February 2nd, no matter what day it is, is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Candlemas.
The reason for the name Candlemas is that candles are blessed on this day as a prelude to the actual Mass (kind of what the blessing and sprinkling of Holy Water is in the the 1962 Missal.)
Of course, our parish is quite ready for this Sunday. At each and every Sunday Mass including our Saturday Vigil as well as our first of the month Extraordinary Form Mass (and thus the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary) we will pass out candles prior to Mass, then at the time Mass is to begin, everyone's candle will be lighted, all will be instructed to turn toward the entrance of the Church and the priest will bless these candles using the formula in the Roman Missal.
In the EF 2 PM Mass, the candles are at the epistle side of the altar and are blessed in a basket unlighted and then distributed to all.
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2 comments:
It's both a feast of Our Lord and of Our Lady, and since it falls on a Sunday this year more people will experience it. It originated in the East, and the processional antiphon "Adorna thalamum tuum, Sion" is taken from the Greek liturgy. The repetition of the antiphon "Lumen ad revelationem gentium: et gloriam plebis tuae, Israel" after each verse of the Nunc Dimittis (sung during the distribution of candles in the EF, and during the procession in the OF) was more common in first millennium psalmody than later, although it was revived in the 20th century, notably in the Responsorial Psalm.
We shall be singing this, the two antiphons Adorna and Responsum, and the responsory Obtulerunt. Chanting on the move holding a lighted candle in one hand and the Liber in the other without setting fire to anyone takes some skill.
Don't pray for good weather -
"If Candlemas Day is fair and bright
Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain
Winter will not come again".
We are making candles on Thursday, although it is from 10am until TBD, for some reason. I would like to participate because I like making things you can burn but I think my wife will represent the clan this event.
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