Dear Friends,

This Sunday we will be celebrating Candlemas. You might be wondering, ‘What is Candlemas? And you would not be alone in this questioning. Stephen and I have been asking ourselves the same question this week too. 

Candlemas commemorates Jesus’ presentation in the temple as was the Jewish Law and custom for a new baby to be presented at the temple. It was also when the mother would come for the purification rite. Whilst at the temple Jesus was seen by two elderly followers of God, Simeon and Anna. Upon seeing the Messiah, Jesus, Simeon burst into a song, which we know as the Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29-32). In his song, he describes Jesus as a light of revelation to the Gentiles. I quite like how the prayer book translates it as a ‘light to lighten the Gentiles.’ Jesus came to be a light to the world, and not just the Jewish world, but the entire world. It is this light of the world image that gave rise to the celebration of Candlemas. The church began celebrating this story with lots of candles to represent Jesus as the light of the world, and so this celebration and story came to be known as Candlemas. 

What strikes me from Simeon’s song is that having seen the Messiah, have seen the promised Saviour, he finds peace. It was seeing and meeting with Jesus that Simeon found the peace which meant that even his approaching death could not take away his peace away. It makes me wonder, do I feel the same way when I have met with Jesus? Do I have the peace of Christ in my life that makes all of life’s worries feel insignificant? To be honest, I don’t think I always do. And I ask myself ‘why?’ Jesus never promises us an easy life, but he did say that he would leave his peace with us. Why can I not find that peace? Is it because I am not truly seeing all the Jesus means for my life? I wonder if, like Simeon, I open my eyes to see Jesus before me, if I will find myself filled with the peace of Christ. Simeon’s peace from Christ is a peace that knows that Jesus is going to save the world and that everything is in his care. Maybe I need to trust that everything is in Jesus’ care, and in that, I will know Christ’s saving peace. If you are feeling like you are missing the peace of Christ in your life this day, use Candlemas as a time to seek God and see him for who he is: Our Saviour. And I pray that the peace of the Saviour will be known in your hearts this Candlemas. 

Every blessing,

Shakeel 

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