Pewsheet – 2nd February 2025
The Rector writes ’ This evening at 5pm, we will have a Service of Wholeness & Healing in St Mary’s Church. The Healer Prayer Group consist of Peter Coughlan, Hilary Dring, Joy Keefe, Hilary Warren-Perry, Clodagh King, Simon Woodworth as well as Revd Richard and me. If you can’t come tonight but would like someone to be prayed for at this service, just leave the name with any one of us. The group has a list of names and will pray for the people on the list for 3 months from the day we are given the name. Of course, you can always let us know to continue praying for that person if that is required.
We usually try to have an actual evening service every three months or so, then perhaps once a year, we make the Wholeness & Healing the main service of the day (like to honour St Luke the Physician’s feast day on 18th October). At these services, there is a time where there is an opportunity to speak confidentially with one of the prayer teams when you can ask for prayer for yourself or for someone you know needs prayer.’
Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian feast day commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple by Joseph and Mary.
It is based upon the account of the presentation of Jesus in Luke 2:22–40.
According to the Old Testament rules in Leviticus 12, a woman was to be purified by presenting a lamb as a burnt offering, and either a young pigeon or dove as sin offering, 33 days after a boy’s circumcision. The feast falls on 2 February, which is traditionally the 40th day of and the conclusion of the Christmas–Epiphany season.
While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them after Candlemas.
On Candlemas, many Christians (especially Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and some mainline Protestant denominations including Lutherans, Anglicans and Methodists) also take their candles to their local church, where they are blessed and then used for the rest of the year; for Christians, these blessed candles serve as a symbol of Jesus Christ, who is referred to as the Light of the World.
During the following Hymn, congregational candles are lit and the lights are dimmed.
Hymn 203
When candles are lighted on Candlemas Day
the dark is behind us, and spring’s on the way.
A glory dawns in every dark place,
the light of Christ, the fullness of grace.
The kings have departed, the shepherds have gone,
the child and his parents are left on their own..
A glory dawns…
They go to the temple, obeying the law,
and offer two pigeons, the gift of the poor..
A glory dawns…
But Anna and Simeon recognize there
the Christ-child who came at the turn of the year..
A glory dawns…
They see before Mary a heart-piercing grief,
but trust is complete at the end of their life..
A glory dawns…
For Mary will follow, with tears in her eyes,
her Saviour and Son to the foot of the cross..
A glory dawns…
Like Anna, like Simeon, may we have trust,
the eyes to see Jesus, and peace at the last..
A glory dawns…
The candles invite us to praise and to pray
when Christmas greets Easter on Candlemas Day..
A glory dawns…
Elizabeth Cosnett (b. 1936)
THE CANDLEMAS PILGRIMAGE
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 city where you live and reign,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
One God, now and for ever.
AMEN
As the Nunc Dimittis is said, all go to surround the font.
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 Spirit
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
At the font –
Father, here we bring to an end our celebration of the
Saviour’s birth.
Help us, in whom he as been born,
to live his life that has no end.
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
(all candles are raised and then at once extinguished)
Help us, who extinguish these candles,
never to forsake the light of Christ.
Here we turn from Christ’s birth to his passion.
Help us, for whom Lent is near,
to enter more 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!
Dates for your Diary
February
5th 8pm Zoom online talks ‘The Music of our Praise ‘
12th 8pm Zoom online talks ‘The Music of our Praise ‘
15th 7:30-9pm Youth Club in the Parish Hall
19th 8pm Zoom online talks ‘The Music of our Praise ‘
22nd CDYC Inflata Bounce and Airtastic
March
5th Ash Wednesday Services in St Mary’s Church
10:30am and 7:30pm
7th World Day of Prayer, 3pm Service in St Mary’s Church
12th Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 7:30pm St Mary’s Church
19th Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 7:30pm St Mary’s Church
26th Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 7:30pm St Mary’s Church
Please contact Joy Keefe 087-2559844 if you would like to be part of the Flower or Bell Rota in St Mary’s Church. Newcomers welcome!
Starting next Wednesday!
The Music of our Praise –
The wonderful world of music
for worship
Three Online Talks by Bébhinn Ni Mheara, Musical Director of Carrigaline Union
7:30pm Wednesdays 5th, 12th & 19th February
All welcome.
The Zoom Link was on the Pewsheet email but please email parish@carrigalineunion.org if you didn’t get it.
DIOCESAN MAGAZINE
If anyone would like to subscribe to the diocesan magazine please let Rowland Newenham know. Subscription for 2025 is €35, or €30 for an online emailed pdf copy. You may hand your subscription to one of the churchwardens, you may post your subscription to Rowland Newenham, Cooleens, Church Road, Carrigaline P43 FR88, you may pay by Revolut @rowlandnewenham, or you may pay online to Rowland Newenham.
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Random Notes CDLXXX
Plants with an attached legend

Chrysanthemums
This tale involving chrysanthemums began in Japan.
The girl, Kiku-no-hana , asked a spirit how long her forth-coming marriage would last. She was told the couple would stay together for as many years as there were petals on the flower she would wear on her wedding dress.
Unfortunately most flowers only had five petals, but after hunting high and low, she eventually found one with seventeen petals, and with her hairpin she divided each petal into two and then into four parts.
This was the first chrysanthemum, and the couple lived happily together for 68 years. The name for a Chrysanthemum in Japanese is Kiku-no-hana.
Since then the flower has been revered in the Orient as a symbol of purity and long life.
(perhaps it should also be a symbol of female ingenuity!)