Candlemas
This upcoming Monday the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus, also known as Candlemas. On this feast, we read from Luke 2:32. We hear St. Simeon use the phrase “the light for revelation to the Gentiles” (sometimes translated as “nations”) to refer to baby Jesus.
Where does this phrase come from and why is it important? Here are 3 Reasons Why “the Light of the Nations” Matters:
1. Old Testament Origins
While Christians recognize the phrase most quickly from its use in Luke, the phrase originally comes from Isaiah 49:6. In this scene, Isaiah describes the “servant of the Lord,” which was long considered to be a Messianic prophecy. This servant is the embodiment of God’s chosen people, Israel, and fulfills what God wanted to see in them.
Israel was meant to be a visible witness of faithfulness to the rest of the world. God wanted to become more visible to “the nations,” which is what “the Gentiles” means, through the people of Israel.
2. New Testament Fulfillment
The Gospel reading today’s feast, Luke 2:22-40, gives us the context of St. Simeon’s proclamation. Mary and Joseph, 40 days after Jesus’s birth (which is why the Feast always falls on February 1st, 40 days after Christmas). Forty days after the birth of a child was part of the Jewish ceremonial purification ritual. This brought the mother back into the community life of worship.
It was also the day that parents dedicated their firstborn to the Temple. Both of these events mark the times of visibility for the mother and child. Symbolically, it marks when Jesus is being made visible to the world outside of his parents. The Incarnation made God visible to our world in the Person of Jesus.
3. The Age of the Church
One of the most important theological documents of the last one hundred years uses the phrase, “the light of the nations.” In fact, the document begins with this phrase and bears it as its title. Lumen Gentium, Latin for “the light of the nations,” is one of the four constitutions of the Second Vatican Council. This document, which explores the nature of the identity of the Church, uses the phrase “the light of the nations” to describe the Church as a visible witness to the world, especially those who are not united, or imperfectly united, to Christ.
Fittingly, Christians celebrate the light of Christ entering the world in this special way by filling the church with even more candles than it would normally have for worship. Not surprisingly, this is where the name “Candlemas” (candle + Mass) comes from. Bring the light of Christ visibly, publicly, into your world by living your faith visibly, publicly!