Candlemas - Rector's Rambling for February 2, 2020

Today we get a chance to deviate from the regular Sunday rotation of readings, on what would be the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, because it is a Prayer Book Holy Day.

Today’s Feast Day is 40 days after the birth of Jesus Christ, which of course we celebrated on Christmas.  As it is the custom for the members of the original covenant, the Jewish people, on the 40th day of a child’s life they were presented in the Temple as a offering, in remembrance of Abraham’s willingness to offer his son Isaac at God’s command.

We remember that when Abraham offered to sacrifice his son, God instead, via an angel, stopped the sacrifice – his willingness was proof of his faithfulness – and provided a ram in his son’s place.

So as Jewish males reach their 40th day of life, they are offered to the service of God in a representative way, and by bringing with them “a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons”, offer that as a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Also according to Jewish custom, it is on the 40th day after giving birth that the woman is re-admitted to public worship.  The issue of blood following childbirth was considered “unclean” so they were expected to not attend public worship.  This is the first public event the new mother would be expected to attend.

This prohibition sounds funny to us now, but some of us may remember when the due date was called the EDC, which stood for Expected Date of Confinement.  This was not for any sort of religious reason, but the acknowledgement of the reality that mothers should have time to recover from the physical work of birth, and have time to bond with their child.  Being “unclean” may sound harsh to us, but it was also a protection of the woman so that she can heal and be well.

Although the church has not had a period of “uncleanness”, the tradition of time away after birth is recognized in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer with the service The Thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth, commonly called the Churching of Women, found on page 305.

In my 25 years as a priest I have used this service twice.  It seems to be something that has passed on with time in our own tradition.  The theological emphasis of Simeon and Anna in the Feast are primary today, but we give thanks also for the protection and safe delivery of mothers and their children too.