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Ahhh! Candlemas Day!
What a beautiful Mass and how refreshing to see every year more people learning about this feast day and bringing in their candles to be blessed.
At our church alone, at the early Mass there were literally many hundreds of candles!
This witness of an understanding of the power of sacramentals is a beauty to behold.
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Going all the way back to the catacombs Catholics have used beeswax candles especially for all church services.
As I've mentioned before, this comes from the idea that it is the virgin bees who produce the beeswax.
This ties in with the understanding of the purity of Jesus and Mary especially.
But
Beeswax was also used because it burns clean.
Which also meant that there was No smoke to cause damage to the beautiful
paintings
and
buildings
that people back then had so painstakingly crafted.
Beeswax also, gives off a pleasant aroma which combined with the beautiful aroma of the incense.
Beeswax candles also burn much longer than tallow candles.
So, in keeping with the idea that we should always desire to use the very best for God, Beeswax was stated in Canon Law as the candle to be used in all Church ceremonies.
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Many Catholics also burn these candles at their
home altars
during family rosary prayer time.
This is just one more way in which our homes become the
"Little Domestic Church"
that we are all called to create.
It is helpful to explain to your children how the Catholics in the catacombs would have brought their candles to bring light and warmth to these dark underground passages,
and in hushed tones
they united in prayer knowing that at any time headhunters could descend upon them and take them to the coliseum or prisons.
Even to this day, when Colin and I do not have little ones saying our daily family rosary with us any more, we still turn down the lights to create that feeling of long ago.
As the candles burn, we can think of how our prayers ascend to God, and it also reminds us of how much we desire to be in the presence of God as we continue to go about our day.
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And now we are ready to move to the next beautiful feast day.....The Feast of St. Blaise.
February 3 is that feast day.
I love being able to receive the blessing of the throat on this feast day.
It is just one more aide that the Church provides for us from a very long list of aides.
Take advantage of this too.
Bring your kids.
And as you receive this blessing, make sure to say a prayer of thanksgiving that we are still able to receive this blessing.
There were many decades that we did not have access to this beautiful ceremony.
Remember we were under ground.
We did not have Masses during the week.
So, for many of us, we remember what it was like knowing that Mother Church had these aides, but they were not available to us, as priests were not able to come through to all those who were in need.
They were stretched very
thin indeed.
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St. Blaise was martyred in the year 316.
But before that happened one of the miracles attributed to him was him saving the life of a child who was choking from having a fishbone in his throat.
His fame after that spread far and wide.
St. Blaise was a doctor.
The kind of doctor who combined
the work of healing
bodies
AND
souls.
So, we can say that he did indeed bring his faith to the workplace.
This would eventually expose him to the authorities who despised Catholics even to the point of killing them because of the faith they held to.
There are many many stories connected with St. Blaise.
One tells of a holy woman who brought two candles to light his dark cell after he had been taken captive due to not being willing to renounce his faith.
That is one reason we use the two candles during the blessing of the throats.
Even his captors were amazed at some of the miracles which he performed, but not amazed enough to set him free.
They tortured him and then beheaded him.
But his legacy lives on and we should all pray to St. Blaise for the courage to never renounce our Faith in any way and even do what we can to share the faith.
IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO STAY FOR THE BLESSING OF THROATS AT THE NOON MASS
ON FRIDAY,
THE PRIESTS AT OUR PARISH WILL BE BLESSING THROATS ON SUNDAY AFTER MASSES AS WELL.
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Due to the many customers who were not able to attend Candlemas day, I was able to bring many extra candles to Mass to receive the solemn blessing of candles.
So, if you would like to pick these up so as to have extra blessed candles on hand, just stop into Divine Inspirations Books and Gifts during regular hours.
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Just a friendly reminder that I still have a few open seats at this Sunday's presentation on the history of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Sign up and bring a friend.
Text me for details.
651-470-3958
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Store Hours
Sunday: 9:30 - Noon
Wednesday: Noon to 5:00 PM
Saturday: 8:30 - 10 AM
Anytime by appointment - call 651-470-3958
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* We are a family owned and operated business dedicated to our Lord and Blessed Lady.
* We are located in the former St. Augustine school building.
* We carry the latest Catholic books, devotional items, religious gifts, collectibles, statuary, jewelry, home- school materials.
* We carry gifts to celebrate the sacraments and all of life's special moments and events.
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