The Encounter of Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Holy Day of Obligation.
Hebrews 7:7-17. Luke 2:22-40.
Read Luke 2:22-40
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
We celebrate the feast of Encounter of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. This feast closes the Nativity/Theophany season, which is the season that Christianize the Jewish festival of Light—rekindling of the lamps in the Temple or Hanukkah. We started preparing for this period of time forty days before Nativity and now we close this time forty days after the Nativity. Today’s feast recapitulates for us the reason of the season: That the light of God has come into the world to enlighten us who are in the darkness. We feel that darkness physically around us in the season of winter, but we also feel it within ourselves. As we understand ourselves as sinners who are in dire need of a Saviour to enlighten our inner darkness.
St. Cyril of Alexandria says this about the light of God come into he world:
The mystery of Christ had been prepared even before the very foundation of the world but was manifested in the last ages of time. It became a light for those who in darkness and error had fallen under the devil’s hand. These were they “who serve the creature instead of the Creator, (Rom 1:25) worshiping moreover the dragon, the author of evil, and the impure throng of devils, to whom they attach the honour due God. Yet God the Father called them to the acknowledgment of the Son who is the true Light…. Christ therefore became the Gentiles’ light for revelation, but also for the glory of Israel. For even granting that some of them proved insolent and disobedient, and with minds that did not under-stand, yet there is a remnant there, saved and admitted to glory through Christ. The first fruits of these were the divine disciples, the brightness of whose renown lightens the whole world. In another sense, Christ is the glory of Israel, for he came out of Israel according to the flesh, though he is God over all, and blessed for ever-more. Amen. (22 Commentary on Luke, Homily 4).
As we bless our candles at Church today may we recall the eternal light of God, which has which has become incarnate to enlighten each of us. Let us embrace that Light and invite Jesus to guide our way through this world and into his Kingdom. That we too with Simeon may joyfully say, “Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for mine 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.”