Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
April 2, 2025 Column Father De Celles
MARCH FOR LIFE. Thanks to all who participated and supported the March for Life last Friday: the Marchers, the Adorers and the Chili dinner helpers. Special thanks to Liz Hildebrand for her leadership in organizing all of this, and to Sherri Burns for organizing the dinner. Let us pray that all these efforts contribute to developing a culture of life in our nation.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL. Please indulge me for a moment. You may know I’m a huge fan of the “Fighting Irish” football team, with lots of family ties to the University going back before I was born. They lost the National Championship last Monday, congratulations to Ohio State and their fans. But I want to point out the amazing resilience and determination of the Irish team. After losing their second game of the season to unranked Northern Illinois, they came back and won 14 consecutive games, and overcame 100-1 odds to make it to the Championship game. Then, down by 21 points at the half they came back and played hard to close to within one touchdown with 23 seconds on the clock. But they lost. Even so, what a superlative example of hope and determination, never giving up. A valuable lesson for sports and life, and especially the spiritual life in Christ, especially as we so often saw their public displays of sincere faith in Christ, not the least of which is their attendance at Mass before every game.
CANDLEMAS. Next Sunday would normally be the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time. But this year it falls on February 2, so we celebrate the feast of the day, the “Presentation of the Lord.” This commemorates the day when the 40-day old Baby Jesus was brought to the Temple as prescribed by the law. It is also known as “Candlemas” because it is traditionally the day we bless the new candles to be used in the church for the coming year, reminding us of Simeon’s prayer in the Temple acknowledging Jesus as “a light to…the nations.” This feast has been often considered the true end of the Christmas season, as it celebrates the last of the Scriptural revelation concerning the Baby Jesus.
To mark this special feast, there is special ritual opening, a Solemn Entrance, for this Mass, which we will employ at the 9am and 11am Masses. This looks a little bit like the Solemn Entrance of Palm Sunday, but instead of palms the people carry lit candles.
Now, let me backtrack a bit. Every few weeks we change the candles on the altar, replacing the burned down shortened candles with new fresher (longer) candles. It used to be that there were folks, often nuns, who would melt the “used” candles down to make new candles. But no one does this anymore. So we have hundreds of them in storage: since they are blessed and formerly used at the altar, we can’t just throw them away. But we can give them away. And so…
As you enter the Mass next Sunday before the 9 and 11 Masses you will be handed one of these used candles (you can have up to one for each person in the family). Then, as the priest enters the church at the beginning of Mass, these candles will be lit (much like at the Easter Vigil), and you will hold these lit candles, symbolizing the Light of Christ entering the Temple, while the priest stops in the center of the church to bless the new candles. (Note: there is no need to “re-bless the “used” candles in your hands).
After Mass you are asked to take these used candles home for display and respectful use in your homes.
But I would encourage you to consider making a donation for each candle you take home. They normally cost us $10 to $14 new, but any donation, even $1, would be appreciated. Just place this donation in the basket during the Second Collection at the same Mass (which is the collection for the “Arlington Catholic Herald,” which defrays the cost of providing copies of the Herald to you during the year). If you remember, you can put your donation in a plain envelope marked “candles,” or you can just drop your cash or check in the basket. Or don’t—the candles are free to you. Better you use them at home, than they go wasted in our closets.
To help you prepare for next Sunday, I leave you with some words from a great and holy priest.
Pope Benedict XVI,
Homily (excerpt), Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
February 2, 2011
“On today’s Feast we contemplate the Lord Jesus, whom Mary and Joseph bring to the Temple “to present him to the Lord” (Lk 2:22). This Gospel scene reveals the mystery of the Son of the Virgin, the consecrated One of the Father who came into the world to do his will faithfully (cf. Heb 10:5-7). Simeon identifies him as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Lk 2:32) and announces with prophetic words his supreme offering to God and his final victory (cf. Lk 2:32-35). This is the meeting point of the two Testaments, Old and New. Jesus enters the ancient temple; he who is the new Temple of God: he comes to visit his people, thus bringing to fulfilment obedience to the Law and ushering in the last times of salvation.
“It is interesting to take a close look at this entrance of the Child Jesus into the solemnity of the temple, in the great comings and goings of many people, busy with their work…Yet none of them noticed anything. Jesus was a child like the others, a first-born son of very simple parents.…Alone two elderly people, Simeon and Anna, discover this great newness.
“Led by the Holy Spirit, in this Child they find the fulfilment of their long waiting and watchfulness. They both contemplate the light of God that comes to illuminate the world and their prophetic gaze is opened to the future in the proclamation of the Messiah: “Lumen ad revelationem gentium!” (Lk 2:32). The prophetic attitude of the two elderly people contains the entire Old Covenant which expresses the joy of the encounter with the Redeemer. Upon seeing the Child, Simeon and Anna understood that he was the Awaited One.
“…The evangelical image of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple contains the fundamental symbol of light; the light that comes from Christ and shines on Mary and Joseph, on Simeon and Anna, and through them, on everyone. The Fathers of the Church connected this radiance with the spiritual journey. The consecrated life expresses this journey, in a special way, as “philokalia”, love of the divine beauty, a reflection of God’s divine goodness (cf. ibid., n. 19).
“On Christ’s Face the light of such beauty shines forth. “The Church contemplates the transfigured face of Christ in order to be confirmed in faith and to avoid being dismayed at his disfigured face on the Cross…. she is the Bride before her Spouse, sharing in his mystery and surrounded by his light. This light shines on all the Church’s children…”
Oremus pro invicem. Fr. De Celles