Word to the Wise
Friday, February 2, 2024 - Feb. 2: The Presentation of the Lord
[Mal 3:1-4; Heb 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40 or 2:22-32]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....[Luke]
The "infancy narratives" in the Gospels According to Luke and Matthew are meant to be read in the light of the overall meaning of each of them. The stories are filled with symbolic figures and invite reflection on the entire meaning of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The feast day has the traditional title of "candlemas," because it has its origins in a pagan celebration of the midpoint between the Winter and Spring equinoxes, when days would begin to have more light. So, candles are blessed and carried in procession in many Catholic locations. In the "Canticle of Simeon," (his prayer of gratitude on seeing the infant Jesus in the temple), Jesus is portrayed as "a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel." The Gospel According to Luke was composed for a predominantly Gentile Christian community.
Jesus is presented both as fulfillment of ancient prophecy (Malachi) and God's plan of salvation with a hint of warning that this would mean dire things. Simeon's own prophecy speaks of the child being "destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted."
The light that candles bring is a symbol of the "light of revelation" represented in the presence of Jesus in the temple. The figure of Anna is a figure of all those who encounter Christ and speak "about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem."
The feast day is rich in symbolism and sentiment and is a good break in the midst of the bleakness of Winter! AMEN