In the Catholic and early Christian Tradition, today we celebrate the the
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as
Candlemas - a feast of
light! For more detailed information, you can read this article:
All About Candlemas (Presentation of the Lord) Candlemas History, Information, Prayers, Resources, Traditions, & More.
In additon, today our most famous groundhog,
Punxsutawney Phil, announces by the appearance (or lack thereof) of his shadow, the early or late coming of Spring. This tradition also traces back to
Candlemas.
Check it out!
Back to today's reading - I was so taken by the beautiful and multiple images of
light in the words written so many centuries ago. I hope you are taken by it, as well:
"In honor of
the divine mystery that we celebrate today, let us all hasten to meet
Christ. Everyone should be eager to join the procession and to carry a
light.
Our
lighted candles are a sign of the
divine splendor of the one who comes to
expel the dark shadows of evil and to make the whole universe
radiant with the
brilliance of his
eternal light. Our
candles also show how
bright our souls should be when we go to meet
Christ.
The Mother of God, the most pure Virgin, carried the
true light in her arms and brought him to those who lay in darkness. We too should carry a
light for all to see and
reflect the
radiance of the
true light as we hasten to meet him.
The
light has come and has
shone upon a world enveloped in shadows; the
Dayspring from on high has visited us and given
light to those who lived in darkness. This, then, is our feast, and we join in procession with
lighted candles to reveal the
light that has
shone upon us and the
glory that is yet to come to us through him. So let us hasten all together to meet our God.
The
true light has come,
the light that enlightens every [one] who is born into this world. Let all of us, my brethern, be
enlightened and made
radiant by this
light. Let all of us share in its
splendor, and be so filled with it that no one remains in the darkness. Let us be
shining ourselves as we go together to meet and to receive with the aged Simeon, let us sing a hymn of thanksgiving to God, the Father of the
light, who sent the
true light to dispel the darkness and to give us all a share in his
splendor.
Through Simeon's eyes we too have seen the salvation of God which he prepared for all the nations and revealed as the
glory of the new Israel, which is ourselves. As Simeon was released from the bonds of this life when he had seen
Christ, so we too were once freed from our old state of sinfulness.
By faith we too embraced
Christ, the salvation of God the Father, as he came to us from Bethlehem, Gentiles before, we have now become the people of God. Our eyes have seen God incarnate, and because we have seen him present among us and have mentally received him into our arms, we are called the new Israel. Never shall we forget this presence; every year we keep a feast in its honor."
-From a sermon by
Saint Sophronius, bishop (Office of Readings, February 2, Presentation of the Lord (
Candlemas)
Let your light shine!Cindy
