The Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2, forty days after the birth of Jesus, the day that divine light began to shine in the darkness of a very dark world — hence the blessing of candles. Candles are symbolic of the incarnate Christ, the Light. The candles serve as a symbol of Jesus being a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel,” as foretold by Simeon.
“The beeswax is a symbol of his pure body, the wick his soul and the flame his divinity.”
“Simeon and Anna cherished the hope proclaimed by the prophets, even though it is slow to be fulfilled and grows silently amid the infidelities and ruins of our world. They did not complain about how wrong things are, but patiently looked for the light shining in the darkness of history.
In this way, may our eyes, too, see the light of salvation and bring that light to the whole world.” ~Pope Francis~
Today, Candlemas continues to be a day of purification, renewal, and hope.
In observance of this feast, please bring your own candle that you will use at your own homes. We will have a special candle blessing before the Mass.