Year C Candlemas 2025 Dedicated

 Year C Candlemas, 2 February 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Dedicated”

Collect: Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Hebrews 2:14-18

Since God's children share flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Luke 2:22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."

And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too."

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

When I was a kid I remember running across some things that I just set my mind to so that they would be accomplished. I just did. I remember hearing about a German exchange program in the local high school and thinking, “That would be cool.” And so from 5th grade when I heard about it to 9th grade when I applied, I tried to make myself the most eligible candidate I could be. Between grades and making German my foreign language, I set myself up to fulfill what I committed myself to doing.

I also have had things that were not so positive which caused me to dedicate myself. A friend in college shared my first name, my given name, Jeff. Jeff, however, was a senior many times over when I was a freshman. He would go on academic probation, or have to take a semester off, but he kept at it, hoping, one day, to graduate. He was already married and had a house. And I remember one of the advisors to the program where I met the other Jeff say out loud that I was just like him. The comment was not to me, but it was about me and I just happened to hear it. Now the other Jeff and I had a lot in common, and many similar interests. But that comment hurt, and I remember thinking in my head, “That will never be me. I will graduate and I will make that reality happen.” While Jeff had 5 plus years with no degree, I broke my back graduating in 3 ½ years from the University of Richmond. While that was not the reason I worked so hard,that comment stuck with me and motivated me to do my best.

For positive reasons or in response to something negative, we commit ourselves through those actions we repeat day in and day out. Our determination shows our dedication.

Dedicated. It is not a word we use a lot any more.

We live in a world designed to be obsolete. We have drive-thru food and disposable lifestyles. Even our existence, which was already fleeting, seems disposable.

I long for an age of craftsmen, of people who take a lifetime to do things right and good and true. This is such a rarity in the days we live in. One of the things I so appreciate about our former deacon, Harrison Higgins, is his ability to do what he did as a master craftsman, and has a legacy of amazing projects that he has done to show proof of his dedication to the craft.

Commitments are momentary it seems in our day and time, and this word we are looking at today, dedicated is arcane. So let’s look at the definition…

ded·i·cat·ed /ˈdedəˌkādəd/

adjective

(of a person) devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty or integrity.

(of a thing) exclusively allocated to or intended for a particular service or purpose.

Today we see Jesus being dedicated in the Temple. The tradition in England was to call this day Candlemas. The tradition was to bring the candles made in the dark of winter to be blessed for use in the home for the coming year. It was a festival of lights which had ancient roots. Winter was lessening with the lengthening of days and the hope of Spring was in the air.

The first written records of this celebration date back to the 5th century. They narrate the journey Mary and Joseph made to the temple with the Infant Jesus. The Church created this celebration to replace pagan cults that placed light at the heart of their rituals. The Romans in fact held torchlit processions in February to purify the earth at the end of winter. It was also the month of the Lupercalia, a festival of purification held in Rome on 15 February to revive fertility by releasing vital forces. Syncretizing with the Roman holidays, Christians celebrated this purification ritual and presenting of Jesus as the firstborn son on this day, Candlemas, 40 days after Christmas.

Because this was seen as the end of winter and the return of the light to our days, it got tied in with the Groundhog and the like. Candlemas honors the end of winter and the return of light, so various proverbs link it to the weather, to the cold or the return of the sun. Here are two examples:

“If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won’t come again.”

Or, more likely you have heard, “If the Groundhog sees his shadow there will be 6 more weeks of winter.”

As we look today, though, may we see Jesus as this light because it is tucked firmly into our season of Epiphany.

So culturally we see our candles blessed and dedicated, but it honors the law abiding Joseph and Mary following the strictures of the Torah for her purification and Jesus’ presentation. The firstborn son was to be dedicated to God.

The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.” Exodus 13:2

And they brought the required sacrifice for those that were poor, two young turtledoves or two young pigeons.

And speaking of those dedicated, today’s Gospel reading includes two that I wish that we knew so much more about. Simeon and Anna.

Simeon had dedicated his life to God, and for some wonderful reason, he had been given a word from God that he would see the Messiah with his own eyes before he died. He waited a long time and was nearing his last days, especially for then, but on this day he received this blessing. The Spirit’s promise became reality.

Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

and for glory to your people Israel."

That may sound familiar. It is something that comes from one of our favorite liturgies, our Evening Prayer service which is a great way to close our working day.

In our Prayer Book it is called the Canticle of the Song of Simeon, and say it with me if you know it.

Lord, you now have set your servant free *

    to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *

    whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *

    and the glory of your people Israel.

We are blessed to be like Simeon, and proclaim in our enlightenment, in our Epiphany, that we “see” Jesus to be the Messiah, our Savior.

Simeon’s dedication to righteous living impacts still today, encouraging us to dedicate ourselves to God’s call.

We may quote Simeon, but one of the great and unsung heroes of mine in the New Testament is Anna, the 84 year old widow who lived in the Temple year round. She is called a prophet, and could have easily lived in the Temple for sixty years. If she was married around 13 to 18 and was married 7 years before becoming a widow, then that leaves 60 years since she was alone where she could have given a portion if not all of it to God.

She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

She shared what she knew. Like Simeon, she proclaimed that the redemption of Jerusalem had arrived. What a gift! Dedication paid off.

And the one who was dedicated by his parents, and celebrated by these devout souls Anna and Simeon, had dedicated himself long before.

In our Hebrews reading we see Jesus being so devoted and dedicated to US, that he fully committed. He was all in. He was dyed-in-the-wool human. Fully. Lovingly. Devotedly.

As the reading states:

…he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

He put on the flesh, he incarnated, so that he could experience all the good, the bad, the ugly, and the glorious aspects of being human. Talk about Dedication. It could not have been more full or complete.

And remember that. When you are being torn and tested. You had someone who lived so you could fully live. You had someone who was tempted and overcame it so you could, too. You had someone who did all this for you before you were born, so that you could be born again.

Today, listen closely as we come to Christ’s table, and we dedicate ourselves to God in Christ. 

Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Think on the words said, mean them in your heart. The world needs dedicated and devoted followers of Jesus so much. May God dedicate us more fully, each and every day. Amen