Presentation of Our Lord (Candlemas Day)

My Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Lord

Readings: Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 84:1-7; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:2-40

At this time of year I always like to watch the movie Groundhog Day. It is about an extremely cynical weatherman who is sent to cover the groundhog’s yearly appearance and to report on whether or not he has seen his shadow. The problem is that it is always Groundhog Day. Tomorrow never comes. He finishes the day only to find it repeating itself over and over again. At first he uses it to over indulge and to do crazy things, knowing that even if he kills himself, tomorrow will come. A transformative change comes over him as he begins to see it as an opportunity to improve his life. He is able to take one day and live it until he gets it right. It becomes a story of great hope.

Groundhog Day is, after all, a very hopeful day. The groundhog coming out of its hole reminds us that winter is half over. The days are beginning to get longer. Spring is just around the corner. Especially this year as we seem to be enduring endless winter, this is a hopeful day. However, I hate to disappoint you; we do not celebrate Groundhog Day in church. However, Candlemas, which we are celebrating, has some curious connections to the secular celebration that coincides with it. Not only do they occur on the same day; they both mark the day on which winter is half over. There is an ancient rhyme about Candlemas that may well remind you of the groundhog and his shadow.

If Candlemas day be sunny and bright,
Winter again will show its might.
If Candlemas day be cloudy and grey,
Winter soon will pass away.

It came to be called Candlemas because that was the day on which the year’s supply of candles for the church were blessed. Candles were lit to symbolize that Jesus Christ had come into the world as light. Today it is celebrated as a commemoration of the purification of The Blessed Virgin Mary forty days after the birth of her son. It also marks the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple. It is a celebration of great hope as we recall the saving purpose of the incarnation.

Luke tells the story through the eyes of two saintly people, Simeon and Anna. Simeon is a devout Jew who is waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Each day he goes to the temple to pray. Even though he faces great difficulty in his life he never loses hope. God has promised that he will see the Messiah before he dies. He knows that God will keep that promise. Anna, an elderly prophet, spends her time in the temple, fasting and praying, awaiting with expectation the day of the Lord’s coming.

The day comes when Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into the temple. He is the first-born son, and is to be dedicated to God as is the custom amongst Jewish families. His parents then reclaim him by paying a small ransom to the priest. A wealthy family would be expected to give a large gift. Mary and Joseph are poor. They bring with them a small gift, a pair of turtledoves.

As is his habit, Simeon is there, praying. When he sees the child he takes him in his arms and gives thanks to God. Through his faithful prayer, through faithfully seeking God, he comes to a meeting place with God. He knows God’s grace at work in his life. “My eyes have seen your salvation,” he says, recognizing who it is in his arms. This is no song of resignation in an old man ready to die. This is a call to action as he takes up his ministry. He is embracing the future with all that it holds in store for him.

Anna too discerns the mysterious significance of the child Jesus. Like Simeon she becomes a model of what we might strive and pray for, the capacity to recognize the on-going creativity of God in the world.

What a wonderful concept of God they both have! What a breadth of vision! It reminds me that our God is too small. We want our faith to be a personal thing. God is “my God”. Religion is my personal possession. It is about my well being, my problems, my needs. God becomes the God of my church or my way of life or my race. It gives me great hope for the future of a world which often sadly seems to be in its death throes.

It is difficult to watch the news without being confronted by a barrage of hopelessness. We hear of violence of nation against nation, of people against people. We witness catastrophic events, earthquakes, floods, fire and drought. We hear of children dying of hunger. We wonder where it will all end.

The Church is not without its dire warnings. One of our Bishops preached of the likelihood that his would be the last generation of the Anglican Church. We see the people in our churches aging and wonder if he might be right.

Our Church needs the vision of Simeon. We need the wisdom of Anna. We are a wonderful and diverse communion, rich in cultural makeup, rich in liturgical tradition. We have so much to offer to our communities.

From what I know of this community, it is one which has faced change with a sense of adventure. You embraced a vision of this building and of how it could reach out to the community around it. You made it happen. How do you continue to reach out to a growing and changing community with your limited resources? How do you encourage young people to stay and be part of your community? How do you bring up your children in the faith? How do you face the challenges of a society that is becoming more and more secularized? How do you keep faith when the world around you seems to be in a state of chaos? How do you remain hopeful?

We need to hear from the Simeon’s and Anna’s in our congregations about their particular ministries. We need to hear their stories of commitment of time and talent. We need to respond to God’s call to each one of us, abandoning the excuses.

‘I don’t have time for one more thing,’ you’ll say. ‘It isn’t the right time. My job is too demanding. My family is my priority. There are others who are more suited, more capable than I. I am getting to old. Besides, no one asked me.’

Like Simeon and Anna in the temple, our eyes too have seen the glory of God. We have seen it all around us. We have seen it at work in our lives and in the lives of those we love. We have seen how God graces us. It is a glory that we need to share. We do that by offering ourselves, our time, our talents, our treasures, to God. That is the hope for the Church. That is the hope for a world that badly needs to experience God’s grace. Amen.