His Word Today: the Presentation of the Lord

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.  The oldest written account of the celebration of this Feast dates back to the fourth century A.D. and an account which was penned by a Spanish nun by the name of Egeria.  She kept a diary of her pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  In it, she writes: The fortieth day after (Christmas) is indeed celebrated here (in Jerusalem) with the greatest solemnity.  On that day, there is a procession to the (Basilica of the Resurrection) and all assemble there for the liturgy ... (Egeria, Diary of a Pilgrimage, chapter 26).

It seems that at that early date, the Feast did not have a specific name and was simply called The Fortieth Day After the Nativity. Later it was called The Encounter of Our Lord, referring to the encounter of Saint Simeon with Jesus in the Temple which is the theme of the oldest homily on the Feast, ascribed to Hesychius of Jerusalem (who died after 450). In the West, the Feast was called The Purification from Mary’s compliance with the legal purification prescribed by the Law (Lk 2:22). In the English speaking world, however, the term of Presentation was adapted since on that day Jesus was presented (offered) to God in the Temple (Lk 2:22).

The first mention of candles being used on this Feast is traced to the fifth century A.D.  Sometime in the middle of that century, a Roman matron by the name of Ikelia speaks of their presence, and both Saint Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444) and Theodore of Ancyra (d. 446) mention the use of lights during the procession that takes place on this Feast. The custom of blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation was introduced to fill the needs of the people.  Its introduction into our Rite was relatively recent, during the seventeenth century, but its roots reach venerable antiquity. As recorded in The Chronicle of Saint Theophanes, Emperor Justinian I had issued an order in 541 A.D. that on the Feast of the Presentation, a candle-light procession be held throughout the city to implore Divine Protection against pestilence and the numerous earthquakes that plagued the city.

Let us celebrate this feast with joy.
Have a great day.