Candlemass

Collect

Almighty and ever–living God, clothed in majesty, whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple, in substance of our flesh: grant that we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts, by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

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.

Readings

Psalm

[ 1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it, ♦
the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.

2 For he has founded it upon the seas ♦
and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

3 ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, ♦
or who can rise up in his holy place?’

4 ‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,♦
who have not lifted up their soul to an idol, nor sworn an oath to a lie;

5 ‘They shall receive a blessing from the Lord, ♦
a just reward from the God of their salvation.’

6 Such is the company of those who seek him, ♦
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob. ]

7 Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted up, you everlasting doors; ♦
and the King of glory shall come in.

8 ‘Who is the King of glory?’ ♦
‘The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord who is mighty in battle.’

9 Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted up, you everlasting doors; ♦
and the King of glory shall come in.

10 ‘Who is this King of glory?’ ♦
‘The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.’

Psalm 24.[1–6]7–10

OT

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 3.1–5

Epistle

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Hebrews 2.14–18

Gospel

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

Luke 2.22–40

Sermon at Candlemass

Today Christmass finally comes to an end for the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. We need to put all the decorations away and turn off all the lights. The candles at last have to be extinguished for we move into ordinary time before the fasting of Lent. Today we call to mind Jesus at the Temple, when he is “presented” to the Lord (and to the people of God) and Mary undergoes Purification.

What do you make of the statement, “they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord”? How often do we think about the Holy Family as a traditional Jewish family? They would have had a kosher home, in other words everything would be done in accordance with the Law. Food, clothing, rest and work would be governed by what the Torah deemed appropriate. Everything in life – from birth to death – would be governed by the customs determined by God. It seems nothing is left to chance when you submit to the Law of God.

The gospel reading tells of this lawful activity of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. It was time for the Purification, when the mother had passed forty days since the birth of the child. So the holy family with its first-born boy went to Jerusalem to present the child to the Lord. With the sacrifice of two doves the purification was accomplished. Mary could finally return to the kosher world. The parents in the joy of the birth of their son and her purity were happy to give over the first born boy to the Lord, to dedicate him to the service of God. The boy was “designated as holy to the Lord.”

This dedication of the first-born is a family’s ritual repetition of the Passover, when the children of Egypt were killed before the flight of the Hebrews from Egypt. You remember the story of when the Hebrew families marked their houses with blood over the door and so their children were saved. The Lord proclaimed that the first born male whether human or animal was to be dedicated to him, as the Egyptian children were taken on that terrible night from their families. The first-born, Jewish male-child was to be reserved for God’s purposes in the remembrance of that saving act of God.

What is our understanding of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem? I think we must take into consideration how we dedicate ourselves to God today. How do we dedicate ourselves to anything? That must inform how we understand this episode. I don’t think there is any whole-hearted, complete giving of oneself over to anything nowadays. Do you?

When we bring our children to baptism, there is a repetition of this presentation of Jesus to some extent, for we are promising that the child will become part of the community and follow the ways of the Church in life. In essence we are dedicating our children to God, aren’t we? So, I think we really do understand this dedication of Jesus in the Temple. Or am I mistaken?

The strangers in the Temple are significant for us. They become important and well-known figures in the story – Anna who would speak of the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Israel and Simeon who foretells the sword in Mary’s heart but speaks of the joy he feels in seeing the child before him in the Temple.

Simeon’s words were incorporated into our worship as the climax of a choral evensong.

Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for the revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory to your people Israel.’

Such a canticle is appropriate to call to mind here today. For we are concentrating on the lights that have been burning during the last forty days. Now we have to acknowledge that that light burns in our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.

These words of Simeon tell of our own journeys in the faith. At one time the salvation offered to us was a far-off sight, one that drifted in and out of consciousness, something offered to other people, like those people who are not like us – as Simeon calls them, “the Gentiles”. That salvation was not really part of our lives, was it? It was far-off, like that star that guided the wise men to the stable. It draws us to itself, doesn’t it?

Still, it was so far away. Then one day, it became something more – a revelation! That star shone right there in our lives and changed us completely. That revelation became the moment of our conversion. From people who walked in darkness, we became people who have seen a great light, and we transformed into faithful people wishing ever to remain in that state of grace, the moment when we converted into people of God. That is the only true miracle, that we finally open our eyes to see life in all its fullness. The miracle is that we have moved from darkness into light, that light which is revelation. In fact, everyone can be seen to be a gentile at some time in their lives. Then, when the light shines, people become dedicated to God.

We were once lost in the darkness of unknowing until that moment of revelation. Now we are able to see clearly what life is, and we are able to enjoy it in all its fullness, for nothing is hidden in darkness any longer.

That is the beauty revealed in the hymn, Amazing Grace, once lost, now found – once blind, now with sight. It is the beauty we each can live out in our lives, if only we would not listen to anything but that still small voice, that voice which itself stills us in the heat of the moment, that voice which reminds us of our conversion to what is good, not the distraction and delusion of everyday incomprehension of life in all its fullness.

That is the moment of our presentation, the dedication to that beyond which there is nothing else – to God.

We are converted, changed fundamentally, when we live out our baptism. That child presented for baptism doesn’t know about the glory round about him or her, but when we look at the children to be baptised, we see the infinite possibilities they represent. They are us in the innocence of the light, just as we are them in the guilt of intentional darkness. Our hope is the conversion of the dark into the light, the fully realised life promised to us in faith, in the salvation which Simeon saw in the child, which we also see.