Letter from the Pastor
Isaiah 49:6 (NRSV) "I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
Candlemas: A Light to the Nations
Note: Bring Candles this Sunday to be Blessed
Summary: Candlemas reminds us that Christ is the Light of the World, fulfilling God’s promises and calling us, like Simeon and Anna, to faithful expectation and joyful proclamation.
This week, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, also known as Candlemas. Falling forty days after Christmas, this feast brings together the themes of faithfulness, expectation, revelation, and transformation. It reminds us that God’s promises are fulfilled in ways that exceed our expectations, and that we, like Simeon and Anna, are called to recognize and proclaim Christ’s presence in the world.
A Moment of Fulfillment
In Luke’s Gospel, we meet Simeon and Anna, two faithful servants of God who have waited a lifetime to see the fulfillment of God's promises. Simeon, “righteous and devout,” had been waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit assured him that he would see the Messiah before he died. When Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple, Simeon takes the child in his arms and sings his final song—the Nunc dimittis—declaring that his life’s longing is now complete.
Anna, an elderly prophet, has spent her years in the temple, worshiping, fasting, and praying. When she sees the Christ child, she immediately begins proclaiming the good news to all who would listen. For Simeon, this encounter brings peace and a readiness to depart from this life. For Anna, it sparks a new mission—she finds a new voice and a renewed purpose in sharing the message of redemption.
This story speaks to the reality of our own expectations and waiting. How many of us have longed for a moment of clarity, for the fulfillment of something we have waited years to see? We experience it in small ways—the completion of a difficult degree, achieving a long-sought goal, or even the birth of a child, which changes life forever. And yet, even these pale in comparison to what Simeon experiences: the culmination of his entire life’s hope in the face of the Christ child.
A Feast of Light and Revelation
This feast, rooted in the Jewish law of purification, is rich with symbolism. Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness in bringing Jesus to the temple reminds us of how God's promises unfold through time, always calling forth something new. The Presentation of Jesus contains echoes of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost—it is a microcosm of the entire liturgical year.
· Advent – The anticipation of Simeon and Anna, waiting for the Messiah.
· Christmas – The incarnation of Christ, now recognized in the Temple.
· Epiphany – The revelation of Christ, not only to Israel but to all nations.
· Lent & Holy Week – The prophecy that Jesus will be a sign of contradiction and that a sword will pierce Mary’s soul foreshadows His suffering and sacrifice.
· Easter & Pentecost – Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaims Christ’s mission, and Anna takes up the call to share the good news.
The tradition of blessing and carrying candles on this feast—giving rise to the name Candlemas—points us to Christ as the Light of the World, the One who disperses the darkness and illuminates the path of salvation.
Living in Expectation and Fulfillment
This Sunday we will celebrate Candlemas. Please bring your candles from home to be blessed. As we reflect on the faithfulness of Simeon and Anna, we are invited to consider our own place in the unfolding story of faith. Their lives teach us that God’s promises are worth waiting for, that faithfulness is sustained over a lifetime, and that encountering Christ changes everything.
Some of us may be like Simeon, waiting patiently, hoping that our faith will one day be made sight. Others may be like Anna, already living within the rhythms of prayer and service, yet discovering new ways to proclaim Christ’s presence. Wherever we find ourselves, this feast reminds us that Christ has come, Christ is here, and Christ is still to be revealed in new ways.
May we, like Simeon and Anna, be people of expectation, hope, and proclamation,
Pastor Anny+
The Rev. Anny Genato+
Rector, St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church
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