In Purificatione Beatæ Mariæ Virginis – II Classis
Tempora: Feria II infra Hebdomadam Septuagesimæ
On this blessed feast, In Purificatione Beatæ Mariæ Virginis, more commonly known as the Feast of the Presentation or Candlemas, Holy Church offers us a luminous convergence of prophecy and fulfillment in the readings from Malachi 3:1–4 and Luke 2:22–32. Within the sacred framework of Septuagesima, already tinged with violet in preparation for Lent, this feast shines forth with light and hope, drawing us to contemplate the mystery of the Temple: both the visible temple of Jerusalem and the true Temple of Christ’s Body (cf. John 2:21), carried in the arms of His sinless Mother.
“Behold, I send my angel…” (Malachi 3:1)
The prophet Malachi speaks of a divine visitation: “Behold, I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, shall come to his temple.” This angel or messenger has often been identified with St. John the Baptist, the Forerunner who prepares the way for Christ. But in the deeper mystery of today’s feast, we behold the Lord Himself coming into His Temple—not with trumpet or fire, but as a forty-day-old infant, borne by the Virgin in fulfillment of the Law.
St. Jerome, commenting on this passage, notes that the coming of the Lord to His temple is not only a literal event, but also a spiritual visitation: “The Lord comes into His temple when He enters the hearts of the faithful, making them temples of the Holy Ghost” (Commentary on Malachi). Yet, before He enters the hearts of men, He must first submit to the Law He came to fulfill.
The Law and the Light
In Luke 2, we are told: “And after the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they carried Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord.” (v. 22). This act of humble obedience is astonishing: the Immaculate Virgin, free from all stain of sin, undergoes purification; the Eternal Word made Flesh, the very author of the Law, is “presented” to the Godhead of which He is co-equal.
St. Ambrose marvels at this paradox: “He who was without sin is made subject to the Law, that He might redeem those who were under the Law. The Law commands the purification of women who have brought forth; Mary could not be bound by this condition, for she brought forth God Himself.” (Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam, II.56)
Here is the profound humility of God, lowering Himself not only to human nature but to the very obligations of the Old Covenant, all to bring it to perfection. The victim is brought to the altar, prefiguring the future sacrifice of Calvary. The Temple receives its Lord.
Simeon’s Canticle and the Fire of Purification
In the Gospel, we encounter Simeon, the righteous and devout man who had awaited the “consolation of Israel.” Upon seeing the Divine Infant, he takes Him into his arms and utters the immortal Nunc Dimittis: “Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace…” This canticle, chanted every night at Compline, echoes through the centuries as a cry of peaceful readiness for death, having seen the true Light.
Simeon’s prophecy continues: “Behold this Child is set for the fall and the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted…” (Luke 2:34). As Malachi had foretold, “He shall sit refining and cleansing silver” (Mal 3:3). The Child now in Mary’s arms will soon be the Crucified Christ, whose coming purifies not only the Temple but the hearts of men. The refiner’s fire is Christ’s burning charity, which exposes hypocrisy and burns away dross.
St. Cyril of Alexandria writes: “The Lord, by His own presence, both illumines the righteous and brings hidden thoughts to light… This Child is indeed a light to the Gentiles, but also a purifying fire that tries the secrets of hearts.” (In Lucam, Hom. 5)
The Role of the Blessed Virgin
And where is the Virgin in all of this? At the very center. Not only does she carry the Light to the Temple, but she herself is foreshadowed in the purified gold and silver of Malachi’s vision. For the fire that purifies the sons of Levi was first ablaze in her Immaculate Heart.
Simeon speaks directly to her: “And thy own soul a sword shall pierce” (Luke 2:35). Here is the first public prophecy of her Co-suffering in the redemptive mission of Christ. Though without sin, she is not without sorrow. St. Bernard speaks of this moment with tender profundity: “O Blessed Mother, a sword has truly pierced your soul. For only by passing through your soul could it penetrate the flesh of your Son.” (Sermo in Dom. infra oct. Assumpt.)
Thus, Mary is purified not because she is impure, but because she walks the path of total conformity to her Son. Her purification is a mystery of solidarity and intercession, an act of perfect maternal offering.
Conclusion: Light to Enlighten the Gentiles
The Feast of the Purification is also the Feast of the Light—Candlemas, when candles are blessed and carried in procession. This procession is not mere ceremony but a liturgical icon of today’s Gospel: the Church, like the Virgin, bearing the Light of Christ into the world, proclaiming with Simeon, “Lumen ad revelationem gentium.”
As we enter the season of Septuagesima, the joy of Christmastide gives way to the sober preparation of Lent. But before we set aside the alleluias entirely, Holy Church gives us this luminous feast to remind us: the way of the Cross is already illumined by the Light of Christ, carried first by His Mother.
Let us, then, purify our hearts, allow the fire of His charity to cleanse us, and ask the Blessed Virgin to carry us as she once carried Him—faithfully, humbly, and without fear—into the house of the Lord.
Suggested Spiritual Practice:
Today, after praying the Nunc Dimittis, spend time meditating on the interior life of Our Lady during this moment in the Temple. Consider offering a candle in her honor, praying for the grace of purity of intention and readiness for God’s will.
Patristic Sources for Further Reading:
- St. Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke
- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homilies on Luke
- St. Jerome, Commentary on Malachi
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Blessed Virgin Mary
In lumine tuo videbimus lumen.