The
Presentation
The
Presentation, also referred to as The Purification and is sometimes
called Candlemas is the subject of this blog post. This article will
deal with the Presentation and Purification with reference to their
Biblical origins. Candlemas is more of a traditional Christian feast
not often called or referred to as such by people today. I do not
intend to write about Candlemas, though I could, but instead refer
you to a site that narrates the nice story and takes one off into a
few intriguing tangents.
The
Feast of The Presentation is celebrated on February 2nd,
forty days after Christmas. While saying The Rosary it is the fourth
decade of the Joyful Mysteries, recognizing The Presentation of Jesus
in the Temple in obedience to the law of God.
I enjoy praying
The Rosary. For me the enjoyment is reading the Biblical verse or
other literature associated with the Mystery. Sometimes there is
sacred music association with the Mystery. Luke 2: discuses Mary and
Joseph bringing Jesus to the Temple to make the required presentation
and sacrifice for their first born son. Often one sees a picture of
Joseph holding a small cage with two doves. I've always taken this
as another part of Joseph's role in The Holy Family, the father
presenting the gift's to God.
Meditating
of The Rosary is not just a simple few minutes on each Mystery and
then moving on. It is a lifetime of learning a little more about the
incident and what it was like for Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and in the
case of The Presentation Simeon and Anna. As The Book of Luke
describes the occasion as a very happy one but Simeon then mystifies
Mary and Joseph with his dire prophecy of the sorrow Mary and her
beautiful baby will encounter with her journey through life with the
suffering adult Jesus. The foundation for The Presentation and
obedience to the law of God laid out in the Book of Leviticus: 12.
The law deals specifically with the rite circumcision of a male child
and timing of purification of a woman after childbirth. Mary and
Joseph were presenting themselves to the Temple to fulfill their
obligation and make the required sacrifice.
The rest of the
story is better told by Luke:2
21 And
after eight days were accomplished, that the child should be
circumcised, his name was called JESUS, which was called by the
angel, before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And
after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses,
were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to
the Lord:
23 As
it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb
shall be called holy to the Lord:
24 And
to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the
Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons:
25 And
behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was
just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy
Ghost was in him.
26 And
he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see
death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
27 And
he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought
in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law,
28 He
also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said:
29 Now
thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in
peace;
30 Because
my eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which
thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples:
32 A
light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel.
33 And
his father and mother were wondering at those things which were
spoken concerning him.
34 And
Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child
is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and
for a sign which shall be contradicted;
35 And
thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts
may be revealed.
36 And
there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her
husband seven years from her virginity.
37 And
she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from
the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day.
38 Now
she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; and spoke of
him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel.
39 And
after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord,
they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth.
40 And
the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of
God was in him.
41 And
his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the
pasch,
42 And
when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according
to the custom of the feast,
43 And
having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus
remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not.
44 And
thinking that he was in the company, they came a day's journey, and
sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance.
45 And
not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And
it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the
temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking
them questions.
47 And
all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers.
48 And
seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast
thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee
sorrowing.
49 And
he said to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that
I must be about my father's business?
50 And
they understood not the word that he spoke unto them.
51 And
he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to
them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart.
52 And
Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men.
There
are a few good musical selections that are a direct correlation to
The Presentation. An unusual and extremely beautiful composition
written by Sergei Rachmaninoff;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh4UTdyansM.
Vesper's was one of Rachmaninoff's two favorite compositions
and this movement was the only piece he requested to be played at his
funeral.
Another
good piece is by a French group, Taize, called Nunc Dimittis. This is
from the Latin Vulgate Book of Luke.
A YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkVoRt73-4U.
29 Nunc
dimittis servum tuum Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace:
30 quia
viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum,
31 quod
parasti ante faciem omnium populorum:
And
the English translation:29 Now
thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in
peace;
30 Because
my eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which
thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples:
32 A
light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel.
A
beautiful renidition, in English, sung by St. John's Choir,
Cambridge, England.
An
aid to help one learning to say The Rosary, or remembering the
Mysteries, can be found here:
http://www.how-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com/support-files/pocket-rosary-booklet-1.pdf
This
is a free one page sheet that can be made into a small 8 page booklet
that fits nicely in a child's small hand or pocket. It's also handy
for us that have a distant memory of childhood and need a little
nudge every now and then to remember.
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is held by “how-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com”. I have no
affiliation or claims to this or any other benefits from this site.
