The seminary community celebrated the ancient Feast of the Presentation of the Lord known also as Candlemas on February 2. The liturgical rites provide the option of blessing candles and then having a candle light procession. The community gathered at our Woman at the Well Fountain for the blessing of candles and then proceeded to the Immaculate Conception Chapel for the celebration of Mass. The rector addressed the community about the ancient development of this feast and how the rituals, sign, and symbols, speak today about the Church’s mission to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of sin, evil, and the brokenness of the human condition. Pope Francis’ encyclical “Lumen Fidei” speaks of Christians who go into the darkness of others to be living lights of Jesus – showing the world the way to God’s Kingdom. Father Wehner reflected on the virtues of obedience, purity, and sacrifice reflected in the faith of Simeon and Anna, and Saint Joseph and Our Lady. The psalm for Mass acclaims, “Who is this King of Glory? It is the Lord.” How is the King of Glory the Lord of our vocations, familiies, communities, and the seminary? This was the thrust of Father Wehner’s conclusion to the homily.
