The Feast of the Presentation (with the Installation of a New Rector)
February 2, 2025
Preached at St. Mary Magdalene, Belton
The Rev. Cannon Chas Marks
There is a lot to celebrate today and fortunately these multiple joyous occasions seem to intertwine beautifully in God’s perfect timing. First, we observe the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple – when Blessed Mary and Blessed Joseph presented their infant son forty days after his birth, following ancient Jewish custom. This feast carries several meaningful names in our tradition: it is sometimes known as the Feast of the Purification of Mary. Other times it is referred to as Candlemas for the tradition of blessing candles on this day. In the Eastern Church they call
this the Feast of the Meeting, commemorating the holy encounter with Blessed Simeon and Blessed Anna – I will say more about them shortly.
More locally, we celebrate yet another kind of meeting today – a new relationship between priest and parish. As your Diocesan transition missioner who has worked alongside your Vestry and Search Committee these past months, my heart is filled with particular joy today. It’s deeply gratifying to see how your hard work has flourished. You are a wonderful and loving community, and I rejoice that you have found an equally wonderful and loving priest to serve with you here at St. Mary Magdalene Church. My joy is multiplied because you have called someone I consider a
dear friend, and I know how excited Fr. David is to be on this journey with you. I look forward to witnessing the great ministry that will surely thrive as you serve together here and reach out to the surrounding communities.
The choice of this feast day to welcome your new rector seems particularly fitting. The “Presentation of the Lord” is often described as the “meeting of old and new” because it marks the moment when Jesus, representing the New Covenant, is brought into the Temple, a symbol of the Old Covenant, signifying the convergence of the old Jewish traditions and the new era of Christ’s teachings and salvation. In a similar way today, you celebrate a fresh start – a new priest to journey with you– desiring to learn your traditions and minister with you – while at the same time bringing new eyes and new ideas. I’m particularly drawn today to the two remarkable figures St. Luke introduces to us in our Gospel – Simeon and Anna. Their lives embody spiritual qualities that I think offer us some valuable guidance in this time of new beginning.
Simeon stands as a testament to deep, unwavering hope that trusts in God’s promises even when fulfillment seems distant. Scripture tells us he was “righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel.” The Holy Spirit had revealed that he would not see death before seeing the Messiah. Day after day, year after year, he came to the Temple, watching and waiting. How many babies had he seen brought in for their presentation? How many worshipers had he observed? How many times had he wondered, “Is this the one?” Yet his hope never wavered, his anticipation never dimmed.
When I first met with your Vestry months ago, there was natural anxiety about finding a new priest – a common experience for every community in transition. Yet through faithful work and hopeful hearts, your Vestry and search committee persevered, and that dedication has paid off. Remember this lesson as parish and priest when future anxieties arise: like Simeon, lean into God’s faithfulness, stay hopeful, and don’t give up.
Anna’s life shows us what deep communion with God looks like – spending decades in the temple, “worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” This wasn’t casual or convenient prayer, but rather a profound, persistent communion that shaped her entire existence. Her prayer life wasn’t merely words spoken, but a constant attentiveness to God’s presence, an ongoing conversation with God that heightened her sensitivity to God’s movement in the world.
I encourage you – both parish and priest to be deeply rooted in prayer. Pray for each other daily. Pray for your shared ministries. Pray that God will help you reach beyond these walls and draw others in through your prayer and mutual love. Let faithfulness in prayer be the foundation of your ministry together.
Upon recognizing the Christ child, neither Simeon nor Anna could remain silent. Simeon burst into prophetic song – the Nunc Dimittis we still sing today – while Anna praised God and spoke about Jesus to all who sought Jerusalem’s redemption. Their encounters with Christ compelled them to witness, to share, to spread the joy of God’s fulfilled promises.
Your parish has already demonstrated a serious commitment to serving others, as evidenced by your involvement with many different ministries. Continue seeking ways to share the Good News of Jesus, staying faithful to our Lord’s call to spread the Gospel through both word and deed.
St. Luke specifically notes that Simeon came to the temple “guided by the Spirit.” Both he and Anna had developed, through years of faithful waiting and constant prayer, an acute awareness of God’s presence and leading. This spiritual sensitivity enabled them to recognize the Messiah in what appeared to be an ordinary family performing an ordinary ritual. In your ministry together, cultivate this same sensitivity to the Spirit’s movement. Let your prayer life inform your communal discernment. Listen attentively for the Spirit’s guidance in this place and in your shared ministry.
Anna and Simeon, these two holy elders exemplify what lifelong dedication to God looks like. Age had neither dimmed their faith nor dulled their spiritual perception. Anna had served God for decades following her early widowhood, while Simeon had waited his entire life for God’s promise to be fulfilled. Their stories remind us that faithfulness isn’t about immediate results but about persistent trust in God’s perfect timing.
Though you are a young parish, you possess considerable wisdom and lived experience. You have a young rector who is an old soul with deep faith. Be patient – but persistent as you grow together. There may be challenges ahead, but keep your focus on God’s calling for this community – to be a place of love, service, and faithfulness. Stay committed to each other and to the Gospel.
As your parish officially welcomes Fr. David today, may you, like Blessed Simeon and Blessed Anna, be faithful witnesses to God’s presence in your midst. Like them, may you be people of prayer and proclamation. Inspired by them, may you recognize and celebrate Christ’s presence among you – not just today, but every day, as you journey forward together in faith and in love. Amen.
