By the time you read this our Christmas celebrations will probably seem a long time ago, especially as the shops have been selling Cadbury’s creme eggs for weeks already!

The beginning of February marks the feast of Candlemas, celebrated in England since the 8th century. It commemorates the visit of Mary and Joseph to the temple with the baby Jesus. They were greeted there by the elderly Simeon and Anna, who blessed the child, and spoke both of the light he would bring to the world, and also of the suffering through which that light would come.

The name Candlemas refers to the custom, first recorded in Anglo-Saxon times, of people carrying candles into the church to be blessed, and then carrying them out to light their homes during the year. We will be doing the same at our service at All Saints, Shelve on February 2nd.

Candlemas falls halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The days are getting longer, the light is getting stronger, and the spring flowers are starting to appear in the hedgerows. In our part of the world at least, this moment of turning from winter towards spring mirrors the story of Simeon and Anna, with its contrasts between old age and youth, between birth and death, and between darkness and light.

At Candlemas, even as we prepare to welcome the light of spring, we hear the promise that our salvation will come through the suffering of Jesus, and we turn from the crib towards the cross. Lent will soon be here. But the darkness is not yet defeated, and we carry our candles to light our way.

Candlemas reminds us that Christ is with us, and his light will shine for us, whatever our circumstances, and whatever 2025 brings. The light has come that all the world might know his truth, justice and compassion. As we nurture that light in ourselves, drawing closer to God through worship, prayer and service, we will be able to share it too. We receive the light to carry it to others, whether that’s our neighbours and family, or those others we encounter, often fleetingly, in our daily lives.

I will end with some words of a hymn. You might like to use these as your prayer this month:

Longing for light, we wait in darkness. Longing for truth, we turn to you.

Your Word made flesh, hope of the nations,
Light for the world to see!

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts, shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.