An Anglican reconstruction of the Sarum liturgy of Candlemas

A few days ago I chanced upon an online video of a reconstruction by Antiquum Documentum of the Mass for Candlemas according to the Use of Sarum.

This was recorded at the church of St Bartholomew the Great Smithfield. The homily from John Mirk’s Festiale, a collection of model sermon texts dating from about 1380, is read by my old Oriel friend, Marcus Walker, who is now the Rector of the church.

Wikipedia has a lengthy account if what little is known of the life of the Augustinian Mirk, a canon of Lilleshall in Shropshire, and of his guides for parish priests, which can be seen at John_Mirk

The video of the service at St Bartholomew’s can be viewed at Mass & Procession According to the Use Of Sarum | Antiquum Documentum at St Bartholomew the Great

Candlemas reflections

Today is Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple.

I have written in previous years that Candlemas is a feast for which I have a particular affection. There are three basic reasons for this.

Firstly, when I was to an Anglican in my home parish the new Vicar started observing the feast as part of the regular calendar of the parish year. I was charmed by the liturgy, and also by the way in which links Christmas with all its symbolism of light, and Easter with its emphasis on the light of the Resurrection. 

Secondly, when I went to Oriel, I found that Candlemas was the principal College feast of the year. This is probably because it is the only feast of Our Lady which falls in termtime, and which the House of Blessed Mary the Virgin in Oxford could celebrate together. It is marked by a candlelit Evensong in the Chapel, followed by a celebratory Dinner in Hall. My first year, for the service we were given candles, without candle guards, being assured that they were non-drip. I thought about that ruefully as I took my suit to the cleaners, the next day to get rid of all the accumulated wax from the previous evening…. The following year as Head Bible Clerk I made sure we had the cardboard guards.

Thirdly, when I started attending The Oxford Oratory, I found that Saint John Henry Newman established it in England on the Feast of Candlemas in 1848. This must reflect the fact that he chose the Oratory as a structure for his future ministry because it most resembled the structure of Oxford collegiate life which, in his case, would have meant Oriel. I also found that, like myself, Saint John Henry had seen the symbolism or Christmas linking to Easter in the hymn he wrote for Candlemas which is always sung at the Oxford Oratory on this day.

This year I see that the New Liturgical Movement has a detailed study on their website about the celebration of the feast. This concentrates on the five prayers made over the candles used in the procession at the beginning of the liturgy and their relationship to the five Books of Moses. It also looked at the parallels with the Byzantine rite. The article is well worth reading and can be accessed at The Five Prayers of the Candlemas Blessing and the Five Books of Moses

A happy and joyful Candlemas to all my readers.