The Power of the Blessed Sacrament needs to be found in silence.
And Candlemas is the light of God given to the Jews and the Gentiles......................
Father David Jones has many hard words to say to us, and especially the Irish. The priests have been warned about the tabernacle keys and they are to wear them on their persons. As he says at the end, face reality, not the false. There is a connection with lies and Candlemas in these days, sadly. But, for sure Candlemas is Catholic in origin.
Candlemas is the great feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and the day when candles were blessed. It was in older days the last day of the Christmas Season, and the end of feasting. It also marked the beginning of the Long Fast in the monasteries. This is all based on common sense, as we all need to eat more in the coldest parts of the winter for health reasons. God based His Religion on nature and natural law. Be grateful for such a consistent religion as the Catholic Faith.
Mary and Joseph were obeying the Law and the Holy Spirit inspired Anna and Simeon to see the Messiah and prophecy the suffering of both Christ and Mary. So, already, we are looking towards Lent and Passion Week.
It is a big day and should be marked with more ceremony, but no longer a holy day of obligation. Here is the Latin of the reading of that day.
Lucas 2:22-40
Biblia Sacra Vulgata (VULGATE)
22 et postquam impleti sunt dies purgationis eius secundum legem Mosi tulerunt illum in Hierusalem ut sisterent eum Domino
23 sicut scriptum est in lege Domini quia omne masculinum adaperiens vulvam sanctum Domino vocabitur
24 et ut darent hostiam secundum quod dictum est in lege Domini par turturum aut duos pullos columbarum
25 et ecce homo erat in Hierusalem cui nomen Symeon et homo iste iustus et timoratus expectans consolationem Israhel et Spiritus Sanctus erat in eo
26 et responsum acceperat ab Spiritu Sancto non visurum se mortem nisi prius videret Christum Domini
27 et venit in Spiritu in templum et cum inducerent puerum Iesum parentes eius ut facerent secundum consuetudinem legis pro eo
28 et ipse accepit eum in ulnas suas et benedixit Deum et dixit
29 nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine secundum verbum tuum in pace
30 quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum
31 quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum
32 lumen ad revelationem gentium et gloriam plebis tuae Israhel
33 et erat pater eius et mater mirantes super his quae dicebantur de illo
34 et benedixit illis Symeon et dixit ad Mariam matrem eius ecce positus est hic in ruinam et resurrectionem multorum in Israhel et in signum cui contradicetur
35 et tuam ipsius animam pertransiet gladius ut revelentur ex multis cordibus cogitationes
36 et erat Anna prophetissa filia Phanuhel de tribu Aser haec processerat in diebus multis et vixerat cum viro suo annis septem a virginitate sua
37 et haec vidua usque ad annos octoginta quattuor quae non discedebat de templo ieiuniis et obsecrationibus serviens nocte ac die
38 et haec ipsa hora superveniens confitebatur Domino et loquebatur de illo omnibus qui expectabant redemptionem Hierusalem
39 et ut perfecerunt omnia secundum legem Domini reversi sunt in Galilaeam in civitatem suam Nazareth
40 puer autem crescebat et confortabatur plenus sapientia et gratia Dei erat in illo
The Presentation is the sign to the Jews that Christ is the Messiah. It is also the sign of the fulfillment of the prophecies and Mary's role in Salvation History. And, that Christ is the Light of the Gentiles, the entire world.
However, in these days of confusion and chaos, the wiccans have taken this day as one of their own. They are using revisionist history to convince youth to follow some ways which are supposedly older. We need to fast and pray for the souls of our children and we need to be authorities in our home against evil. These false wicca feasts are a great deceit perpetrated by the evil one to take youth away from the Catholic origins of this feast and others.
I appeal to Dads. I appeal to seminarians. I appeal to priests.
Go to Adoration. Make the promise if you can, especially Dads, to go before the Blessed Sacrament daily for an hour. Pray for our children to be protected for falsehood.
Please consider this. Do not adore the television, Dads. Adore God.