Candlemas Day

Today is Candlemas, the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

An illumination depicting the Presentation of Christ in the Temple,
in a manuscript used by the Carmelite Friars in London c.1375
  
From the Reconstructed Carmelite Missal now in the British Library

Image:carmelite.org

There is a fine selection of other depictions of the Presentation in the Temple dating from the about the year 1000 until the end of the fifteenth century here.

As I have written before Candlemas has long been one of my favourite feasts of the Church year, and it was delight to find when I came to Oriel that it is the College feast. It is an occasion rich in symbolism and imagery, a link between the two greatest seasons of the Church's year at Christmas and Easter.

Looking back I see that since I started blogging I have posted quite a few pieces about Candlemas, and these posts can be viewed, in chronological order, at Candlemas, St Sophronius on Candlemas, Candlemas liturgy, Candlemas images, Candlemas, St Anselm on Candlemas, A personal reflection on Candlemas, Newman on Candlemas, The development of the Candlemas liturgy and Candlemas. Despite the similarity in their titles they do cover arange of ideas and images.

A happy and joyful Candlemas to you all.