The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple
It comes as a surprise to some of our fellow Christians that a number of the traditional Marian Festivals were preserved and retained in historic Lutheranism. It is interesting however to note how they changed from their former focus entirely on Mary, and instead, focused on Christ, since whatever is Biblically associated with Mary, is precisely because of Jesus. This day, in particular, effectively brings to an end our observation of the great events of Christmas and Epiphany, and appropriately, gives us to ponder a somewhat obscure event in our Lord’s life, the occasion of his mother’s purification according to Old Testament law and His presentation in the Temple. The beautiful song of Simeon is featured in the readings these days. I encourage you to pay particularly close attention to the lovely Bach Motet based on the words of Simeon, which he composed early in his career for the funeral of the daughter of one of the pastors in Muhlhausen, where Bach was working at the time. The Cantata is titled God’s Time is Always the Best Time. I’ve put it in the extended entry, with the performance first, followed by the words in German and English.
The Presentation of Our Lord at the Temple, one of the Christological feasts of the Christian Church, is Scripture’s final infancy narrative concerning Jesus. After the Presentation, the Bible says nothing more about Him until His twelfth year.
Many liturgical calendars name this the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, emphasizing its Marian connection. Still another term used is Candlemas, drawing the name from the tradition of blessing the coming year’s church candles on this day.
Saint Luke is the only one of the Evangelists to describe the event (see Luke 2:22-40), something likely unfamiliar to most of his Gentile readers. According to the Gospel, Mary and Joseph took the Baby to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth to consecrate Jesus to God and to complete the ritual purification of Mary, both because of the command of God’s Law (Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16; Leviticus 12).
Upon entering the temple, the family encountered the devout and holy Simeon. Luke records that he was promised that “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. (Luke 2:26)” Simeon took Jesus into his arms, prayed the prayer that would become known as the Nunc Dimittis, or Canticle of Simeon, blessed the parents, and prophesied regarding Jesus and Mary.
The prophetess Anna (2:36-38) was also in the temple. She, too, offered prayers and praise to God for sending the Savior.
In the Western liturgical calendar, the Presentation of Our Lord falls on 2 February because this is forty days after Christmas, the celebration of His birth. It is the last festival determined by the date of Christmas and thus shows that the Epiphany season is drawing to a close. Most churches in the East observe the occasion on 14 February since they celebrate Christ’s Nativity on 6 January.
The Scripture Readings:
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 1:21-28
Second Reading: Malachi 3:1-4
Gospel: Luke 2:22-32
We pray:
Almighty and ever-living God, as Your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the substance of our flesh, grant that we may be presented to You with pure and clean hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Martin Luther’s Hymn: In Peace and Joy I Now Depart
Luther wrote this hymn to put Simeon’s words in the form of a hymnic setting. It is a beautiful prayer, that makes for a lovely homily for us to ponder on this day:
In peace and joy I now depart
At God’s disposing;
For full of comfort is my heart,
Soft reposing.
So the Lord hath promised me,
And death is but a slumber.
’Tis Christ that wrought this work for me,
My faithful Savior,
Whom Thou hast made mine eyes to see
By Thy favor.
Now I know He is my Life,
My Help in need and dying.
Him Thou hast unto all set forth
Their great Salvation
And to His kingdom called the earth,
Every nation,
By Thy dear and wholesome Word,
In every place resounding.
He is the Hope and saving Light
Of lands benighted;
By Him are they who dwelt in night
Fed and lighted.
He is Israel’s Praise and Bliss,
Their Joy, Reward, and Glory.
Bach’s Cantata 125
Text follows videos
BWV 106 – “Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit”
(Actus Tragicus)
Funeral Cantata |
|
| 1. Sonatina | 1. Sonatina |
| 2a. Chor Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit. In ihm leben, weben und sind wir, solange er will. In ihm sterben wir zur rechten Zeit, wenn er will. (Acts 17:28) |
2a. Chorus God’s time is the best of all times. In Him we live, move and are, as long as He wills. In Him we die at the appointed time, when He wills. |
| 2b. Arioso T Ach, Herr, lehre uns bedenken, daß wir sterben müssen, auf daß wir klug werden. (Psalm 90:12) |
2b. Arioso T Ah, Lord, teach us to consider that we must die, so that we might become wise. |
| 2c. Arie B Bestelle dein Haus; denn du wirst sterben und nicht lebendig bleiben! (Isaiah 38:1) |
2c. Aria B Put your house in order; for you will die and not remain alive! |
| 2d. Chor und Arioso S Es ist der alte Bund: Mensch, du mußt sterben! (Ecclesiasticus 14:17) Ja, komm, Herr Jesu! ( Revelations 22:20) (Instrumental Chorale: Ich hab mein Sach’ Gott heimgestellt Er mach’s mit mir wie’s ihm gefällt Soll ich all hier noch länger lebn Nicht wider strebn Seim Willn tu ich mich ganz ergebn.) (“Ich hab mein Sach’ Gott heimgestellt,” verse 1) |
2d. Chorus and Arioso S It is the ancient law: human, you must die!Yes, come, Lord Jesus! (Instrumental Chorale: |
| 3a. Arie A In deine Hände befehl ich meinen Geist; du hast mich erlöset, Herr, du getreuer Gott. (Psalm 31:6) |
3a. Aria A Into Your hands I commit my spirit, You have redeemed me, Lord, faithful God. |
| 3b. Arioso und Choral B A Heute wirst du mit mir im Paradies sein. (Luke 23:43) Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin In Gottes Willen, Getrost ist mir mein Herz und Sinn, Sanft und stille. Wie Gott mir verheißen hat: Der Tod ist mein Schlaf worden. (“Mit Fried und Freud,” verse 1) |
3b. Arioso and Chorale B A Today you will be with Me in Paradise. With peace and joy I depart in God’s will, My heart and mind are comforted, calm, and quiet. As God had promised me: death has become my sleep. |
| 4. Chor Glorie, Lob, Ehr und Herrlichkeit Sei dir, Gott Vater und Sohn bereit’, Dem Heilgen Geist mit Namen! Die göttlich Kraft Mach uns sieghaft Durch Jesum Christum, Amen. (“In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr,” verse 7) |
4. Chorus Glory, praise, honor, and majesty be prepared for You, God the Father and the Son, for the Holy Spirit by name! The divine power makes us victorious through Jesus Christ, Amen. |
| Acts 17:28 (mov’t. 2a); Psalm 90:12 (mov’t. 2b); Isaiah 38:1 (mov’t. 2c); Ecclesiasticus 14:17 and Revelations 22:20, “Ich hab mein Sach’ Gott heimgestellt,” verse 1: Johannes Leon 1589 (mov’t. 2d); Ps. 31:6 (mov’t. 3a); Luke 23:43 and “Mit Fried und Freud,” verse 1: Martin Luther 1524 (mov’t. 3b); “In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr,” verse 7: Adam Reusner 1533 (mov’t. 4) | |
I’m just loving the paintings. Keep them coming, a picture (paintings) say a thousand words. They also make wonderful backdrops on my computer screen!
MM
I had the opportunity to sing this chorale recently. One interesting thing to note was that part of the text was actually taken from the Apocryphal book of Sirach. I’m not familiar with enough of Bach’s cantatas to know whether he did that often or not.
Thank you for this. A beautiful offering from another modern-day master of Bach performance (incidentally, one of Masaaki Suzuki’s teachers).
As for the Marian feasts, I’m reminded of the comment about Nestorianism and the the Marian title Theotokos (Mother of God): the Church catholic calls Mary Theotokos, not in order to honour her but in order to confess her son, not to elevate Mary above humanity but to confess that the son she gave birth to is indeed God. Conversely, denying the title to Mary is not primarily to ‘put Mary in her place’ but to deny who her son really is. Which is why Nestorius was a Christological heretic rather than a Marian one.
What soul care from dem alten Meister. I also always enjoy the eccentric, yet always musically intuitive, Ton Koopman….
Thanks for posting. Interesting topic as this has been so controversial in recent years. I know I was raised a certain way…but I will continue to search the scriptures for the truth. God Bless!
Thanks
Andrew Jones
what is the bible
Thank you for your consistent efforts to remind us of the church year. A feast day is a great opportunity to tie together great music and visual art with prayers, hymns, and an explanation.
It is almost as if all of this liturgical art through the ages anticipated the “multimedia” Internet that could easily deliver it to us. I’m convinced that the marriage of the timeless treasures of the church with the Internet heralds a very exciting era in the church, no less important than Gutenberg’s invention. You are on the leading edge of this, Pr. McCain. May God continue to bless your good work!
Concerning Mary’s role in relation to Jesus, and not letting it obscure Jesus himself, it might be well on a feast that is both The Purification of the BVM and the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple to not just elaborate on the Presentation, but also on what is purification after childbirth in the Law, why did Mary do it and how was it done, what is a mikveh — the type of place where the purification was done, which to this day observant Jew will build before a place of for services (synagogue) — and this not as a focus on Mary but what it tells us about her Son and what it was to be presented in the Temple.
The Christian Orthodox still practice the 40 days of uncleaness and the presentation of the baby at the end of the 40 days at the church. I saw this once. I was in the narthex of St. Sophia’s in Miami with Orthodox friends who explained to me what was happening. We had attended that morning’s Divine Liturgy and were dawdling in the narthex chatting. I had noticed the lone woman sitting in the last pew holding a baby in her arms. There were more people than usual waiting around and finally the priest came to the woman in the last pew and bent down to talk with her. He took the baby from her and the ritual began. I remember prayers. The priest took the baby, still wrapped up in blankets, on the long walk to the Royal Doors in the Iconostasion. During the walk my friends began to guess whether the baby was a boy or a girl. The priest lifted the baby up before the doors and more prayers, then he lowered the baby and entered the doors and everyone in the narthex sighed loudly, It’s a boy. The priest circled the altar holding up the boy and praying, then returned the boy to his mother. If the baby had been a girl, the priest would not have entered the Royal Doors because females are not allowed into the sanctuary or to touch the altar. I was also told that during the mother’s 40 days of uncleaness, that she does not come into the church. I was often surprised to find old testament type pratices among the Orthodox Christians. My friend in the narthex was a female MD who expressed a feeling that this was an anchonism that insulted modern women, but that she would never oppose doing it as the church required.