Twelve days at Christmas

This will be my project over the Christmas period. One nativity figure every day.

Day 1:

"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

 

Day 2:

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Day 3:

 “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.”

Day 4:

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.

Day 5:

“Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people”

Day 6:

“Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

 Day 7:

So they went with haste ...

Day 8:

… and found ...










Day 9:

 ... Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.

Day 10:

Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”

Day 11:

And there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.

Day 12:

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

The last day of Christmas:

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.

Thank you to all of you who have walked the Christmas journey with me.

Candlemas

Today, the second of February is the Feast of Candlemas in the Christian calendar. It officially marks the end of Christmas.

Candlemas commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of her son Jesus. This day also marks the ritual presentation of the baby Jesus to God in the Temple at Jerusalem.
Ritual purification stems back to a Jewish tradition that women were considered unclean after the birth of a child. For 40 days for a boy, and 60 days for a girl, women weren't allowed to worship in the temple. At the end of this time, women were brought to the Temple or Synagogue to be purified. After the ceremony women were allowed to take part in religious services again.

The festival is called Candlemas because this was the day that all the Church's candles for the year were blessed.

“Simeon Holding Jesus at the Temple” by Greg Olsen

In the temple, Mary, Joseph and Jesus encountered Simeon. The Gospel records that Simeon had been promised that "he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ".

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’ 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

 ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, 

according to your word; 

for my 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.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ 

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:22-38)

 Here is a picture I found of Anna the prophetess. She sounds like a great character, and somebody wroth finding out more about ...