This week’s ‘inter-generational potluck’ was really lovely. A bit different from some in the past, more reflective, more liturgical, perhaps more purpose-full.

We celebrated the Feast of Candlemas, or the presentation of the baby Jesus in the temple. I learned this year something I had not realized before. This feast of light in the darkness (which ‘coincidentally’ falls on Ground Hog’s day) is a mid-point between the solstice and the equinox, just like our feasts of All Hallow’s (Halloween), All Saints and All Souls.

In his daily reflection that I receive Richard Rohr, a Roman Catholic Franciscan priest writes about this feast:

February 2 – CANDLEMAS DAY
The “Thin Time” between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox

Question of the Day: How can I go deeper with the simple daily tasks of this day?

Today is one of those ancient “pagan” memorials that morphed into a Christian feast of blessing and lighting candles-and even into America’s “groundhog day.” But both were pointing to the mythic “shadow” times of life, threshold space if you will, where God and mystery could be grasped in the interplay and interface between darkness and light (November 1-2 was the other “thin time,” which became All Saints Day and All Souls Day). These are the “shadowlands” where we discover Mystery and ourselves.

Don’t believe people who say we did not build on our pagan roots and traditions. The foundations were already there, as the Holy Spirit has been guiding humanity since our very beginnings. As (Roman) Catholic theology insisted, “grace builds on nature” and probably can only build on nature, and human nature is always “shadowy,” a mixed blessing.

Let’s use this “thin time” to rediscover and accept our deepest nature. For remember, nothing is secular or pagan unless it is superficial. To go to the depths of anything is to discover the sacred, and the holy.

~ Fr. Richard Rohr, February 2, 2010

For those of you who might want to read more of Richard’s writing, you can subscribe to his daily thoughts (that this was a part of) at www.radicalgrace.org. Isn’t that a fabulous name for a website!?

At the end of the blessing of the hundred or so candles that we will use at Holy Innocents during the year, we also learned about the feast of St. Blaise, a martyr and bishop of the 4th Century, who is the patron saint of throats. We each passed a blessing of the throats to the person next to us, holdling (unlit) candles at their throats praying for them to be given a voice for justice.

I have to say that I’ve never seen Davey happier. It’s only taken him 10 years to get a service for Blaise and the blessing of the throats done at Holy Innocents. If you just keep asking ….

At the end of the blessing of the candles and the blessings of the throat Joyce and her daughter Ari taught everyone how to MAKE candles. Many decorated them and some are saving them to use as their candles to light their way at the Easter Vigil on April 3. But more that that, and the pascal candle, and our movement into the darkness of Lent next week.

Peace,
Rosa Lee+