Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas): Meaning, Feast, Prayer

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, kept on February 2, remembers the day Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, forty days after his birth. There the old man Simeon took him in his arms and greeted him as “a light to the revelation of the Gentiles.” Because candles are blessed on this day in honor of Christ the Light, it is also called Candlemas. It was long known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Below is the Gospel, the meaning of the feast, the blessing of candles, and its traditions.

The Presentation in the Gospel

And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord:
As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord:
And to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons:
And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him.
And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law,
He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said:
Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace;
Because my eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples:
A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

The prophetess Anna, a widow of eighty-four who never left the Temple, also came at that hour, “confessed to the Lord; and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel” (Luke 2:38).

The meaning of the feast

Jesus is offered to the Father. According to the Law of Moses, every firstborn son belonged to the Lord and was presented in the Temple. Jesus, the true firstborn, is offered to the Father, foreshadowing his self-offering on the Cross (CCC 529).
The Lord comes to his Temple. The prophecy of Malachias is fulfilled: “presently the Lord, whom you seek… shall come to his temple” (Malachias 3:1).
Christ the Light. Simeon’s song, the Nunc dimittis, calls Jesus the light of the nations. The Church sings it every night at Compline.
Mary’s sorrow foretold. Simeon tells Mary, “thy own soul a sword shall pierce,” the first of her Seven Sorrows. See the Seven Sorrows Rosary.
The fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. See the Joyful Mysteries.

Candlemas: the blessing of candles

Before Mass on February 2, the priest blesses candles, and the people carry them lit in procession into the church, as Simeon welcomed the Light of the world. Many families bring their own candles to be blessed and use them at home during the year: at prayer, during storms, and at the bedside of the sick and dying.

The end of the Christmas cycle

February 2 is forty days after Christmas. Although the Christmas season ends liturgically with the Baptism of the Lord, many families keep their Nativity scene up until Candlemas, and in parts of Europe and Latin America it marks the final end of Christmas. In Mexico, whoever found the figure of the Child Jesus in the rosca de reyes on Epiphany hosts a tamale party on Candlemas.

World Day for Consecrated Life

Since 1997, at the initiative of St. John Paul II, February 2 is also the World Day for Consecrated Life, when the Church gives thanks for religious sisters, brothers and priests, who offer their lives to God as Jesus was offered in the Temple. See prayer for priests.

A prayer for Candlemas

Written for this page:

Lord Jesus, light of the nations and glory of your people,
as Simeon took you in his arms, let me welcome you today.
Let the candles we bless shine in our home as signs of your presence,
and when my time comes, let me depart in peace,
having seen your salvation. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called Candlemas?

Because candles are blessed and carried in procession on this day, honoring Christ “the light of the world.” Candlemas means “Candle Mass.”

What is the difference between the Presentation and the Purification?

They are the same feast. Before 1969 it was called the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, recalling the Jewish rite Mary observed forty days after childbirth; today the name emphasizes Jesus being presented to God.

Is Candlemas a holy day of obligation?

No. It is a feast of the Lord. When February 2 falls on a Sunday, it replaces the Sunday Mass.

More for Christmas and the Christmas cycle

Texts and sources

Scripture: Luke 2:22–32, 38; Malachias 3:1, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 529.
The prayer was written for this page.