Today's beautiful feast reminds us of the time when Mary and Joseph brought their first-born Son, as was the custom of the Jews, to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. This was a custom extended not only to people but also to animals and the first-fruits of the crops. The significance was that all life is a gift of God and goes back to him. Jesus, the Son of God and Mary, is offered to the Father in solidarity with all of us. As the Second Reading reminds us: "It was essential that he shouldˇK become completely like his brothers... and atone for human sins." This is also indicated by the words of Simeon that the Child will be a Light to the nations and the price of that atonement is contained in the words to Mary: "A sword will pierce your own soul, too." Another name for this feast is Candlemas because the emphasis is on light and we bless candles on this day. It is a call for all of us to carry the light of the Gospel to the world around us and to identify with self-giving love of Jesus for our brothers and sisters. "You are a light for the world."