MADISON — On Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. His Excellency Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino will celebrate Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Presentation of the Lord) with a Pontifical Mass at the Throne in the chapel of the Holy Name Heights, 702 S. High Point Rd., Madison.
The music will be Gregorian Chant and polyphonic motets.
There will be the traditional blessing of candles and a procession.
The rites are in the Church’s ancient, traditional form of the Roman Rite in Latin.
Blessed candles will be distributed.
Importance of candles
Candlemas is the final “peak” in the liturgical cycle stretching from Advent and through Christmas and Epiphany.
It is nicknamed “Candlemas”, because of its association with lights and candles.
This common blessing emphasizes that all the altars of the diocese are united.
Blessed candles remind us of our vocation to be a light to the world according to our baptismal character, vocations, and membership in parishes.
These candles, which are sacramentals, can be used at home on special occasions, during sick calls, and when there are storms or times of trial.
Using candles during important times is a wholesome Catholic practice.
Leaving a little candle burning in a Church, as a symbolic sacrifice of your prayers and petitions, is entirely natural.
Candles are symbols of sacrifice. They are like living things.
They eat and drink the wax from honey bees: sacrifice can be sweet, not just bitter.
Candles breathe our air. They move in their flames as they flicker. They communicate to our eyes in beautiful light. They dispel darkness by their illumination, as we should.
In all our liturgical rites, candles burn and are consumed for Lord’s service.
So should we burn and be consumed. They burn out at the end of their span. So do we.
Holy Church gives us candles so that we will use them.
Ideally, all the faithful in the congregation ought to have candles at every Mass.
Now, however, the “torchbearers” fulfill this role for the congregation.
The next time you see the candles come in during the procession, remember: that’s you up there.
We the baptized are called to be a light to the world.
Faithful invited to bring candles
We invite all the faithful and representatives of parishes of the diocese to bring candles to the Bishop O’Donnell Memorial Holy Name Chapel at Holy Name Heights to receive Bishop Morlino’s special blessing.
What is a Pontifical Mass at the Throne? See the Catholic Herald exclusive explanatory series: www.madisoncatholicherald.org/whatsthatallabout/list
The Mass is sponsored by the Tridentine Mass Society of the Diocese of Madison. For more information, go to www.latinmassmadison.org