Welcome
God has been worshipped in this place through the prayers and praises of countless generations. Worship lies at the heart of our life as Christians and we express our theology and belief through our liturgy. It is through these liturgical patterns of words and actions that we are formed and transformed.
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What is a Candlemas Procession?
Candlemas is the climax of the Christmas and Epiphany season. It is a feast rich in meaning, with several related themes running through it— presentation, purification, meeting, and light for the world. The various names by which it has been known in Christian history illustrate just how much it has to teach and to celebrate.
But the true meaning of Candlemas is found in its ‘bitter-sweet’ nature. It is a feast day, and the revelation of the child Jesus in the Temple, greeted by Simeon and Anna, calls for rejoicing. Nevertheless, the prophetic words of Simeon, which speak of the falling and rising of many and the sword that will pierce Mary’s heart, lead on to the passion and to Easter. Coming at the very end of the Christmas celebration, with Lent nearly always nearby, Candlemas is a real pivot in the Christian year.
Today’s liturgy is in two parts. A candle-lit vigil is kept, recalling in readings and music the journey of the holy family to the temple courts of Jerusalem, and culminating with the Candlemas Gospel. In the procession which concludes the service, our lighted candles are a sign of the promised Christ, our light and our salvation.
The congregation is asked to stand for the hymns to sit for the readings, responsories, collects and motets, and to join heartily in all those parts of the service printed in bold type. Please hold your lighted candle upright to avoid the hot wax falling on you or on the tiled floor.
At the end of the service the crucifer and acolytes, followed by the clergy and choir will process down the centre of the nave, around the Cathedral ending up with the clergy in the baptistery.
You are invited to say the text in bold in English.
Please remain seated as the Choir sing
Anthem
Senex puerum portabat: puer autem senem regebat: quem virgo peperit, et post partum virgo permansit: ipsum quem genuit, adoravit.
(The old man carried the child, but the child was the old man’s King. A virgin gave birth to the child, yet remained a virgin; the one she bore she also adored.)
William Byrd (d.1623)
Responsory
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us
And we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
The priest walks into the nave carrying the light and says:
Jesus Christ is the light of the world
A light no darkness can quench
The darkness is not dark with you
The light is as bright as the day
Let your light scatter the darkness
And illuminate your church with glory.
Please stand for the singing of the hymn, during which the candles of the congregation are lit as the procession moves to the chancel
Please stand to sing the
Processional Hymn
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess him King of glory now;
’Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call him Lord,
Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
At his voice creation sprang at once to sight,
All the angel faces, all the hosts of light,
Thrones and dominations, stars upon their way,
All the heavenly orders in their great array.
Humbled for a season to receive a name
From the lips of sinners unto whom he came,
Faithfully he bore it, spotless to the last,
Brought it back victorious when from death he passed.
Bore it up triumphant with its human light,
Through the ranks of creatures to the central height;
To the throne of Godhead, to the Father’s breast;
Filled it with the glory of his perfect rest.
In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue
All that is not holy, all that is not true:
He is God the Saviour, he is Christ the Lord,
Ever to be worshipped, trusted and adored.
Brothers, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
With his Father’s glory, with his angel train;
For all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
And our hearts confess him King of glory now.
William Harold Ferguson (1919)
Bidding Prayer
Dear friends, forty days have passed since we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we recall the day on which he was presented in the Temple, when he was offered to the Father and shown to his people. His mother was purified according to the custom of the time, and we now come to him for cleansing. In their old age Simeon and Anna recognised him as their Lord, as we today sing of his glory. We celebrate both the joy of his coming and his searching judgement, looking back to the day of his birth and forward to the coming days of his passion. So let us pray that we may know and share the light of Christ.
Silence is kept.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
He is worthy of all thanksgiving and praise
Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the universe: To you be glory and praise for ever! For you are our light and our salvation and we your children wait for your loving kindness in the midst of your temple. In your Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, there has sprung up a light for the righteous and joyful gladness for those who are faithful. As we, like Simeon and Anna, welcome him with joy, presented before us as light of all the world, may we be filled with his spirit and made a living temple to the praise and glory of your holy name. And, as we join our praises with theirs, grant us a quiet night and a perfect end now and for ever. Amen.
Please be seated whilst the Choir sing the
Anthem
Hail, gladdening Light, of his pure glory poured, who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest, Holiest of Holies, Jesu Christ, our Lord. Now we are come to the sun’s hour of rest, the lights of evening round us shine: we hymn the Father, Son and Holy Spirit divine. Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung with undefiled tongue, Son of our God, giver of life alone; therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.
Owain Park (b.1993)
Collect
Eternal Light, shine into our hearts; eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil; eternal Power, be our support; eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance; eternal Pity, have mercy on us; that with all our heart and mind and strength we may seek your face and be brought by your infinite mercy to your holy presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please remain seated for the
First Reading
Exodus 12:50-13:3a, 11–12a, 13b-16
Thus did all the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord’s.
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.
Responsory
Search the Scriptures, as Christ told us in the gospels.
We find him born in our midst.
Born as a child and bound in swaddling clothes.
We find him born in our midst.
Laid in a manger and fed upon a mother’s milk.
We find him born in our midst.
Presented in the temple and carried by Simeon.
We find him born in our midst.
In truth he has appeared in the world.
We find him born in our midst.
Collect
O Lord, you have given us your word for a light to shine upon our path; grant us so to meditate on that word, and to follow its teaching, that we may find in it the light that shines more and more until the perfect day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Please stand to sing the
Hymn
Sing how the age-long promise of a Saviour
Spoken through lips of prophets by the Spirit,
In blessèd Mary, Mother of the Christ-child,
Finds its fulfilment.
Virgin most pure, and wondrously conceiving,
Bearing incarnate God in awed obedience,
Now she presents him for a spotless offering
Unto his Father.
In God’s high temple, Simeon the righteous
Takes to his loving arms with holy rapture
That One for whom his longing eyes had waited,
Jesus, Messiah.
Where now his Mother next her Son is seated,
In those fair mansions of the heavenly kingdom,
May Christ our Saviour grant to us his servants
Life everlasting. Amen.
Poitiers Antiphoner, 1746 Anon, based on the Latin, c. 9th century
Please remain seated for the
Second Reading
Haggai 2: 1-9
In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying,
Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:
According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.
The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
Responsory
From the Virgin Mary shines forth Jesus, our Saviour.
Sun of Righteousness, our God for ever.
He gives light to those in darkness.
Sun of Righteousness, our God for ever.
Simeon rejoices, in old age carrying the Redeemer of the world.
Sun of Righteousness, our God for ever.
Anna prophesies in the temple of our God.
Sun of Righteousness, our God for ever.
He is the one who offers and is offered for us.
Sun of Righteousness, our God for ever.
He bestows on us his risen power.
Sun of Righteousness, our God for ever.
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you have stooped to raise fallen humanity, by the child-bearing of blessed Mary. Grant that we who have seen your glory revealed in our human nature, and your love made perfect in our weakness, may daily be renewed in your image and conformed to the pattern of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please remain seated as the Choir sing the
Anthem
O nata lux de lumine, Jesu redemptor saeculi, dignare clemens supplicum laudes precesque sumere. Qui carne quondam contegi dignatus es pro perditis nos membra confer effici tui beati corporis.
(O Light born of Light, Jesus, redeemer of the world, mercifully deign to accept the praises and prayers of your suppliants. O you who once deigned to be hidden in flesh on behalf of the lost, grant us to be made members of your blessed body.)
Scott Villard
Collect
O God, who in the work of creation commanded the light to shine out of darkness: we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ may shine into the hearts of all your people, dispelling the darkness of ignorance and unbelief, and revealing to them the knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please extinguish your candles.
Third Reading
Isaiah 6: 1-8
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Please stand to sing the hymn, during which the Gospel Procession moves down the Nave.
Hymn
In his temple now behold him,
See the long-expected Lord!
Ancient prophets had foretold him;
God hath now fulfilled his word.
Now to praise him his redeemèd
Shall break forth with one accord.
Jesu, by thy Presentation,
Thou who didst for us endure,
Make us see thy great salvation,
Seal us with thy promise sure;
And present us in thy glory,
To thy Father, cleansed and pure.
Henry J. Pye (1825–1893)
Please remain standing
We proclaim not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord
And ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
For the God who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness’
Has caused his light to shine within us.
To give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God
In the face of Jesus Christ.
Hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel
Luke 2:22–40
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Please sit or kneel according to your custom.
Prayers
By the mystery of the Word made flesh
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the birth in time of the timeless Son of God
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the baptism of the Son of God in the river Jordan
Good Lord, deliver us.
For the kingdoms of this world,
that they may become the Kingdom of our Lord and Christ
We pray to you, O Lord.
For your holy, catholic and apostolic Church,
that it may be one
We pray to you, O Lord.
For the witness of your faithful people,
that they may be lights in the world
We pray to you, O Lord.
For the poor, the persecuted,
the sick and all who suffer;
that they may be relieved and protected
We pray to you, O Lord.
For the aged, for refugees and all in danger,
that they may be strengthened and defended
We pray to you, O Lord.
For those who walk in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
that they may come to your eternal light
We pray to you, O Lord.
Father, source of light and life,
Grant the prayers of your faithful people,
and fill the world with your glory,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please remain seated whilst the Choir sing the
Anthem
Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night. The Lord is His Name. O give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy endureth for ever. Who hath made great lights, the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night. O give thanks unto the Lord, who hath made great lights, for His mercy endureth for ever. Seek ye Him that maketh the seven stars; the Lord is his name, seek ye Him. I look for Thee, O Lord, Thee, O Lord, my soul doth wait for Thee, before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch, my soul doth wait for the Lord. Hear my voice from the deep, I call, Oh, hear my voice. Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning. O give thanks unto the Lord, who hath made great lights, for His mercy endureth for ever. O Lord my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healèd me, and brought my soul from out of hell, and turn’d my heaviness to gladness. The darkness is no darkness with Thee, the night is clear as day. Seek Him that maketh the seven stars, the Lord is his name, seek ye Him, seek ye Him.
Edward Elgar
Please stand as the Priest says
This child is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected. And a sword shall pierce your own soul also.
The Blessing of Candles
Lord God, the springing source of everlasting light, pour into the hearts of your faithful people the brilliance of your eternal splendour, that we, who by these kindling flames light up this temple to your glory, may have the darkness of our souls dispelled, and so be counted worthy to stand before you in that eternal temple where you live and reign, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The candles of the congregation are lit as the choir sing
Nunc Dimittis
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen: thy salvation, which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As is was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Grayston Ives (b.1948)
Let us proceed in peace.
Thanks be to God.
Please stand to sing the
Hymn
Of the Father’s heart begotten,
Ere the world from chaos rose,
He is Alpha: from that Fountain
All that is and hath been flows;
He is Omega, of all things
Yet to come the mystic Close,
Evermore and evermore.
By his word was all created;
He commanded and ’twas done;
Earth and sky and boundless ocean,
Universe of three in one,
All that sees the moon’s soft radiance,
All that breathes beneath the sun:
He assumed this mortal body,
Frail and feeble, doomed to die,
That the race from dust created
Might not perish utterly,
Which the dreadful Law had sentenced
In the depths of hell to lie:
O how blest that wondrous birthday,
When the Maid the curse retrieved,
Brought to birth mankind’s salvation,
By the Holy Ghost conceived;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
In her loving arms received:
This is he, whom seer and sibyl
Sang in ages long gone by;
This is he of old revealed
In the page of prophecy;
Lo! he comes, the promised Saviour;
Let the world his praises cry!
Sing, ye heights of heaven, his praises;
Angels and Archangels, sing!
Wheresoe’er ye be, ye faithful,
Let your joyous anthems ring,
Every tongue his name confessing,
Countless voices answering,
Evermore and evermore.
R.F. Davis (1866–1937)
The Dismissal
Please turn to face West.
Father, here we bring to an end
our celebration of the Saviour’s birth.
Help us, in whom he has been born,
to live his life that has no end.
Here we have offered the Church’s sacrifice of praise.
Help us, who have received the bread of life,
to be thankful for your gift.
Here we have rejoiced with faithful Simeon and Anna.
Help us, who have found the Lord in his temple,
to trust in your eternal promises.
Here we have greeted the Light of the world.
Help us, who now extinguish these candles,
never to forsake the light of Christ.
Please extinguish your candles.
Here we now stand near the place of baptism.
Help us, who are marked with the cross,
to share the Lord’s death and resurrection.
Here we turn from Christ’s birth to his passion.
Help us, for whom Lent is near,
to enter deeply into the Easter mystery.
Here we bless one another in your name.
Help us, who now go in peace,
to shine with your light in the world.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Please remain standing as the Choir and Clergy depart.
Please remain at your seat for the duration of the
Organ Voluntary
Acknowledgements
Developed by Clark Brydon.
Material in this service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer, © RCB 2004.
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