February: Month of the Holy Family

The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph. Unlike other months, where devotion assigned to a particular month is usually commemorated with a feast during that same month, the feast of the Holy Family is in the end of December.

Feast of the Holy Family

Originally, the Feast of the Holy Family had been celebrated regionally starting in the 17th century and had been promoted by Pope Leo XIII at that level. In 1921, Pope Benedict XV inserted the feast into the General Roman Calendar on the Sunday of Epiphanytide, between Epiphany (January 6) and the Baptism of Our Lord (January 13). This was appropriate because just like those two events of Our Lord’s life, the Presentation was also a manifestation of His status as both Messiah and God. In the liturgical reforms of Pope St. Paul VI, the Feast of the Holy Family was moved to the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, between Christmas (December 25) and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1).

So why, then, does the Church assign the devotion to the Holy Family to February? Was it just because December and January were already assigned to the Immaculate Conception and the Holy Name of Jesus, respectively? Perhaps, it is because the month of February contains an important feast that highlights the Holy Family in many ways.

Candlemas

The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord is on February 2, 40 days after Christmas. In this secular day and age it is hard to enough to convince people to continue to celebrate Christmas all the way to Epiphany, much less to the feast of Our Lord’s Baptism, which is the actual official end of the Christmas season in the New Calendar. However, on the Old Calendar, Christmas actually lasted 40 days (just like Lent) and ended on February 2. This feast came to be known as Candlemas, because of the tradition of blessing candles, and then carrying them in procession, on this day. This tradition connects to the words of Simeon in the canticle Nunc Dimittis and the Gospel for the Presentation, in which he refers to Our Lord as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” (Luke 2:32)

Purification to Presentation

Of course, the focus of the feast is on Christ. However, until 1969, the feast was called the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Latin Rite. As reported by Phillip Campbell in his magisterial work The Feasts of Christendom, “The feast first appears in the west in the Gelasian Sacramentary under the title “Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary… It should also be noted that while the east observed the presentation as a feast of the Lord, the west celebrated it as a feast of the Blessed Virgin —although even in the west the Invitatory, antiphons, and responsories recalled the Christological origin of the feast.” (p.78)

Still, there is an undeniable Marian aspect to the Feast. After delivering his canticle of praise, Simeon addresses Our Lady, telling her that “you yourself a sword shall pierce” (Luke 2:35). From this is derived the image of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, pierced by a sword. This is also considered the first of Our Lady’s Seven Sorrows.

What About St. Joseph?

In his book, Consecration to St. Joseph Fr. Donald Calloway writes,

On what was supposed to be a joyful occasion, St. Joseph learned that his wife’s Heart would be pierced and his Son was destined to be a sign of contradiction…Simeon’s words were spoken to Mary, but St. Joseph heard them. When St. Joseph heard Simeon announce to Mary that Jesus would be a cause of division, and that Mary’s heart would be pierced by a sword, the prophetic words penetrated the loving heart of St. Joseph, causing him unspeakable sorrow. It was a sorrow that he would carry in his heart and soul for the rest of his life.

What man wants to hear that his wife and are going to suffer ridicule and hatred? What husband would not experience tortures of the heart knowing that his wife is going to be pierced by a sword? Scripture tells us that Mary pondered the words of Simeon in her Heart (see Lk 2:19). Saint Joseph had to have pondered Simeon’s words in his heart as well. No man could walk away undisturbed after hearting such shocking statements about his wife and son. The hearts of a husband and wife are one. What is of concern to one is of concern to the other. For decades, St. Joseph carried the sorrowful prophecy of Simeon in his heart.” (pg. 162-3)

Fr. Calloway concludes that since the words of Simeon were addressed only to Our Lady, that St. Joseph must have understood that he would die before their fulfillment.

Simeon’s prophecy had been addressed to Mary alone. Saint Joseph knew why, and the knowledge caused him even greater suffering. Saint Joseph understood that Simeon’s prophecy meant that when the time came for Mary’s Heart to be pierced, she would be without St. Joseph…In light of Simeon’s prophecy, he must have spent his marriage lovingly consoling Mary and preparing her for the hours when she would suffer unparalleled sorrow and agony—her spiritual birth-pangs…

The sword that was going to pierce Mary’s Heart on Calvary needed to pierce the heart of St. Joseph as well, but in a different way. He would not be at Calvary, but the sword needed to pierce his paternal heart since it is fitting that the re-birth of mankind would involve both a mother and a father. (p.163-4)

Thus, Candlemas, the feast of Our Lord’s Presentation and His Blessed Mother’s Purification is a most appropriate time to celebrate and honor His foster-father and her most chaste spouse: St. Joseph.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, obedient unto his parents, have mercy on us.

Our Lady and St. Joseph, parents of Our Lord, orate pro nobis!