PrayTheRosary Apostolate

 

And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord:  As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord:  And to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons:  And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him. And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.  And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law,  He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said:  Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace;  Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples:  A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.  And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him.  And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted;  And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity.  And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day.  Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel.  And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth.  And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him.

- Luke 2: 22-40

 

The Purification of Mary is one of the
oldest feasts of Our Lady.
Mary, wishing to obey the law of Moses,
had to go to Jerusalem forty days after
the birth of Jesus to offer the prescribed
sacrifice of a lamb or two doves.
It was in the arms of His Blessed Mother
that Jesus offered Himself
to His Heavenly Father
as Mediator and Victim
for the redemption of the world.
Through Mary, we too should dedicate ourselves
to God’s service by doing His holy will at all times
— in joy as well as in sorrow.
We offer the works and sufferings of our lives
to God through Mary’s hands
for the salvation of soul, especially our own.

 

 

This day the Blessed Virgin Mary
presented the Child Jesus in the temple,
and Simeon, full of the Holy Spirit,
took Him into his arms

and praised God unceasingly.

 

The root of Jesse budded; a star rose out of Jacob;
a Virgin brought forth the Savior.
O our God, we praise You!

 

O wonderful exchange!
The creator of the human race,
taking upon Himself a body and soul,
deigned to be born of a virgin,
and appearing here below as man,
made us partakers of His divinity.

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.

 

 

 

HYMN

O Queen of all the virgin choir
Enthroned above the starry sky,
Who with your bosom’s milk did feed,
Your own Creator, Lord most high.

What man had lost in hapless Evce,
Your sacred womb to man restores;
You to the wretched here below,
Have opened Heaven’s eternal doors.

O hail, resplendent Hall of Light!
Hail Gate sublime of heaven’s high King!
Through you redeemed to endless life,
Your praise let all the nations sing!

O Jesus, born of Virgin bright,
To you be honor meet:
A;ll glory through the endless morn,
To Father and to Paraclete. Amen

 

 

 

PRAYER

Almighty, everlasting God, we humbly beg of Your

Majesty, that, as Your only-begotten Son was this day

presented in the temple in the form of our flesh, so grant

that we too, may be presented to You with hearts made

pure. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen

 

 

Now, before Simeon gave his prophecy
to Our Lady, he referred to her Infant Son
as the Light to the revelation of the Gentiles,
and because of this, light and candles play
 an important role before and during the Mass,
hence the most common name for this Feast -- "Candlemas."

On this day, there will be
a Blessing of the Candles and Procession.

 

"The mystery of today's ceremony
has frequently been explained by liturgists,
dating from the 7th century.
According to Ivo of Chartres, the wax,
which is formed from
the juice of flowers by the bee,
always considered as the emblem of virginity,
signifies the virginal flesh of the Divine Infant,
who diminished not, either by His conception
or His birth, the spotless purity
of His Blessed Mother.
The same holy bishop would have us see,
in the flame of our Candle,
a symbol of Jesus who came
to enlighten our darkness.
St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury,
speaking on the same mystery,
bids us consider three things
in the blessed Candle:
the wax, the wick, and the flame.
The wax, he says, which is the production
of the virginal bee, is the Flesh of our Lord;
the wick, which is within, is His Soul;
the flame, which burns on top, is His divinity."
                                      - Dom Prosper Guéranger, in Liturgical Year

 

 

 

The candle blessing, one of the three
principle blessings of the liturgical year,
will be given by the priest wearing a purple cope.
He will pray 5 prayers over the candles
placed near the Altar.
The candles are sprinkled three times
while the Aspérges me is sung,
and then they are incensed and distributed.
When we take a blessed candle
from the priest's hand,
we kiss the candle and then the priest's hand,
just as we do on Palm Sunday
when we receive the blessed palms.

It is customary to bring candles from home
to be blessed -- at least 51% beeswax candles
that one may use for devotional purposes
family prayer, sick calls, or during storms
and other times of trouble.