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THE PRESENTATION/  CANDLEMAS 2012


 Candlemas, or ‘The Presentation of Christ’,  is a time to look back to Christmas for the last time this year and at the

 same time, to look forward to the events of Lent and Easter.  We remember at this festival the day that Jesus as the first -

 born son, according to Jewish customs, forty days after His birth, was brought by His parents to be presented to God in

 His temple.


  In the reading in Luke's gospel the  presentation follows directly after the naming of Jesus and many have

 confused the two. However the circumcision and naming of Jesus took place 8 days after birth while the

 Presentation was forty days after. It follows the law given by God to Moses and recorded in Exodus, 13, v:1,

 when He says, 'Dedicate to me all the first born sons of Israel and every first born male animal,. They are

 mine.' It is a reminder of the Israelite first born baby boys who were saved from death when God sent His

 angel to slay all the first born sons of the Egyptians when Pharaoh would not let the Israelites leave Egypt. It

 was also  the time when Mary went through the 'purification' and thanksgiving rites after giving birth. This was

 according to the Law given in  Leviticus 12: Until this time, she was considered ceremonially unclean.

  

 While there, an old man, Simeon, whom God had promised would not die until he had seen the coming of His Messiah,

 came forward and proclaimed that this baby, was that person. His words were backed up by an elderly prophetess,

 Anna, who lived in the temple and who came forward and started praising God. She then went out to tell anyone who

 would listen, that she had seen the Messiah. However, Simeon warned Mary that Jesus’ future would be painful for her.


 We can look back to our Christmas celebrations and remember Christ coming into the world and the message of hope.

 His coming brought to us. Then we remember too that event surrounding His birth, involved both joy and pain.  For

 example, we remember the joy of the shepherds, and at the same time and the pain of the mothers of the  two-year-old#   boys slaughtered by the insecure Herod.


 At Candlemas, Jesus, God incarnate entered His temple. Today our bodies are temple for the Holy Spirit and in this form

 Jesus enter into us.. we need to treat our bodies with respect

 Every part of our being belongs to God and therefore should be cared for as part of our stewardship.         

      

 Simeon recognised this child as God's promised Messiah. Do we recognise and accept the living Christ within us? Do we

  proclaim Him as our Saviour? Are we really happy about it? Do we rejoice as Anna did and do we want to go out and

 share this good news with all we meet? Perhaps we are too afraid of ridicule?


    As we look ahead to Lent and Easter, it is time to identify with Christ Himself and to consider the implications for us as

 living as His followers today. In joy and in pain we are God's and He is with us and the reward for all of us who persevere

 to the end is Eternal l  ife through Jesus Who entered His Temple at Candlemas that first Christmas.