The Glow of Candlemas
by Joseph Malzone - Adapted from Christopher Carstens | 02/01/2025 | Liturgy and Worship ReflectionsEach year on February 2nd is the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, also known as Candlemas. The shortest and darkest day of the year in the northern hemisphere is the winter solstice, usually around December 21. From that day on, the daylight grows until matching the darkness and night at the spring equinox, roughly around March 21. The midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox revolves around—you guessed it—February 2.
Even before Christ’s coming and long after his ascension, nature knew of him—indeed, the sun, moon, stars, and earth announce his mystery in concert, as it were. Today’s liturgical calendar thus incorporates not only the historical facts of Christ’s life—such as his incarnation in the womb of Mary, his birth in Bethlehem, his presentation in the Temple, and his Paschal Mystery—but also elements of God’s own creation.
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Tantum Ergo
by Fr. Gabriel Terrill | 02/01/2025 | Weekly ReflectionDear friends,
This past Tuesday, we celebrated the memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, one of the most influential and well-known doctors of the Church. A medieval scholar and Dominican priest, Aquinas is known for many titles, such as the Angelic Doctor, the Dumb Ox, and the Universal Doctor. He is most well known for his compendium of theological teachings known as the Summa Theologica, which can be translated from Latin as the Summary of all Theology. This, along with Aquinas’ other works and prayers, make up a treasure trove of writings that have served as building blocks in defining and understanding Church Dogma, the core teachings of the Catholic faith.
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