Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

January 31, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 02 February, 02 February Saints, Candlemas, Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Tis the festival on which the Church venerates the humility and obedience of Mary who, though not subject to the law of Moses, which required purification and presentation in the temple, yet subjected herself to it. From this comes the name Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. It is also called Candlemas, because before Mass on this day the candles used in divine service are blessed and carried in procession. ~ The Church Year

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It has been forty days, we are gearing up to officially wrap up Christmastide. Feb 2, the Feast of the Purification, is the end of the Christmas Season in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. We will be removing the Christmas tree, nativities, Christmas cards, Christmas books, etc… We will attend Mass and observe a day of Marian simplicity.

We will work as a family in the home and yard. All technology use will be limited. We will set a structure for the day, centered around prayer. Our day and prayer will culminate with a Solemn Mass.

JOYfilledfamily’s Daily Life – 2.2.12

Lauds*/Morning Offering
Angelus
Terce
Angelus
Divine Mercy Chaplet
Angelus
Examen
Rosary
Candle Blessing, Candlemas Procession and Solemn Mass

*Dad & Mom prayer time

O Blessed Mother of God, who went up to the Temple according to the law with your offering of little white doves, pray for me that I too may keep the law and be pure in heart like you.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

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Resources:

Introduction of the Feast of the Purification ~ Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine,
The Church’s Year
Candlemas ~ Fr. Z
Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ Breviary.net
Feast of the Purification (Candlemas) ~ Fish Eaters
Gregorian Chant Propers for Candlemas
Purification Novena ~ Catholic Culture
Candlemas Candle Craft ~ JOYfilledfamily
Purification Coloring Page ~ St John the Baptist Catholic Church
A Day of Purification, Renewal and Hope ~ JOYfilledfamily 2011
Candlemas Treats ~ Catholic Cuisine
Additional Candles Mass Resources & Links ~ Sanctus Simplicitus

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Heavenly Father! look down from Thy throne of mercy upon the face of Thy Anointed in whom Thou art well pleased. Behold, He is this day offered to Thee in the temple for the sins of His brethren. Let this offering please Thee, and move Thee to have compassion on us sinners. In consideration of His humility and obedience, forgive us our pride and disobedience, and grant us, that purified by His blood, we may one day, having like Simeon departed this life in peace, behold Thee as the eternal Light which shall never be extinguished in the temple of Thy glory, be presented to Thee by Mary, our beloved Mother, and love and praise Thee forever. Amen.

Candlemas Candles

February 3, 2011 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Candlemas, Crafts, Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

I hadn’t planned a craft for any of the feast days this week since I’m prepping for my next Little Flowers meeting. I was delighted to find Tiffany’s ~ Family at the Foot of the Cross post on the Presentation of the Lord. She shared a simple and inexpensive craft, Crafty Paper Candles.

I couldn’t pass it up. I had everything on hand.

Tiffany gives a complete tutorial and prayer. Check it out here.

Candlemas Candles

apply glue to the tp roll.

adhere the paper towel to the glued tp roll. tuck in the top and bottom edges.

cut your picture decal. we used images from printed images and old catalogs.

glue the image to the candle.

create the flame.

layer a red, yellow and orange piece of paper. cut out a flame from the layered papers. cut out the middle of the red flame. cut out the middle of the orange flame.

glue the layers together.

glue the flame to a popsicle stick (wick). fold back the edges and glue and on the reverse side of the popsicle stick. (I used a hot glue gun for a quick set)

crumble a half sheet of paper towel.

snip the center of the paper towel.

insert the popsicle stick w/ flame into the paper towel.

insert the paper towel and popsicle stick w/flame into the tp roll.

let dry.

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papi’s bedroom altar

the children placed their candles on their bedroom altars.

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O Lord Jesus Christ, the true Light who enlightenest every man that cometh into this world: pour forth Thy blessing † upon these candles, and sanctify † them with the light of Thy grace, and mercifully grant, that as these lights enkindled with visible fire dispel the darkness of night, so our hearts illumined by invisible fire, that is, by the splendor of the Holy Spirit, may be free from the blindness of all vice, that the eye of our mind being cleansed, we may be able to discern what is pleasing to Thee and profitable to our salvation; so that after the perilous darkness of this life we may deserve to attain to neverfailing light: through Thee, O Christ Jesus, Savior of the world, who in the perfect Trinity, livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.

A Day of Purification,Renewal, and Hope

February 2, 2011 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 02 February Saints, Candlemas, Chruching of Women, Marian, Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Candlemas) The Feast of Candlemas, which derives its origin from the local observance of Jerusalem, marks the end of the Feasts included in the Christmas cycle of the liturgy. It is perhaps the most ancient festival of Our Lady. It commemorates, however, not only the obedience of the Blessed Virgin to the Mosaic Law in going to Jersualem forty days after the birth of her Child and making the accustomed offerings, but also the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, and the meeting of the Infant Jesus with the old man Simeon — the Occursus Domini, as the Feast was originally termed. This is the principal theme of the liturgy on this day: Jesus is taken into the Temple "to present Him to the Lord." So the Lord comes to His own Temple, and is met by the aged Simeon with joy and recognition.
The procession on this day is one of the most picturesque features of the Western liturgy. The blessing and distribution of candles, to be carried lighted in procession, preceded the Mass today — a symbolic presentation of the truth proclaimed in the Canticle of Simeon: Our Lord is the "Light for the revelation of the Gentiles." The anthems sung during this procession, eastern in origin, well express the joy and gladness of this happy festival, and the honor and praise we give to our Blessed Lady and her Divine Son by this devout observance.

Lumen ad revelationem gentium: et gloriam plebis tuae Israel.
A light for the revelation of the Gentiles: and for the glory of Thy people Israel.

Today we are celebrating the Purification of The Blessed Virgin Mary – Candlemas(Extraordinary form). We are reflecting on the day of purification, renewal, and hope.

Today is the end of the Christmas season in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. We will be taking down our Christmas Tree and Nativities.

We were blessed to be able to attend morning Mass at a local Novus Ordo parish, as a family but are sad that we will not be able to attend the evening High Mass (in the Extraordinary Form) at our Parish. I posted a video below of a Candlemas Procession. It is a beautiful tradition (that we will miss today).

Anthem sung During the Procession

Adorn thy bridal-chamber, O Sion, and welcome Christ the King: with loving embrace greet Mary who is the very gate of heaven; for she bringeth to thee the glorious King of the new light: remaining ever a Virgin yet she bearest in her arms the Son begotten before the day-star: even the Child, whom Simeon taking into his arms, declared to the peoples to be the Lord of life and death, and the Savior of the world.

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On this day, I’m are also giving special thanks for the blessed custom of Churching of Women.

Churching of Women is imitative of the day, which we commemorate on 2 February (Candlemas), that Mary underwent her "purification” (ceremonially speaking and in obedience to the Old Law) and presented her Son in the Temple to Simeon. ~ Fisheaters

June 4, 2010

Churching of Women Ritual ~ Baptism of Dragonfly

Churching of Women:

Churching is the woman’s way of giving thanksgiving to God for the birth of her child, and predisposes her, through the priestly blessing that is a part of the ritual, to receive the graces necessary to raise her child in a manner pleasing to God.

The Ritual

The woman will make arrangements with her priest (ideally, the priest should know the women of his parish and make the offer to her).

At the appointed time, she will kneel in the Narthex, holding a lighted candle. The priest, wearing a white stole, will bless her with holy water, and say:

V. Our help is in the Name of the Lord.
R. Who made Heaven and Earth.

ANT. She shall receive.

Psalm 23 ¹

The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and all they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in His holy place? The innocent in hands and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior. This is the generation of them that seek Him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of glory shall enter in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord Who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of glory shall enter in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Glory be to the Father.

ANT. She shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God her Savior: for this is the generation of them that seek the Lord.

The priest places the end of his stole in the woman’s hand and leads her into the church while saying:

Enter into the temple of God, adore the Son of the blessed Virgin Mary, who gave you fruitfullness of offspring.

Outside the sanctuary, the mother kneels before the Altar and prays, thanking God for her child.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. (Now the Our Father is said silently)

V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil.
V. Save your handmaid, Lord.
R. Who hopes in Thee, my God.
V. Send her help, Lord, from the sanctuary.
R. And defend her out of Sion.
V. Let not the enemy prevail against her.
R. Nor the son of iniquity approach to hurt her.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to Thee.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. Let us pray.

Almighty, everlasting God, through the delivery of the blessed Virgin Mary, Thou hast turned into joy the pains of the faithful in childbirth; look mercifully upon this Thy handmaid, coming in gladness to Thy temple to offer up her thanks: and grant that after this life, by the merits and intercession of the same blessed Mary, she may merit to arrive, together with her offspring, at the joys of everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

The priest sprinkles the mother with holy water in the shape of a Cross.

The peace and blessing of God almighty, the Father + and the Son and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever.

R. Amen.

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