The Feast of the Presentation, often called Candlemas, commemorates the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the presentation of Christ in the temple, which took place 40 days after his birth as Jewish law required. According to Mosaic law, a mother who had given birth to a boy was considered unclean for seven days. Also, she was to remain 33 days “in the blood of her purification.” Luke tells us, quoting Exodus 13:2,12, that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem because every firstborn child was to be dedicated to the Lord. They also went to sacrifice a pair of doves or two young pigeons, showing that Mary and Joseph were poor. Once in the temple, Jesus was purified by the prayer of Simeon, in the presence of Anna the prophetess. Simeon, upon seeing the Messiah, gave thanks to the Lord, singing a hymn now called the Nunc Dimittis:

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace,
your word has been fulfilled:
My own eyes have seen the salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.

Simeon told Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” Simeon thus foreshadowed the crucifixion and the sorrows of Mary at seeing the death of her Son.

The name Candlemas comes from the activities associated with the feast. It came to be known as the Candle Mass. In the Western Church, a procession with lighted candles is the distinctive rite. According to post Vatican-II discipline, (if possible) the beeswax candles are to be blessed somewhere other than where the Mass is held. Often your local parish will hand out candles, or you may bring your own, to be blessed before the procession. These may be saved for later use in your home. After an antiphon, during which the candles held by the people are lighted, there is a procession into the church. During the procession to the church, the Nunc Dimittis is sung, with the antiphon “Lumen ad revelationem” (Luke 2:32). This procession into the church for Mass commemorates Christ’s entrance into the temple. Since Vatican II, the feast is reckoned a feast of the Lord (as opposed to a feast of Mary), and officially designated “The presentation of the Lord.”

History

Egeria, writing around AD 380, attests to a feast of the Presentation in the Jerusalem Church. It was kept on February 14th. The day was kept by a procession to the Constantinian basilica of the Resurrection, with a homily on Luke 2:22-39. However, the feast had no proper name at this point; it was simply called the 40th day after Epiphany. This shows that the Jerusalem church celebrated Jesus’ birth on the Epiphany Feast (as is common in some Eastern Churches today).

In regions where Christ’s birth was celebrated on December 25th, the feast began to be celebrated on February 2nd, where it is kept in the West today. In 542, the Emperor Justinian introduced the feast to the entire Eastern Roman empire in thanksgiving for the end to a great pestilence afflicting the city of Constantinople. Perhaps this is when Pope Gregory I brought the feast to Rome. Either way, by the 7th century, it is contained in the Gelasianum Sacramentary. Pope Sergius (687-701) introduced the procession to the Candlemas service. The blessing of candles did not come into common use until the 11th century.

While some scholars have asserted that the Candlemas feast was developed in the Middle Ages to counteract the pagan feasts of Imbolc and Lupercalia, many scholars reject this, based on Medieval documents. While the feast does coincide with these two pagan holidays, the origins of the feast are based in Scriptural chronology. Some superstitions developed about Candlemas, including the belief that if one does not take down Christmas decorations by Candlemas, traces of the holly and berries will bring about the death of the person involved. In past times, Candlemas was seen as the end of the Christmas season.

Candlemas Day was also the day when some cultures predicted weather patterns. Farmers believed that the remainder of winter would be the opposite of whatever the weather was like on Candlemas Day. An old English song goes:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,
Go winter, and come not again.

Thus if the sun cast a shadow on Candlemas day, more winter was on the way; if there was no shadow, winter was thought to be ending soon. This practice led to the folklore behind “Groundhog’s Day,” which falls on Candlemas Day.

Today, the feast is still celebrated on February 14th in some Eastern Churches, including the Armenian Church, where the feast is called, “The Coming of the Son of God into the Temple.” Most churches celebrate it on February 2nd.

So whether it is a religious celebration or simply a weather forecasting gimmick February 2nd holds different significance to different people groups. A parallel can be draw between Simeon’s forecasting the life and death of Mary’s child Jesus with the farmers forecasting an early spring if there was no shadow cast on February 2nd. Punxytawny Phil causes quite a stir around these parts each year when thousands gather at Gobblers Knob to witness the ceremony. This annual celebration turned a small town in Western Pennsylvania into a tourist attraction. In fact there is a statue of a ground hog right in the center of town.

Punxytawny Phil may be the main attraction on Ground Hog day but as Christians our focal point should be Jesus Christ and the cross. It was the shadow of the cross that Simeon saw that day when Jesus was presented to him at the temple for dedication, and it is the shadow of the cross that can turn your wintertime of hopelessness and despair into a springtime of renewed life. So whether there is going to be an early spring or a much longer winter really depends on how you view the shadow of the cross  and not the shadow of the woodchuck.

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A View from the Nest

Jn 3 (GW) When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, "They’re out of wine." 4 Jesus said to her, "Why did you come to me? My time has not yet come." 5 His mother told the servers, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Six stone water jars were there. They were used for Jewish purification rituals. Each jar held 18 to 27 gallons. 7 Jesus told the servers, "Fill the jars with water." The servers filled the jars to the brim. 8 Jesus said to them, "Pour some, and take it to the person in charge." The servers did as they were told. 9 The person in charge tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it had come from, although the servers who had poured the water knew. The person in charge called the groom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the best wine first. When people are drunk, the host serves cheap wine. But you have saved the best wine for now." _{John 2:3-10}

I had always wondered why Jesus provided more wine for a drunk audience. I am not one to continue to give drink to someone who is visibly intoxicated, or for that matter even provide drink to someone who is sober. I am not a drinker, I do not hang around with people who drink, I really do not like the whole idea of drinking with the intent of getting drunk. I know some in the church who like to drink beer, others enjoy a glass of wine, and I am sure there are some who may like a mixed drink. I just do not. I really see no value in drinking so much that you become impaired and unable to think clearly and function rationally. The bible teaches to be SOBER and live a godly life.

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, _{Titus 2:11-12 (RSV)}

Other than being obedient to his mother, I really do not know why Jesus would turn water into wine to be served to a drunken wedding crowd, but he did. I have to put myself in this scene and see what I would have done if approached about the wine situation. First I would not have thought about pouring water into stone pots to try to pass it off as wine. I would have had to see where I could procure wine to purchase for the bridle party. Or the more likely scenario I would say back to my mother, what do you expect me to do about it? I would not see it as my duty to provide wine to a drunken crowd. Or to paraphrase a famous quote, Let em drink water. So you see even when it comes to wine procurement I can not be like Jesus.

What can I learn from this, regardless of the theology of water to wine? What jumps out to me in this story is what happened when Jesus was called upon to make a contribution. First he questions his mother as to why she came to him to fix this problem because his time had not yet come to reveal himself to the people. He knew he had the ability and knew that he could do whatever it is that needed to be done, but he was also mindful of the reason why he came into the world and providing wine for a drunken wedding party was not high on his list of things to do before he died. His mother put him in charge by turning to the paid servants and told them to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Okay, again I have to ask myself, what would I do when presented with a paid staff looking to me for direction and instruction. What do you want us to do about this problem? The crowd is hollering for more wine and we are out! How do you want to handle this? Being in charge has it’s responsibilities. You can not say I don’t know, or do whatever you want to do. You have to have a solution or some plan to fix the problem. Now one thing I might have thought about doing was simply telling everyone the wine was gone and there would be no more. But any good host knows that when you are hosting a party it is your responsibility to make sure that the party goers are taken care of. It is a sign of a poor host who does not see to it that the guests are satisfied. That is just proper party etiquette.

Jesus tells the servants to gather up the ceremonial washing jars and fill them to the brim with water. There were 6 of them each holding almost 30 gallons of water would produce approximately 180 gallons of wine. That is a great deal of wine! The narrative does not say when exactly the water became wine it simply says that the servants were to fill the jars and then pour some out and give it to the person in charge of the party to taste. I do not know what the servants may have been thinking when taking a glass of water to the party host but they did as they were told and heard the host say that it was the best wine he had had that day. The servants perhaps looked at each other thinking this guy is drunker than we thought if he thinks water is good wine. Nevertheless the water filled ceremonial washing jars produced fine wine.

Jesus did not get into a theological discussion with his mother about drunkenness or contributing to the moral downfall of a people by providing more wine to a drunken crowd. He simply met the need that was presented to him and exceeded the expectations of even the host. Jesus could have made cheap wine but instead the water became FINE WINE. Sweet wine. The best wine according to the host. I would not expect anything less from Jesus, to be honest. I would expect him to do his very best to provide the very best. After all his life was an example of God’s provision to the world. God cared enough to send his own son, his best offering, not a poor substitution. How could Jesus go against his own character do anything less than his very best? If this first miracle would have resulted in cheap wine being produced, how would Jesus then be viewed in the future? How would we look upon Jesus had he not provided the best wine he could? I don’t know about you but when I ask someone for help I want them to do the very best that they can do and not the very least. Again I can not say that at all times I do the very best I can do. I have to admit that many times I look for excuses to not do what is asked of me. Again I do not know if I could provide wine for a drunken party, but Jesus did. Of course he also died for a sinful world so this is not really a HUGE stretch for him in light of everything else he had done.

Looking at this story from a character perspective I am encouraged to see that when asked for help, Jesus will not overlook any detail. He will not cut corners. He will not offer you a poor substitute but he will provide above and beyond what you asked for. He will do his very best to meet your need. Jesus can take the ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary. Those ordinary stone pots became vessels of honor, holding fine wine for the host of this wedding ceremony to pour forth and serve his guests. Although contained in an ordinary stone jar, the wine was of extraordinary value when compared to what had already been served to the quests. What Jesus touched exceeded what was already made available. Those stone jars, up until this time, only held water for the ceremonial washing of the priests in their daily temple work. They were simple wash basins but on this day they served up something sweeter and finer. They held fine wine.

The lesson I take away from this story then is this. In order for my life to have an impact on others, I have two options. I can do all I can to become famous or rich so that I can buy the finest, and throw the fanciest parties, purchase the finest of everything in attempts to wow the crowd or I can simply allow my clay pot to be filled with the sweet water of God’s spirit and then pour it out for others to taste and see that the LORD is good and not me. It is what is on the inside that matters more than what is on the outside. If one were to look at my resume or lists of accomplishments they would be underwhelmed because I can not say that I have done anything great. However I do want my life to be worthy of something. Although I do not care if I am ever rich or famous I do want to contain the sweet wine of God’s spirit. I do want to have something to offer a thirsty crowd when they come to me looking for a drink. I want to be able to pour out the refreshing of God’s love when all other sources of hope and expectations have run dry. I want to be a river of blessing to those who are in need of a blessing. I would like to be a well-spring of refreshment to those who are in need of refreshing.

Jesus did not fill just one jar, he filled every jar that sat around empty. He instructed that all those jars were to be filled to full. Jesus wants to fill everyone with His Spirit. He wants everyone to be full to over flowing. He desires that no one should be sitting on the sidelines and living an unfulfilled life. Jesus’ desire is for all of us to be filled with the sweetness of his Spirit. Those six jars became something more that day when Jesus had need of them. You and I can also become extraordinary if we are willing and ready to be used by Jesus when he has need of us. We can be more than we are, we can even be more than what we ever dreamed we could be. Even though our everyday use may seem ordinary and dull, there will come a time when Jesus will call upon you to be extraordinary. If we are empty to our own ambitions and desires, if we are emptied of our own selfish motives, if we are emptied to ways of the world and instead engaged in the work of the Lord (even if it is only washing the priests at the temple) then one day, in the hands of Jesus, our ordinariness can become extraordinary.

However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. _{2 Cor 4:7 (AMP)}

You see we hold a treasure inside these earthly vessels. We hold the treasures of heaven itself within our mortal beings if we are filled with the sweet wine of God’s spirit. It is that same spirit which raised Christ from the dead that will quicken our mortal bodies and enrich our very lives. The servants knew that the stone pots only contained water, therefore the fact that those pots produced wine had to be attributed to Jesus and to nothing else. The servants knew that there was no power in the pots to produce wine from ordinary water, but they knew who told them to fill the pots. What may have started out as unbelief turned to belief once the host tasted the water and praised the groom for the fine wine that he was now serving. Those ordinary pots, filled with ordinary water, carried by ordinary servants, presented at an ordinary wedding ceremony were anything but ordinary because they had been blessed by God himself through Jesus Christ. We too are no longer looked upon as ordinary by God if we are filled with the Spirit of God but rather God views us as extraordinary. Praise be to God!

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

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A View from the Nest
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
Insight from the Journey across the Sky

From the coming up of the sun to its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised. Psalms 113:3 (BBE)

We take far too much for granted and fail to offer the praise that is due His name. We oft times whine and moan about supposed injustices that befall us as if the whole world revolved around us. The last time I looked up into the sky the earth revolved around the sun and the morning and evening did not answer to my command. Our lives too are ordered of the Lord we can either pause and give thanks or murmur and complain. The choice is ours, the option is left up to us. We are given the freedom to acknowledge the blessings of God or to ignore them. Each day as we awaken, we have the choice to either walk in thankfulness toward God or seek our own will and way.

There is much to be sorrowful for but there is far more to be thankful for. Each new day, each new sunrise brings with it the opportunity for new blessings. From the rising of the sun to the going down thereof the Lord’s name should be praised. If we spent as much time praising the Lord as we do complaining about life’s ills I think we would find far more sunny days then cloudy ones.

So in light of the suffering of those who endured the earthquake in Haiti I leave you with these words from Red Foley. Lord forgive me when I whine I surely am blessed and the world is mine. My prayers go out to all those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. I pray for the Lord’s blessings to arise out of the ashes of despair and destruction. May the Lord’s healing flow throughout the land, and may His name be praised in the midst of the storm.

Today upon a bus, I saw
A lovely maid with golden hair;
I envied her – she seemed so gay -
And oh, I wished I were so fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle,
She had one foot and wore a crutch,
But as she passed, a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two feet – the world is mine.

And when I stopped to buy some sweets,
The lad who served me had such charm;
He seemed to radiate good cheer,
His manner was so kind and warm.
I said, “It’s nice to deal with you,
Such courtesy I seldom find.”
He turned and said, “Oh, thank you, sir!”
And I saw that he was blind.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two eyes – the world is mine.

Then, when walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play;
It seemed he knew not what to do,
I stopped a moment, then I said:
“Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
He looked ahead without a word,
And then I knew; He could not hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two ears – the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I’d go,
With eyes to see the sunset’s glow,
With ears to hear what I should know:
I’m blessed indeed, The world is mine;
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
— Red Foley —

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

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Image by Andrew Pescod via Flickr

The majestic eagle has been admired by many cultures down through time. The ancient Sumerians, the Romans, and Napoleon all utilized the awe-inspiring bird as a symbol of greatness. 230 years ago, the bald eagle was adopted as the official emblem of the United States. As this young nation was about to spread forth it’s wings of freedom and set its mark on the world, the eagle became a fitting symbol of freedom.

The shadow of beauty cast across the land as the bald eagle wings its way across the broad expanse of sky is a powerful symbol of strength, freedom and independence. Gently gliding on the air currents ever vigilant and watchful, undeterred by sudden storms. As the storm approaches the majestic eagle faces it head on and soars even higher.

Although at one time endangered, the bald eagle has made a dramatic return and can be seen in even greater numbers. Just like the bald eagle, we, as a nation, have faced opposition to our freedoms and way of life, and have overcome. As the symbol of our nation has returned in greater numbers we too as a nation shall long endure with the help of Almighty God.

May God Bless America again!