Last week, on 2nd February we celebrated the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Taking place forty days after Christmas Day, this feast is otherwise known as 'Candlemas', marking the closing of the lights and the end of the Christmas season. In some countries the Christmas crib and tree are not taken down until this date.
The gospel for this feast proclaims the words of Simeon that the infant Jesus will be “a revealing light to the Gentiles, the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:32).
By the 7th century this feast was celebrated in Rome with the addition of a candlelight procession, a substitute for a pagan torch procession around the city walls. The title Candlemas (“Candle Mass”) was used because candles were blessed before Mass and the procession.
At Ampleforth Abbey we still mark this date each year with the blessing of candles during the procession into Mass.
To read Fr Abbot's Homily given on this day, download the text from the Downloads section below.