The Presentation of the Lord / Candlemas

by Rev. Gabriel Baltes, O.S.B.  |  01/29/2023  |  A Message from Our Pastor

Dear Faithful Parishioners,

Winter lingers on and, for some people, has over stayed its welcome. Christmas is a faded memory. Most of the holiday decorations have been stored away until next year, except for here at St. Joan of Arc Church. Lent, and certainly Easter, are far too distant to have immediate impact on our psyches. So we are left with this time of February which I have always found an awkward month for all the reasons I noted previously.

The church, in her great wisdom begins this “awkward month” with one of its loveliest liturgical celebrations, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, sometimes referred to as “Candlemas Day.” Although the Christmas season officially ends with the feast of the Lord’s Baptism, historically, it was sometimes extended up until February 2. In some parts of Europe, for example, including St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, outdoor Nativity displays remain displayed as well as Christmas trees and other décor. It seems like Christmas is a season that many of us do not want to let go of.

The feast of the Lord’s Presentation marks the 40th day after Jesus’ birth when Mary and Joseph took their child to Jerusalem where he was ritually presented to God in the temple. This was a required custom for every first born child. In the Eastern Church this feast is referred to as Hypapante, which in Greek, means “The Meeting.” It denotes the meeting of Jesus, the new temple, with the former temple that symbolized God’s presence among his people. It also celebrates the meeting of Anna and Simeon with the Holy Family and the child Jesus for whom they waited and prayed.

Eventually the practice of blessing church candles was added to this February 2 feast. It seemed that there was an older practice that pre-dated Christianity, where on this day people processed through the town with lit candles remembering their beloved dead and expressing their hope for a greater return of the life-giving sun which, after the winter solstice, was only slowly shining with longer hours. We in the Catholic tradition combined these two historical events, the Presentation of the Lord in the temple and the celebration of light via the human made instruments of wax candles. We ultimately recognize that the child once presented in the temple, is the true light that God gave to the world.

Here at St. Joan of Arc, we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord at an evening liturgy on February 2, at 7:00. We begin in the lobby with the blessing of all (or almost all) the candles that we will use in the upcoming year during our liturgical rites. All hold a lit candle as we thank our Creator for the gift of waxen tapers. We then process into the main body of the church for the Liturgy of Word and Eucharist where we offer praise to God who enlightens every mind and heart so that we may follow Christ with greater integrity, eagerness and joy.

I invite all our parishioners to join us for this solemn celebration and to bring a candle or two from home to be blessed. These are then taken back the home and lit for those special celebrations that are a part of every family, e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, remembrances of deceased relatives and/or friends. By such a simple and elegant custom, the home is enhanced as the domestic church in which the faith is preserved and handed on to its members.

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