Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

Purification of the Blessed Mother

Candlemas

Beloved, there is a beautiful homily for this glorious feast (actually three feasts in one) on the website of Rorate Caeli given last year at the beautiful Abbey of Our Lady of Fontgombault in France by the Right Reverend Dom Jean Pateau: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2019/02/fontgombault-sermon-for-candlemas-2019.html.

Tonight, at the Priory of the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope, as we prayed Vespers for this most special feast, I was struck by the exquisite beauty of the Verse, Magnificat Antiphon, and Collect. I’ve copied them for you below:

♦ Verse: It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit. R. That he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

♦ Magnificat Antiphon: An aged man carried a Child, but the Child guided the aged man. The Virgin who had given birth to Him remained a virgin after childbearing; Him Whom she bore she adored.

♦ Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, we humbly beseech Thy majesty, that as Thine only-begotten son was this day presented in the temple in the substance of our flesh, so too Thou wouldst grant us to be presented unto Thee with purified souls. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.