The Feast of the Presentation
Beloved in Jesus Christ,
Today we celebrate the Presentation of Our Lord, also called Candlemass. This is called Candlemass, because we bless candles today. Now the lighted candle represents Jesus, the Light of the world. When we hold the candle, as we walked in our procession, we should think of holding the Child Jesus.
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At the time of Christ, there was living in Jerusalem an old man whose name was Simeon. he had longed for years, to see the Messiah. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die without first seeing that LIGHT which was to come into the world, Jesus. As Mary and Joseph went into the Temple, Simeon felt within himself a strong impulse of the Holy Spirit: he left his house, and walked quickly towards the Temple, forgetting his old age. Arriving there, he recognizes the Virgin Mother that he had so often read about in Isaiah, and so he presses through the crowd to the Child that she is holding in her arms.
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Mary knows what to do: she places her child in the old man’s arms. He says: “Now O Lord, you may dismiss your servant in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation; a Light to enlighten the Gentiles, and give glory to thy people Israel.’
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You know, priests and religious pray the Liturgy of the Hours daily, and many lay people often pray these prayers every day. The last prayer of the day, before bed, is this one from Simeon: ‘Now Lord, you may dismiss your servant in peace.’ Simeon says this prayer at the end of his life, thankful that he has seen salvation come in Christ, the light of the world.
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My grandmother had in her home a lovely picture of the Child Jesus. We loved to look at it. When I think of grandma, I think of this image of Christ. Painted by Charles Chambers, this painting is called, ‘The Light of the World.’
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Well, Jesus is the Light of the World.
St. Anselm says, that the candle is an appropriate symbol of Christ: The wax represents the Flesh of the Savior, the wick which is within, is his Soul, and the flame, is his burning Divinity.
More than ever, the world needs this Light. When we see a candle, let us think of the burning love of Jesus and never let this light go out in our hearts.
