Archbishop Leo Cushley, Edinburgh, welcomes the Religious to Celebration of Presentation at the Archdiocesan Centre.
Honouring the consecrated life on the Feast of the Presentation
February 2, 2012 by
Today the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord — a day when we all consider our own consecration to God. In particular, the feast is associated with the religious life, and so this day also marks the 16th World Day of Consecrated Life.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops explains why Blessed John Paul II established the World Day for Consecrated Life in 1997:
The purpose of the day is to help the entire Church to esteem ever more greatly the witness of those persons who have chosen to follow Christ by means of the practice of the evangelical counsels. [...]Based on the latest statistics of the Canadian Religious Conference, there are more than 200 religious institutes and societies of apostolic life in Canada, with a total number of 19,235 women and men as members, while 350 women in Canada are members of women’s secular institutes.
Pope Benedict will be honouring the religious life by presiding over Vespers and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Peter’s Basilica. Consecrated men and women from various communities will be present. S+L will air the liturgy live on S+L TV and streaming online at 11:30am ET / 8:30am PT. You can pray along with vespers with the online booklet for the celebration, which includes an English translation of the prayers.
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Credit: CNS photo/Paul Haring
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Credit: CNS photo/Paul Haring
02 Feb 2011
Presentation Feb 2nd - Nunraw anniversary 1946. Candlemass, the Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord. The Rite of the Blessing of the Candles was celebrated in the early morning Cloister, We carried the lighted ...
The Presentation of the Lord - Candlemas - Catholicism - About.com
catholicism.about.com › ... › Holy Days and HolidaysKnown popularly as Candlemas, the Feast of thePresentation of the Lord celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th day after ...
Introduction to the Presentation of the Lord:
Known originally as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient celebration. The Church at Jerusalem observed the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely earlier. The feast celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th day after His birth.
| Quick Facts: |
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| • Date: February 2 |
| • Type of Feast: Feast |
| • Readings: Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40 (full text here) |
| • Prayers: Nunc Dimittis (Canticle of Simeon; Luke 2:29-32): "Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." |
| • Other Names for the Feast: Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, the Meeting of the Lord, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple |
History:
According to Jewish law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to "buy him back" on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) in the temple (thus the "presentation" of the child). On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification").
Saint Mary and Saint Joseph kept this law, even though, since Saint Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ, she would not have had to go through ritual purification. In his gospel, Luke recounts the story (Luke 2:22-39).
Originally, the feast was celebrated on February 14, ..........
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