THE
P RTAL
February 2016
Page 19
Candlemas
Fr Julian Green examines the full significance
of this appearance of Jesus, God-made-flesh,
as the fulfilment of the prophecy of Ezekiel
I’m sure
that most of us who have, at one time, lived outside the visible unity
of the Catholic Church, and have discovered its riches later in life, all have a certain
love for the most visible elements of the Church. It is always wonderful to see the city of Rome, and I have
visited many times in many different seasons. Although I first sampled Rome in the height of summer, my
most memorable visits have been in the winter.
The fact that Italians, unlike those of us who inhabit
more northerly climes, love to celebrate the Christmas
season for the full forty days, makes the city more
enchanting than any other place in January. Every
church still has its ‘Bethlehem’ – the word ‘crib’ seems
inadequate to describe the detailed representations of
the whole city – and they remain in place until 2nd
February, the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in
the Temple, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
or call it simply, in the English tradition, Candlemas.
Candlemas holds many associations in my mind.
When I had first become a Catholic, as a student at
St Chad’s College in Durham, one of my cleaners
was a particularly devout lady called Nora. She had a
great devotion to Our Lady and the saints, and had a
particular conviction, handed on to her by her equally
The feast of Candlemas is a wonderful continuation
devout father, that, as she said, “Anything you ask of
of the theme of Epiphany. As the Lord is brought, in
God on a Candlemas day, he will grant you.”
the arms of his Blessed Mother, into the Temple he is
I remember pleading her case to the College recognised instantly by the ‘poor of the Lord’, by Anna
housekeeper to let her out of her duties for an hour and Simeon, who speak prophetically, under the power
on the morning of 2nd February, so that I could of the Holy Spirit, of what this child would become.
accompany her to morning Mass. In the College,
The full significance of this appearance of Jesus,
Candlemas had more of an association with feasting,
as it was the occasion for the annual College Ball. As God-made-flesh, as the fulfilment of the prophecy of
a seminarian, I remember the processions around the Ezekiel, who proclaimed that “the glory of the Lord
cloister corridors of the English College in Valladolid will enter the Temple through the gate facing East”,
was probably still hidden from these seers. Coming
at the start of the Mass for the feast day.
from the East (ex oriente) the rising sun, the new
As a priest, I think of the different celebrations of light of the new day of the New Covenant enters the
the feast. When I was a curate, one young girl had place where God until that time had been worshipped
the element of light impressed particularly upon authentically.
her, as one little boy next to her decided that it
would be fun to see her hair alight, and lit it with his
We now, in the liturgy of the Mass, turn to the East
blessed candle. The following year there was nearly (ad orientem) to expect the Lord to come into the
a conflagration, when the children put little plastic place and time of our daily lives, to bring his light
coated votives in a tray in front of the altar, which which enlightens all men. If we can, each time we
ended up flaring up during the Eucharistic prayer, participate in the liturgy, be expectant for the light
as the coating melted and the wax flowed freely to enter our hearts and minds, then we, like Anna
in the tray. These remain as the most memorable and Simeon, will see his glory revealed, even in the
celebrations of the feast day.
smallness of a little child.
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