This Sunday, Feb 2
nd, the Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. Throughout the years this feast has been called by three names. The feast of the Presentation of the Lord is its oldest name. During the second millennium it came to be called the Purification of Mary, a title which I will spend time on in this article. Also it has been traditionally called Candlemas Day referring to Simeon’s prophecy that Jesus will be a light to the nations.
Under Mosaic Law when a woman gives birth to a son she becomes ritually unclean on account of the flow of blood. During this state she is neither able to touch anything sacred nor enter the sanctuary of the temple for forty days. (Leviticus 12:2-8) On the fortieth day the woman is to bring a lamb and a turtledove as an offering before the Lord for her purification. If she is poor she may bring another turtledove instead of the lamb.
Since Joseph and Mary were poor, they went to the temple bringing with them two turtledoves as an offering to God for Mary’s ritual purification. Under Mosaic Law she may need ritual purification, but she has no need of spiritual purification since she is all holy. Most realize this law is ironic in her situation. Although the law says that she can touch nothing sacred, all Christians realize that she is holding the most sacred thing there is on earth, namely Jesus Himself, our God. She cannot enter the temple area for forty days, yet she was the physical temple of God for nine months holding in her womb the God who dwelt in the Jerusalem temple. She is too poor to offer a lamb to God, yet she brings with her the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He is not sacrificed to God that day like the other lambs, nevertheless, Mary will come with Jesus to Jerusalem almost thirty three years later when He will be sacrificed to God as the perfect sacrifice which brings purification to the whole world.
Let us pray for the grace to always allow Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to purify us of sin made possible to us through the great Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation.