Lisa Ormond | FāVS News Reporter
On the evening of Feb. 2, the St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic church community of Coeur d’Alene gathered and processed under candlelit radiance to honor and celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, a holy and sacred Catholic tradition for centuries.
Nearly 200 parish members began the night in unison meeting at the church hall where Scripture readings, prayers, chants and a candle blessing took place before the group walked reverently along city streets to join its waiting community members for Mass.
Tina Johnson, a 35-year St. Thomas parishioner, was one of those who watched the glowing procession enter the church building as she waited to worship that night. She said the experience moved her.
“We had a beautiful candlelit procession into St. Thomas from the parish center,” she said. “What seemed like hundreds of candles filled the side altars, the main altar and in front of the Last Supper relief. It touched my soul so deeply.”
A day of remembrance and praise
The Rev. Mariusz Majewski of St. Thomas led the procession and then offered Mass to his church body.
“This feast day is about light entering darkness,” he shared in his homily.
He reminded parishioners it was rooted in ancient Jewish law taking place exactly 40 days after Christ’s birth and had a relevant meaning for believers.
“This feast day is different and not like Christmas with angels and wisemen,” Mariusz said.
Historically, Feb. 2 commemorates the holy day when Mary and Joseph obediently brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to present him to God and is grounded in the biblical account found in Luke 2:22-40.
“This is the simple faithfulness of Mary and Joseph and the ordinary fulfillment of the law of those times. It didn’t look all that spectacular and likely there were many other babies there performing this same Jewish ritual,” Mariusz said.
But he went on to explain its significance and how it was far from ordinary.
“God entered his temple in the flesh of Christ that day; God comes to us as a light,” he said. “Light was present and came into the world and only a few people at that time even recognized it.”
Mariusz added people of today often don’t recognize Jesus either.
“We, who call ourselves friends of Christ, have to bring his light and shine it in the world every day of our lives,” Mariusz said. “We are called to witness and proclaim. This is called ‘quiet witness’ of our Chistian faith.”
By another name
Another name for the Feast of the Presentation is “Candlemas,” because it features the blessing of candles as a reminder that Jesus is the light of the world and serves a key ritual rooted in the Church’s sacramental tradition.
Across the United States and Latin America, Candlemas is observed with Masses, processions and cultural traditions that highlight its spiritual and communal importance.
Also, Candlemas holds a unique place in the Catholic liturgical calendar marking the conclusion of the Christmas season and the transition from the joy of Christ’s birth to the anticipation of his passion and resurrection with Easter and the season of Lent. This year Lent begins on Feb. 18.
Sharing the faith
For parishioner Johnson, she heard a clear, purposeful message that feast night to carry forward.
“Our church is the place where heaven and Earth meet in the holy sacrament, even in the darkest times,” she said. “Jesus is there shining brightly, light and hope for our lives.”
Mariusz concurred and added his own final reflection.
“We are not called to panic or despair but instead to do all we can in our simple, mundane tasks to carry that light,” he said.
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Thank you, Lisa, for giving us the rich theological history of Candlemas. Good to know that it is still being celebrated. Interestingly, Candlemas was known even in Puritan New England. Along with the blessing of candles, it was a time to check one’s wood supply, to make sure there was enough to last the rest of the winter.
You are welcome, Walter. There is so much rich tradition when we look a bit deeper. I barely scratched the surface with this story, but I love these additional facts you are sharing with me. Fascinating. Checking the wood supply! Cool. Interesting how easily faith was/can be incorporated in to our every day with not a lot of overthinking really if we just allow it.