On the Purification of Mary

Picture source: Guardian Angel

"Lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuæ Israel."

- Luc. 2:32

Today the Roman Catholic Church, according to the Usus Antiquor, celebrates the feast of the Purification of Mary. “Presentation of the Lord” is the current title in the 1970 Missal, while “Meeting of the Lord” is what the Greek Rite calls this feast.

This feast commemorates the purification of Mary after being ritually “unclean” and the presentation of Jesus as the first-born. These events in the lives of Jesus and Mary are found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:22ff). These were done in accordance with the Law of Moses (cf. Exodus 13:12-15 and Leviticus 12).

Apart from above, the meeting of the Holy Family with Simeon and Anna is commemorated. God promised Simeon that he would not die until he has seen the Christ. Upon seeing the Christ, he blessed God and said a hymn. This hymn is sung during Compline in the Divine Office and is known by its latin name, the Nunc Dimittis. Also Simeon prophesized that Mary’s “soul a sword shall pierce.”

Prior to the reform of the Second Vatican Council, a blessing of candles preceded the Mass and consisted of five orations, the blessing and incensing of the candles, singing of the Nunc Dimittis during the distribution of candles, and a procession inside the Church with three antiphons, thus this feast was also referred to as Candlemas. The blessing commemorates the prophecy of Simeon that the Lord shall be “a light to the revelation of the Gentiles.”

This feast is one of the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and coincidentally is a feast of the Lord. However, after the Conciliar reforms, the emphasis on the Purification of Mary and Candlemas were suppressed to give more emphasis to the Presentation of the Lord.

This feast illustrates the virtue of obedience whereas the Holy Family obeyed the commandments of the Father. Jesus, being the Son of God, did not need to conform to the Laws for he was the Lawgiver but he still obeyed the laws out of love for his Father. The same is true with Mary for she did not need ritual purification for she was stainless. Let us pray to God, through the intercession of Mary, Joseph, Simeon and Anna, to grant us the virtue of obedience.

Almighty, eternal God, we humbly beseech Your majesty that, as Your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the nature of our flesh, so may You grant us to be presented to You with purified minds. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Reference:

•        The Gospel according to St. Luke (Luke 2,22ff).
•        Holweck, F. (1908). Candlemas. In The Catholic Encyclopedia.