Malachi 3:1-4 / Hebrews 2:14-18 / Luke 2:22-40
In the gospel of Luke, the Temple of Jerusalem was a significant place is his whole account of the life of Jesus; the gospel began and ended with the Temple setting.
Today's feast of the Presentation is found only in the gospel of Luke and the setting was in the Temple. Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth and also to perform the redemption of the firstborn in accordance to the Law.
And as we began the celebration of this feast, we had the blessing of candles and the procession from the entrance. There is a significance in doing this.
Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to perform the rituals of the Law. Yet in doing so something more significant was happening.
Jesus the Son of God was entering into His Father's house, the Temple, to purify the Temple and to make a holy dwelling place of God.
And that stems from the fact that Jesus is the Saviour who has come to cleanse and forgive us of our sins and to shine the light of His love on us.
That is the significance of the procession of lighted candles at the beginning of the Mass.
When Jesus was brought into the Temple, Simeon and Anna saw the light. .
May we too see the light of Christ in the celebration of this Eucharist. And as we bring home the blessed candles, may we also bring the light of Christ back to our homes and to our loved ones and to all we meet along the way.