February 2nd - The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the Purification or Candlemas

[Elizabeth]

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
The Purification, or Candlemas

The law of God, given by Moses to the Jews, ordained that after childbirth a woman should continue for a certain time in a state which that law calls unclean, during which time she was not to appear in public. This term was of forty days following the birth of a son, and double that time for a daughter. When the term expired, the mother was to bring to the Temple a lamb and a young pigeon or turtle-dove, as an offering to God. These being sacrificed to Almighty God by the priest, she was cleansed of the legal impurity and reinstated in her former privileges. A dove was required of all as a sin-offering, whether rich or poor; but as the expense of a lamb might be too great for the poor, these were allowed to substitute for it a second dove. Such was the case, Scripture tells us, for the Holy Family. (Luke 2:24)

Our Saviour having been conceived by the Holy Ghost, and His Blessed Mother remaining always a spotless virgin, it is evident that She was not subject to the law of purification, but devotion and zeal to honor God by every observance prescribed by His law, prompted Mary to perform this act of religion.

Besides the law which obliged the mother to purify herself, there was another which required that the first-born son be offered to God, and that after his presentation the child be ransomed with a certain sum of money, and specific sacrifices offered on the occasion. Mary complied exactly with all these ordinances. She obeyed not only in the essential points of the law, but had strict regard to all the circumstances. On the day of Her purification She walked several miles to Jerusalem, with the world's Redeemer in Her arms. She waited for the priest at the gate of the Temple, made Her offerings of thanksgiving and expiation, and with the most profound humility, adoration and thanksgiving, presented Her divine Son, by the hands of the priest, to His Eternal Father. She then redeemed Him with five shekels, as the law appoints, and received Him back again as a sacred charge committed to Her special care, until the Father would again demand Him for the full accomplishment of man's redemption.

The ceremony of this day closed in a third mystery — the meeting in the Temple of the holy prophets Simeon and Anne with the Divine Infant and His parents. Saint Simeon, on that occasion, received into his arms the object of all his desires and sighs, and praised God for the happiness of beholding the much-longed-for Messiah. He foretold to Mary Her martyrdom of sorrow, and that Jesus would bring redemption to those who would accept it on the terms it was offered, but a heavy judgment on all who would obstinately reject it. Mary, hearing this terrible prediction, courageously and sweetly committed all to God's holy Will. Simeon, having beheld Our Saviour, exclaimed: Now Thou canst dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, in peace, according to Thy word, because mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. The aged prophetess Anne, who had served God with great fervor during her long widowhood, also had the happiness of recognizing and adoring the Redeemer of the world. This feast is called Candlemas, because the Church blesses the candles to be borne in the procession of the day.

[Elizabeth]

FEBRUARY 2nd - THE PURIFICATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

PURPOSE OF THIS FEAST

Benedict XIV believes that the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin has an apostolic origin. It is certain, at least, that it was already ancient in the fifth century. - For a long time, it was a feast of precept.

The Greek Church and the Church of Milan rank the solemnity of February 2nd among the feasts of Our Lord. But the Roman Church has always counted it among the feasts of the Blessed Virgin. "Without a doubt," says D. Guéranger, "the Child Jesus is offered today in the temple and redeemed; but it is the occasion for the Purification of Mary, of which this offering and redemption are a consequence. "

Our Lord, as St. Paul remarks, in becoming man, wanted to be born under the law; that is to say, without being obliged to do so, since He was the Supreme Lawgiver, He deigned to submit to all the observances that this law imposed on the Jews. He also subjected His Mother to it.

Now, there were two precepts concerning mothers to whom God granted a newborn child.

The first one was general and addressed to all. He commanded the women of Israel, after they had given birth, to stay forty days, if they had given birth to a son, and eighty, if it was a daughter, without coming near the tabernacle. When this time had expired, they were to offer a sacrifice to be purified. This sacrifice consisted of a lamb that was to be consumed as a burnt offering. A turtledove and a dove were added to it, to be offered, according to the ritual of the sacrifice, for sin. Mothers who were too poor to present a lamb could replace it with another turtledove and dove. The sin sacrifice was for the sin in which the child was born. The holocaust meant the consecration of the child to God. That is why the child was presented to the Lord at the same time.

The second precept only concerned the first-born, both men and animals. All the firstborn of Israel were to be redeemed from the Lord, for He had reserved them for Himself as His own possession, when He had spared His people by striking the firstborn of Egypt, from man to beast of burden.

If Mary had been an ordinary woman and Jesus a child like the others, They would have been under the obligation of the law. But, apart from the fact that the law is subject to the legislator, it was irrelevant here. For the Most Pure Virgin had not contracted any defilement through Her virginal birth, and the life of the incarnate Son of God did not need to be redeemed for money, since it was to be sacrificed for the redemption of all. But the Word made man wanted to be like His adopted brothers in everything except sin. He submitted Himself and His Mother under the humiliating yoke of the law.

When the forty days marked by the law had passed, Mary came to the Temple, carrying her Son in Her arms and accompanied by St. Joseph.

FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECIES ABOUT THE NEW TEMPLE - SIMEON AND ANNE

Jesus' entry into the Temple in Jerusalem fulfilled a prophecy of the prophet Haggai.

When Zerubbabel returned from the captivity of Babylon and raised the Temple from its ruins, the old men, who had seen the Temple of Solomon in its glory, were saddened when they compared the new construction to it, and the Temple of Zerubbabel was in their eyes as if it were not, said the prophet. Haggai consoled them, saying:

"Take courage, Zerubbabel; take courage, Jesus, Son of Josedec, Supreme Pontiff; take courage, people of this earth. For this is what the Lord, God of hosts, says: A little while longer; I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and the continents; I will shake the peoples; and the desire of all nations will come; and I will fill this house with glory. The glory of this second house shall be greater than that of the first, and in that place, I will give peace, says the Lord God of hosts. »

Malachi, the last of the prophets of Israel, confirmed the words of Haggai: "The Dominator you seek, and the Angel of the testament you desire, will come quickly into His temple. Here He comes, says the Lord of hosts. And who will be able to know the day of His coming, and who will be there to see Him when He comes?”

The prophet means that Israel, as a nation, will not recognize and receive its desired Messiah. Many, however, will receive Him and be saved.

These happy faithful, children of peace and salvation, are represented in the Temple by the old man Simeon and Anna the prophetess. "Who will be there to see him," Malachi asked. Behold, these two holy figures are awakening to answer the prophet's desire.

There was in Jerusalem, says St. Luke, an old man named Simeon, a just and God-fearing man, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was with him. He had known by revelation that he would not see death until he had contemplated the Lord's Christ. He knew, moreover, by prophecy, that the time of His coming had come. "This is why, " says St. Vincent Ferrier, "he went to the temple every day and when he saw a mother entering the temple with a child in her arms, he would ask: Is it a son or a daughter?" And the Holy Ghost said nothing to him until the day when Mary came with Her Son.

On that day, the Holy Ghost said to him, "Today you will meet the Messiah, your King, in the Temple, and you will be able to contemplate Him. "

So, Simeon got up early in the morning, purified himself and put on his best clothes; he was fit to receive a king. Then he hurried to the Temple.

When Mary entered with Joseph, the Holy Ghost said to him, "Simeon, this is the Mother of the One you are waiting for, and Her Son is the King and the Messiah promised in the law." Immediately the old man worshipped Him weeping with joy. He took the Child in his arms and sang this song:

"Now, O Lord, Thou will let Thy servant go in peace, according to Thy word; for my eyes have seen the Savior Thou were preparing, the Light that is to enlighten the Gentiles, the Glory of Thy people Israel.”

This inspired hymn is the cry of the Old Testament that fades before the New and prepares to disappear.

But who can tell the displacements of Simeon, in whom lived all the desires of the patriarchs and prophets, when he held in his arms Him Who was the fulfillment of them? St. Francis de Sales meditating on this mystery, with his naive tenderness, cried out: "But, this Simeon, is he not blessed to embrace this Divine Child? Yes, but I cannot be grateful to him for the bad trick he wanted to do; for, being out of himself, he wanted to take Him with him into the other world:  Now, he says, let Thy servant go in peace. Alas! We still needed Him, the rest of us!"

Mary and Joseph were in awe because of all that was said about Jesus. No doubt They knew perfectly well that Jesus was God's beloved Son and the promised Savior of the world, but They admired the wonderful way God had revealed some secrets that Their humility had revealed to no one.

Simeon showered Them with blessings and then, seeing prophetically in this Child the victim who was to be immolated for sinners, he said to Mary, His Mother: "This Child is established for the ruin and resurrection of many in Israel, and to be a sign of contradiction. And Thy own soul shall be pierced with a sword of sorrow, that the thoughts of many, which were hidden in the depths of their hearts, may be revealed.”

There was also in Jerusalem a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, and had lived only seven years with her husband, and she had remained a widow until the age of eighty-four, not leaving the Temple, serving God day and night in fasting and prayer. So, when she came at the same time as Simeon, she also began to praise the Lord, and since then she has spoken of Him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Israel.

HOW MARY HUMILIATED HERSELF IN THE TEMPLE

The Gospel, after speaking of the meeting of the old man Simeon and Anna the prophetess, only adds that Mary fulfills all that was prescribed by the law, that is, the ceremony of purification and redemption of Her Firstborn. We will borrow again from Saint Vincent Ferrier the pious considerations he makes on these two subjects.

"There was a place in the Temple," he says, "and this custom is still observed among Jews today, a place reserved for noble and wealthy women, another for women of low status, and a third for virgins. Mary, on entering, examined to see which group She should join. She belonged to the highest nobility, since She was the daughter of David; but She was poor and simply clothed, for She had given, for the love of God, all the gold brought to Her by the kings of the East and wanted to live only by the work of Her hands. If She had gone to the side of the rich, those haughty women could have said to Her, "Go to the place that suits Thee. What! the Wife of a craftsman claims to take Her place among us!" She had the right to associate with virgins, being Herself the most excellent of virgins. But the virgins would have said to Her: "How can Thou come with us, Thou who have a husband and a Son?”

"So, She went to be with the poor women of the people. And so, the prophecy of the book of Canticles was fulfilled: "My Beloved is among women like a lily among thorns." And this was the first example of humility that Mary gave on that day.

"She gave a second no less astonishing one by complying with the prescriptions of the law. For the law commanded that the woman, forty days after giving birth, should come to the temple, and kneeling before the priest, she said, "This is my oblation; offer the sacrifice for me, that God may forgive me my sins." The priest offered the sacrifice and then blessed the woman, and she withdrew.

"The Virgin Mary wanted to go through all these observances. She said to the priest: "Today is the fortieth day since I gave birth to this Son; He was circumcised on the eighth day and received the name of Jesus." And She gave him Her offering of two turtledoves and two doves, asking him to pray for Her. O height of humility! The Blessed Virgin said to the sinner: “Pray for Me.” And the priest did not know Her. But Isaiah knew Her better when he said, "Behold, the Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and His name will be Emmanuel," that is, God with us.

Jesus did not cede Himself in humility to His Mother when He wanted to be presented to God. He certainly did not need it, for He had not left His Father to come to the earth, but He had come down as the ray that does not separate from the sun to come and lighten the earth. Yet He wanted to be presented to Him as a stranger.

He was born so poor, that His Mother could not offer a lamb to the priest for Him. It was not fitting, moreover, that She should present this figurative lamb, when She carried in Her arms the true Lamb of God and came to offer to the Heavenly Father the Great Victim who was to be immolated for the salvation of all men. So, Mary was content to offer, like the poor, two turtledoves and two doves.

THE SON OF GOD IS REDEEMED ACCORDING TO THE LAW

The law of redemption of the first-born had yet to be fulfilled.

"The first-born child," said Saint Vincent Ferrier, "belonged to God and to the priest. But he was redeemed at the price of five shekels of silver. If his parents could not provide the five shekels, the child remained with the priest and was brought up to serve in the temple.

"Mary gave Her Son into the hands of the priest, who offered Him to the Lord. Foolish! If he had known Him, he would have bowed down before Him. Seeing the poverty of the Mother, the priest prepared to keep Him. But Our Lady said to him, "Do not hold him back; here are five shekels which I have brought."

"She had earned them by Her own labor, and perhaps She had cut back on Her food, so that She could redeem Her Child. So, She opened Her purse, which was not made of silk or woven of gold and took the money from it and gave it to the priest as the law prescribed."

THE BLESSING OF THE CANDLES

And so, the mysteries of that day were fulfilled, and so the Light of the world, which was destined to enlighten all the nations of the earth, entered the Temple of the Lord and shone before Him.

In order to represent this heavenly light, the Church is accustomed to making a splendid blessing of candles on February 2nd. This ceremony was instituted by Pope St. Gelasius towards the end of the fifth century and gave the feast its popular name of Candlemas.

The candles that are blessed before the Mass of the Purification, therefore, signify Our Lord Jesus Christ. According to Yves de Chartres, the wax that composes them, formed from the juice of the flowers by the bees, which antiquity has always considered a type of virginity, signifies the Virgin Flesh of the Divine Child, Who has not altered, in His conception, nor in His birth, the integrity of Mary. In the flame of the candle, we must see the symbol of Christ Who came to illuminate our darkness.

Saint Anselm, developing the same mystery, tells us that there are three things to consider in the candle: the wax, the wick and the flame. The wax, the work of the virginal bee, is the Flesh of Christ; the wick, which is interior, is the soul; the flame, which shines in the upper part, is the Divinity.

The candles blessed by the Church are carried by ministers and all the clergy in a procession that was instituted by Pope Sergius in the seventh century. This procession symbolizes the Holy Church setting out to meet the Emmanuel and is an imitation of the marvelous procession that is taking place at this very moment in the Temple of Jerusalem.

"Today," says St. Bernard, "the Virgin Mother introduces the Lord of the Temple into the Temple of the Lord; Joseph presents to the Lord, not a son of his own, but the Beloved Son of the Lord, in Whom He has put His mercy. The Righteous Man recognizes the One he has been waiting for; the widow Anna exalts Him with her praises. These four people celebrated today's procession for the first time, which was to be solemnized in the joy of the whole world, in every place and by all nations. Let us not be surprised, therefore, that this procession was so small, for He Who was received in it had become small. No sinner appeared in it: all were righteous, holy and perfect."

It is the same thought that the Church expresses in the antiphon She sings in the procession:

"Decorate your bridal chamber, Zion, and receive Christ the King; welcome with love Mary, Who is the door to heaven; for She holds in Her arms the King of glory, Who is the new light."

The Candlemas procession thus appears to us as the march of the Christian people in the light of Christ, represented by the candles carried by the clergy, the chosen portion of the Church, just as Jesus Himself was carried in the arms of Mary, between those of the holy old man Simeon and of the Pontiff who offered Him to the Lord.

Candlemas candles are not only meant to represent for one day the mystery of Christ. They are still a blessed object for the use of the faithful and one of the most precious to be preserved in a Christian family.

In the past, the faithful themselves brought candles to the church on the Day of the Purification, so that they could be blessed with those that the priests and ministers carried in the procession. This custom still exists in many places, and it would be desirable that it be revived everywhere.

Today's Christians, by leaving behind these ancient practices established by the Church, in Her maternal solicitude, have deprived themselves too much of a precious safeguard against the malice of the devil and of a powerful support of the supernatural spirit that many particular devotions, unknown to the Saints, will never replace.

The candles thus blessed at Candlemas, kept in the homes of Christians, are a pledge of Divine Protection and a symbol of the spiritual illumination of souls by the Holy Ghost. This is what is taught by the very formula of the blessing that the Church consecrates to them:

"Lord Jesus Christ, true light that enlightens every man coming into this world, pour Thy blessing on these candles and sanctify them with the light of Thy grace, and as these torches, burning with a visible fire, drive out darkness, so deign to make our hearts, burning with an invisible fire, that is to say, from the splendor of the Holy Ghost, be delivered from the blindness of all vices, so that, the eye of our soul being purified, we may see the things that are pleasing to Thee and useful for our salvation, and merit, after the shadows and dangers of this age, to come to the light that never goes out."

In another prayer, the Church asks God to bless and sanctify the candles "for the use of men and for the health of bodies and souls, whether on earth or on the waters. "

It is in the spirit of the Church to light the candles of Candlemas whenever it is a question of repelling the spirits of darkness which, as St. Paul teaches us, are everywhere in the air and which constantly seek to harm us in our souls, in our bodies, in our possessions.

They are lit, in particular, during a storm, to appease it; when thunder rumbles; to obtain the protection of heaven in a place where the presence of the devil is felt to drive him out; but especially near the bed of a dying man, to keep away from him the enemy of men who then makes his supreme effort, and often a terrible effort, to snatch from God the soul that struggles in agony. It is then, in fact, that we must call to our aid with greater insistence the Redeemer, Whose sight illuminated with joy the last days of Simeon, and the Virgin Helper, so that They may give us, before our departure, the kiss of eternal peace. May our souls thus reach the blessed light of heaven.

La Vie des Saints (Lives of the Saints)
E. Petithenry, Imp.-gérant, 8, rue François Ier, Paris.

  Explanation of Candlemas.pdf (Size: 159.05 KB / Downloads: 6)

[Stone]

The following is gratefully taken from the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel bulletin, which can be found here [slightly adapted].

The Purification of the Blessed Virgin

The Forty Days of Mary’s Purification are now completed, and she must go up to the Temple, there to offer to God her Child Jesus. Before following the Son and his Mother in this their mysterious journey, let us spend our last few moments at Bethlehem, in lovingly pondering over the mysteries at which we are going to assist.

The Law commanded, that a woman, who had given birth to a son, should not approach the Tabernacle for the term of forty days; after which time, she was to offer a sacrifice for her Purification. She was to offer up a lamb as a holocaust, and a turtle or dove as a sin-offering. But if she were poor, and could not provide a lamb, she was to offer, in its stead, a second turtle or dove.

By another ordinance of the Law, every first-born son was to be considered as belonging to God, and was to be to redeemed by six sides, each side weighing, according to the standard of the Temple, twenty *obols. (*Leviticus 12; Exodus 30:13. The Obol was about three half-pence of English money)

Mary was a Daughter of Israel — she had given Birth to Jesus — he was her First-born Son. Could such a Mother, and such a Son, be included in the Laws we have just quoted? Was it becoming that Mary should observe them?

If she considered the spirit of these legal enactments, and why God required the ceremony of Purification, it was evident that she was not bound to them. They, for whom these Laws had been made, were espoused to men; — Mary was the chaste Spouse of the Holy Ghost, a Virgin in conceiving, and a Virgin in giving Birth to, her Son; her purity had ever been spotless as that of the Angels — but it received an incalculable increase by her carrying the God of all sanctity in her womb, and bringing him into this world. Moreover, when she reflected upon her Child being the Creator and sovereign Lord of all things — how could she suppose that he was to be submitted to the humiliation of being ransomed as a slave, whose life and person are not his own?

And yet, the Holy Spirit revealed to Mary, that she must comply with both these Laws. She, the holy Mother of God, must go to the Temple like other Hebrew mothers, as though she had lost a something which needed restoring by a legal sacrifice. He, that is the Son of God and Son of Man, must be treated in all thing’s as though, he were a Servant, and be ransomed in common with the poorest Jewish boy. Mary adores the will of God, and embraces it with her whole heart.

The Son of God was not to be made known to the world but by gradual revelations. For thirty years, he leads a hidden life in the insignificant village of Nazareth; and during all that time, men took him to be the son of Joseph. (Luke 3:23) It was only in his thirtieth year, that John the Baptist announced him, and then only in mysterious words, to the Jews, who flocked to the Jordan, there to receive from the Prophet the baptism of penance. Our Lord himself gave the next revelation — the testimony of his wonderful works and miracles.

Then came the humiliations of his Passion and Death, followed by his glorious Resurrection, which testified to the truth of his prophecies, proved the infinite merits of his Sacrifice, and, in a word, proclaimed his Divinity. The earth had possessed its God and its Saviour for three-and-thirty years, and men, with a few exceptions, knew it not. The Shepherds of Bethlehem knew it; but they were not told, as were afterwards the Fishermen of Genesareth, to go and preach the Word to the furthermost parts of the world. The Magi, too, knew it; they came to Jerusalem, and spoke of it, and the City was in a commotion ; but all was soon forgotten, and the Three Kings went back quietly to the East. These two events, (which would, at a future day, be celebrated by the Church as events of most important interest to mankind) were lost upon the world, and the only ones that appreciated them were a few true Israelites, who had been living in expectation of a Messias, who was to be poor and humble, and was to save the world. The majority of the Jews would not even listen to the Messias’ having been born; for Jesus was born at Bethlehem, and the Prophets had distinctly foretold that the Messias was to be called a Nazarene. (Matt 2:23)

The same Divine plan — which had required that Mary should be espoused to Joseph, in order that her fruitful Virginity might not seem strange in the eyes of the people — now obliged her to come, like other Israelite mothers, to offer the sacrifice of Purification, for the Birth of the Son, whom she had conceived by the operation of the power of the Holy Ghost, but who was to be presented in the Temple as the Son of Mary, the Spouse of Joseph. Thus it is, that Infinite Wisdom delights in showing that his thoughts are not our thoughts, and in disconcerting our notions; he claims the submissiveness of our confidence, until the time come that he has fixed for withdrawing the veil, and showing himself to our astonished view.

The Divine Will was dear to Mary in this as in every circumstance of her life. The Holy Virgin knew, that by seeking this external rite of Purification, she was in no wise risking the honour of her Child, or failing in the respect due to her own Virginity. She was in the Temple of Jerusalem what she was in the house of Nazareth, when she received the Archangel’s visit — she was the Handmaid of the Lord. (Luke 1:38) She obeyed the Law, because she seemed to come under the Law. Her God and her Son submitted to the ransom as humbly as the poorest Hebrew would have to do; he had already obeyed the edict of the emperor Augustus, in the general census; he was to be obedient even unto death, even to the death of the Cross. The Mother and the Child, both humbled themselves in the Purification, and man’s pride received, on that day, one of the greatest lessons ever given it.

What a journey was this of Mary and Joseph, from Bethlehem to Jerusalem! The Divine Babe is in his Mother’s arms — she had him on her heart the whole way. Heaven, and earth, and all nature, are sanctified by the gracious presence of their merciful Creator. Men look at this Mother as she passes along the road with her sweet Jesus; some are struck with her appearance, others pass her by as not worth a look; but of the whole crowd, there was not one that knew he had been so close to the God, who had come to save him.

Joseph is carrying the humble offering, which the Mother is to give to the Priest. They are too poor to buy a lamb — besides, their Jesus is the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. The Law required that a Turtle, or Dove, should be offered in the place of a lamb, when the Mother was poor. Innocent birds! emblems of purity, fidelity, and simplicity. Joseph has also provided the five Sides, the ransom to be given for the First-born Son — Mary’s only Son, who has vouchsafed to make us his Brethren, and, by adopting our nature, to render us partakers of his.

At length, the Holy Family enter Jerusalem. The name of this holy City signifies Vision of Peace; and Jesus comes to bring her Peace. Let us consider the names of the three places, in which our Redeemer began, continued, and ended his life on earth. He is conceived at Nazareth, which signifies a Flower; and Jesus is, as he tells us in the Canticle, the Flower of the field and the Lily of the valley (Canticles/Song of Songs 2:1) by whose fragrance we are refreshed. He is born at Bethlehem, the House of Bread; for he is the nourishment of our souls. He dies on the Cross in Jerusalem, and, by his Blood, he restores peace between heaven and earth, peace between men, peace within our own souls; and, on this day of his Mother’s Purification, we shall find him giving us the pledge of this peace.

Whilst Mary, the Living Ark of the Covenant, is ascending the steps, which lead up to the Temple, carrying Jesus in her arms, let us be attentive to the mystery — one of the most celebrated of the prophecies is about to be accomplished, one of the principal characters of the Messias is about to be shown as belonging to this Infant. We have already had the other predictions fulfilled, of his being conceived of a Virgin, and born in Bethlehem ; to-day, he shows us a further title to our adoration — he enters the Temple.

This edifice is not the magnificent Temple of Solomon, which was destroyed by fire, during the Jewish captivity. It is the Second Temple, which was built after the return from Babylon, and is not comparable to the First in beauty. Before the century is out, it also is to be destroyed ; and our Saviour will soon tell the Jews, that not a stone shall remain on stone that shall not be thrown down. (Luke 21:6) Now, the Prophet Aggeus (Haggai) — in order to console the Jews, who had returned from banishment, and were grieving because they were unable to raise a House to the Lord equal in splendour to that built by Solomon — addressed these words to them, which mark the time of the coming of the Messias: “Take courage, Zorobabel, saith the Lord; and take courage, Jesus, the son of Josedec, the High Priest; and take courage, all ye people of the land; — for thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet one little while, and I will move the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. And I will move all nations; and the Desired of all nations shall come; and I will Jill this House with glory. — Great shall be the glory of this House, more than of the first; and in this place I will give Peace, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai 2:5,7,8,10)

The hour is come for the fulfillment of this prophecy. The Emmanuel has left Bethlehem ; he has come among the people; he is about to take possession of his Temple, and the mere fact of his entering it, will straightways give it a glory, which is far above that of its predecessor. He will often visit it during his mortal life; but his coming to it to-day, carried as he is in Mary’s arms, is enough for the accomplishment of the promise, and all the shadows and figures of this Temple at once pale before the rays of the Sun of Truth and Justice. The blood of oxen and goats will, for a few years more, flow on its altar; but the Infant, who holds in his veins the Blood that is to redeem the world, is, at this moment, standing near that very Altar. Amidst the Priests who are there, and amidst the crowd of Israelites who are moving to and fro in the sacred building, there are a few faithful ones, who are in expectation of the Deliverer, and they know that the time of his manifestation is at hand; — but there is not one among them all, who knows, that at that very moment, this expected Messias is under the same roof with himself.

But, this great event could not be accomplished, without a prodigy being wrought by the Eternal God, as a welcome to his Son. The Shepherds had been summoned by the Angel, and the Magi had been called by the Star, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem: this time, it is the Holy Ghost himself who sends a witness to the Infant, now in the great Temple.

There was then living in Jerusalem an old man, whose life was well nigh spent. He was a Man of desires, (Dan 10:11) and his name was Simeon; his heart had longed unceasingly for the Messias, and, at last, his hope was recompensed. The Holy Ghost revealed to him, that he should not see death, without first seeing the rising of the Divine Light. As Mary and Joseph were ascending the steps of the Temple, to take Jesus to the Altar, Simeon felt within himself the strong impulse of the Spirit of God; he leaves his house, and walks towards the Temple; the ardour of his desire makes him forget the feebleness of age. He reaches the porch of God’s House — and there, amidst the many mothers who had come to present their children, his inspired gaze recognizes the Virgin, of whom he had so often read in Isaias, and he presses, through the crowd, to the Child she is holding in her arms.

Mary, guided by the same Divine Spirit, welcomes the saintly old man, and puts into his trembling arms the dear object of her love, the Salvation of the world. Happy Simeon! figure of the ancient world, grown old in its expectation, and near its end. No sooner has he received the sweet Fruit of Life, than his youth is renewed as that of the eagle, and in his person is wrought the transformation, which was to be granted to the whole human race. He cannot keep silence — he must sing a Canticle — he must do as the Shepherds and Magi had done, he must give testimony: “Now,” says he, “now, Lord, thou dost dismiss thy servant in Peace, because my eyes have seen thy Salvation, which thou hast prepared — a Light that is to enlighten the Gentiles, and give glory to thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-35)

Immediately, there comes, attracted to the spot by the same Holy Spirit, the holy Anna, Phanuel’s daughter, noted for her piety, and venerated by the people on account of her great age. Simeon and Anna, the representatives of the Old Testament, unite their voices, and celebrate the happy coming of the Child who is to renew the face of the earth; they give praise to the mercy of Jehovah, who, in this place, in this Second Temple, gives Peace to the world, as the Prophet Aggeus (Haggai) had foretold.

This was the Peace so long looked forward to by Simeon, and now, in this Peace will he sleep. Now, Lord, as he says in his Canticle, thou dost dismiss thy servant, according to thy word, in Peace! His soul, quitting its bond of the flesh, will now hasten to the bosom of Abraham, and bear to the elect, who rest there, the tidings that Peace has appeared on the earth, and will soon open heaven. Anna has some years still to pass on earth; as the Evangelist tells us, she has to go and announce the fulfillment of the promises to such of the Jews as were spiritually minded and looked for the Redemption of Israel. (Luke 2:38) The divine seed is sown; the Shepherds, the Magi, Simeon, and Anna, have all been its sowers; it will spring up in due time; and when our Jesus has spent his thirty years of hidden life in Nazareth, and shall come for the harvest-time, he will say to his Disciples: Lift up your eyes, and see the countries, for they are white already for the harvest: (John 4:35) pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest? (Luke 10:2)

Simeon gives back to Mary the Child she is going to offer to the Lord. The two Doves are presented to the Priest, who sacrifices them on the Altar; the price for the ransom is paid; the whole law is satisfied; and, after having paid her homage to her Creator in this sacred place, where she spent her early years, Mary, with Jesus fastly pressed to her bosom, and her faithful Joseph by her side, leaves the Temple.

Such is the mystery of this fortieth day, which closes, by this admirable Feast of the Purification, the holy season of Christmas. Several learned writers, among whom we may mention Henschenius and Pope Benedict the Fourteenth, are of opinion that this Solemnity was instituted by the Apostles themselves. This much is certain, that it was a long-established Feast even in the fifth century.

The Greek Church and the Church of Milan count this Feast among those of our Lord; but the Church of Rome has always considered it as a Feast of the Blessed Virgin. It is true, it is our Saviour who is this day offered in the Temple; but this offering is the consequence of our Lady’s Purification. The most ancient of the Western Martyrologies and Calendars call it The Purification. The honour thus paid by the Church to the Mother, tends, in reality, to the greater glory of her Divine Son, for He is the Author and the End of all those prerogatives which we revere and honour in Mary.

Candlemas Day

THE BLESSING OF CANDLES

After Tierce, follows the Blessing of the Candles, which is one of the three principal ones observed by the Church during the year; the other two are the Blessing of the Ashes, and the Blessing of the Palms. The signification of this ceremony bears so essential a connection with the mystery of our Lady’s Purification, that if Septuagesima, Sexagesima, or Quinquagesima Sunday fall on the 2nd of February, the Feast is deferred to to-morrow ; but the Blessing of the Candles, and the Procession, which follows it, always take place on this precise day.

In order to give uniformity to the three great Blessings of the year, the Church prescribes for that of the Candles the same colour for the vestments of the sacred Ministers, as is used in the two other Blessings of the Ashes and Palms — namely, Purple. Thus this solemn function, which is inseparable from the day on which our Lady’s Purification took place, may be gone through every year on the 2nd of February, without changing the colour prescribed for the three Sundays just mentioned.

It is exceedingly difficult to say what was the origin of this ceremony. Baronius, Thomassin, and others, are of opinion, that it was instituted towards the close of the 5th century, by Pope St. Gelasius, in order to give a christian meaning to certain vestiges, still retained by the Romans, of the old Lupercalia. St. Gelasius certainly did abolish the last vestiges of the feast of the Lupercalia, which, in earlier times, the Pagans used to celebrate in the month of February. — Pope Innocent the Third, in one of his Sermons for the Feast of the Purification, attributes the institution of this ceremony of Candlemas to the wisdom of the Roman Pontiffs, who turned into the present religious rite the remnants of an ancient pagan custom, which had not quite died out among the Christians. The old Pagans, he says, used to carry lighted torches in memory of those which the fable gives to Ceres, when she went to the top of Mount Etna in search of her daughter Proserpine. But against this, we have to object, that on the pagan Calendar of the Romans, there is no mention of any feast in honour of Ceres, for the month of February. — We, therefore, prefer adopting the opinion of Dom Hugh Menard, Rocca, Henschenius, and Pope Benedict the Fourteenth; that an ancient feast, which was kept in February, and was called the Amburbalia, during which the pagans used to go through the city with lighted torches in their hands, gave occasion to the Sovereign Pontiffs to substitute, in its place, a Christian ceremony, which they attached to the Feast of that sacred mystery, in which Jesus, the Light of the world, was presented in the Temple by his Virgin-Mother.

The mystery of to-day’s ceremony has frequently been explained by liturgists, dating from the 7th century. According to St. Ivo of Chartres, (his Sermon on the Purification) the wax — which is formed from the juice of flowers by the bee, (which has always been considered as the emblem of virginity,) — signifies the virginal flesh of the Divine Infant, who diminished not, either by his conception or his birth, the spotless purity of his Blessed Mother. The same holy Bishop would have us see, in the flame of our Candle, a symbol of Jesus, who came to enlighten our darkness. St. Anselm, (his Narrations on St Luke) Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking on the same mystery, bids us consider three things in the blest Candle: the Wax, the Wick, and the Flame. The Wax, he says, which is the production of the virginal bee, is the Flesh of our Lord; the Wick, which is within, is his Soul; the Flame, which burns on the top, is his Divinity.

Formerly, the Faithful looked upon it as an honour to be permited to bring their wax tapers to the Church, on this Feast of the Purification, that they might be blessed together with those, which were to be borne in the procession by the Priests and sacred Ministers; and the same custom is still observed in some congregations. It would be well if Pastors were to encourage this practice, retaining it where it exists, or establishing it where it is not known. There has been such a systematic effort made to destroy, or, at least, to impoverish the exterior rites and practices of religion, that we find, throughout the world, thousands of Christians who have been insensibly made strangers to those admirable sentiments of faith, which the Church alone, in her Liturgy, can give to the body of the Faithful. Thus, we shall be telling many what they have never heard before, when we inform them, that the Church blesses the Candles to-day, not only to be carried in the Procession, which forms part of the ceremony, but, also, for the use of the Faithful, inasmuch as they draw, upon such as use them with respect, whether on sea or on land, (as the Church says in the Prayer,) special blessings from heaven. These blest Candles ought, also, to be lit near the bed of the dying Christian, as a symbol of the immortality merited for us by Christ, and of the protection of our Blessed Lady.

As soon as all is prepared, the Priest goes up to the Altar, and thus begins the Blessing of the Candles:

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

LET US PRAY

Holy Lord, Father Almighty and Eternal God, who didst create all things out of nothing and by the labor of the bees, following thy commands, hast brought this liquor to the perfection of wax; and who, on this day, didst accomplish the desire of the righteous Simeon; we humbly beseech thee, that by the invocation of thy most holy name, and by the intercession of Blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, whose festival we this day devoutly celebrate, and by the prayers of all thy Saints, thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless ✠ and sanctify ✠these candles, for the service of men, and for the good of their bodies and souls in all places, whether on sea, or on land; and that thou wouldst please mercifully to hear from thy holy temple, and from the throne of thy majesty, the prayers of this thy people, who desire to carry them in their hands with reverence, and with sacred hymns to praise thy name; and show mercy to all that cry out unto thee, whom thou hast redeemed by the precious blood of thy beloved Son: who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

O Almighty and Eternal God, who on this day wast please that thy only Son should be presented in the temple, and be received into the arms of holy Simeon: we humbly beseech thy mercy to bless ✠, sanctify ✠, and give the light of thy heavenly benediction to these candles, which we thy servants desire to carry in honor of thy name: that by offering them to thee, our Lord God, we may be inflamed by the fire of thy sweet love, and made worthy to be presented in the holy temple of thy glory. Through the same Christ our Lord.
℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

Lord Jesus Christ, the true light, that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world: pour forth thy blessing ✠ upon these candles, and sanctify ✠ them by the light of thy grace; and grant in thy mercy, that as these candles, by their visible light, dispel the darkness of the night, so our hearts burning with invisible fire, and enlightened by the grace of the Holy Ghost, may be delivered from all blindness of sin: that the eye of our soul being purified, we may discern those things that are pleasing to thee, and beneficial to our souls: that after having finished the darksome passage of this life, we may come to never-fading joys, through thee, O Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, who, in perfect Trinity, livest and reignest God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

O Almighty and Eternal God, who, by thy servant Moses, commandedst the purest oil to be prepared for lamps, continually to burn in thy presence, mercifully pour forth the grace of thy blessing ✠ on these candles: that as they supply us with visible light, so, by thy assistance, the light of thy Spirit may never be wanting inwardly in our souls. Through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

Lord Jesus Christ, who appearing amongst men in the substance of our flesh, wast pleased this day to be presented in the temple by thy parents, and whom the venerable Simeon, enlightened by the Holy Ghost, publicly confessing, received in his arms, and blessed: mercifully grant that, being inspired and taught by the grace of the same Holy Spirit, we may sincerely acknowledge and faithfully love thee. Who with God the Father, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, livest and reignest God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

These five Prayers having been said, the Celebrant sprinkles the Candles with holy water (saying the Asperges in secret), and then incenses them; after which, he distributes them to both clergy and Laity (in receiving the Candle, the Faithful should kiss first the Candle itself, and then the Priest’s hand). During the distribution, the Church—filled with emotion at the sight of these sacred symbols, which remind her of Jesus—shares in the joyous transports of the aged Simeon, who, while holding the Child in his arms, confessed him to be the Light of the Gentiles. She chants his sweet Canticle, separating each verse by an Antiphon, which is formed out of the last words of Simeon.

Ant. A Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Canticle of Simeon (St. Luke 2)

Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace.

Ant. A Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.


Because my eyes have seen thy Salvation.

Ant. A Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.


Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples.

Ant. A Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.


Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

Ant. A Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.


As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Ant. A Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.


After the distribution of the Candles, the following Antiphon and verse of the 43rd Psalm are sung:

Arise, O Lord, help us, and, for thy name’s sake, deliver us.

Ps. We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared unto us. ℣. Glory. Arise.

If it be in the season of Septuagesima, there is also added by the Deacon, Flectamus genua (Let us kneel down); to which the Subdeacon replies, Levate (Arise).


LET US PRAY

Give ear, we beseech thee, O Lord, to thy people; that what we outwardly perform by this yearly devotion, we may inwardly obtain the effects of, by the light of thy grace. Through, etc.

THE PROCESSION

Filled with holy joy, radiant with the mystic light, excited, like the venerable Simeon, by the impulse of the Holy Spirit—the Church goes forth to meet her Emmanuel. It is this meeting which the Greek Church calls the Hypapante (or Hypante), under which name she also designates today’s Feast. The Church would imitate that wondrous Procession which was formed in the Temple of Jerusalem on the day of Mary’s Purification. Let us listen to St. Bernard.

“On this day, the Virgin Mother brings the Lord of the Temple into the Temple of the Lord; Joseph presents to the Lord a Son, who is not his own, but the Beloved Son of that Lord himself, and in whom he is well pleased; Simeon, the just man, confesses Him for whom he had been so long waiting; Anna, too, the widow, confesses him. The Procession of this solemnity was first made by these four, which, afterwards, was to be made, to the joy of the whole earth, in every place and by every nation. Let us not be surprised at its then being so little for He that carried was Little! Besides, all who were in it were just, and Saints, and perfect—there was not a single sinner.” (Bernard, First Sermon on the Purification)

And yet, let us join the holy procession. Let us go to meet Jesus, the Spouse of our souls, as did the Wise Virgins, carrying in our hands lamps burning with the flame of charity. Let us remember the command given us by our Lord: Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands: and you yourselves like to men who wait for their Lord. (Luke 12:35-36) Guided by faith and enlightened by charity, we shall meet and know him, and he will give himself to us.

The holy Church opens her chants of this Procession with the following Antiphon, which is found, word for word, in the Greek Liturgy of this same Feast.

Ant. Adorn thy bride-chamber, O Sion, and receive Christ, thy King. Salute Mary, the gate of heaven; for she beareth the King of glory, who is the new Light. The Virgin stands, bringing in her hands her Son, the Begotten before the day-star; whom Simeon receiving into his arms, declared him to the people as the Lord of life and death, and the Savior of the world.

Then is added the following Anthem, taken from the Gospel, and in which is related the mysterious meeting between Jesus and Simeon.

Ant. Simeon had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord; and when his parents brought the Child into the Temple, he took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now, thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, in peace.

℣. When his parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him into his arms.

On re-entering the Church, the Choir sings the following Responsory:

℟. They offered for him, to the Lord, a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons: * As it is written in the Law of the Lord.

℣. After the days of Mary’s purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried Jesus to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord. * As it is written in the law of the Lord. Glory. * As it is written.

After the Procession, the Celebrant and his Ministers put off their purple vestments, and vest in white for the Mass of the Purification. But if it be any of the three Sundays, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, or Quinquagesima, the Mass of the Feast is deferred till the morrow, as we have already explained.

MASS

In the Introit, the Church sings the glory of Jerusalem’s Temple that was this day visited by the Emmanuel. Great, indeed, today, is the Lord in the City of David, great is he on his mount of Sion. Simeon, the representative of the whole human race, receives into his arms Him that is the Mercy sent us by God.

Introit

Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam tuam in medio Templi tui: secundum Nomen tuum, Deus, ita et laus tua in fines terræ: justitia plena est dextera tua.

We have received thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple: according to thy name, O God, so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of justice.

Ps. Magnus Dominus et laudabilis nimis, in civitate Dei nostri, in monte sancto ejus. ℣. Gloria Patri. Suscepimus.

Ps. Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised: in the City of our God, in his holy Mountain. ℣. Glory, &c. We have.


In the Collect, the Church prays that her children may be presented, as Jesus was, to the Eternal Father; but in order that they may meet with a favorable reception, she asks him to grace them with purity of heart.

Collect

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus Majestatem tuam supplices exoramus ut, sicut unigenitus Filius tuus, hodierna die, cum nostræ carnis substantia in Templo est præsentatus, ita nos facias purificatis tibi mentibus præsentari. Per eumdem.

O Almighty and Eternal God, we humbly beseech thy divine Majesty, that as thy Only Begotten Son, in the substance of our flesh, was this day presented in the temple, so our souls being perfectly cleansed, may become a pure oblation, and presented to thee. Through the same, &c.


Epistle

Lectio Malachiæ Prophetæ. Cap. iii.

Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce ego mittam angelum meum, et præparabit viam ante faciem meam: et statim veniet ad templum suum Dominator quem vos quæritis, et angelus testamenti quem vos vultis. Ecce venit, dicit Dominus exercituum. Et quis poterit cogitare diem adventus ejus, et quis stabit ad videndum eum? ipse enim quasi ignis conflans, et quasi herba fullonum: et sedebit conflans, et emundans argentum: et purgabit filios Levi, et colabit eos quasi aurum et quasi argentum, et erunt Domino offerentes sacrificia in justitia. Et placebit Domino sacrificium Juda et Jerusalem, sicut dies sæculi, et sicut anni antiqui, dicit Dominus omnipotens.


Lesson from the Prophet Malachy. Ch. iii.

Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. And who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? for he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller’ s herb: And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice. And the sacrifice of Juda and of Jerusalem shall please the Lord, as in the days of old, and in the ancient years, saith the Lord Almighty.

All the Mysteries of the Man-God have this for their object—the purifying of our hearts. As today’s Epistle explains, He sends his Angel (that is, his Precursor) before his face, that he may prepare his way; and we have heard this holy Prophet crying out to us, in his wilderness: Be humbled, O ye hills! and ye valleys, be ye filled up!—At length, he that is the Angel, the Sent, by excellence, comes in person to make a Testament, a Covenant, with us. He comes to his Temple, and this Temple is our heart. But he is like a refining fire that takes away the dross of metals. He wishes to renew us by purifying us; that thus we may be worthy to be offered to him, and with him, by a perfect sacrifice. We must, therefore, take care and not be satisfied with admiring these sublime Mysteries. We must hold this as a principle of our spiritual life—that the Mysteries brought before us, feast after feast, are intended to work in us the destruction of the old, and the creation of the new, man. We have been spending Christmas; we ought to have been born together with Jesus; this new Birth is now at its fortieth day. Today, we must be offered by Mary (who is also our Mother) to the Divine Majesty, as Jesus was. The moment is come for our offering, for it is the hour of the Great Sacrifice—let us redouble the fervor of our preparation.

In the Gradual, the Church again celebrates that sweet Mercy, who has appeared in the Temple of Jerusalem, and is about to show himself to us in this more perfect manifestation of the Holy Sacrifice.

Gradual

Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam tuam in medio Templi tui: secundum nomen tuum, Deus, ita et laus tua in fines terræ.

We have received thy Mercy, O God, in the midst of thy Temple: according to thy name, O God, so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth.

℣. Sicut audivimus, ita et vidimus in civitate Dei nostri, in monte sancto ejus.

℣. As we have heard, so have we seen in the City of our God, on his holy mountain.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia.

℣. Senex Puerum porta bat: Puer autem senem regebat. Alleluia.

℣. The old man carried the Child: but the Child guided the old man. Alleluia.


If the season of Septuagesima be already begun, the Church, instead of the Alleluia-verse, sings the following Tract, which is composed of the words of the venerable Simeon.

Tract

Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbun tuum in pace.

Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace.

℣. Quia viderunt oculi mei Salutare tuum.

℣. Because my eyes have seen thy Salvation.

℣. Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum.

℣. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples.

℣. Lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuæ Israel.

℣. A Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.


Gospel

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam. Cap.ii

In illo tempore: Postquam impleti sunt dies purgationis Mariæ, secundum legem Moysi, tulerunt illum in Jerusalem, ut sisterent eum Domino, sicut scriptum est in lege Domini: Quia omne masculinum adaperiens vulvam, sanctum Domino vocabitur: et ut darent hostiam secundum quod dictum est in lege Domini, par turturum, aut duos pullos columbarum. Et ecce homo erat in Jerusalem, cui nomen Simeon, et homo iste justus, et timoratus, exspectans consolationem Israel: et Spiritus Sanctus erat in eo. Et responsum acceperat a Spiritu Sancto, non visurum se mortem, nisi prius videret Christum Domini. Et venit in spiritu in templum. Et cum inducerent puerum Jesum parentes ejus, ut facerent secundum consuetudinem legis pro eo, et ipse accepit eum in ulnas suas: et benedixit Deum, et dixit: Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace: quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum, quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum: lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuae Israel.


Sequel of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke. Ch. ii.

At that time: After the days of purification of Mary, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord: As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord: And to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons: And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him. And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

The Holy Spirit has led us to the Temple, as he did Simeon. There, we see the Virgin Mother offering at the Altar her Son, who is the Son of God. We are filled with admiration at this fidelity of the Child and his Mother to the Law; and we feel in our hearts a desire to be also presented to our Creator, who will accept our homage, as he accepted that offered him by his Divine Son. Let us at once put ourselves in those same holy dispositions which filled the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The salvation of the world has this day gained ground; let the work of our individual sanctification also advance. From this Feast forward, the Mystery of the Infant-God will no longer be put before us by the Church as the special object of our devotion; the sweet Season of Christmas will, in a few hours, have left us, and we shall have to follow our Jesus in his combats against our enemies. Let us keep close to our dear King. Let us ever keep Simeon’s spirit, and follow our Redeemer, walking in His footsteps, who is our Light. Let us love this Light, and merit, by our fidelity in using it, that it unceasingly shine upon us.

During the Offertory, the Church speaks the praises of the grace put, by our Lord, on Mary’s lips. She celebrates the favors poured out on Her who was called by the Archangel Blessed among women.

Offertory

Diffusa est gratia in labiis tuis; propterea benedixit te Deus in æternum, et in sæculum sæculi.

Grace is spread on thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever, and for ever.



Secret

Exaudi, Domine, preces nostras: et ut digna sint munera, quæ oculis tuæ Majestatis offerimus, subsidium nobis tuæ pietatis impende. Per Dominum.

Mercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, and grant us the assistance of thy mercy, that what we offer to thy divine Majesty may be worthy to be accepted. Through, &c.



The Preface is that of Christmas

After having distributed the Bread of Life—the Fruit of Bethlehem—which has been offered on our Altar, and has redeemed us from all our iniquities, the holy Church again reminds her children of the sentiments which filled Simeon’s soul. But in the Mystery of love, we not only, like Simeon, receive into our arms Him who is the Consolation of Israel; he enters into our very breast and soul, and there he takes up his abode.


Communion

Responsum accepit Simeon a Spiritu Sancto, non visurum se mortem, nisi videret Christum Domini.

Simeon received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death till he beheld the Christ of the Lord.

Let us, in the Postcommunion, unite with the Church in praying that the heavenly remedy of our regeneration may not only produce in our souls a passing grace, but may, by our fidelity, fructify in us to life eternal.


Postcommunion

Quæsumus, Domine Deus noster, ut sacrosancta mysteria, quæ pro reparationis nostræ munimine contulisti, intercedente beata Maria semper Virgine, et præsens nobis remedium esse facias et futurum. Per Dominum.

We beseech thee, O Lord our God, that the sacred mysteries we have received to preserve our new life may, by the intercession of Blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, become a remedy to us both now and for the future. Through, &c.

- From The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Guéranger