In Traditional Latin Mass, we celebrate the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and also known as Candlemas. According to Mosaic Law, a mother who had given birth to a son remained unclean for 40 days after birth, in which time she completed her purification in blood. After the 40 days, the new mother was to “bring to the temple a lamb for a holocaust and a young pigeon or turtle dove for sin” (Leviticus 12), where a priest prayed for her, and she was cleansed. Mary, though immaculately conceived, humbly complied with this precept of the Mosaic Law, and offer ransom for Jesus in the temple according to the law established by God, “Whatsoever is firstborn of all flesh, which they offer to the Lord, whether it be of men, or of beasts, shall belong to thee: only for the firstborn of man thou shalt take a price, and every beast that is unclean thou shalt cause to be redeemed…” (Exodus 13:14-15).
The Feast today, the blessed candles are then distributed while the Canticle of Simeon is sung with the antiphon “Lumen ad revelationem gentium et gloriam plebis tuæ Israel,” “A Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” The blessed Candles is the Christ, the Light of the World, and the glory of Israel.
Today as we celebrate the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we need to be willing to continue God’s love in the world by our holy way of life, reaching out to others, inviting others, and attracting others into a relationship or encounter with God. I call on everyone that aside from asking God for our personal needs, we too must “ask forgiveness for our personal sins like destroying the refutation of others or bear false witness against other person.
The first reading from the Prophet Malachi speaks of the coming of the messenger who will be like a refiner’s fire. This fiery messenger’s coming is to cleanse the entire community; this implies that the messenger in the book of Malachi 3:1-4 is God’s answer to the community’s decisive resolve to these endless arguments, bickering and fractured relationships which I believe we heed the call for asking forgiveness. Our primary task is to accomplish effectively this duty being called like Prophet Malachi, as a messenger of the Lord.
The gospel today from the evangelist St. Luke narrates to us about the Holy family going to the temple in Jerusalem to worship God and to offer a “ransom” or sacrifice for their son, Jesus, as their firstborn child.
How do we comprehend the so called “ransom offering” for their son? Jesus is the Son of God, so why do Mary and Joseph offer a ransom? The answer can be found in the understanding of the Old Testament record in the Book of Exodus 13:14-15, “And when your son asks you later on, ‘What does this mean?’ you will tell him, ‘With a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of human being and beast alike. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord every male that opens the womb and why I ransom every firstborn of my sons’.” (13:14-15) These two verses present to us the origin of offering a ransom to remind them of God’s love and salvation for all. Mary and Joseph’s offering corresponds to their status being part of the “Anawim” of God, poor people and yet totally dependent on God, and so according to the law, they could offer a pair of turtledoves to ransom their firstborn. This kind of animal sacrifice served as a reminder of what God has done for His people under the difficult experience from the Egyptian cruelty, and God protects and saves them all those years.
This event is not only presenting Jesus with their offering of sacrifice, but after, received the revelation of Jesus’ divine origin. It was for Mary and Joseph, the presentation of Jesus connects with the continuous action of God’s salvific intentionality, a divine plan of salvation which began in Egypt.
There are two elderly people mentioned in this gospel, Prophet Simeon and Prophetess Anna, both ministering at the temple and patiently waiting for the promised messiah before their holy death. They find joy in their watchfulness, as they “worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.” Simeon was touched by the Holy Spirit, and he explicitly identified Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed One, through whom God would bring definitive and lasting salvation to His people, while Prophetess Anna offered continued prayers of thanksgiving to God.
Like Simeon and Anna, let us continuously bring to our attention the very presence of God in our daily adoration, prayers and meditations. In our ordinary and everyday life, we must listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit with graceful expectation to make us closer to Jesus Christ, our Savior. We can share Jesus to others just like sharing the light to another candle but not losing and extinguishing our candle’s light. Such is the power of Christ’s presence to others.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph share with us the grace of wisdom and to recognize saving action of the Almighty God in which salvation indeed manifests through our active cooperation in the mysterious workings of the Holy Spirit. God is still continuously working in the world through our humility and kindness. Let us live in freedom, obedience and gratefulness.
God bless you.
Fr. Arlon, osa
