The Candlemas Paradox: Christ’s Presentation and Mary’s Purification
Summary of Headings
- Introduction to the Paradox
- The Presentation in the Temple
- The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Lessons in Sacrifice and Generosity
- Living the Example of Christ and Mary
- Carrying the Light into the World
Introduction to the Paradox
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. So it's one of those days where there's just so much going on in the feast. There's so many parts and aspects to the feast. It's kind of hard to just settle on one. So there's a certain paradox and duality in this feast day, which is specifically why on earth was this even possible? Why on earth was this even necessary?
The Presentation in the Temple
Our Lord Jesus Christ had to go and be presented into the temple. He had to be brought back from his service as a priest in the old days of the Old Testament, the tribe of Levi. That did not exist yet. We're not the priests of the Jewish people. Rather, it was the oldest son of every family. If the firstborn of your family was a son, that son would automatically be a priest, period. That was the way they handled it. And then when the tribe of Levi became the priests, according to the law of Moses, the firstborn son would become, instead of being a priest, he had to be brought back from his service of priesthood. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Almighty High Priest. The priest of priests is being brought back from his service as a priest. His entire purpose was sacrifice. His entire life was sacrifice. And yet, for some inexplicable reason, because of the Jewish law, he was brought back from, that the Redeemer was redeemed. Such a very odd paradox that we have to consider.
The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Same thing with our Blessed Mother in the Jewish law. A woman who had just given birth was considered to be ritually unclean and could not mingle in society for 40 days if it was a boy, or 80 days if it was a girl. At the end of which they would have to go to the temple and be cleansed of their impurity. Why on earth would Our Lady need to do that? She remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of our Lord. Her birth was not a stain or an impurity in any sense of the term. She was completely outside the laws of Moses, and yet she subjected herself to it, just as Christ subjected himself to this act of redemption and being brought back from his service as a priest despite the fact that it didn't apply to them. Again, a paradox: how can the most pure Virgin be purified by the impure? How is it possible that our Lord, the High Priest, can be removed of his priesthood by people who aren't, who received their priesthood from him? It's an impossibility. And yet they managed it, yet they did it. Why on earth would that happen?
Lessons in Sacrifice and Generosity
Maybe it is because they're trying to give us an example. Maybe it is because they are trying to show us the path we must take. We are human. We are sinners. And yet God calls us to perfection and to be saints. But we will fail again and again. And yet God will forgive us again and again and give us another opportunity. And He will still continue to call us. We're absolutely unworthy of love. And yet he loves us. We receive the fruit of his sacrifice again and again. And yet we still fail him. But because of their sacrifice and their subjection to the nonsensical laws that don't apply to them, we can learn a little bit about how we are supposed to live a life of sacrifice, of generosity, of giving of ourselves in the same way that they did.
Living the Example of Christ and Mary
One of the reasons that Alexander the Great was so absolutely magnificent as a general was because he never shrank from fighting at the front line with the rest of his soldiers. Our Lord Jesus Christ showed us the path of how we are supposed to be good human beings, how we are supposed to sanctify our soul. By doing so himself, he worked out salvation for us. By living his life as we should live our lives, by subjecting ourselves to the rules and laws, however unjust and problematic they may be. By making sure that we are not offended by the things around us or by the people around us or the inconveniences around us.
Carrying the Light into the World
We feel very put upon when we get pulled over and everybody else is driving like absolute idiots and some reason they don't get caught. We feel offended when somebody says something on the Internet that we hear and it gets under our skin. We get hot and bothered because of whatever problem is going on in the world or in the church or whatever else. And we scream about the injustices that we see all around us. And yet the two most innocent beings that have ever existed, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, subject themselves to the ridiculous nature of these purification that have nothing to do with them. They are above all of it, and yet they subject themselves to it. What did we learn from that? That maybe, just maybe, we should have a more generous spirit when we see offenses around the world. Yes, of course, it should burn within us. But not because of us, but because of our Lord Jesus Christ or the Blessed Virgin Mary. We hear the blasphemies and attacks against them and against their names. We should burn within our souls because those names are sacred because of who they represent. We see the problems of the situations in the world, the blasphemies coming out from people within the church. The offenses against Catholic doctrine and the sacraments. And what do we do? Yes, we should burn inside. But we should also make reparation. We should take it upon ourselves to sacrifice ourselves more and more. We should give more of ourselves to the Blessed Sacrament. On that point, by the way, we had a serious drop off on the number of people coming for all-night adoration. About 50 people. That's a lot. We need to make sure that doesn't happen anymore. I understand there's some confusion. It's always around. First Saturday, not necessarily first Friday, first Saturday that we have all-night adoration. But that's an excellent example of how we can give just a little bit more. And the purpose of the all-night adoration is reparation against the many offenses and blasphemies against our Lord Jesus Christ, his mass and his church, and especially the Eucharist. It's okay to be offended and upset, but we should never take it personally. It's not about us. It's about him. It's about her. They are our king and queen. And any attack on them is an attack on everything that they stand for. They are the light of the revelation to all nations. They are the ones who are supposed to bring all of us to salvation. They are the ones who are the guiding principle for everything that we do. They are the ones who are supposed to give us all that we need. And yet, again and again, we just treat them almost as if it's expected. It's our right. It's our duty that they wait on us hand and foot. We just expect the feast of the purification, not understanding the extraordinary gift it was for her to subject herself to a nonsensical and frankly, offensive right that had nothing to do with her. We just take for granted the fact that our Lord was redeemed by a pair of pigeons frequently referred to as winged rats. They're so filled with disease and other things, supposedly. But those are what? Well, those are. That was the price of his priesthood. When he gives us infinity with his priesthood, he gives us eternity with this priesthood. He gives us his very blood with his priesthood. I don't think we appreciate the tremendous ground shaking nature of this mystery that is before us. It's so commonplace. Why do we march out with the candles? Getting dirty glares from drivers as they go by. Why on earth do we do that? Because the light of Christ needs to shine forth in every home, in every country and in every heart. And we are the ones who are supposed to carry it out into the world. We're supposed to receive it here from the altar, from his sacrifice, and we are supposed to carry it out into the world because he sacrificed himself in every conceivable way, from the smallest little embarrassment like this being presented and being brought back from himself because he is God. To the humiliation of the crucifixion itself, to taking the form of food to be received by us unworthy sinners. All the things that he does and she does for us. Everything they both do for us needs to be appreciated, needs to be assimilated so that we can carry that light that they give us through their sacrifice and their generosity and their extraordinary, immense, perfect love for us. We can carry that out into a world starving and dying and blind because of the lack of that light. That is the mission we must carry within ourselves, and that is what we must give back to Christ for everything that He has given to us. That is what we must give to our Blessed Mother, because she has given us life itself. She has given us His grace. She has given us Him, her own son. And she has adopted us as hers, despite our complete unworthiness and the sinful nature that we carry within us. She wants to give us herself and her very son, and that is what we have within us. This grace that we have within us is the light of God Himself. And we must carry it out to all nations because we are supposed to be his instruments. How can he conquer nations with his sacrifice? Not with the sword, but with his sacrifice and with his blood. If we do not bathe ourselves in it in the confessional, if we do not receive it in Holy Communion, if we do not give ourselves to it, to it in the Holy sacrifice of the Mass. How can we be faithful children of the Blessed Virgin Mary if we don't carry her sacrifice when we march out into the world? How is it possible that we can claim these titles and we can enjoy these benefits if we don't actually do the work of carrying the light we have within us, out into the world? But first and foremost, we must appreciate it. We must believe it. We must live it. Every little sacrifice, every little inconvenience, every little bother, every little difficulty suffering, and even the big sufferings and difficulties that we have in our lives must be given back with as much love as God gave Himself to us as the Blessed Virgin gives herself to us. It is the only answer, and it is the only way we can be the saints God calls us to be. Not because we deserve it, not because we earned it, but because God is so good that He called us to it. And He invites us and He gives us everything we need. That is the only path. But the benefits are absolutely worth it because it is nothing less than receiving the eternal happiness and peace that comes from God Himself. So let's carry the light of God in our souls. Let's embrace it, be illuminated by it, and let's live it so that we may march into the world and conquer it in his holy name. So that sanctification can be won for God in so many souls, especially our own. In the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Ghost. Amen
Final Summary
In this reflection, we explore the profound paradox present in the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the temple and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Despite being free from the constraints of Jewish law, both Christ and Mary subjected themselves to its rituals, teaching us valuable lessons in humility, sacrifice, and obedience. This paradox challenges us to reflect on our own lives and how we might similarly embrace sacrifice and generosity as pathways to holiness.
Through their example, we learn that despite our imperfections and failures, there is a divine call to pursue sanctity. Just as Christ and Mary subjected themselves to earthly laws, we too are called to live out our faith through acts of sacrifice and love. By embracing the challenges and inconveniences of life with love and devotion, we can carry the light of Christ into a world in need of His presence. This reflection reminds us that our ultimate goal is to achieve eternal happiness and peace with God, a journey that requires constant dedication and a generous spirit.