Candlemas - Beauty Discovered with the Senses

What a perfect way to start.

St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church

Young Catholic Apostle is all about rediscovering the beauty of Catholicism in the 21st Century, and as a writer, it was so inspiring that this coincided with our church celebrating Candlemas for the first time. A brief history:

Candlemas is another name for the Feast of the Presentation. In the sixth century, Catholics began celebrating the end of the Christmas cycle with processions and blessing candles (hence the name) (source). For those who are wondering why the topic of Christmas is coming up again when it is nearly Valentine’s Day, you’re in for a little trivia.

There are three different time periods when it comes to Christmas: the octave of Christmas (eight days leading up to the epiphany), the Christmas season (Dec. 25th through the baptism), and the Christmas Cycle. It is the cycle ends on Feb. 2nd with the feast of the Presentation. From now on the readings will focus on the life and ministry of Jesus leading up to the passion and resurrection at Easter.

I want to give you a taste, a teaser, of the inspiration and tradition I have just recently discovered. If you can, I encourage you to find a quiet place and try to imagine with me.

The church is somewhat chilly when it’s empty before mass starts. The echoey architecture amplifies the sound of a lighter’s chisk, chisk, over an over as the sacristan lights more candles than I can count. It is dark outside. Seven o’clock in February is as dark as midnight, so the windows seem to be hibernating in their dark stillness. The exception is the increasing number of bright points as the lighter makes its way around the church descending on a number of candles at the base of each impossibly tall window. At those points, some semblance of the colored glass can be seen. What magic there is in the flame of a candle.

Chisk. Another one is lit; so many more to go.

It seems every candle the church possesses is on display either on the high alter next to the tabernacle or in front of the main alter. Their presence adds a new dimension to the carved Last Supper image depicted in detail below the place where “Do this in memory of me” will be repeated in a mater of moments.

It would require an eight-part series of posts for me to address all that happened Wednesday evening. Haydn, orchestra, candle-light warmth, and the ever-present blessing of the Eucharist is more than can fit here.

Do you see what happened? Beauty can be easy to overlook. I walked into an empty, dark church with a million sources of fire hazard. Easy to miss. If you think Catholicism has lost its touch, then I encourage you to visit a church for two seconds and just sit and take in what you experience. It is easiest in an empty church where there is silence and few distractions. It is good training for searching outside. And of course, come join me as I do the same!

All Image Credits: Carla Loucks and Paul Spooner