February can be a bit of a dismal month

1 Feb 2025 • Articles

Well, it didn’t take long for the erm… shall we say ‘chocolate eggs’ to appear on the supermarket shelves – in fact December wasn’t even out. The great pressure to move from one celebration to the next can feel relentless; we hardly get chance to draw breath, to pause, or to reflect.

February can be a bit of a dismal month, we are still subjected to the dark days of winter and, although the shortest month, it can at times feel like the longest – maybe because it brings noparticular expectations, just the reminder that we largely live ‘normal’ lives. With that comes the possibility of pondering what normal means for us. Normal is what we have come to understand our lives are and it embraces all our emotions and experiences, but it should also include discerning the presence of God in every situation.

On Sunday 2 nd February, the church celebrates the festival of Candlemas (also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ). It marks the day when Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, to observe the Jewish custom. It was then that Simeon, going about his normal life in the temple, saw the baby Jesus, held him and proclaimed him a Light to the World. So, Candlemas also celebrates the light that comes to banish the darkness. As with many Christian festivals, Candlemas has its roots in pre-Christian times. It was the festival of light, it marked the mid-point of winter, half way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Some traditions even say that the weather on Candlemas day predicts the weather for the rest of the winter as this old rhyme states:

“If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,

Winter will have another flight.

If Candlemas Day be wind and rain,

Winter has gone and will not come again.”

The festival is called Candlemas because this was the day that all the church's candles for the year were blessed. Some people thought that candles provided protection against plague, illness and famine. They were asking God’s protection on their homes and families for the coming year. Clergy would bless the candles and give them to the people. Those candles were then placed in every window to remind people of the light of Christ shining in the cold and darkness, bringing hope during uncertain times.

We are reminded that the beginning of John’s Gospel talks about how Jesus came to be a light in the darkness of this world and to shine out as a sign of God’s presence among us. ‘The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.’

In whatever way or by how much we are able to recognise that light in the ordinariness of everyday, there will be times when we shall long for some light to come into our lives. I’m sure we all know someone who is dealing with difficult or painful issues, like the illness of a loved one, a bereavement, health or mental health concerns or financial worries. In the meantime, let us remember that there is light, there is hope and that, in Christ, God is with us always.

Wishing you every blessing for the month ahead.

John

Revd John Lander, Self-Supporting Minister within the Area, especially for Bramshall.