On Sunday 28 January, we’ll celebrate Candlemas at two services: a 9am Holy Communion and a 10.30am Intergenerational Service. Revd Vanessa Conant will lead and preside at 9am with Revd Jacintha Danaswamy preaching, while at 10.30am, Jacintha will lead alongside St Mary’s young people.

Candlemas, or the Feast of the Presentation, marks the presentation of Jesus in the temple, as recounted in Luke 2:22-40. In the story, Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus to the temple in keeping with Jewish law and custom. There, an old man, Simeon, who has been praying for many years to see the Messiah, proclaims Jesus a ‘light to enlighten the nations’. Because of this, churches traditionally bless candles at Candlemas, seeking to take that light into the world, and we’ll do the same on Sunday.

In the Church calendar, Candlemas also marks the end of the Christmas and Epiphany seasons.

For those unable to join us on Sunday, we’ll livestream the 10.30am service to our Facebook page.

We hope to see you this Sunday at St Mary’s!