Interrupting the Silence

Tag: Feast of the Presentation

  • A Blessing for the Feast of the Presentation

    A Blessing for the Feast of the Presentation

    In a previous post I wrote about blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple. But what about a blessing specific to the feast itself? The Book of Occasional Services offers several blessings specific to seasons and feast days. It does not, however, offer a blessing specific to the Read more

  • A Blessing of Candles for the Feast of the Presentation

    A Blessing of Candles for the Feast of the Presentation

    The Feast of the Presentation, celebrated on February 2, is one of the major feasts in the church year. It is sometimes known as Candlemas or the Feast of the Purification. This feast is celebrated forty days after Christmas and commemorates the presentation of Jesus and the purification of Mary in the Jerusalem temple (Luke Read more

  • Ave Regina Caelorum

    The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord is the hinge between Christmas and the cross. It holds in tension life and death, light and darkness, the salvation Simeon sees in the child and the sword that will pierce Mary’s soul. With the Feast of the Presentation the Marian hymn following compline is the Ave Read more

  • Longing – A Reflection on the Feast of the Presentation, Luke 2:22-40

    The collect and readings for the Feast of the Presentation may be found here. The story of Jesus’ presentation in the temple is found in Luke 2:22-40. —– They met in the temple, Mary and Joseph, Anna, Simeon, Jesus. How did they get there? What brought them to that place of meeting? What brings us Read more

  • A Sermon for The Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas)

    The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple was February 2. It is a fixed date feast always falling forty days after Christmas. The collect and readings for the feast may be found here. The appointed gospel is Luke 2:22-40: 22When the time came for their purification according to the law of Read more

  • Who is Presenting Whom?

    Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have Read more

  • The Temple of the Heart

    Today, February 2, is the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple. The gospel for this feast tells us about Anna, an 84 year old widow, a prophet, who “never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day” (Luke 2:37). She saw Mary, the Blessed Theotokos, the Read more

  • The Feast of the Presentation

    The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple is celebrated on a fixed date, February 2, about forty days after Christmas. It is one of the major feasts in the church year. The Eastern Church calls it the Meeting while in the West it is sometimes known as Candlemas or the Feast Read more