Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord
April 2, 2025 Column Father De Celles
Presentation of the Lord: “Candlemas.” Today, February 2, is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Jesus, recalling the presentation of the Baby Jesus in the Temple 40 days after his birth, as prescribed by the Law of Moses. It also recalls the prophetic prayer of Simeon, the Nunc Dimittis, said every night in the Liturgy of the Hours of the Church, and the prophetic proclamations of the prophetess Anna.
This feast is also called “Candlemas,” because historically it is the day priests bless the beeswax and candles for use in the Church, symbolizing the line from the Nunc Dimittis, that Jesus would be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” Keeping with that tradition, we will bless the altar candles that will be used during the coming year at the beginning of the 9am and 11am Masses. We will also be using the “used” (or partially burned down) candles from the last few years during the procession at the beginning of those Masses. Folks at those Masses are asked to take those used candles home and use them in their homes to remind them of the light of Christ shining in their families.
Traditionally, this is considered the last of the Christmas feasts, for obvious reasons (i.e.., the date is determined by Christmas and it is a feast of the Baby Jesus). So, perhaps one last time we can say, “Merry Christmas.”
Blessing of Throats. Tomorrow, Monday, February 3, is the Feast of St. Blaise—the day we bless throats. St. Blaise was Bishop of Sebaste (Turkey) and was martyred about A.D. 316. Legend has it that when Bishop was imprisoned for his Catholic faith, a poor woman brought him candles to light his dark cell. In that same prison, he miraculously cured a boy who was choking to death from a fishbone lodged in his throat. Thus, the custom arose of using candles and invoking the Saint to bless throats against all sorts of ailments.
The blessing will be given at the end of the 6:30am and 8:30am Masses, and then the blessing will be given in the church without Mass at noon and 6:00pm.
First Confessions. Please keep our second graders in your prayers this week as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Penance for the first time next Saturday morning, February 8. Pray that the little ones are not too nervous, make good confessions, accept God’s grace and develop a true love for this sacrament.
Commanders (a.k.a. Redskins). Hats off to the Washington Commanders/Redskins, for going from a 4-13 season last year to a 12-5 season this year, capped off by playing for the Conference Championship. As a die-hard Cowboy fan, it’s not easy for me to root for Washington, but I was rooting for them in the playoffs this year.
Of course, the turn-around happened only after hiring Head Coach Dan Quinn away from the Cowboys. Then again, how stupid of the Cowboys not to have made Quinn their Head Coach before their disastrous season? But I digress…
Congratulations to the Commanders and all their fans, especially in our parish. Now, let’s all root for Kansas City to beat Philly.
Bishop’s Pastoral Letter on IVF. As reported by Catholic News Agency (CNA):
“Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge on Wednesday (Jan. 22) urged Catholic families to offer a ‘heroic witness’ to love by rejecting the practice of in vitro fertilization (IVF), which the prelate called ‘contrary to justice [and] replete with moral difficulties.’
“In a pastoral letter …Burbidge acknowledged the ‘natural desire for family’ as well as the challenges faced by couples who are struggling with infertility…. He acknowledged that the Catholic Church is supportive of numerous licit means of addressing infertility, including NaPro technology.
“IVF …nevertheless presents serious moral problems, Burbidge argued. Chief among them…is how the procedure ‘both creates life and destroys life,’ insofar as it often kills many human embryos even as it may produce one that goes on to grow through a full pregnancy.
“‘For every one of the more than 12 million children born by means of IVF since 1978, there are many tens of millions more …who have been either deliberately destroyed, experimented upon, or frozen…and denied their natural right to the fullness of their development,’ the bishop said….
“IVF, he said, ‘subverts human dignity by reducing human persons — man, woman, and child alike — into objects of a technical process.’
“IVF technology…is further morally fraught [by its connection to]…the practice of surrogacy. Italy has banned surrogacy since 2004 …. the practice is illegal in Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, and Spain as well. …Burbidge …argued that it constitutes ‘a grave injustice to produce children who, from the start, are forcibly separated from their natural parents.’
“…Burbidge further called on “all people of faith and goodwill to pray for those married couples experiencing infertility….”
Pro-Lifers Pardoned. Did you read, as The Daily Wire reported:
“President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday pardoning 23 of the pro-life activists targeted by President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.
“‘They should not have been prosecuted,’ Trump said as he signed the order. ‘Many of them are elderly people. They should not have been prosecuted. This is a great honor to sign this.’
“The pardons are for 23 ‘peaceful pro-life protesters who were prosecuted by the Biden administration for exercising their First Amendment rights.’ They were prosecuted under the FACE Act and a Reconstruction-era felony conspiracy charge first used for the first time against pro-life activists by the Biden administration….
“When passed in 1994, the FACE Act was supposed to protect both churches and clinics, but the law has almost exclusively been used to prosecute pro-lifers. Data obtained by Roy shows that 97% of FACE Act cases brought by the Justice Department have been against pro-life Americans.”
Those pardoned included: Lauren Handy, who has served 57 months in prison; Joan Bell, a 76-year-old woman who has served 27 months in prison; and
Eva Edl, an 89-year-old survivor of a World War II concentration camp, who was awaiting sentencing. Thanks be to God and to President Trump!
Ironic, “Confusing,” or….? I was utterly amazed at this story in CNA a few days ago. That’s all I’m going to say:
“The Vatican City State has toughened sanctions for those who try to illegally enter its territory in areas where free access is not allowed.
“In a decree issued last month by the Holy See, the monetary sanctions and prison sentences for those who violate the strict security regulations of Vatican City have been considerably increased.
“The document…provides for monetary fines ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 euros…and prison sentences ranging from one to four years.
“These fines will apply especially to those who enter by means of …deception, bypassing border controls or security systems…
“The decree emphasizes that the penalties can be increased if the crime is committed with firearms…or by several people together….
Pastor’s Prerogative. Finally, today is the 70th birthday of the best sister a priest ever had: a devout and holy Catholic, a true saint, a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother, my sister, Barbette. Please join me in praying for her on this day which I like to remind her is also “Groundhog Day.”
Oremus pro invicem. Fr. De Celles