by Demi Prentiss

The Feast of the Presentation, Feb. 2, commemorates Jesus’s being presented in the temple to be circumcised and dedicated to God, as was customary for first-born sons in first-century Judaism. The Gospel story of that event features Simeon and the prophet Anna, who proclaim the child’s role in Israel’s salvation. (Luke 2:22-40) The feast day, midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, is marked as Imbolc in the Gaelic calendar, and celebrates the returning of the sun that brings new energy, inspiration, and creative forces. It’s known as Saint Brigid’s Day, and honors both the Christian saint and the pagan goddess.

It’s taken by some as a “turning” toward the light of the Resurrection cycle:  Lent, Easter, and Pentecost.

Especially for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, all these shifts point toward new life and generativity, and toward the possibility of change that is enacted in our identity and way of being.

In the days ahead, as we move from the Feast of the Presentation toward Ash Wednesday, Br. Luke Ditewig, SSJE, offers wisdom for our journey toward the “turning” that Lent calls for – the metanoia urged by Christ that we sometimes call a ”change of heart”:

Change — What is changing in yourself that is hard to accept? By God’s invitation and grace, who are you becoming? Change may present a crisis, might be confusing or painful. Listen for God amid it all. Following Jesus means ongoing radical change which God enables: extending further, embracing wider, becoming more.      – Bruce Ditewig, SSJE

Extending. Embracing. Becoming. May Lent inspire us to partner with such God-enabled change that we may come to Holy Week with truly changed hearts.