In American culture, the second day of February is Groundhog Day, especially popularized by the 1993 movie, in which Bill Murray hilariously repeats the same day over and over. As the tradition goes, everyone gathers in Punxsutawney, PA, to watch a groundhog emerge from its home to predict either six more weeks of winter or an early spring. It is a part of American culture that celebrates the coming of more light into our day—a celebration of light that is tied into our Catholic culture on this fortieth day after Christmas.
On February 2nd, the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The Child Jesus, the Light of the world, meets us now. Let’s focus on these essential ideas for this solemn feast day: light and art.
The theme of light is magnified in the liturgy on this day, commonly known as Candlemas. Candles for the church and our personal devotion are blessed on this day. These blessed candles reveal an eternal truth that is important to our faith journey.
First, the Light of the world has dawned within His temple; the King has entered His dominion. He comes as a baby, accompanied by His parents, who offer the sacrifice of the poor: two turtle doves or two young pigeons (Lk. 2:24). He comes to meet the righteous and devout Simeon.
Second, the candles are a reminder of how bright our souls must be when we come to meet Christ. We were given the light of Christ at our baptism, and on this feast day, we meet Him who is the source of this light.
Turning to art, we dig a little deeper into the hidden message of this feast day.
The Dutch artist Rembrandt offers insight into the Presentation of the Lord, using light as an entry point into the soul as well as to illumine the truth of God. Rembrandt painted two portraits of Simeon, separated by 38 years. The first, Simeon’s Song of Praise (1631), displays about 20 characters in the massive space of the temple. He painted it at age 25, as a way to flex his artistic skills on canvas.
Pope Benedict XVI reflects on the mystery of God’s hiddenness during the Presentation in the Temple:
It is interesting to take a close look at this entrance of the Child Jesus into the solemnity of the temple, in the great comings and goings of many people, busy with their work: priests and Levites taking turns to be on duty, the numerous devout people and pilgrims anxious to encounter the Holy God of Israel. Yet none of them noticed anything. Jesus was a child like the others, a first-born son of very simple parents. Even the priests proved incapable of recognizing the signs of the new and special presence of the Messiah and Saviour. Alone two elderly people, Simeon and Anna, discover this great newness.
The baby Jesus is in the heart of the crowd, entering the fabric of ordinary life to remind us that He is present in every moment. In our lives, we need only ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to encounter Him.
The 1631 work contrasts with his final work: Simeon in the Temple (1669). Here, there are no grand temple columns, the crowds have gone, and all portrayed is an old man and the Christ Child. Light gently illuminates their faces. Simeon is in prayer, his hands clasped. It is said that this work was found unfinished at the time of Rembrandt’s death. At 63, Rembrandt no longer desired to impress the crowds. He simply wanted to capture the message of his life on canvas. That message was that the only thing that matters is life in Christ.
Rembrandt invites us to welcome the innocence and holiness of the Christ Child today. At every stage in life, we will find the Child. We must hold Him in our hearts and allow the radiant light that beams from Him as God from God, Light from Light, to penetrate the darkness within us so that our faces may shed His light.
With Christmas behind us and the ordinary grind of life ahead of us, we must carry this Light into the world. Whether in morning stillness or the grind of the day, Christ wants us to remember our dignity. Jesus bypasses all the moral imperatives and possibilities of our identity. With clarity and precision, Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5:14). Let us not be afraid to carry this Light back to the ordinary work of our daily lives, for Christ makes all things new.
Through the images of candles and art, we recognize that this is our feast day. Christ, the Light of the world, has come. He has entered His temple. That temple is you!
Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
