Today, February 2, we celebrate the Solemnity of Candlemas. Candlemas sounds like Christmas. Among the Carmelites, Christmas songs are sung once again on this day. This is an extended celebration of Christmas.
What is Candlemas? It is the day when we celebrate the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It is forty days after the birth of Jesus. In Jewish tradition, it is the day of purification for the mother who gave birth to a child. I see this as similar to our practice of baptizing babies. It is really good to consecrate both the mother and child and present them to the Lord. A mother and child will not be complete without the father and so it is best to consecrate the whole family.
Why do we light candles on this day and walk in procession holding lighted candles? For Christians, Jesus is the light of the world. A lighted candle is a symbol of Jesus. We walk in procession with lighted candles because we want to walk this journey of life with the light of Christ.
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