional and candidate for the office of Deaconess in the Reformed Episcopal Church.
