Before 1969, in the West, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord was known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After the council, the name was changed to reflect the Christocentric meaning of the ceremony. In Poland, the name “Our Lady of Candlemas” was derived from the candles blessed on that day.
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord falls on the fortieth day after Christmas. It is a souvenir of the presentation of the Lord Jesus in the Jerusalem temple and the cleansing rite performed by Our Lady.
According to the Gospel, Jesus, in accordance with Jewish law, was offered to God in the Jerusalem temple as the firstborn son. Then the old man Simeon uttered a prophecy calling Jesus “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.” That is why this holiday is rich in the symbolism of light.
In memory of the rescue of the firstborn sons of Israel during the Egyptian captivity, every firstborn son among the Jews was considered God’s property. Therefore, on the fortieth day after his birth, the son had to be taken to the temple in Jerusalem, placed in the hands of a priest, and then redeemed for a symbolic fee. At the same time, the rite of offering and redeeming the firstborn son was accompanied by a ceremony of purification of the child’s mother. On this occasion, the mother was obliged to sacrifice a lamb, and if her poverty did not allow it, at least two turtledoves or pigeons. The fact that Mary and Joseph offered a turtledove shows that they were very poor.
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Jesus is one of the oldest, because it was celebrated in Jerusalem already in the 4th century, immediately after the end of persecution. Two centuries later, it also appeared in the Western Church. Ceremonial candlelight processions took place in Jerusalem, usually at night.
According to legend, the procession with lit candles was known in Rome already in the times of Pope St. Gelasius in 492. From the 10th century, the ritual of consecrating candles became popular, the flame of which symbolizes Jesus – the Light of the world, Christ who calmed the storms, was, is and will forever remain the Lord of all the laws of nature. The most solemn moment of the apotheosis of Christ as the light that enlightens the nations is the solemn rite of the Easter Vigil – the blessing of the Paschal candle and the beautiful hymn Exsultet.
On this day, the oldest Marian procession took place in Rome, its participants carrying lighted candles.
Probably this procession to the largest Roman sanctuary – the Basilica of St. Mary Major – gave the Lord’s Day a Marian character, which slowly began to prevail. It is believed that already in the 6th century it was celebrated in Constantinople, where greater attention was paid to the Marian character of the holiday.
Since the 10th century – as we have already mentioned – the ritual of consecrating candles appears, which further emphasizes and enriches the symbolism of light. It refers directly to the Easter Paschal candle, which expresses victory over death, sin and Satan. The presentation of Jesus marks the beginning of a new covenant and a new priesthood in which the Son of God himself is the Temple, Priest and Victim. The content of this holiday emphasizes the universality of salvation intended by God, which is to include even pagans.
Our Lady of Candlemas
In Poland, the holiday has a decidedly Marian character – hence it is called the feast of Our Lady of Candlemas. The name comes from the thunderbolts against which lighted candles were placed in the windows during a storm.
The candles brought by the faithful are blessed in the church. The liturgy of this holiday begins with the blessing of candles and a procession with them for the solemn celebration of the Eucharist. The priest says the words of a prayer in which he asks that “all those gathered in this temple with burning candles may one day see the splendor of the glory of Christ.”
These candles, as indicated by the old prayer for their consecration, were to be made of beeswax. They were decorated differently in different regions. They were kept lit during Mass, and people often tried to bring them home with the consecrated fire. There, the host blessed his possessions with them and made a cross with the smoke over the doors and windows, praying for protection against all dangers.
As a sign of trust in Mary, candles are also lit in homes and farms during disasters, especially during storms. Baptismal candles are also used as candles, when the light of faith enters the life of a newly baptized person and guides them through life. Candles blessed on February 2 are also given to the dying.
With the feast of Our Lady of Candlemas, the period of singing carols, keeping mangers and Christmas trees ends in Poland – the traditional (not liturgical – it ended with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord) Christmas season ends. The holiday ends the cycle of celebrations related to the revelation of the Incarnate Word to the world. The liturgy shows us Christ the Child for the last time this year.
Day of Consecrated Life
February 2 is also the Day of Consecrated Life in the Catholic Church, established in 1997 by Pope St. John Paul II, creating an opportunity for deeper reflection of the entire Church on the gift of a life dedicated to God. Religious sisters and brothers, as well as members of secular institutes, societies of apostolic life, hermits, virgins and widows, like Jesus in the Jerusalem temple, offer their lives to the exclusive service of God.
Traditionally, on February 2, churches in Poland collect money for the needs of cloistered orders.
Currently, there are just over 29,000 members of Polish institutes of consecrated life. people. In 1997 it was over 39 thousand. people, so over a quarter of a century there was a decline of 26%.
In Poland, we have 59 men’s religious congregations, which include 10,703 monks. Their superiors are gathered in the Conference of Major Superiors of Men’s Religious Orders.
There are currently 105 congregations in Poland that belong to the Conference of Major Superiors of Women’s Religious Congregations. There are 16,037 sisters living in them (including 147 novices) – 34 percent more than in the previous year. less than in 1997. They have 2,032 houses.
There are 13 women’s contemplative communities in our country. The total number of nuns in these orders is 1,270. Their superiors are associated with the Conference of Superiors of Contemplative Nuns in Poland.
The National Conference of Secular Institutes includes 32 institutes, which bring together 968 people, including 864 with perpetual vows.
There are also people practicing individual forms of consecrated life in our country. There are definitely fewer of them, but in total there are approximately 800 people present in all dioceses. Their number is growing dynamically, e.g. by approximately 100 people in the last year alone.
Currently, in Poland we have 398 consecrated virgins, 396 consecrated widows and only one widower.
Hermits and hermits lead an individual religious life. There are eight hermits and one hermit in Poland.