Every February 2nd, the Church celebrates a special feast called the “Presentation of the Lord.” It is also referred to as “Candlemass Day" since we bless candles during the Mass. This year February 2nd falls on a Sunday so we celebrate it this weekend even though it’s still the “Ordinary Time” of the Church year. It commemorates that time when Jesus was presented in the Temple 40 days after his birth. This was a Jewish law which allowed for two things: the ritual purification of the mother after childbirth, and the presentation of the first-born son. You’ll hear about it in the Gospel today and will hear why this was done in the homily. When we celebrate this event liturgically, we begin Mass in a unique way. First, all will be given unlit candles when they come in and then we will begin Mass with the priest and ministers near the chapel area of the church. Everyone will then light their candles and the priest will bless the candles that we use for Mass. If you brought unblessed candles to this Mass, you can keep them with you at your pews and they too will be blessed at this time. Then we will have the opening procession and Mass will continue in the usual way without the Penitential Rite (the Lord have mercy). It’s the only other time of the year when the people hold candles except for at the Easter Vigil. It’s a short but beautiful symbol of what we celebrate on this feast: the light of Christ coming into the world.
Along with the altar and vigil candles that are blessed at this time, we also bless the candles used for the blessing of throats on or near the feast of St. Blaise, which is on February 3rd. Deacon Pat & I will use these candles to bless throats at the end of each Mass, as we begin the closing song. Here is the prayer we say as we place the candles around your neck (fun fact: the candles used to be lit but this was stopped since on occasion they would light someone’s hair on fire...Yikes!). “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the +Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
I received word from Sister Gloria Olori that she has been assigned to begin another mission with some of her fellow sisters in the United Kingdom, beginning this Tuesday, February 4th. I remember her coming to my office to introduce herself to me just a few weeks after I arrived here in January of 2014. She has been active in our parish as a Eucharistic Minister, a member of our choir, a tutor and a teacher in our PSR program. She is a member of the Sisters of St. Michael the Archangel from Nigeria and are sad that she must leave us. We will ask God’s blessing on her during our 8am Mass Sunday & I ask you to say a prayer for her now that she may receive God’s many blessings in the years ahead.