Today the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord, a Feast honoring the moment when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Jerusalem temple forty days after his birth. This event fulfills the Jewish law of purification and introduces us to Simeon, the old man who had waited his entire life for this encounter.
What happened in the temple
Forty days after Christmas, Mary and Joseph carried Jesus to the temple to present him to the Lord, as required by the law of Moses for every firstborn son. They brought the humble offering of two turtledoves, the gift of the poor. In the temple courts, an elderly man named Simeon approached them. The Holy Spirit had promised Simeon he would not die before seeing the Messiah. When he took the infant into his arms, he spoke the words we now pray at Compline every night: “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:29-30).
Simeon’s canticle, the Nunc Dimittis, is both a song of fulfillment and a prophecy. He blessed the family, then turned to Mary with sobering words: “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” (Luke 2:34-35). The prophetess Anna, an 84-year-old widow who lived in the temple, also recognized Jesus and spoke of him to all who were waiting for Jerusalem’s redemption.
Why this feast bears candles
Simeon called Jesus “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). From ancient times, the Church has celebrated this feast with candles, blessing them and carrying them in procession. The candles represent Christ himself, the Light of the World, entering his Father’s house. This is why the Presentation is also called Candlemas in older English tradition. The image of Mary presenting her son, with Simeon receiving him and candles blazing around them, captures both the light of recognition and the shadow of the cross Simeon foretold.
For today
Tonight before bed, pray the Nunc Dimittis from Compline. Let Simeon’s words be your own: after the work and worries of this day, ask to depart in peace, having seen Christ in some small way today. Light a candle as you pray if you can. Let it burn while you speak the words slowly, once through. Then blow it out and go to sleep.
Carry Simeon’s readiness to recognize God in unexpected moments.
