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Presentation in the Temple , by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (fl. ca. 1311–1348)

Art selection and commentary by Mikeal C. Parsons and Heidi J. Hornik

Ambrogio Lorenzetti created a profound visual interpretation of Jesus’ presentation in the temple. The viewer’s eyes (along with the eyes of most of the figures) are drawn to the character of Simeon, an older, bearded man, holding the Christ child in his arms. Mary holds the child’s white blanket, but her attention is directed to the child. Two women behind her look at Simeon, the only figure whose clothing depicts movement. Joseph seems to have just stopped a gesture with his hand. Likewise, the High Priest’s sacrificial act is arrested. Just as Luke combined two separate rituals, the purification and the presentation, into a single event (2:22–40), so Ambrogio telescoped two separate elements in the narrative, Simeon’s song ( Nunc Dimittis ) and Anna’s prophecy, into a single epiphany. While Anna is holding her prophetic scroll (which begins with the words et haec ipsa hora , “at that moment”), Simeon opens his mouth to speak. For Ambrogio, his patrons and his audience, this event was not simply a historical moment preserved in time. The viewer is invited to proclaim with Simeon: “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation!”

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Reflections for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Introduction:    This feast commemorates how Jesus, as a baby, was presented to God in the Temple in Jerusalem. This presentation finds its complete and perfect fulfillment in the mystery of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord. The  Feast of the Presentation of the Lord   is a combined feast ,  commemorating the Jewish practice of the  purification of the mother  after childbirth and the  presentation of the child  to God in the Temple and his buying back ( redemption ) from God. It is also known as the  Feast of the Purification of Mary , and the Feast  of Candlemas.  It is also called the  Feast of Encounter  ( Hypapánte  in Greek) because the New Testament, represented by the baby Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna. Joseph offered two pigeons in the Temple as sacrifice for the purification of Mary after her childbirth and for the presentation and redemption ceremonies performed for baby Jesus.

Homily starter anecdote: “Four chaplains Sunday:  Julia Duin in the Washington Times Sunday, February 1, 2009 told this story. Just after midnight on Feb. 3, 1943, an act of extraordinary unselfishness by a group of men became a legend of martyrdom and sacrifice. When the Army ship Dorchester was torpedoed by the Germans just south of Greenland that night, its passengers and crew had 25 minutes to get off the boat. As 902 people went for the life jackets, it quickly was discovered there weren’t near enough. Of the 13 lifeboats, only two functioned. In the ship’s final minutes, Methodist senior chaplain George Lansing Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Dutch Reformed minister Clark V. Poling and John P. Washington, a Roman Catholic priest, were helping passengers leave the vessel. Then four men appeared all of them without life jackets. The chaplains quickly gave up their own vests and went down with the ship, perishing in the freezing water. Survivors saw them, locked arm in arm, praying and singing the Navy hymn, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” just before the ship dove beneath the waves. It was a night as dramatic as the sinking of the Titanic but without a blockbuster movie to record the drama. “The Four Immortal Chaplains,” as they are now known, have been honored many times, including on a stamp issued in their honor by the U.S. Postal Service. Hence the first Sunday in February is known as “Four Chaplains Sunday” in some Christian denominations.  They presented and offered themselves completely for the wellbeing of others as Jesus was presented to God his Heavenly Father in the Temple of Jerusalem for the salvation of the world. ( http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Scripture lessons summarized:   In the   first reading,  taken from Malachi, the prophet speaks of the Lord suddenly coming to Jerusalem to purify the lax, lazy and indifferent priests of His Temple as silver is purified by fire. Simeon saw the Infant Jesus as the fulfillment of this passage. He saw Jesus as the Lord Who has come to the Temple,  "destined to be the downfall and rise of many in Israel."    In the second reading,  St. Paul   proclaims Jesus as our Eternal High Priest of     the New Covenant (Heb 2:17), Who offered himself on the altar of Calvary, the only pure priestly sacrifice that could please God.    He replaces the former priesthood.  The Gospel  describes how Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family of Nazareth, presented Mary and the baby Jesus in the Temple of God for the mother’s purification and the Child’s “redemption.” It also describes the Holy Family’s encounter with the old prophet Simeon and the holy old widow Anna. In his prophecy, Simeon extols the divine blessings which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men and predicts that Mary will play a crucial and sacrificial role in her Son's redemptive work by sharing in her Son's sufferings.

The first reading explained : Malachi prophesies in the first reading that the Lord is going to appear suddenly in the Temple of Jerusalem  to purify its priests and the people . The prophecy warns that nobody can endure the day of the messenger's coming because he will be like a refining fire, purifying the sons of Levi.  Led by the Spirit,  Simeon saw the Infant Jesus as the fulfillment of this passage .  Simeon, even if unknown to himself, foresaw Christ and His priests of the New Covenant who were ordained during the Last Supper. He saw Jesus as the Lord Who would come to the Temple,  "destined to be the downfall and rise of many in Israel."  In today's reading, Malachi prophesies that God will purify the lax, lazy and indifferent priests of His Temple as silver is purified by fire.  At the time of Malachi (around 460-450 BC), the priests were offering blemished (blind, lame) sacrifices and giving bad example (1:6-2:4).  The people were negligent in their support of the Temple (3:6-12). Israelite wives were being rejected by husbands who wished to marry foreign women (2:14-16). Social injustice was rampant (3:5), and the people doubted God’s love (1:2-5). Hence, Malachi reminds them that the Day of the Lord, a Day of Judgment, reward and retribution is coming. He describes the Divine intervention as a two-stage process. First God’s messenger will appear to prepare the way by purifying the clergy and refining the cult (v. 3). This purification will take place until they present offerings to the Lord in a spirit of justice and righteousness. Then, the Lord of Hosts will suddenly appear in the Temple (v. 1), to bring judgment and justice against unfaithful sinners (v. 5). The Psalm announces to Jerusalem that Jerusalem is about to receive a great visitor. The Psalmist identifies him as “The LORD of hosts … the king of glory.”

The second reading explained:  The second reading proclaims Jesus as our Eternal High Priest of the New Covenant (Heb 2:17), Who offered Himself on the altar of Calvary, the only pure priestly sacrifice that could please God. The  Didache  or the first catechism of the early Church (14:1-3), saw Malachi’s prophecy of a pure sacrifice and offering made from east to west as a prophecy of the sacrifice of the Eucharist.  Hence Malachi prophesies that the Lord will enter His Temple, there will be a renewed priesthood, and there will be a pure sacrifice offered worldwide and pleasing to God -- the Eucharist. Jesus became like us in all things except sin in order that He might offer to the Father perfect praise and glory.  Besides, since Jesus fully shared our experience, He is now a merciful and faithful High Priest on our behalf,  "able to help those who are being tested."   Jesus replaces the former priesthood. In keeping with the theme of today’s feast, namely, the presentation of the first fruits, this excerpt from Hebrews emphasizes Jesus’ dual role, as  first-fruits ,  par excellence , and as the  faithful High priest  Who presents the perfect gift of Himself to God for the expiation of human sin. By virtue of His Incarnation, Jesus became human in every way (vv. 17-18) except as regards sin. As representative of His brothers and sisters before God and as their Mediator, Christ perfected His service as both sacrifice and priest. By so doing, Christ was able to “rob the devil” of power (v. 14). As the first-fruits from the dead, as the conqueror of sin and death, Christ, in His person and through His mission, has set the course and cleared the way we are to follow; the decision to do so must be a daily and deliberate one.  It takes faith to see God's power at work in the death of Jesus.  Simeon hinted at this when he told Mary that she herself would be pierced with a sword.  Even knowing that her Son was the Savior of the world, it would be difficult for Mary to see him accomplish that salvation by being crucified.

Exegesis of today’s Gospel:  The birth of Christ was revealed by three kinds of witnesses in three different ways -- first, by the shepherds, after the angel's announcement; second, by the Magi, who were guided by a star; third, by Simeon and Anna, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Today’s Gospel describes the Presentation of the Baby Jesus in the Temple. It was intended to ritually redeem Jesus who was the first born in the family and where Mary herself will have to be ritually purified. Mary and Joseph was a typical pious Jewish couple, who went to the Temple in obedience to do all that was required and expected of them by the Law.The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus is a combined feast , commemorating the Jewish practice of the purification of the mother after childbirth and the presentation of the child in the Temple. It is known as the Hypapánte   feast or Feast of the Purification of Mary (by the offering two pigeons in the Temple), the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (by prayers and a sacrifice offered in the Temple to redeem or buy the firstborn male child back from the Lord), the Feast of Candlemas (because of its ancient rite of blessing of the candles to be used in the church for the next year — a practice dating from the middle of the fifth century) and the Feast of Encounter (because the New Testament, represented by the Baby Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna). Originally, there was no connection between today’s festival and the blessing of candles.    In the ancient East, this celebration occurred on February 14, forty days after Epiphany.   On February 15, pagans celebrated the festival of Lupercalia , a great “light” festival.    Perhaps this is an instance of the Church's “baptizing” a pagan custom.    At the principal Mass, the celebrant blesses candles, and people take part in a candlelight procession.    This should remind us that Jesus is our High Priest and the Light of the World.

Purification and redemption ceremonies : The Gospel describes how Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family of Nazareth, presented Mary and the baby Jesus in the Temple of God for the mother’s purification and the child’s “redemption.” According to Leviticus 12:2-8, a woman who bore a child was unclean  for forty days following the birth of a son or eighty days following the birth of a daughter.   Although Mary, the most holy of women, ever-Virgin, was exempt from these precepts of the Law, because of her miraculous conception, she chose to submit herself to the Law just like any other Jewish mother. Joseph and Mary showed their total submission to Law and obey the norms prescribed by the Old Testament.  The custom was practiced probably for the physical and emotional re-integration of the new mother into the community. There was a religious reason as well. Exodus 13:2, 12-13 prescribes that every first-born male belongs to God and must be set apart for the Lord, that is, dedicated to the service of God.  However, once divine worship was reserved to the tribe of Levi, first-born who did not belong to that tribe were not dedicated to God's service, and to show that they continued to be God's special property, a rite of redemption was performed. The Law also commanded that the Israelites should offer in sacrifice some lesser victim -- for example, a lamb or, if they were poor, a pair of doves or two pigeons.  The Book of Numbers 18: 15 taught that since every Jewish firstborn male child belonged to Yahweh, the parents had to “buy back” (redeem), the child by offering a lamb or turtledoves as a sacrifice in the Temple. The price of redemption for a human baby is five shekels of silver (Num 18:15-16). Jesus never needed to be "bought back," as he belonged wholly to the Lord, but Joseph kept these laws as an act of obedience to God. 

The encounter with Simeon and Anna :   By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the old, pious and Spirit-filled Simeon and Anna had been waiting in the Temple for the revelation of God’s salvation. The Greek Church celebrates the Hypapánte or Feast of the Encounter commemorating the encounter of the New Testament represented by Jesus with the Old Testament represented by Simeon and Anna. Simeon, who is described as a righteous and devout man, obedient to God's will, addresses himself to our Lord as a vassal or loyal servant who, having kept watch all his life in expectation of the coming of his Lord, sees that this moment has "now" come, the moment that explains his whole life.  When he takes the Child in his arms, he learns, not through any reasoning process but through a special grace from God, that this Child is the promised Messiah, the Consolation of Israel, the Light of the nations.  Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Lord’s anointed one, and in his prayer of blessing he prophesies that Jesus is meant to be the glory of Israel and the light of revelation to the Gentiles. Pope Francis: “Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally “seen” salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigor and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.”

Simeon’s prophecy: Simeon's canticle (verses 29-32) is also a prophecy.  It consists of two stanzas: the first (verses 29-30) is his act of thanksgiving to God, filled with profound joy for having seen the Messiah.  The second (verses 31-32) is more obviously prophetic and extols the divine blessings which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men.  The canticle highlights the fact that Christ brings redemption to all men without exception -- something foretold in many Old Testament prophecies (cf. Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 2:6; 42:6; 60:3; Psalm 28:2). While Simeon blessed Mary, he warned her that her child would be “ a sign of contradiction, ” and that she would be “ pierced with a sword.” Simeon was prophesying both the universal salvation that would be proclaimed by Jesus and the necessity of suffering in the mission of the Messiah. Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, yet He would be a sign of contradiction because some people would obstinately reject Him -- and for this reason He would be their ruin.  But for those who would accept Him with faith, Jesus would be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising them up to eternal life. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph marveled, but not because they did not know who Christ was. They were in awe at the way God was revealing Him. 

The paradox of blessedness:  Mary was given the blessedness of being the mother of the Son of God.  That blessedness also would become a sword which would pierce her heart as her Son died upon the cross. The words Simeon addressed to Mary announced that she would be intimately linked with her Son's redemptive work.  The sword indicated that Mary would have a share in her Son's sufferings. Her suffering would be an unspeakable pain which would pierce her soul.  Our Lord suffered on the cross for our sins, and it is those sins which forged the sword of Mary's pain.  Mary received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow.  But her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises.  Jesus promised his disciples, "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22).  The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take way.  Do you know the joy of a life fully surrendered to God with faith and trust? According to Dr. Scot Hann, the feast we celebrate shows a curious turn of events. The Redeemer is redeemed. She who is all-pure presents herself to be purified. Such is the humility of our God. Such is the humility of the Blessed Virgin. They submit to the law even though they are not bound by it.

Anna’s encounter with the Lord and her testifying to the Messiah:  Anna was an eighty-four-year-old widow who spent her days in the Temple in fasting and prayer, waiting for the promised Messiah. She was rewarded with the joy of seeing her Redeemer as a Baby. In her excitement, she praised God and introduced the Infant to others around her as the expected Messiah. Supernatural hope grows with prayer and age!  Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. She is a model of godliness for all believers as we advance in age.  Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and His promises grew with age. She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope.  Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and the service of God's people. We grow in hope by placing our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. After completing the presentation and redemption of baby Jesus and the ritual purification of Mary and the meeting with Simeon and Anna, Joseph and Mary understood more fully their responsibility before God to protect the child as they return to Nazareth

Life messages : 1)  Every Holy Mass in which we participate is our presentation . Although we were officially presented to God on the day of our Baptism, we present ourselves and our dear ones on the altar before God our Father through our Savior Jesus Christ at every Holy Mass. Hence, we need to live our daily lives with the awareness both that we are dedicated people consecrated to God and that we are obliged to lead holy lives.

2) We need the assistance of the Holy Spirit to recognize the presence of Jesus in ourselves and in others: All those who, like Simeon and Anna, persevere in piety and in the service of God, no matter how insignificant their lives seem in men's eyes, become instruments the Holy Spirit uses to make Christ known to others. In His plan of redemption, God makes use of these simple souls to do much good for all mankind. In other words, The Holy Spirit employs ordinary men and women with simple faith as His instruments to bear witness to Christ, His ideals and teachings, just as He used Simeon and Anna.  The Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Lord to us when we are receptive and eager to receive Him.  Let us be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within us to recognize the indwelling presence of the Lord with us and in others.  (Fr. Antony Kadavil)

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Guercino, The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

Forty days after his birth, Mary and Joseph brought the infant Christ to the Temple in Jerusalem. According to Jewish custom, all first-born male children were to be taken to the Temple to be presented to God in a ceremony that involved the sacrifice of two doves or pigeons, visible here at the foot of the altar. The elderly seated figure is the high priest Simeon. The Gospel of Luke says that the Holy Ghost had told Simeon he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. Guercino portrays the moments preceding the story’s climax, as the aged Simeon is about to hold Christ and, in recognising him, fulfil his destiny.

This work was painted for Bartolomeo Fabri, one of Guercino’s early patrons, who lived in the artist’s native Cento. It was returned to Guercino in settlement of a debt, and he kept it by his bedside until he was eventually persuaded to sell it in 1660.

Mary and Joseph brought the infant Christ, forty days after his birth, to be presented in the Temple in Jerusalem. According to Jewish custom, all first-born male children were to be taken to the Temple to be presented to God in a ceremony that involved the sacrifice of two doves or pigeons, which can be seen here at the foot of the altar.

The elderly seated figure on the right is the high priest Simeon. The Gospel of Luke says the Holy Ghost had told Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. With the aged priest about to receive the infant Christ in his arms, Guercino captures the moments preceding this story’s climax. In the seconds that follow, Simeon recognises Christ and realises that his destiny has been fulfilled. Embracing death, he utters, ‘Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation’ (Luke 2: 29.)

Guercino painted this work in 1623, shortly after returning to his native Cento from a two-year stay in Rome. During his time there he had seen the work of Domenichino, whose influence is apparent in the clearly defined planes and recession of space in this picture, as well as in the evenly dispersed light and vibrant use of colour. Architecture features more prominently here than in Guercino’s pre-Roman works, which are often crowded with figures tightly cropped by the picture frame (such as, for example, in The Incredulity of Saint Thomas ). Guercino has used the architecture to carefully construct the space, and has paid attention to the decorative elements, including the stone steps and sculpted bas-relief on the altar.

Despite some evolution, aspects of Guercino’s early style remain. The naturalistic, aged figure of Saint Joseph in the centre resembles Elijah from Guercino’s 1620 painting Elijah fed by Ravens . With his aged, weathered face, Joseph presents a contrast to the young Virgin and infant Christ. His slightly dishevelled appearance and simple clothing are set against the immaculately dressed high priest. Simeon’s embroidered cope is remarkably similar to that of Saint Gregory in Guercino’s Saint Gregory the Great with Saints Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier.

This painting is unusually large for a work on copper. Because copper was an expensive material, these pictures were typically smaller; like, for example, Guercino’s The Dead Christ Mourned by Two Angels . The artist makes the most of the copper’s smooth and luminous surface, painting with great delicacy (note the ducks in the basket of the candlestick on the altar) but also attaining monumentality in the figures. Guercino used an opaque orange ground for this work which is visible in parts of the image, particularly the architecture in the upper right section of the painting.

The picture was painted for Bartolomeo Fabri, one of Guercino’s early patrons who lived in the artist’s native Cento. (Fabri had also commissioned The Incredulity of Saint Thomas from Guercino two years earlier). The painting was later returned to the artist in settlement of a debt. According to his biographer, Carlo Cesare Malvasia, Guercino kept the painting by his bed and refused offers from numerous distinguished collectors looking to buy it, including Cardinal Antonio Barberini and Cardinal Prince Leopoldo de’ Medici. Guercino eventually sold it in 1660 to Raphael Dufresne, who offered a substantial sum and presented the artist with an inscribed copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Trattato della pittura (Treatise on Painting).

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Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

Originally on the third altar on the right in the church of San Giobbe and dedicated to the Purification of the Virgin, the altarpiece, signed and dated 1510, was probably commissioned by Pietro di Matteo Sanudo, whose coat of arms is still visible on the marble frame in the church. Carpaccio, under an apsed chapel decorated with polychrome marble and golden mosaics, depicts the episode of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple forty days after his birth. He is being presented to the High Priest Simeon, symmetrically juxtaposed to the Virgin. Following the format of Giovanni Bellini’s nearby San Giobbe Altarpiece , which was originally to the right of the altarpiece in question, the artist redeploys its pyramidal scheme, the suspended lamp, the group of angels playing instruments, the relationship with real architecture, and a smaller number of figures. The typology, however, doesn’t quite suit him, which is evident if we compare this piece with his better and much livelier narrative cycles for the Scuole. The originality of the episodes taken from Genesis and the Apocalypse and depicted on Simeon’s cape is contrasted with the repetitive nature of the Perugino-like female faces, which recall those of the kneeling martyrs in the Apotheosis of Saint Ursula , which probably shares the same preparatory drawing, now held at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (WA 1977.17, recto ).

The Greatest Works Art About the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

List of famous Presentation of Jesus at the Temple art, listed alphabetically with pictures of the artwork when available. This list includes examples of historic Presentation of Jesus at the Temple paintings, sculptures and any other forms of art. These are all popular Presentation of Jesus at the Temple works by famous or notable artists, so you'll most likely recognize the majority of artists on this list. Though the years Presentation of Jesus at the Temple has been a reoccurring subject in the world of art, drawing inspiration from renowned artists all around the world If any amazing Presentation of Jesus at the Temple art pieces are missing, feel free to add them below.

You can rank all of these items, from Presentation at the Temple to Presentation at the Temple.

The Presentation at the Temple

Presentation at the Temple

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

• Fra Angelico

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Fra Angelico was one of the most important artists of the Early Renaissance in Florence. Born Guido di Pietro, his first paintings are noted in 1417, and it is around the same time that he became a novice at the Friary of San Domenico at Fiesole near Florence, taking the name of Fra Giovanni.

He remained there until 1439, when he moved to the city's Dominican Friary of San Marco, which was rebuilt with the support of Cosimo de Medici. Presentation of Jesus at the Temple is one of a series of frescoes completed here around 1440 to 1442. Fra Angelico worked on these, arguably his best-known works, with his assistants, choosing detailed subjects for the public areas, but reserving more restrained representations for the cells where the monks contemplated.

The muted colours of Presentation of Jesus at the Temple was produced for Cell 10, dominating in a way that is not intrusive to quiet thought and meditation. Fra Angelico was influenced by other artists of the Early Renaissance in Florence, especially the sculptor Ghiberti, and experimented with realism and volume to define subjects, and used linear perspective to emphasise space in the more thoughtful pictures.

The story is taken from St Luke's Gospel, when Mary and Joseph take the baby Jesus to the temple, as required for a first-born son. Joseph carries two turtle doves in a basket as an offering, with flames in the altar to emphasise the custom. The devout ageing Simeon receives the vision of the Messiah promised to him by God, as he holds the infant. Also in the picture are Saint Peter Martyr and Blessed Villana, a Florentine holy woman of the fourteenth century. The group conveys the serenity that is common in Fra Angelico's art, allowing him to portray ordinary people with dignity and respect.

The artist probably first worked under the monk Lorenzo Monaco, an important Florentine manuscript illuminator, miniaturist and painter at the time, with Fra Angelico's touches discernible in a choir book and elsewhere. After his death in Rome in 1455, he was described as the Angelic Painter due to the tranquillity of his style, and the name of Fra Angelico stuck. Although he has continued to be appreciated, it is only in recent years that his place in the development of European art has been properly recognised. Like Masaccio and others, Fra Angelico grasped the opportunities that came with the era, to pursue his radical understanding of perspective, and was always concerned with new trends. Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which today still rests in San Marco, now the Museum of San Marco, is a perfect example of this.

Article Author

Tom Gurney in an art history expert. He received a BSc (Hons) degree from Salford University, UK, and has also studied famous artists and art movements for over 20 years. Tom has also published a number of books related to art history and continues to contribute to a number of different art websites. You can read more on Tom Gurney here.

Category : Paintings of the presentation of Jesus Christ at the Temple

Subcategories.

This category has the following 6 subcategories, out of 6 total.

• Paintings of the presentation of Jesus Christ at the Temple by artist ‎ (3 C)
• Paintings of the presentation of Jesus Christ at the Temple by century ‎ (8 C, 1 F)
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A meditative guide to the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

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When reading the Bible, many scenes are described very briefly, with very few details. This makes it relatively easy to pass over an important event quickly, missing the depth of the symbolism hidden in the story.

One of the best things we can do is slowly read the Bible, chewing on every word and even placing ourselves into the scene. When we do this with our imagination, we can discover spiritual truths that we didn’t expect to find.

Here is a meditative guide to the event of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, as laid out in The little book of the most holy child Jesus . It presents a beautiful meditation, allowing us time to think about every aspect of the biblical event and allow God’s grace to invade our hearts.

Let us enter the Temple of Jerusalem. The one great house of the true God in all the earth. Bright and rich with gold and colour and curious work. The house of prayer, the one place of sacrifice. The great altar of God stands there. Crowds pass to and fro to bring their offerings or to join in the never-ending worship. Unheeded through the crowds—unheeded because so lowly and quiet—a pair go up to the place of offering. A maiden bearing in her arms a Babe. By her side a staid and thoughtful man. They are Mary and Joseph, and they bring the little Jesus into the Temple. No longer the gloomy cave. The Holy Child and His parents pass through the crowds in the stately courts of the Temple, their hearts overflowing with joy and peace; but so quiet and of such low estate are they, that none seem to notice them. Yet that Babe is the Lord of the Temple, Lord of heaven and earth, of all creation. Heaven itself cannot contain His glory, nor countless angels worship Him enough or sound the praises due to Him. It is His will to be offered thus for the love of us, with all His glory hidden, in His Temple on earth. It is His will because it is the will of the Father who has loved us with an everlasting love. The crowds know not, as they press by, that it is their Savior and God. Yet Mary, whose only thought is to do the will of her Son, knows that she is offering a gift beyond all price, at once her first-born Son and her God. Aged Simeon, the holy servant of God, for years and years has come daily to the Temple with the hope of seeing this holy Babe. He was told by the Holy Spirit that he should not die before he had this great joy And now he takes the  Child,  his Lord, in his arms, a peaceful calm flows in upon his soul, and he is ready to die when the good God wills. Anna, too, the aged Prophetess, for this also had waited in the Temple for long years. Now she sees her heart’s desire. She reveals the Holy  Child  to the Jews; but little do they heed. They are taken up with this world, and love its pomps and grandeur so well that when they look upon its Lord and Maker they see but a little Infant like any other  child  of men. A poor Infant in a young maiden’s arms,  Jesus,  Thou art come to do Thy Father’s will. I desire to do that holy will in all things, whatever it may cost. I offer myself to Thee; do with me what Thou seest best, now and for evermore.

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The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, 2 February 2020

February 2, 2020 | by Paul S. Nancarrow

The Feast of the Presentation is the final installment in the cycle of liturgies for Christmas. It may seem a little strange to be thinking about Christmas here in February; after all, in the timetables of secular culture and marketing, Christmas is long over, we’ve blown past New Year’s, the candies are out for Valentine’s Day, and sales for Presidents Day and St Patrick’s are just around the corner! Who has time to look back toward Christmas now ? 

But the Presentation has a long history in Christian tradition and practice. The Feast is attested in Jerusalem beginning around 350. In 542 Emperor Justinian introduced it at Constantinople, as a gesture of thanksgiving for the end of a time of plague. It is recorded in the western church between 687-701, when Pope Sergius directed that the feast be celebrated with a procession of candles and the singing of the canticle Nunc dimittis , taken from the Luke reading for the day. The custom developed of blessing candles for use in church all through the liturgical year on this day, from which the feast takes its other historical name, Candlemas. In Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican liturgical calendars — and now in the RCL as well — the Presentation is considered a feast of the Lord, a handful of holy days that can take precedence over a Sunday. Therefore on this day we break from the ordinary round of post-Epiphany readings to look back toward the Christmas cycle. As a Christmas-connected day falling long after the cultural Christmas holiday has passed, the Presentation is a good reminder that liturgical time, the time of God’s unfolding aims in history, does not always flow according to our agendas and expectations. More than that, it reminds us that God’s presence and activity is often revealed to us in the fulfilling of expectations in most un expected ways. 

Malachi 3:1-4 sets the expectation for the entire sequence. The date of this oracle is uncertain, but most scholars tie it to the early part of the fifth century BCE, when the Temple was being rebuilt but worship and social life had not yet been stabilized and were subject to abuses. Into this volatile situation the prophet speaks God’s promise that “my messenger” is being sent to prepare the way for God’s arrival, and that “the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” The “messenger of the covenant” who is coming will be a source of “delight,” but will also challenge the status quo: “Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?” the prophet asks. The prophet describes the “messenger” in language that would become familiar in the developing messianic tradition: the messenger will be “like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap”; he will “refine” and “purify” the people through a process of transformation that will be outwardly destructive, like fire, yet will bring out the inner truth of what God intends them to be. This is especially important for “the descendants of “Levi,” for when they are properly purified, they will “present offerings to the Lord in righteousness” so that “the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old.” 

The core of the promise, then, is that a messianic figure will appear in the Temple and will purify the liturgical life of the temple priesthood and, through them, the entire city and people. The prophet sees right-relationship with God, expressed in public liturgy, as central to right-relationship with each other in political and social life throughout the community. This kind of linkage of right-worship and right-society seems alien to us, given our long cultural history of keeping a wall of separation between worship and the conduct of social life, deeming the former to be a matter of personal preference and the latter a commitment to public values. The ancient prophets knew of no such separation, and drew a direct connection between the failure to honor God with offerings and acts of justice, and the failure to honor the poor, the orphaned and widowed, and the marginalized with place and voice and support in society. From this perspective, the purifying of Temple worship, and of the personal lives of those charged with leading Temple worship, was a necessary precondition of restoring a just and peaceable society in Jerusalem. 

On its own, this passage invites us to consider how our own liturgical and worship practice does or does not inform and support our efforts to create just and peaceable communities and social orders in our world. While we do not have — and most of us would not want — state-sponsored worship such as Malachi expects, it is still the case for us that the practices of worship — the offerings we make of ourselves, the ways we receive into ourselves the love of God and the call of Jesus to love one another as he loves us — can form in us modes of conduct that build up right-relationship with God and right-relationship with neighbor, not only in the church building but also and more so in our daily lives and occupations. How could our own commitment to purify our participation in worship lead us to deeper commitments to discerning God’s aims and embodying God’s ideals of justice and peace in public life? 

On this day, however, the Malachi reading does not so much stand on its own as it contributes to the drama building to a climax in Luke. On this day the key line is “the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” Simeon and Anna will experience that promise in the Gospel.

Psalm 84 also centers on worship in the Temple, and how the cultic liturgy opens into a “liturgy of life” outside the Temple as well. The psalm is often considered a pilgrim song, expressing the longing of the pilgrim to come from far away and worship in the central shrine. The Temple is a place of security and joy: sparrows and swallows can nest there unmolested, those who live there are happy, those whose hearts are on the pilgrim way will be strengthened, one day in the Temple is better than years elsewhere, to stand at the door of the Temple is better than to be inside a tent of the unrighteous. But even in the midst of this lavish praise for the Temple, it is made clear that the building is not the important thing. What matters is that the building is where “heart and flesh” can “sing for joy to the living God.” What matters is that the building is where “the LORD God” can be known as “sun and shield” who withholds “no good thing” from those who trust and “walk uprightly.” What matters, in the most striking line in the entire psalm, is that the building is where pilgrims may “go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.” The Hebrew Scriptures stress over and over that God cannot be seen, and that no image of God is possible; so it is arresting to hear in this psalm that God will be seen in Zion. Even though there was no physical image in the Temple, it is not impossible that worshipers expected to “see” God in the liturgy, and especially in the sacrificial meal where one half of the animal was offered on the altar and the other half cooked and eaten as a feast. The Temple is where God can be “seen” in the conduct of worship that embodies God’s ideals for justice and peace, God’s aims for right-relationships that can transform the people’s lives. Vs. 7 is given an expanded and reinterpreted meaning in Luke, when Simeon and Anna see Jesus and recognize him. 

The small section of Psalm 27 offered as an alternative for this day relates directly to the Presentation, calling for the doors of the Temple to be opened for the arrival of the Lord. From the perspective of today’s liturgy (though certainly not in these lines’ context in the original psalm) the lines have a sort of revelatory irony, in that the one who comes to the Temple does not come as a King of glory, mighty in battle, but as an infant child whose mission will upend all ideas of glorified battle and conquering Kings. 

Hebrews 2:14-18 also explores a kind of revealing irony. Luke says that Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple to “designate him as holy to the Lord” (more about that ritual in the section on Luke below). But surely, no child in human history needed to be “designated holy” less than Jesus. Mary had received the angel’s promise that “the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Her kinswoman Elizabeth had, inspired by the Spirit, recognized the child in Mary’s womb as “my Lord” (Luke 1:43). When Mary entered the Temple with Jesus, she knew the child was of God. Why then dedicate him to God? Why then buy him back from God, in place of sacrificing him, as was required of firstborn males (Exodus 13:2, 13)? 

Hebrews 2:17 provides an answer: “he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.” Jesus’ participation in the redemption-of-the-firstborn ceremony, like his joining in John’s baptism of repentance later (Matthew 3:14-15), or his paying of the Temple tax later still (Matthew 17:27), is a sign of his solidarity with the human condition. Although he already belongs to God, although he of all people has no need of repentance, although he is “free” with regard to Temple service, he takes his position with those who must be redeemed, must repent, must make their offering to support the work of worship. The infant Jesus of the Presentation certainly does not have the adult intentionality of the Jesus who is baptized, or who directs Peter to catch a fish that miraculously has a coin in its mouth for the Temple tax; but perhaps this makes his solidarity in the human condition symbolized by the ceremony all the more poignant. Mary and Joseph offer Jesus to God, prefiguring the offering that Jesus will make of himself on the cross. It is because Jesus identifies himself so thoroughly with human reaching out to God in such ceremonies that he is able to make the connection between human need and divine grace. It is because Jesus is himself “tested” in suffering that he is “able to help those who are being tested.” 

It is intriguing to consider how Jesus’ participation in the customary liturgy might work in the other direction as well. By joining in the ceremony Jesus joins with all humanity reaching out to God in supplication and dedication. But because he is already holy, already “called the Son of God,” his joining in the ceremony is also a demonstration of God reaching out to human need. Liturgy is a two-way process: it is the human work of the people reaching out to God, and it is at the same time the divine work for the people lifting them to God. In all the moments of Jesus’ life, God gave him initial aims to fulfill ideals of justice and peace and love; Jesus embodied those aims in devoted action, and offered the satisfactions of all his moments to God in fully reciprocating love; from those offered satisfactions, God could then offer new aims, for Jesus and for others, conditioned by the justice and peace and love Jesus accomplished. In process thought, of course, it is true that all actual entities receive aims from God and offer satisfactions to God; Christian faith makes the claim that Jesus performed this receiving and offering to a superlative degree and with a unique intentionality within a human life. This would be true also of moments of Jesus’ life that were ceremonial moments, that were moments of participating in liturgy. In liturgy the pattern of receiving and offering, common to all entities and uniquely accomplished in human life in Jesus, is made more explicit, it is elicited into prominence, so that it can be experienced by worshipers and then intentionally re-enacted in life situations outside formal worship. Jesus’ solidarity with the liturgies of his people — Temple, synagogue, and upper room — creates the opportunity for others to experience the pattern of receiving-and-offering with God that is centrally constitutive of Jesus’ life. It is this that makes him “a merciful and faithful high priest” who can “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.” 

The irony that the one who least needs the liturgy of redemption is the one who most exemplifies the reality of the liturgy of redemption is the contribution of the Hebrews passage to the overall meaning of the Presentation lectionary. 

All these themes converge in the story told in Luke 2:22-40 , of the moment when the conduct of a customary liturgy is interrupted and expanded by two inspired re-interpreters. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple forty days after his birth “to do for him what was customary under the law.” Luke seems to conflate here two separate rites. He refers to “their purification,” actually a ceremony for reintegrating a woman into the worshiping community after having given birth to a male child, as directed in Leviticus 12. It is noteworthy in reference to Leviticus that Mary offers the “pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” specified for a woman who “cannot afford a sheep.” The verse Luke quotes, however, is from Exodus 13:2, which has less to do with purification than with avoiding the sacrifice of the firstborn son by offering another sacrifice in his place, as Abraham was directed to do for Isaac in Genesis 22:13. It is entirely possible that Mary and Joseph came to the Temple to perform both rites at the same time, as long as they were staying nearby in Bethlehem and before journeying back home to Nazareth; it’s equally possible that Luke simply put the two ceremonies together as a good storytelling device to put Mary and Joseph and Jesus in the Temple where they could be met by Simeon and Anna. 

Because that is really the important part of this story. That the holy child will be incorporated into the liturgical life of the people is significant; more significant still is the way this child will transform the customary liturgy. 

Simeon had been promised by God that “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah,” and at this moment he is “guided by the Spirit” to come to the Temple just as Mary and Joseph are arriving with Jesus. With that Spirit-guidance, Simeon recognizes the infant Jesus as the Messiah, the “consolation of Israel,” for whom he has been looking. But what Simeon has recognized is far different from what he most likely expected. The image from Malachi, of a refiner and purifier coming with fire, had been amplified through centuries of messianic expectation — as will be illustrated by John the Baptist in the next chapter of Luke — and was no doubt a significant feature of the “consolation” Simeon looked forward to. But this , this infant in arms, being brought to the Temple with a poor woman’s offering, this was hardly a sign of messianic accomplishment. 

And yet Simeon recognizes him. And Simeon stops the young family on their way to the ceremony, takes the child in his arms, and sings a song far more personal and immediate than the psalms that would be chanted in the Temple liturgy — a song, incidentally, that became and has been part of the Christian liturgy for centuries, especially for Vespers and Compline. Looking on Jesus, Simeon sings “my eyes have seen your salvation”; and not only Simeon’s salvation, but the light that God has “prepared in the presence of all peoples” to be “glory to your people Israel” and also “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” Simeon embraces the universalist version of the messianic hope, seeing the Anointed One not as the one who will defeat all of Israel’s enemies and drive them out, but as the one who will unite Israel’s enemies and all the peoples in a new community in the Spirit. Having seen this light, even if only a glimpse in the infant and not yet the full light of revelation and glory for all, Simeon’s mission is fulfilled, his promise satisfied, and he is ready to be “dismissed” from his life in peace. 

While Mary and Joseph are “amazed” at Simeon’s song, he is not yet done with them. He addresses them directly, explaining that their child is a “sign” whose significance will reveal “the inner thoughts” of many, so that they will “rise or fall” in the light of revelation. And Simeon warns Mary that “a sword will pierce your own soul too”; Mary’s “inner thoughts” will be revealed as well, as she struggles to accept her son’s preaching (Mark 3:21), as she watches him die (John 19:26-27), and as she receives the Holy Spirit to proclaim her son and his church (Acts 1:14, 2:1-4). Mary had sung confidently that God would “bring down the powerful from their thrones, and lift up the lowly”, that God would “fill the hungry with good things, and send the rich away empty” in the Great Reversal (Luke 1:52-53); Simeon reminds her that her life will know God’s reversals as well. In all these respects, Simeon sees his messianic expectation fulfilled, but fulfilled in a way he had never expected. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit to him to be able to recognize this unexpected expectation. 

While Luke gives Simeon the song and the good lines, the broader witness he puts in the mouth of Anna. As a widow she lives a precarious life, technically protected by Torah but practically often overlooked and undersupported, and she spends all her days in the Temple, fasting and praying, and also relying on the sacred precincts to be a safe place for her, as in Psalm 84. She also recognizes Jesus as the agent of “the redemption of Israel”; but where Simeon speaks this insight only to Mary, Anna “praises God and speaks about the child” to everyone who is in the Temple at the time. What forty days before had been a heavenly message directed to a handful of shepherds is now, for the first time, made a matter of public announcement. Anna is the first of many women in Luke’s Gospel and Acts who will play special roles in bearing witness to Jesus. 

It is only after these encounters with Simeon and Anna that Mary and Joseph are able to complete the rituals, “everything required by the law of the Lord,” and return to Nazareth, where Jesus will “grow and become strong, filled with wisdom” until he returns to the Temple and sits among the teachers at age twelve. 

Now in one sense Simeon and Anna interrupt the liturgies Mary and Joseph have come to complete with Jesus. Simeon’s song and Anna’s witness are not part of the program for purification of a mother and dedication of a firstborn. But in another sense they expand and reveal the real purpose of these liturgies. Just as Jesus, of all firstborn sons, did not need to be dedicated to God, being already “called the Son of God,” so the ordinary liturgy of dedication would not be “big enough” to hold his significance. By injecting into the occasion his new song, Simeon broadens the liturgy, as it were, to include a new dimension of meaning suitable for the messianic child. Just as Mary’s experience of being mother to Jesus would “pierce her own soul,” so the ordinary liturgy of purification with two turtledoves would not be “big enough” to hold her significance. By injecting into the occasion his words to Mary, Simeon broadens her liturgy, as it were, to include a new dimension of meaning suitable for the mother of the Messiah. These extra-liturgical dimensions add to the meaning of the rites, increasing the aims offered by God through the liturgy and the satisfactions offered back to God by the liturgical participants. Mary and Joseph’s expectations that Mary would be purified and Jesus dedicated are fulfilled in the liturgies; but in the deeper experience of Simeon and Anna’s liturgical expansions, their expectations are fulfilled in unexpected ways. 

And that is the implicit promise of the liturgy of the Feast of the Presentation for us as well. Whether it be in a candlelit procession; whether it be in blessings of candles for use in church and at home; whether it be in special attention to these themes in preaching for the day — God offers the worshiping community in this Feast aims of love and justice and peace, aims of light to enlighten all people and glory for those who turn to God, aims to experience unexpected depth and meaning and compassion and action in the midst of the ordinary expectations of life. To the extent that we are willing and able to receive these expanded liturgical aims, we also can embody God’s ideals and return to God the offering of our actions, our completed occasions, the fulfillments of justice and peace and love we are able to accomplish, so that God can take them up in the Adventure of the Universe as One, and bring from them new aims for right-relationships and well-being for all. 

The Rev. Dr. Paul Nancarrow is an Episcopal priest retired from full-time parish ministry. His theological work has focused on process-relational interpretations of liturgy, and especially on the co-acting of divine action and human action in sacramental work and worship. He has taught Theology for deacons’ ordination training in Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia. He can often be found contemplating the Adventure of the Universe as One from the saddle of his bicycle on back roads and rail-trails in the Upper Midwest.

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Bible story: The presentation of Jesus at the temple

Creative activities based on the bible story of the presentation of jesus at the temple.

In Luke 2:22-39a, we read about the presentation of Jesus at the temple. According to Jewish law, when a firstborn son is 40 days old, he is to be presented to the Lord at the temple and a sacrifice is to be made. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple and presented him to Simeon, a righteous and devout man who had been waiting for the promised Messiah.

Simeon took the baby in his arms and praised God, saying that he had seen the salvation of the Lord. He also warned Mary that her son would cause controversy and that a sword would pierce her own soul. They also met Anna, a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah and gave thanks to God.

We have compiled a range of creative ideas and activities below that relate to this Bible story. These resources are designed to help you share this important message in an engaging and interactive way, whether you are a children's ministry leader, a Sunday school teacher, or a religious educator in a Christian primary school.

Our activities below are suitable for use in various settings such as church children's programs, children's ministry, catechism classes, children's services, Bible clubs, vacation Bible school, and Sunday school, and will help students understand the relevance of the Bible to their lives, and the importance of applying its teachings in practical ways.

Discover all 15 activities and ideas

Lesson - NT: Life of Jesus 01 - Jesus presented at the temple (Download PDF)

Children's moment - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - The welcoming committee

Craft - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Naming the baby

Craft - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - The arrival of the Messiah

Experiment - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Is it a duck or a rabbit?

Game - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Bringing good tidings

Game - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Nine letters

Game - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - The promise fulfilled

Icebreaker - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Unleash the shaving foam

Object lesson - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - An allegorical story

Object lesson - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Creating a swaddling cloth

Object lesson - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Israel feels forgotten by God

Prayer idea - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Longing for God

Storytelling tips - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Three tips

Video - NT: Life of Jesus 01: Jesus presented at the temple - Runaway

Luke 2:22-35 New English Translation

Jesus’ presentation at the temple.

22  Now [ a ] when the time came for their [ b ] purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary [ c ] brought Jesus [ d ] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23  (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “ Every firstborn male [ e ] will be set apart to the Lord ” [ f ] ), 24  and to offer a sacrifice according to what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of doves [ g ] or two young pigeons . [ h ]

The Prophecy of Simeon

25  Now [ i ] there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was righteous [ j ] and devout, looking for the restoration [ k ] of Israel, and the Holy Spirit [ l ] was upon him. 26  It [ m ] had been revealed [ n ] to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die [ o ] before [ p ] he had seen the Lord’s Christ. [ q ] 27  So [ r ] Simeon, [ s ] directed by the Spirit, [ t ] came into the temple courts, [ u ] and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, [ v ] 28  Simeon [ w ] took him in his arms and blessed God, saying, [ x ]

29  “Now, according to your word, [ y ] Sovereign Lord, [ z ] permit [ aa ] your servant [ ab ] to depart [ ac ] in peace. 30  For my eyes have seen your salvation [ ad ] 31  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: [ ae ] 32  a light, [ af ] for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory [ ag ] to your people Israel.”

33  So [ ah ] the child’s [ ai ] father [ aj ] and mother were amazed [ ak ] at what was said about him. 34  Then [ al ] Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: [ am ] This child [ an ] is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising [ ao ] of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. [ ap ] 35  Indeed, as a result of him the thoughts [ aq ] of many hearts will be revealed [ ar ] —and a sword [ as ] will pierce your own soul as well!” [ at ]

• Luke 2:22 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
• Luke 2:22 tc The translation follows most mss , including early and significant ones ( א A B L). Some copyists, aware that the purification law applied to women only, produced mss (76 it pt vg [though the Latin word eius could be either masculine or feminine]) that read “her purification.” But the extant evidence for an unambiguous “her” is shut up to one late minuscule (codex 76) and a couple of patristic citations of dubious worth (Pseudo-Athanasius whose date is unknown, and the Catenae in euangelia Lucae et Joannis , edited by J. A. Cramer. The Catenae is a work of collected patristic sayings whose exact source is unknown [thus, it could come from a period covering hundreds of years]). A few other witnesses (D lat) read “his purification.” The KJV has “her purification,” following Beza’s Greek text (essentially a revision of Erasmus’). Erasmus did not have it in any of his five editions. Most likely Beza put in the feminine form αὐτῆς ( autēs ) because, recognizing that the eius found in several Latin mss could be read either as a masculine or a feminine, he made the contextually more satisfying choice of the feminine. Perhaps it crept into one or two late Greek witnesses via this interpretive Latin back-translation. So the evidence for the feminine singular is virtually nonexistent, while the masculine singular αὐτοῦ ( autou , “his”) was a clear scribal blunder. There can be no doubt that “ their purification” is the authentic reading. tn Or “when the days of their purification were completed.” In addition to the textual problem concerning the plural pronoun (which apparently includes Joseph in the process) there is also a question whether the term translated “purification” ( καθαρισμός , katharismos ) refers to the time period prescribed by the Mosaic law or to the offering itself which marked the end of the time period (cf. NLT, “it was time for the purification offering”). sn Exegetically the plural pronoun “their” creates a problem. It was Mary’s purification that was required by law, forty days after the birth ( Lev 12:2-4 ). However, it is possible that Joseph shared in a need to be purified by having to help with the birth or that they also dedicated the child as a first born ( Exod 13:2 ), which would also require a sacrifice that Joseph would bring. Luke’s point is that the parents followed the law. They were pious.
• Luke 2:22 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Joseph and Mary) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
• Luke 2:22 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
• Luke 2:23 tn Grk “every male that opens the womb” (an idiom for the firstborn male).
• Luke 2:23 sn An allusion to Exod 13:2 , 12 , 15 .
• Luke 2:24 sn The offering of a pair of doves or two young pigeons , instead of a lamb, speaks of the humble roots of Jesus’ family—they apparently could not afford the expense of a lamb.
• Luke 2:24 sn A quotation from Lev 12:8 ; 5:11 (LXX).
• Luke 2:25 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. The Greek word ἰδού ( idou ) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
• Luke 2:25 tn Grk “This man was righteous.” The Greek text begins a new sentence here, but this was changed to a relative clause in the translation to avoid redundancy.
• Luke 2:25 tn Or “deliverance,” “consolation.” sn The restoration of Israel refers to Simeon’s hope that the Messiah would come and deliver the nation ( Isa 40:1 ; 49:13 ; 51:3 ; 57:18 ; 61:2 ; 2 Bar . 44:7).
• Luke 2:25 sn Once again, by mentioning the Holy Spirit , Luke stresses the prophetic enablement of a speaker. The Spirit has fallen on both men (Zechariah, 1:67 ) and women (Elizabeth, 1:41 ) in Luke 1-2 as they share the will of the Lord.
• Luke 2:26 tn Grk “And it.” Here καί ( kai ) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
• Luke 2:26 tn The use of the passive suggests a revelation by God, and in the OT the corresponding Hebrew term represented here by κεχρηματισμένον ( kechrēmatismenon ) indicated some form of direct revelation from God ( Jer 25:30 ; 33:2 ; Job 40:8 ).
• Luke 2:26 tn Grk “would not see death” (an idiom for dying).
• Luke 2:26 tn On the grammar of this temporal clause, see BDF §§383.3; 395.
• Luke 2:26 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” sn The revelation to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord ’ s Christ is yet another example of a promise fulfilled in Luke 1-2 . Also, see the note on Christ in 2:11 .
• Luke 2:27 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.
• Luke 2:27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Simeon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
• Luke 2:27 tn Grk “So in the Spirit” or “So by the Spirit,” but since it refers to the Spirit’s direction the expanded translation “directed by the Spirit” is used here.
• Luke 2:27 tn Grk “the temple.” sn The temple courts is a reference to the larger temple area, not the holy place. Simeon was either in the court of the Gentiles or the court of women, since Mary was present.
• Luke 2:27 tn Grk “to do for him according to the custom of the law.” See Luke 2:22-24 .
• Luke 2:28 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Simeon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
• Luke 2:28 tn Grk “and said.” The finite verb in Greek has been replaced with a participle in English to improve the smoothness of the translation.
• Luke 2:29 sn The phrase according to your word again emphasizes that God will perform his promise.
• Luke 2:29 tn The Greek word translated here by “Sovereign Lord” is δεσπότης ( despotēs ).
• Luke 2:29 sn This short prophetic declaration is sometimes called the Nunc dimittis , which comes from the opening phrase of the saying in Latin, “now dismiss,” a fairly literal translation of the Greek verb ἀπολύεις ( apolueis , “now release”) in this verse.
• Luke 2:29 tn Here the Greek word δοῦλος ( doulos , “slave”) has been translated “servant” since it acts almost as an honorific term for one specially chosen and appointed to carry out the Lord’s tasks. sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times ( Isa 43:10 ), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses ( Josh 14:7 ), David ( Ps 89:3 ; cf. 2 Sam 7:5 , 8 ) and Elijah ( 2 Kgs 10:10 ); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
• Luke 2:29 tn Grk “now release your servant.”
• Luke 2:30 sn To see Jesus, the Messiah, is to see God’s salvation .
• Luke 2:31 sn Is the phrase all peoples a reference to Israel alone, or to both Israel and the Gentiles? The following verse makes it clear that all peoples includes Gentiles, another key Lukan emphasis ( Luke 24:47 ; Acts 10:34-43 ).
• Luke 2:32 tn The syntax of this verse is disputed. Most read “light” and “glory” in parallelism, so Jesus is a light for revelation to the Gentiles and is glory to the people for Israel. Others see “light” ( 1:78-79 ) as a summary, while “revelation” and “glory” are parallel, so Jesus is light for all, but is revelation for the Gentiles and glory for Israel. Both readings make good sense and either could be correct, but Luke 1:78-79 and Acts 26:22-23 slightly favor this second option.
• Luke 2:32 sn In other words, Jesus is a special cause for praise and honor (“ glory ”) for the nation.
• Luke 2:33 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.
• Luke 2:33 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the child) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
• Luke 2:33 tc Most mss ([A] Θ [ Ψ ] ƒ 13 33 M it) read “Joseph,” but in favor of the reading ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ( ho patēr autou , “his father”) is both external ( א B D L W 1 700 1241 sa) and internal evidence. Internally, the fact that Mary is not named at this point and that “Joseph” is an obviously motivated reading, intended to prevent confusion over the virgin conception of Christ, argues strongly for ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ as the authentic reading here. See also the tc note on “parents” in 2:43 .
• Luke 2:33 tn The term refers to the amazement at what was happening as in other places in Luke 1-2 ( 1:63 ; 2:18 ). The participle is plural, while the finite verb used in the periphrastic construction is singular, perhaps to show a unity in the parents’ response (BDF §135.1.d: Luke 8:19 ).
• Luke 2:34 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
• Luke 2:34 tn Grk “behold.”
• Luke 2:34 tn Grk “this one”; the referent (the child) is supplied in the translation for clarity.
• Luke 2:34 sn The phrase the falling and rising of many emphasizes that Jesus will bring division in the nation, as some will be judged ( falling ) and others blessed ( rising ) because of how they respond to him. The language is like Isa 8:14-15 and conceptually like Isa 28:13-16 . Here is the first hint that Jesus’ coming will be accompanied with some difficulties.
• Luke 2:34 tn Grk “and for a sign of contradiction.”
• Luke 2:35 tn Or “reasonings” (in a hostile sense). See G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.
• Luke 2:35 sn The remark the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed shows that how people respond to Jesus indicates where their hearts really are before God.
• Luke 2:35 sn A sword refers to a very large, broad two-edged sword. The language is figurative, picturing great pain. Though it refers in part to the cross, it really includes the pain all of Jesus’ ministry will cause, including the next event in Luke 2:41-52 and extending to the opposition he faced throughout his ministry.
• Luke 2:35 sn This remark looks to be parenthetical and addressed to Mary alone, not the nation. Many modern English translations transpose this to make it the final clause in Simeon’s utterance as above to make this clear.

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Lessons from the presentation of jesus in the temple

• by Admin Team
• June 29, 2022 March 29, 2024

The story of Jesus’ presentation in the temple is a classic one. It’s one of the few stories from the gospels that all four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) tell, and it’s a key part of the narrative of Jesus’ life.

According to the gospel of Luke, Jesus was taken to the temple at the age of 12 to be presented to God. The temple is a place where Jews celebrated their faith, but it also served as a symbol of their oppression under Roman rule. In this lesson, we will explore what it means that Jesus was presented in this particular place at this particular time.

Right here on Churchgist, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on the presentation of jesus in the temple reflection,the presentation in the temple summary, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

The story of Jesus in the temple is one of the most well-known stories from the New Testament. It’s taught in Sunday school, it’s been depicted in art, and it’s one of the most popular parables told.

We are going to look at this story from an entirely new perspective: as an opportunity to learn something about ourselves.

We’ve all heard the story before—how when Jesus was twelve years old, he was taken to Jerusalem for his bar mitzvah celebration. But what did that mean? What did it look like? And why was Jesus’ family so worried about how he would perform?

We’ll explore these questions and more as we dive into this important passage from Scripture.

lessons from the presentation of jesus in the temple

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The  Presentation of Jesus at the Temple  (or  in the temple ) is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem, that is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, formally the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus. The episode is described in chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. [1]  Within the account, “Luke’s narration of the Presentation in the Temple combines the purification rite with the Jewish ceremony of the redemption of the firstborn (Luke 2:23–24).” [2]

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Presentation of Jesus at the temple is celebrated as one of the twelve Great Feasts, and is sometimes called  Hypapante  (Ὑπαπαντή, “meeting” in Greek).

The Orthodox Churches which use the Julian Calendar celebrate it on 15 February, and the Armenian Church on 14 February.

In Western Christianity, the  Feast of the Presentation of the Lord  is also known by its earlier name as the  Feast of the Purification of the Virgin  or the  Meeting of the Lord . [3]  In some liturgical calendars, Vespers (or Compline) on the Feast of the Presentation marks the end of the Epiphany season, also (since the 2018 lectionary) in the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD). [4]  In the Church of England, the mother church of the Anglican Communion, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple is a Principal Feast celebrated either on 2 February or on the Sunday between 28 January and 3 February. In the Roman Catholic Church, especially since the time of Pope Gelasius I (492-496) who in the fifth century contributed to its expansion, the Feast of the Presentation is celebrated on 2 February.

In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran Church, the episode was also reflected in the once-prevalent custom of churching of women forty days after the birth of a child. The Feast of the Presesentation of the Lord is in the Roman Rite also attached to the World Day of Consecrated Life. [5]

Scripture[edit]

Meeting of the Lord , Russian Orthodox icon, 15th century

The event is described in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:22–40). According to the gospel, Mary and Joseph took the Infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days (inclusive) after His birth to complete Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn son, in obedience to the Torah (Leviticus 12, Exodus 13:12–15, etc.). Luke explicitly says that Joseph and Mary take the option provided for poor people (those who could not afford a lamb; Leviticus 12:8), sacrificing “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Leviticus 12:1–4 indicates that this event should take place forty days after birth for a male child, hence the Presentation is celebrated forty days after Christmas.

Upon bringing Jesus into the temple, they encountered Simeon. The Gospel records that Simeon had been promised that “he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). Simeon then uttered the prayer that would become known as the  Nunc Dimittis , or Canticle of Simeon, which prophesied the redemption of the world by Jesus:

“Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel”. (Luke 2:29–32).

Simeon then prophesied to 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. (Luke 2:34–35).

The elderly prophetess Anna was also in the Temple, and offered prayers and praise to God for Jesus, and spoke to everyone there of His importance to redemption in Jerusalem (Luke 2:36–38).

In art[edit]

The event forms a usual component of extensive cycles of the  Life of Christ  and also of the  Life of the Virgin . Often either the Presentation of Jesus or the visually similar  Circumcision of Jesus  was shown, but by the late Middle Ages the two were sometimes combined. Early images concentrated on the moment of meeting with Simeon, typically shown at the entrance to the Temple, and this is continued in Byzantine art and Eastern Orthodox icons to the present day. [ citation needed ]

In the West, beginning in the 8th or 9th century, a different depiction at an altar emerged, where Simeon eventually by the Late Middle Ages came to be shown wearing the elaborate vestments attributed to the Jewish High Priest, and conducting a liturgical ceremony surrounded by the family and Anna. In the West, Simeon is more often already holding the infant, or the moment of handover is shown; in Eastern images the Virgin is more likely still to hold Jesus. [6]

Gallery[edit]

• Presentation of Jesus at the Temple , 12th century cloisonné enamel icon from Georgia
• Presentation of Christ in the Temple, from the Sherbrooke Missal
• James Tissot,  The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple  ( La présentation de Jésus au Temple ), Brooklyn Museum
• Stained glass window at St. Michael’s Cathedral (Toronto) depicts Infant Jesus at the Temple
• Painting from the Menologion of Basil II (c. 1000 AD)
• Presentation of Christ in the Temple , South German, likely altarpiece wing, late 15th century. (Private collection)

In music[edit]

Many motets and anthems have been composed to celebrate this feast and are performed as part of the liturgy, among them an anthem by 16th century German composer Johannes Eccard (1553–1611),  Maria wallt zum Heiligtum , often translated in English as “When Mary to the Temple went”.

The Lutheran church of the Baroque observed the feast as  Mariae Reinigung  (Purification of Mary). Johann Sebastian Bach composed several cantatas to be performed in the church service of the day, related to Simeon’s canticle  Nunc dimittis  as part of the prescribed readings.

• Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde , BWV 83, 1724
• Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin , BWV 125, 1725 (on Luther’s hymn after  Nunc dimittis )
• Ich habe genug , BWV 82, 1727

Liturgical celebration[edit]

Main article: Candlemas

Name of the celebration[edit]

In addition to being known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, other traditional names include Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, [7]  and the Meeting of the Lord. [8]

The date of Candlemas is established by the date set for the Nativity of Jesus, for it comes forty days afterwards. Under Mosaic law as found in the Torah, a mother who had given birth to a boy was considered unclean for seven days; moreover she was to remain for three and thirty days “in the blood of her purification.” Candlemas therefore corresponds to the day on which Mary, according to Jewish law, should have attended a ceremony of ritual purification (Leviticus 12:2–8). The Gospel of Luke 2:22–39 relates that Mary was purified according to the religious law, followed by Jesus’ presentation in the Jerusalem temple, and this explains the formal names given to the festival, as well as its falling 40 days after the Nativity.

In the Roman Catholic Church, it is known as the  Presentation of the Lord  in the liturgical books first issued by Paul VI, [9]  and as the  Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary  in earlier editions. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Greek Catholic Churches (Eastern Catholic Churches which use the Byzantine rite), it is known as the  Feast of the Presentation of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ in the Temple  or as  The Meeting of Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ .

In the churches of the Anglican Communion, it is known by various names, including  The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in The Temple (Candlemas)  (Episcopal Church), [7]   The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, and The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary  (Anglican Church of Canada), [10]   The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas)  (Church of England), [11]  and  The Presentation of Christ in the Temple  (Anglican Church of Australia).

It is known as the Presentation of Our Lord in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod observes 2 February as The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord. [12]  In some Protestant churches, the feast is known as the Naming of Jesus (though historically he would have been named on the eighth day after the Nativity, when he was circumcised).

Candlemas  is a northern European name for the feast because of the procession with lighted candles at the mass on this day, reflecting Simeon’s proclamation of “a light for revelation to the Gentiles”, which, in turn, echoes Isaiah 49:6 in the second of the “servant of the Lord” oracles. [11]

Practices[edit]

Traditionally, Candlemas had been the last feast day in the Christian year that was dated by reference to Christmas. It is another “epiphany” type feast as Jesus is revealed as the messiah by the canticle of Simeon and the prophetess Anna. [13]  It also fits into this theme, as the earliest manifestation of Jesus inside the house of his heavenly Father. [11]  Subsequent moveable feasts are calculated with reference to Easter.

Western Christianity[edit]

Candlemas occurs 40 days after Christmas.

Traditionally, the Western term “Candlemas” (or Candle Mass) referred to the practice whereby a priest on 2 February blessed beeswax candles for use throughout the year, some of which were distributed to the faithful for use in the home. In Poland the feast is called  Święto Matki Bożej Gromnicznej  (Feast of Our Lady of Thunder candles). This name refers to the candles that are blessed on this day, called gromnice, since these candles are lit during (thunder) storms and placed in windows to ward off storms.

Presentation of Jesus, showing (L to R) Mary, Simeon (holding Jesus), and Joseph with doves as a Temple sacrifice, stained glass window c. 1896, Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont, Pennsylvania)

This feast has been referred to as the Feast of Presentation of the Lord within the Roman Catholic Church since the liturgical revisions of the Second Vatican Council, with references to candles and the purification of Mary de-emphasised in favor of the Prophecy of Simeon the Righteous. Pope John Paul II connected the feast day with the renewal of religious vows. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. [14]

In the Liturgy of the Hours, the Marian antiphon  Alma Redemptoris Mater  is used from Advent through 2 February, after which  Ave Regina Caelorum  is used through Good Friday. [15]

Eastern Christianity[edit]

In the Byzantine tradition practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, the Meeting of the Lord is unique among the Great Feasts in that it combines elements of both a Great Feast of the Lord and a Great Feast of the Theotokos (Mother of God). It has a forefeast of one day, and an afterfeast of seven days. However, if the feast falls during Cheesefare Week or Great Lent, the afterfeast is either shortened or eliminated altogether.

The holiday is celebrated with an all-night vigil on the eve of the feast, and a celebration of the Divine Liturgy the next morning, at which beeswax candles are blessed. This blessing traditionally takes place after the Little Hours and before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy (though in some places it is done after). The priest reads four prayers, and then a fifth one during which all present bow their heads before God. He then censes the candles and blesses them with holy water. The candles are then distributed to the people and the Liturgy begins.

It is because of the biblical events recounted in the second chapter of Luke that the Churching of Women came to be practiced in both Eastern and Western Christianity. The usage has mostly died out in the West, except among Western Rite Orthodoxy, very occasionally still among Anglicans, and Traditionalist Catholics, but the ritual is still practiced in the Orthodox Church. In addition, babies, both boys and girls are taken to the Church on the fortieth day after their birth in remembrance of the Theotokos and Joseph taking the infant Jesus to the Temple. [8]

Some Christians observe the practice of leaving Christmas decorations up until Candlemas.

Meeting of the Lord , Orthodox icon from Belarus (1731)

In the Eastern and Western liturgical calendars the Presentation of the Lord falls on 2 February, forty days (inclusive) after Christmas. In the Church of England it may be celebrated on this day, or on the Sunday between 28 January and 3 February. This feast never falls in Lent; the earliest that Ash Wednesday can fall is 4 February, for the case of Easter on 22 March in a non-leap year. However, in the Tridentine rite, it can fall in the pre-Lenten season if Easter is early enough, and “Alleluia” has to be omitted from this feast’s liturgy when that happens.

In Swedish and Finnish Lutheran Churches, Candlemas is (since 1774) always celebrated on a Sunday, at earliest on 2 February and at latest on 8 February, except if this Sunday happens to be the last Sunday before Lent, i.e. Shrove Sunday or Quinquagesima (Swedish:  Fastlagssöndagen , Finnish:  Laskiaissunnuntai ), in which case Candlemas is celebrated one week earlier. [16][17]

In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Feast, called “The Coming of the Son of God into the Temple” [3]  ( Tiarn’ndaraj , from  Tyarn- , “the Lord”, and  -undarach  “going forward”), is celebrated on 14 February. The Armenians do not celebrate the Nativity on 25 December, but on 6 January, and thus their date of the feast is 40 days after that: 14 February. The night before the feast, Armenians traditionally light candles during an evening church service, carrying the flame out into the darkness (symbolically bringing light into the void) and either take it home to light lamps or light a bonfire in the church courtyard.

History[edit]

The Feast of the Presentation is among the most ancient feasts of the Church. Celebration of the feast dates from the fourth century in Jerusalem. [7]  There are sermons on the Feast by the bishops Methodius of Patara († 312), [18]  Cyril of Jerusalem [19]  († 360), Gregory the Theologian († 389), Amphilochius of Iconium († 394), [20]  Gregory of Nyssa († 400), [21]  and John Chrysostom († 407). [22]

The earliest reference to specific liturgical rites surrounding the feast are by the intrepid Egeria, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land (381–384). She reported that 14 February was a day solemnly kept in Jerusalem with a procession to Constantine I’s Basilica of the Resurrection, with a homily preached on Luke 2:22 (which makes the occasion perfectly clear), and a Divine Liturgy. This so-called  Itinerarium Peregrinatio  (“Pilgrimage Itinerary”) of Egeria does not, however, offer a specific name for the Feast. The date of 14 February indicates that in Jerusalem at that time, Christ’s birth was celebrated on 6 January, Epiphany. Egeria writes for her beloved fellow nuns at home:

XXVI. “The fortieth day after the Epiphany is undoubtedly celebrated here with the very highest honor, for on that day there is a procession, in which all take part, in the Anastasis, and all things are done in their order with the greatest joy, just as at Easter. All the priests, and after them the bishop, preach, always taking for their subject that part of the Gospel where Joseph and Mary brought the Lord into the Temple on the fortieth day, and Symeon and Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, saw him, treating of the words which they spake when they saw the Lord, and of that offering which his parents made. And when everything that is customary has been done in order, the sacrament is celebrated, and the dismissal takes place.”

An Armenian miniature illustrating the subject (Mugni Gospels, c. 1060)

About AD 450 in Jerusalem, people began the custom of holding lighted candles during the Divine Liturgy of this feast day. [8]  Originally, the feast was a minor celebration. But then in 541, a terrible plague broke out in Constantinople, killing thousands. The Emperor Justinian I, in consultation with the Patriarch of Constantinople, ordered a period of fasting and prayer throughout the entire Empire. And, on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, arranged great processions throughout the towns and villages and a solemn prayer service ( Litia ) to ask for deliverance from evils, and the plague ceased. In thanksgiving, in 542 the feast was elevated to a more solemn celebration and established throughout the Eastern Empire by the Emperor.

In Rome, the feast appears in the  Gelasian Sacramentary , a manuscript collection of the seventh and eighth centuries associated with Pope Gelasius I. There it carries for the first time the new title of the feast of Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Late in time though it may be, Candlemas is still the most ancient of all the festivals in honor of the Virgin Mary. [3]  The date of the feast in Rome was 2 February because the Roman date for Christ’s nativity had been 25 December since at least the early fourth century.

Though modern laymen picture Candlemas as an important feast throughout the Middle Ages in Europe, in fact it spread slowly in the West; it is not found in the  Lectionary  of Silos (650) nor in the  Calendar  (731–741) of Sainte-Geneviève of Paris.

The tenth-century Benedictional of St. Æthelwold, bishop of Winchester, has a formula used for blessing the candles. Candlemas did become important enough to find its way into the secular calendar. It was the traditional day to remove the cattle from the hay meadows, and from the field that was to be ploughed and sown that spring. References to it are common in later medieval and early Modern literature; Shakespeare’s  Twelfth Night  is recorded as having its first performance on Candlemas Day 1602. It remains one of the Scottish quarter days, at which debts are paid and law courts are in session.

Relation to other celebrations[edit]

The Feast of the Presentation depends on the date for Christmas: As per the passage from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:22–40) describing the event in the life of Jesus, the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord follows 40 days after. The blessing of candles on this day recalls Simeon’s reference to the infant Jesus as the “light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32).

Modern Pagans believe that Candlemas is a Christianization [23][24][25]  of the Gaelic festival of Imbolc, which was celebrated in pre-Christian Europe (and especially the Celtic Nations) at about the same time of year. [26][27]  Imbolc is called “St. Brigid’s Day” or “Brigid” in Ireland. [28]  Both the goddess Brigid and the Christian Saint Brigid—who was the Abbess of Kildare—are associated with sacred flames, holy wells and springs, healing, and smithcraft. Brigid is a virgin, yet also the patron of midwives. However, a connection with Roman (rather than Celtic or Germanic) polytheism is more plausible, since the feast was celebrated before any serious attempt to expand Christianity into non-Roman countries.

Presentation of Christ in the Temple , Benozzo Gozzoli, 1460-1461 (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

In Irish homes, there were many rituals revolving around welcoming Brigid into the home. Some of Brigid’s rituals and legends later became attached to Saint Brigid, who was seen by Celtic Christians as the midwife of Christ and “Mary of the Gael”. In Ireland and Scotland she is the “foster mother of Jesus.” The exact date of the Imbolc festival may have varied from place to place based on local tradition and regional climate. Imbolc is celebrated by modern Pagans [ citation needed ]  on the eve of 2 February, at the astronomical midpoint, or on the full moon closest to the first spring thaw.

Frederick Holweck, writing in the  Catholic Encyclopædia  says definite in its rejection of this argument: “The feast was certainly not introduced by Pope Gelasius to suppress the excesses of the Lupercalia,” (referencing J.P. Migne,  Missale Gothicum , 691) [29]  The  1911 Encyclopædia Britannica  agrees: the association with Gelasius “has led some to suppose that it was ordained by Pope Gelasius I in 492 as a counter-attraction to the pagan Lupercalia; but for this there is no warrant.” [3]  Since the two festivals are both concerned with the ritual purification of women, not all historians are convinced that the connection is purely coincidental. Gelasius certainly did write a treatise against Lupercalia, and this still exists.

Pope Innocent XII believed Candlemas was created as an alternative to Roman Paganism, as stated in a sermon on the subject:

Why do we in this feast carry candles? Because the Gentiles dedicated the month of February to the infernal gods, and as at the beginning of it Pluto stole Proserpine, and her mother Ceres sought her in the night with lighted candles, so they, at the beginning of the month, walked about the city with lighted candles. Because the holy fathers could not extirpate the custom, they ordained that Christians should carry about candles in honor of the Blessed Virgin; and thus what was done before in the honor of Ceres is now done in honor of the Blessed Virgin. [30]

There is no contemporary evidence to support the popular notions that Gelasius abolished the Lupercalia, or that he, or any other prelate, replaced it with the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. [31]

In Armenia, celebrations at the Presentation have been influenced by pre-Christian customs, such as: the spreading of ashes by farmers in their fields each year to ensure a better harvest, keeping ashes on the roof of a house to keep evil spirits away, and the belief that newlywed women needed to jump over fire to purify themselves before getting pregnant. Young men will also leap over a bonfire.

The tradition of lighting a candle in each window is not the origin of the name “Candlemas”, which instead refers to a blessing of candles.

On the day following Candlemas, the feast of St. Blaise is celebrated. It is connected to the rite of Blessing of the Throats, which is, for to be available to reach more people, also often transferred after the Mass of the Presentation of the Lord or even bestowed on both feasts. By coincidence, the Blessing of the Throats is bestowed with crossed candles.

Candles on Candlemas Day, Sanok 2013

Traditions and superstitions[edit]

“Down with the rosemary, and so Down with the bays and mistletoe; Down with the holly, ivy, all, Wherewith ye dress’d the Christmas Hall”

— Robert Herrick (1591–1674), “Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve”

As the poem by Robert Herrick records, the eve of Candlemas was the day on which Christmas decorations of greenery were removed from people’s homes; for traces of berries, holly and so forth will bring death among the congregation before another year is out. [32]

In Scotland, until a change in the law in 1991 (see Scottish term days), and in much of northern England until the 18th century, Candlemas was one of the traditional quarter days when quarterly rents were due for payment, as well as the day or term for various other business transactions, including the hiring of servants.

Blessing of the Candles at Candlemas at Calvary Episcopal Church (Rochester, Minnesota)

In the United Kingdom, good weather at Candlemas is taken to indicate severe winter weather later: “ If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, / winter will have another bite. / If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, / winter is gone and will not come again. “ [33]  It is also alleged to be the date that bears emerge from hibernation to inspect the weather as well as wolves, who if they choose to return to their lairs on this day is interpreted as meaning severe weather will continue for another forty days at least. [ citation needed ]  The same is true in Italy, where it is called  Candelora .

The Carmina Gadelica, a seminal collection of Scottish folklore, refers to a serpent coming out of the mound on  Latha Fheill Bride , as the Scots call Candlemas. This rhyme is still used in the West Highlands and Hebrides. Moch maduinn Bhride, Thig an nimhir as an toll; Cha bhoin mise ris an nimhir, Cha bhoin an nimhir rium .(Early on Bride’s morn, the serpent will come from the hollow I will not molest the serpent, nor will the serpent molest me) Thig an nathair as an toll, la donn Bride Ged robh tri traighean dh’ an t-sneachd air leachd an lair .(The serpent will come from the hollow on the brown day of Bridget Though there should be three feet of snow on the flat surface of the ground)

Candlemas Day in the Carpathian region

In the United States, Candlemas coincides with Groundhog Day, the earliest American reference to which can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College. The reference implies that Groundhog Day may have come from a German-American Candlemas tradition:

Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.

— 4 February 1841—from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris’ diary, [1]

In France and Belgium, Candlemas (French:  La Chandeleur ) is celebrated with crêpes.

In Italy, traditionally, it (Italian:  La Candelora ) is considered the last cold day of winter.

In Tenerife (Spain), it is the day of the Virgin of Candelaria (Saint Patron of the Canary Islands).

In Southern and Central Mexico, and Guatemala City, Candlemas (Spanish:  Día de La Candelaria ) is celebrated with tamales. Tradition indicates that on 5 January, the night before Three Kings Day (the Epiphany), whoever gets one or more of the few plastic or metal dolls (originally coins) buried within the Rosca de Reyes must pay for the tamales and throw a party on Candlemas. [ citation needed ]  In certain regions of Mexico, this is the day in which the baby Jesus of each household is taken up from the nativity scene and dressed up in various colorful, whimsical outfits. [ citation needed ]

In Luxembourg,  Liichtmëss  sees children carrying lighted sticks visiting neighbors and singing a traditional song in exchange for sweets. [34]

Sailors are often reluctant to set sail on Candlemas Day, believing that any voyage begun then will end in disaster—given the frequency of severe storms in February, this is not entirely without sense. [ citation needed ]

According to over eight centuries of tradition, the swaddling clothes that baby Jesus wore during the presentation at the Temple are kept in Dubrovnik Cathedral, Croatia. [35]

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