Photo is by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
February 2nd is all about celebrating Candlemas Day and celebrating your light. Candles are blessed and Candlemas Day makes no apologies about celebrating your light
Candles are hugely popular today. Candles also have a deep spiritual meaning. We live in a world where darkness can often dominate, with bad news often making the headlines. This can lead to a complete imbalance. We need light and good news to balance out the darkness.
The light is also symbolic of the light of Jesus. He encouraged people to let their light shine, to be proud of their light and to know that the light is always near, even when it seems darkness has the upper hand. He is very much our light too.
I hope Candlemas Day will be a reminder how special your light is. Be proud of it. Let it shine and why not let it shine today.
Last year I put the following video together called
‘Candlemas Day – Celebrating Your Light’
https://youtu.be/UcJbVxJvziA (Just copy and paste and the video will play)
All the normal pieces in this section will return as normal tomorrow
Thought on Wednesday – February – 02/02/2022
Thought For The Week (This section is updated on a Monday)
‘If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.’ ~Anne Bradstreet
Yesterday was the feast of St Brigid (February 1st). Saint Brigid has been described as a woman of faith, feminist, farmer, bishop, convent founder and a miracle worker. She is the patroness of Ireland and starting in 2023 a Bank Holiday weekend will begin in her honour. Brigid has inspired women and men down through the ages. She cared for the poor, healed the sick and managed monastic settlements.
The life of Saint Brigid has been inspirational. No one can deny how special she was. She was way ahead of her time with her outlook on life, her ideas and her vision for an inclusive church. Her energy and presence is very much alive today and awareness about her story and life continues to grow.
St Brigid is most famous for her cross which she wove together using rushes. The many strands that make up a St Brigid’s cross represent the different strands of our own lives. They pick up on our joys and blessings but also on our struggles, problems and difficulties. For Brigid the cross was not an end in itself but pointed to a firm and sure hope in a loving God. For Brigid this loving God helps us to make sense of everything that’s going on in our lives. Significantly St Brigid’s day is a day for renewed hope and is most certainly a day to celebrate.
The following is ‘A prayer to Saint Brigid’
Brigid you were a special person and an inspiration to so many.
You stood up for those who needed a voice.
You brought light and hope to so many.
You were a woman of love and you were close to nature and the heartbeat of God.
Your cross has become so symbolic.
It is a sign of hope, a sign of strength and a sign that everything in our world and universe is connected.
The centre of your cross is symbolic of the presence of God.
May we recognise our centre.
May we feel the blessings of light, hope, peace, courage and strength.
May we grow each day into the person God has created us to be,
both in mind, body and spirit.
Amen
