Each year, on 2 February, exactly 40 days after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord in the temple of Jerusalem, or as we know more frequently refer to it as il-Kandlora (Candlemas). We know that this feast was already celebrated in the 4^th century in Jerusalem, and was spread in Byzantium in the 6^th century, and later in Rome in the 7^th century. But what do we celebrate on this day?

Actually, we celebrate one instance with two important ceremonies for the Holy Family, as it is narrated in Luke’s Gospel:

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 

Luke 2:22-24

As a Jewish family and obedient to the law of Moses, forty days after Jesus’s birth, the Holy Family went to the temple for the purification ritual. During this rite, during this rite the woman had to,

“bring to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering.”

Leviticus 12:6

If the woman could not afford buying a lamb, she could take with her two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one to be burnt and the other as a purification offering. This was Mary’s case. Although Mary was pure since birth and thus this ritual was not necessary for her, at the same time as a devout Jew she observed this rite.

The Jews combined this rite with the presentation of the first-born son and his dedication to God. Since there was no steadfast rule obliging the family to do this, the presentation did not need to be carried out by a priest, thus frequently done by the parents themselves.  In Jesus’ case there was Simon who took Jesus in his hands and presented him to God.

On this day, Christians commemorate both the purification of Mary—in fact, in the 1962 liturgical calendar, this was the name given to this solemnity—and also the presentation of the Lord in the temple. The names ‘Candlemas’ or ‘Kandlora’ derive from the word ‘candela’, the Latin word for candle. This is because at the beginning the mass of this solemnity the blessing of the candles takes place, followed by a procession towards the holy altar. The candles symbolise the light and, on this day, we particularly commemorate the words prophesied by Simon about Jesus as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel” (Lk 2:32).

In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted 2 February as a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This is because consecrated men and women are called to imitate in their daily lives Christ, who is the light of the world.

Stop and Reflect:

• In my life, am I guided by the Light? Is there a dark corner in my heart which I’m still refusing to allow Christ to shed his light even there?
• Am I letting the Lord to use me as His instrument to be a light for others, or through my words and actions I sometimes deviate others from the true Light?
• Ask Jesus the grace to purify you and strengthen you to choose the Light from darkness.

A very particular rite in the liturgy is that of Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday ashes are blessed and placed upon the heads of the faithful. This takes place right after the homily, or the proclamation of the Gospel, and replaces the penitential rite at the beginning of the Mass. Whilst there is no rule that states how long one should keep the ashes on the head, in reality this is a profound symbol so rich in meaning that goes beyond the season of Lent extending to our entire life.

First of all, the ashes used in this ceremony are the ashes of palm and olive branches blessed and used on Palm Sunday of the previous year, thus connecting the beginning of Lent with its conclusion, when we commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This penitential period of Lent hinges on the mystery of Christ’s cross.

While the faithful form a procession and approach the altar, while placing the ashes, the priest repeats each time one of these two biblical verses: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

The first verse refers to Christ’s words at the beginning of his public ministry, immediately after John the Baptist was put into prison (Mk1:15). Therefore, these words reveal the beginning of Jesus’ journey with his disciples, the same journey He wishes to do with us as we commence Lent. The second verse is taken from the book of Genesis wherein, after the fall of Adam and Eve, God executes his judgment (Gen 3:19). In this instance Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and were destined for a mortal life, meaning a physical life that is ended by death. This gesture of the placing the ashes reminds us of our mortality, emphasising how important it is not to be attached to the things of this world, and also Christ’s call to repent and belief.

Furthermore, the use of ashes can be found in many parts of the Old Testament, as a sign of repentance while asking for God’s mercy. In the book of Judith, we find that “all the men and women of Israel, and their children, living at Jerusalem, prostrated themselves before the temple and put ashes on their heads and spread out their sackcloth before the Lord” (Judith 4:11). In the book of Jonah, we read how the people repented after the proclamation of the prophet, and even the King of Nineveh “arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes” (Jon 3:6). We find similar examples in the books of Job, Esther, Samuel and Daniel. The ashes are a sign of repentance, mourning, humility, and penance. In the same manner, through this celebration on Ash Wednesday we are reminded of the importance to repent from our sins and humbly receive God’s mercy.

St. John Paul 11 in 2000 explained how this liturgical rite of Ash Wednesday, with the blessing and placing of the ashes, is a simple and very profound gesture because “the Church reminds man, believer and sinner, of his weakness in the face of evil and especially of his total dependence on God’s infinite majesty.”

Surely, as the mass continues, the ashes fall away quickly from our, yet this symbol reminds us  of the reality of life, that in spite of all its fragility and weakness, God brings us his salvation and mercy through Christ.

Stop and Reflect:

• Stop for a moment and think of those things you are attached to. Remember that we are all mortal.

• Stop for a moment and think of those things you are attached to. Remember that we are all mortal.