The festival of Candlemas took place this past week, on Wednesday, February 2nd.

You would be forgiven for not being aware of this ancient Christian celebration, however, as it has not been retained as a major holy day in every denomination and place. 

Candlemas was the original end of the Christmas season – the 40th day of the season, just like Lent. It is the day when the story of the infant Jesus being presented in the temple is remembered, when the Holy Family encounters the prophetic words of Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:22-40). Feel free to go re-read if you are foggy on the details! It is a beautiful story. Candlemas was also the time when Christians would bring in their candles for the year to be blessed.

Candles are special things. They are firstly incredibly practical, perhaps a little less these days, but their initial use was functional, providing light and warmth. However, they have taken on so much meaning in our culture – a sign of hope, comfort and calm; a blessing; a prayer. 

As Candlemas fell on a Wednesday this year, we marked it in our St. Bernard’s gathering last week. Therefore, part of our gathering included blessing some candles. These were both for our own community, but also for us to share with others, who might be able to use a blessing of warmth and light.

I invite you this week to light a candle in prayer, remembering the maker of light, the one who said “I am the light of the world,” the one who alighted on the apostles’ heads like tongues of fire, and offer a prayer, a blessing, for someone who could use a little blessing right now. 

Share the warmth, share the light, share the blessing. 

Thanks be to God!


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