Bulletins

February 1, 2015

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February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Tradition also calls it Candlemas. Exactly forty days after Christmas, the Church commemorates the Holy Family submitting (Luke 2,22- 24) to Mosaic Law in two respects: the redemption of the first-born male child (Exodus 13,2.12-13 and Numbers 18,15-16) and the purification of mother and child after birth (Leviticus 12,2-8).

On the occasion of Mary and St. Joseph bringing the baby Jesus to the Temple for the required sacrifices, the righteous and devout man Simeon, whom the Holy Spirit had promised would not die before seeing the Messiah, took the baby into his arms and prayed:

Lord, now You let your servant go in peace.
Your word has been fulfilled.
My eyes have seen the salvation
You have prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal You to the nations
and the glory of Your people, Israel.

Candlemas

Dubbed the “Nunc dimittis” because of the first two words of the prayer in Latin, it is part of Night Prayer or Compline every day.

Our Lord being called the “light to the revelation of the Gentiles” accounts for the particular use of candles on this holy day. Before Holy Mass, candles are blessed and a the procession into Church with blessed candles makes for a beautiful foreshadowing of the Easter Vigil.

Pope St. John Paul II described the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple as “an eloquent icon of the total offering of one's life for all those who are called to show forth in the Church and in the world, by means of the evangelical counsels ‘the characteristic features of Jesus - the chaste, poor and obedient one’” when he explained why the World Day for Consecrated Life would be observed on February 2… or on the following Sunday where Groundhog Day is celebrated as a Solemnity.

God bless you.

Fr. Christopher J. Pollard

P.S. Yes, there are foods associated with the feast day but you will need to refer to www.fisheaters.com to get the recipes. We are on a temporary recipe moratorium here at In Testimonium. Once we raise our goal for the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal they will return with a vengeance.