A Reflection for Candlemas by Fr. Gareth Ingham
After the storms of the night, the new day dawned pleasantly calm and peaceful. I spent a few minutes picking up fallen twigs from the driveway; my thoughts with those who will have stepped out to fallen trees and worse. Later, I came across an image on Facebook of a children’s trampoline perched high on the roof of a semi-detached house. The power of the wind can be terrifying and awesome, and sometimes even surprising.
The scriptures often describe the Holy Spirit using words like breath or wind. At the dawning of creation in the Book of Genesis we read that,
… the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
And in the Book of Acts it says,
… when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from Heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
There is a well-known prayer that suggests that it is everywhere present and fills all things, perhaps like the air.
This week we will be celebrating the Feast of Candlemas. It’s that wonderful story when the baby Jesus is brought by his parents to the Temple. The rites and rituals are followed according to the Law and the Holy Family offer their sacrifice. They can’t afford a Lamb, so they make the acceptable offering of the poor, “a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons”. It’s as if the full offering of the Lamb will made much later, when Jesus accomplishes his passion on the cross.
It is the Holy Spirit that guides Simeon and Anna into the temple to meet Jesus and his parents. Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.
It is by the grace and love of the Holy Spirit that Anna and Simeon recognise Jesus as the Messiah. It is hopefully through the same gift of Grace, that we to will come to know him more and more each day, as the true Light of the World.
Fr. Gareth Ingham – Priest in Charge
The Benefice of CRIFTINS with DUDLESTON and WELSH FRANKTON
and The Benefice of PETTON with COCKSHUTT, WELSHAMPTON, and LYNEAL with COLEMERE.
Feature Image: Arent de Gelder, Simeon’s Song of Praise, c.1700-1710, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
” O heavenly King, the Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere and fillest all things, the treasury of blessings and giver of life, come and abide with us and cleanse us from all impurity.”