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Candlemas: light at the turning point

By early February, winter can feel long and grey. Christmas is behind us, spring still feels a way off — and yet, if you look closely, there are signs of hope. Snowdrops push through cold soil, delicate but determined. Candlemas sits in the year like that: small, quiet, and full of promise.

Candlemas remembers the day Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. It was a simple, faithful act — nothing dramatic — but it turned into a moment of recognition and joy. Two elderly worshippers, Simeon and Anna, see what others might have missed.

Simeon takes the child in his arms and says:

“My eyes have seen your salvation… a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30–32)

That image lies at the heart of Candlemas. God’s salvation doesn’t arrive with fanfare, but as a baby — light small enough to be held. Over time, this day became associated with candles, blessed and carried into the year ahead. A candle doesn’t banish darkness in one go, but it does hold its flame. Like the snowdrop, it quietly says: winter is not the end of the story.

Anna is there too. Luke tells us she “gave thanks to God and spoke about the child” (Luke 2:38). She reminds us that faith is often about noticing, giving thanks, and gently sharing hope.

Candlemas also has honesty in it. Simeon speaks of joy, but also of pain yet to come. Love, he knows, will be costly. Candlemas doesn’t spoil Christmas — it deepens it. It stands at a turning point: the warmth of Christmas behind us, the road toward Lent just beginning.

That’s why Candlemas feels close to real life. Many of us live in the in-between — holding hope while facing uncertainty. Candlemas doesn’t rush us. It simply invites us to keep walking by the light we have.

As John’s Gospel puts it:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

So perhaps keeping Candlemas is as simple as this: notice the snowdrops, light a candle, give thanks for those who have quietly carried faith before us — and trust that even a small flame is enough to guide the next steps.

Because Candlemas reminds us: the light is already here, and it is still shining