Candlemas & Education Sunday 1st February 2015

Today we combine the Feast of the Presention with Education Sunday.

As Mary and Joseph presented their Child to God so we present the 130 children of our School to him and seek a blessing on our stewardship.

It is occasion to reflect upon the work of education.

The Gospel of the Presentation ends with the statement in Luke 2.40 that the child Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Education is linked to growth in mind, body and spirit.

Our children probably get less of a balance here than they did in past generations. Time given for physical exercise and Christian formation is lost to mental training and with some good effect. We have reason to be proud of our school with its record for academic excellence.

Today's full liturgy involves the procession of candles during the singing of the canticle Nunc Dimittis in today's Gospel which speaks of the Light to lighten the Gentiles.

Education is similarly about illumination. My alma mater, Oxford University, has as its motto Dominus illuminatio mea. Words from the 27th Psalm The Lord is my light.

In Christianity the pursuit of truth is seen as inseparable from Truth's quest of us so that as we seek truth the pathway finds illumination.

Our own growth with Our Lord in wisdom is a lifelong process that will end with the Beatific Vision 'the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ' (2 Corinthians).

The children in our school have unprecedented access to human knowledge through the great library of the Internet. One of the ongoing works at our school is to develop the IT department with this in mind.

We seek increased wisdom for our children and increased knowledge can be of service. Indeed education requires a solid acquirement of knowledge.  The wise prioritising of such knowledge is at the heart of a good education. Some say the Internet is causing a loss of basic wisdom and that is probably true of some users even if for others it provides access to education unknown in past ages.

As we present the work of our school to the Lord at this morning's eucharist we might for discernment that builds wisdom out of knowledge. Recognising that education is of mind, body and spirit we would seek for our children the best challenges to stretch them in all three areas  - mental, physical and spiritual.

For ourselves too this morning we could reflect on our own ongoing formation and the things we allow to influence our thinking and to serve our physical and spiritual well being.

What use is a daily paper or news feed? What use do I put it to? How often do I reflect upon it or pray about it?

What books, radio series, TV programmes or web resources might build wisdom? For us, unlike children in school, there is choice, but to be educated we need to be decided about the issues we pursue that will touch body, mind and spirit for good. Unlike children we have no class to interact with educationally unless again we choose to interact with others.

This morning we celebrate the Lord's Presentation in the Temple. The liturgy of the day encourages us to present our whole life - body, mind and spirit - in union with him seeking in exchange divine illumination.

The holy eucharist is such an offering. In it Jesus continues to be offered in the Temple of his Church and we, our needs and those of our School, with Him.

In it this morning may we find something of Simeon's 'light to lighten the Gentiles', 'the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ' (2 Corinthians).