FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD

Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 7:30 pm

Tridentine Latin High Mass with the Blessing of Candles and Candlemas Procession

Prelude: Movement I: Adagio – Allegro from Concerti Grossi No.6 in F major, Op.6, Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Processional Hymn
Orations for the Blessing of Candles
O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God who created all things out of nothing, at Your creative command this
honey was transformed into wax by the industry of the bees. On this day on which You granted just Simeon his request, we
invoke Your most holy name and ask You through the intercession of the Blessed Ever-Virgin Mary -- whose feast we
reverently observe today -- and through the prayers of all Your saints, graciously to bless and sanctify these candles for
the use of men, and for the health of bodies and souls of all on land and on the sea. From Your throne of majesty in heaven,
hear the voices of Your people who hold these lights in their hands to honor You and praise You with song. Be merciful to
all who call upon You, all those whom You have redeemed with the Precious Blood of Your Son, who lives and rules with
You. Amen.
Let us pray. O almighty and everlasting God, who this day didst present Thine only-begotten Son in Thy holy temple to be
received in the arms of holy Simeon: we humbly entreat Thy clemency, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless, and sanctify,
and to kindle with the light of Thy heavenly benediction these candles, which we Thy servants desire to receive and to
carry lighted in honour of Thy Name: that, by worthily offering them to Thee our Lord “God, we may be inflamed with the
holy fire of Thy most sweet charity, and deserve to be presented in the holy temple of Thy glory. Through the same our
Lord.
Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, the true Light who enlightenest every man that cometh into this world; pour forth Thy
blessing upon these candles, and sanctify them with the light of Thy grace, and mercifully grant, that as these lights
enkindled with visible fire, dispel the darkness of night, so our hearts illumined by invisible fire, that is, by the splendour of
the Holy Spirit, may be free from every blindness due to vice: so that with clear sight our midns may discern what is
pleasing to Thee and profitable to our salvation; so that after the darksome perils of this life we may deserve to attain to
never fading light: Through Thee, O Christ Jesus, Saviour of the world, who in the perfect Trinity, livest and reignest, God,
world without end.
Let us pray. O almighty and everlasting God, who by Thy servant Moses didst command the purest oil to be prepared for
lamps to burn continually before Thee: vouchsafe to pour forth the grace of Thy blessing upon these candles: that they may
so afford us light outwardly, that by Thy gift the light of Thy Spirit may never be wanting inwardly to our minds. Through
our Lord...in the unity of the same Holy Ghost…
Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst appear among men in the substance of our flesh and this day wast presented by
Thy parents in the temple: Whom the venerable and aged Simeon, his mind flooded by the light of Thy Spirit recognized,
received into his arms, and blessed: mercifully grant, that the grace of the same Holy Spirit may enlighten and teach us to
recognize Thee truly and faithfully love Thee: Who with God the Father in the unity of the same Holy Ghost livest and
reignest, God, world without end.
After the orations, the priest blesses the candles with incense and holy water as the choir sings the Canticle of Simeon.
Canticle of Simeon

Ant. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles: and for the glory of Thy people Israel.
Cant. Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace. A light…
Because mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. A light…
Which Thou hast prepared, before the face of all peoples. A light…
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. A light…
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. A light..
 After the priest washes his hands he prays the final oration (“Exaudi quaesumus).
Oration: Exaudi Quaesumus

Let us pray. We beseech Thee, O Lord, hearken unto Thy people, and grant that by the light of Thy grace, we may inwardly attain
that which year by year we outwardly venerate. Through our Lord…
After he blesses the incense for the procession he sings…
Procession
Priest: Procedamus in pace.
All: In nomine Christi. Amen.

During the procession the schola chants the appointed antiphons as the procession is guided by the altar boys.
The people may join in the procession, following the priest.
Adorn thy bridal-chamber, O Sion, and welcome Christ the King: with loving embrace greet Mary, the very gate of
heaven; for she bringeth to thee the glorious King of new light: ever Virgin she remaineth, yet in her arms doth bear the Son
begotten before the day-star: that Child whom Simeon did take into his arms and proclaim to the nations as Lord of life
and Saviour of the world.
Simeon received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord;
and when they brought the Child into the temple, he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now dost Thou
dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, in peace. When His parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom
of the law, he took Him into his arms.
They offered for Him to the Lord a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons: As it is written in the Law of the Lord. After
the days of the purification of Mary, according to the Law of Moses, were fulfilled, they carried Jesus to Jerusalem, to
present Him to the Lord. As it is written in the Law of the Lord. Glory be to the Father….As it is written...
Introit
Kyrie: Missa in Honore Sancti Pauli, Rev. Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C.
Gloria: Missa in Honore Sancti Pauli, Rev. Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C.
Collect
Epistle
Gradual
Alleluia
Holy Gospel
Sermon
Credo: Missa in Honore Sancti Pauli, Rev. Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C.
Offertory Motet: Ave Regina Caelorum, Op. 171, No. 6, Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901)

Hail, Queen of heaven; Hail, Mistress of the Angels; Hail, root of Jesus; Hail, the gate through which the light rose over the earth.
Rejoice, Virgin most renowned and of unsurpassed beauty, and pray for us to Christ.
Preface of the Nativity
Sanctus: Missa in Honore Sancti Pauli, Rev. Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C.
Consecration
Benedictus: Missa in Honore Sancti Pauli, Rev. Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C.
Pater Noster
Agnus Dei: Missa in Honore Sancti Pauli, Rev. Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C.
Communion Chant:
Communion Music: Movement II: Concerto grosso in F, Op.6, No.6 - Largo - Vivace
Concerti Grossi No.6 in F major, Op.6, Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Post-Communion Oration
Ite Missa Est, Blessing & Last Gospel
Postlude: Movement III: Concerto grosso in F, Op.6, No.6 - 5. Allegro
Concerti Grossi No.6 in F major, Op.6, Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
History of the Feast of Candlemas
Known originally as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient
celebration. We know that the Church at Jerusalem was observing the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely
earlier. According to Jewish law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to "buy him back" on the 40th day after his
birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) in the temple (thus the "presentation" of the child).
On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification"). St. Mary and St. Joseph kept this law, even though, since
St. Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ, she would not have had to go through ritual purification. In his gospel, Luke (2:22-39)
recounts the story. Originally, the feast was celebrated on February 14, the 40th day after Epiphany (January 6), because Christmas
wasn't yet celebrated as its own feast, and so the Nativity, Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany), and the feast celebrating
Christ's first miracle at the wedding in Cana were all celebrated on the same day. By the last quarter of the 4 century, the Church at
th

Rome had begun to celebrate the Nativity on December 25, so the Feast of the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days later.
When Christ was presented in the temple, "there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the
consolation of Israel." When St. Mary and St. Joseph brought Christ to the temple, Simeon embraced the Child and prayed the Canticle of
Simeon: "Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou
hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).
Because of the words of the canticle ("a light to the revelation of the Gentiles"), by the 11th century, the custom had developed in the West
of blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation. The candles were then lit, and a procession took place through the darkened church
while the Canticle of Simeon was sung. Because of this, the feast also became known as Candlemas. While the procession and blessing of
the candles is not often performed in the United States today, Candlemas is still an important feast in many European countries.