In your prayers please hold Susan, Liz's sister; Edna; my friend Clive Hayward, who has Covid19; Sue, an ex-colleague, who has cancer; Ann Gramlich, another ex-colleague, who has cancer and dementia; Jean Constable from Tillington, who has died and her husband Vic; all those in hospital or care homes and those who nurse and care for them.
The Feast of the Presentation (“Candlemas”)
2nd February marks the end of the forty days since the birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph bring the baby to the Temple in Jerusalem The Law said that Mary should be ‘cleansed’ to complete her purification following the birth of a male child. I can remember my mother going to church after my younger brother’s birth in 1950. It was called the ‘churching’ of a woman. We don’t do it any more. It is a simple service of thanksgiving for safe delivery of a child; it includes the saying of a psalm, perhaps psalm 127 “Except the Lord build the house..”; the Lord’s Prayer is said and there is a short dialogue with the priest and the woman, which includes the Minister saying: ‘Be thou to her a strong tower,’ which was very appropriate for my mother who was called Barbara, whose symbol is a tower. After that my mother was allowed to go back to church, just as Mary would have been allowed into the Temple in Jerusalem after her purification. You can imagine the scene - the couple and their baby, perhaps overawed by the grandeur of Herod’s Temple and staring at the decoration. They are met by an old man Simeon, who takes the child in his arms, blesses him and says the words that we know as the Nunc Dimittis: ‘Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.’ This sets out clearly Jesus’ mission - to bring light and glory to a darkened world - but Simeon then goes on to warn Mary that this will not be without cost to her personally. They are then joined by an even older figure, the prophet Anna. She rushes around the Temple telling everyone about this wonderful baby. This is yet another ‘manifestation’ of the baby Jesus. In this way the Feast of the Presentation acts as a bridge between Christmas and Holy Week. It is a celebration that is bitter-sweet, a flavour that is even stronger this year, as we look towards Holy Week and Easter and wonder what sort of Easter we shall have this year. We all need the light that streams from the face of the Christ child. Perhaps we might light a candle before we watch the video on our website or when we say our daily prayers. 2nd February was also called ‘Candlemas’, as the year’s supply of new candles was blessed on this day and indeed still is in some churches. May the light of Christ shine in our hearts now and always. Lord Jesus Christ, light of the nations and glory of Israel, make your home among us, and present us pure and holy to your heavenly Father, your God and our God. Amen.
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AuthorCanon John Green Archives
May 2021
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