CANDLEMAS BELLS
SWEET flowers of our Lady, sweet Candlemas bells,
I listen and listen—a mystery dwells
In your white, drooping petals, my Candlemas bells.
By -wild, chilly streamlets, reflected so fair ;
I wonder and wonder, how first you came there,
And lighted your candles to lighten my care.
'Mid the coarse, winter grasses, like points of pure light,
You rise from the dark earth, to give me delight—
To speak to my cold heart, of things out of sight.
Very softly you peak, so tender and low,
I listen and hear you, I listen and know ;
My dull eyes are opened, my spirit doth glow.
Sweet, sweet is the vision, the Mother and Child—
Our Lady close clasping within her arms mild
The fair Light of the World, the Babe undefiled.
"With doves, lighted candles, I see them go by ;
And bright is the glory that gleams from on high :
Our Lord and his Mother! The angels draw nigh.
Far off I am kneeling, my lamp gives no light,
Yet may I not feed it, at radiance so bright ?
The Lord will still hear me, and quicken my sight.
The fair Light of the World, my Lord and my King !
May I wash my soiled robe,—once more my love sing,
At Thy feet, in Thy sight, this new-budding spring ?
Sweet flowers of our Lady, sweet-Candlemas-bells ;
I listen and listen—a mystery dwells
In your white, drooping petals, my Candlemas bells !
~
Irish Monthly, 1895
Feast of Candlemas(February 2):
Candlemas Day.
The forty days of the Christmas season end on the feast of the Purification, or Candlemas Day, thus called from the custom of blessing the candles brought to the church by the people.
According to the law of Moses, a woman who brought forth a man child was to be separated from the rest, and remain for forty days like in a retreat, and then go to the tabernacle or temple, and offer a sacrifice for her purification. The sacrifice was a lamb to be wholly consumed with fire, and a turtle dove and a pigeon as sacrifices for sin. When they were too poor to offer a lamb, they were to bring two doves or two pigeons in its place. There was another commandment given by God that the first born was to be offered to the Lord, but the parents could redeem the child by giving five shekels, according to the weight of the sanctuary. That sum is a little more than five dollars. Mary was not obliged to fulfill that law, for she conceived and brought forth her Son by the power of the Holy Ghost, and not by the ordinary laws of nature. What relation was there between the brides of men and the spouse of the Holy Ghost, between common women and she who was a Virgin in her conception, in her bringing forth and always remaining a Virgin? The most chaste of all, she brought forth the God of chastity. Nevertheless the Holy Spirit, who dwelt within her, revealed to her that she was to fulfil the law of Moses, and we see the august Mother of God coming with the common crowd, and mingling with the mothers of Israel.
~
The Festal Year, 1838.
. We watched it this past weekend via Netflix.
