Worship Opportunities
Candlemas (Feb. 2)
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
From time to time, we offer special opportunities for all to experience the Glory of God through worship other than our Sunday services. St. Albans has established a tradition of offering worship at Candlemas (the feast day commemorating the Presentation of Christ in the Temple) and at the Feast of All Saints.
The Feast of the Presentation, often called Candlemas, is always celebrated on February 2 (also secularly known as Groundhog Day) and commemorates the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the presentation of Christ in the temple, which took place 40 days after his birth as Jewish law required. According to Mosaic Law, a mother who had given birth to a boy was considered unclean for seven days. Also, she was to remain 33 days "in the blood of her purification." Luke tells us, quoting Exodus 13:2-12, that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem because every firstborn child was to be dedicated to the Lord. They also went to sacrifice a pair of doves or two young pigeons, showing that Mary and Joseph were poor. Once in the temple, Jesus was purified by the prayer of Simeon, in the presence of Anna the prophetess.
Simeon, upon seeing the Messiah, gave thanks to the Lord, singing a hymn now called the Nunc Dimittis: Lord, now let your servant depart in peace. Egeria (a woman who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land), writing about the year AD 380, attests to a feast of the Presentation in the Jerusalem Church. It was kept on February 14th. The day was kept by a procession to the Constantinian basilica of the Resurrection, with a homily on Luke 2:22-39. However, the feast had no proper name at this point; it was simply called the 40th day after Epiphany. (The Jerusalem church celebrated Jesus' birth on the Epiphany Feast, as is common in some Eastern Churches today). In regions where Christ's birth was celebrated on December 25th, the feast began to be celebrated on February 2nd, where it is kept in the West today. In 542, the Emperor Justinian introduced the feast to the entire Eastern Roman empire in thanksgiving for the end to a great pestilence afflicting the city of Constantinople. Perhaps this is when Pope Gregory I brought the feast to Rome. Either way, Pope Sergius (687-701) introduced the procession to the Candlemas service. The blessing of candles did not come into common use until the 11th century.
Our music includes both plainsong chant as well as special anthems and provides us an opportunity to experience a living connection with the historic Church. We have enjoyed sharing this event with friends from area church choirs and the members of their church families. Candlemas Day was also the day when some cultures predicted weather patterns. Farmers believed that the remainder of winter would be the opposite of whatever the weather was like on Candlemas Day. An old English song goes:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,
Go winter, and come not again.
(An Icon of the Presentation)
A second tradition established at St. Albans is a celebration of All Saints with the presentation of special worship and music selected for the Feast of All Saints. These special services have included the presentation of a Requiem Mass and music for All Saints/All Souls; Evensong; and a service of “Lessons and Carols for the Eve of All Saints.” Our All Saints celebration has given us the special opportunity to join forces with other area choirs and have featured ensembles of strings and harp, as well as brass and tympani in chorus with the organ and singers.
In all the music presented at St. Albans, we make our offering to the Glory of God in the hope that all present will experience the presence of the Holy Spirit in their worship with us.