The Light To Enlighten The Gentiles

The old priest Simeon holds the Infant in his arms and recognises him.  Overflowing with joy he sings the Nunc Dimittis, for now God has fulfilled his promise and the Light has come into the world. 

We mark this feast with the blessing and lighting of candles, to remind ourselves that Christ is the light of the world, that he casts out the darkness, and now we his disciples are called to take that same light and carry it to every corner of the world.

It is interesting to note that the Paschal Candle is lit over us twice in our lives - at our baptism when we come into the Church, it is burning beside the baptismal font and after we come out of the waters our own baptismal candle is lit from it. The second time is at our funeral, when our lifeless bodies lie before the altar as the Requiem Mass is offered for us. Between these two occasions the light of that Paschal Candle is supposed to burn within us as we live our Christian lives. The candles we carry in procession at today's Mass symbolise then, not just Christ who enlightens us and the world, but that same light burning within us, lit by God, which urges out into the world as witnesses and evangelisers.

The Presentation of the Lord

The Church has many beautiful feasts, many of which have been lost.  Today is one of the richest and the liturgy provides us with a wonderful way of celebrating.   The feast of the Presentation of the Lord is also known as Candlemas and it is the day we traditionally bless candles at Mass, light them and have processions. We all love candlelight processions, there is something so simple and wondrous about them.  I hear time and time again from people who go to Lourdes, Fatima or Knock during the novena in August, that the candlelight procession touched them deeply. 

The candles, of course, reflect the words of Simeon in the Temple, hailing Jesus as the "Light to enlighten the Gentiles" - the Light who has come into the world, and so the liturgy bears witness to this Light with the blessing and lighting of candles. 

Today's feast reminds us that we do not have to add anything to the liturgy - everything is there, it is already meaningful: if our people do not see that meaning that is our fault, they have not been catechised properly.   I hope the new translation of the Missal will lead us to a rediscovery of the riches of the liturgy and gradually wean us off the questionable paraliturgies.

Today is also the day we pray in a special way for those consecrated in religious life through the profession of the evangelical counsels - it is the Church's official Day for Consecrated Life.  So pray for all our religious priests, nuns, sisters, monks and brothers, and also those lay people and diocesan clergy consecrated under promises and vows.  As an act of love today, if you see a nun, run over and give her a big kiss and wish her a happy feast day.  If you don't end up behind bars, the gesture might just be appreciated. So, if I may paraphrase Willie Nelson's wonderful song: "To all the nuns I've loved before...God bless you sister!"  Ditto to the brothers and priests, but no kisses!

Happy feast day sisters....always wanted an excuse to post this picture!