Next Monday is a day known as Candlemas. In the Christian calendar, Candlemas falls forty days after Christmas (Feb. 2) and remembers the story of Mary and Joseph in Luke’s gospel presenting Jesus as a baby in the Jerusalem temple for the first time.
Candlemas marks the end of something, and also the beginning of something. It is the end of one journey of light that began at Advent and brought us through Christmas and Epiphany. But it is also marks a time of year with longer, brighter days. In this transition time, it is traditional for candles to be blessed for the year ahead.
The words of blessing for candles often go something like this:
“O eternal God, who has created all things; on this day you fulfilled the petitions of Simeon — we humbly ask you to bless and sanctify these candles for our use. Hear our prayers and be merciful to us. Amen.“
In worship this Sunday, we’ll bless all the candles that will be used in the church during the year ahead.
I have a favorite candle that was made by members of the L’Arche community in Syracuse, New York where people of various physical and intellectual abilities live together in one community, learning from and supporting one another. For the past decade, I have used it in every worshipping community that I have been a part of — and somehow it never seems to get shorter!
As you can see in this picture, this candle is made of small white and purple cubes that have been melted together into one eight-sided candle. To me, this candle represents the Christ-like truth that in difference there is beauty, and strength. We saw this last week with Jesus and Nicodemus, and we will see this with Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well this coming Sunday. I look forward to exploring it together.
Traveling together,
Sam
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See you at Sunday worship this coming Sunday at 10:00 a.m.