We're singing the Lumen and a Nunc Dimittis setting for the lighting and procession. Then mass as usual. We are just starting to move the parish towards more chant, so We are just adding small pieces here and there at this point to get them acclimated.

For organists looking for wonderful music based on the chants of the day, check out Tournemire's suite in l'Orgue Mystique. (No.11 Purification de la Sainte Vierge). The offertoire is particularly beautiful and not all that difficult. The piece terminale is not an easy read, but it is quite marvelous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR0c3r6LRhs

The rubrics also call for pure beeswax candles.

I found the following, in a vintage book which I received for Christmas, "The Golden Legend," by Jacobus de Voragine. Here is some Candlemas info taken from it:

There are four reasons for the custom of the faithful carrying lighted candles on the feast of Candlemas:

1) It was instituted, first, to remedy a pagan superstition. For of old, the Romans, in order to honor the goddess Februa, the mother of Mars, used to light up the whole city with candles and torches, in the first days of February. This was done every 5 years, and its purpose was to procure the favor of the goddess, so that her son Mars would insure their victory over their enemies. The period of 5 years between these feasts was called a lustrum. In the month of February, the Romans also honored Pluto and the other gods of the underworld. In order to win their good will for the souls of the dead, the people offered them solemn victims, and passed an entire night singing their praises, with lighted torches and candles. The women especially, were devoted to this feast, in accordance with one of the myths of their religion. For the poets had said that Pluto, enamored of Proserpine's beauty, had carried her off and made her his wife: and her parents, not knowing what had become of her, were a long time searching for her with torches and candles. In memory of this, the Roman women went in procession, in order to obtain the favor of Proserpine. As it is always difficult to wipe out such a custom, Pope Sergius decreed that in order to give to this one a Christian meaning, the Blessed Virgin should be honored each year on this day, a blessed candle being carried in the hand to this end. Thus the ancient usage was preserved, but at the same time transformed by a new intention.

2) Candlemas was established, secondly, to show forth the purity of the Virgin Mary. To impress her purity upon the minds of all, the Church ordered that we should carry lighted candles, as if to say: 'Most blessed Virgin, thou hast no need of purification; on the contrary, thou art all light and all purity!' Such indeed was Mary's innocence that it shone forth even outside of her, and quelled any urgency of the flesh in others. Thus the Jews tell us that although Mary was surpassing fair, no man could ever look upon her with desire.

3) Thirdly, the Candlemas procession is a symbol of the procession of Mary, Joseph, Simeon, and Anna, when they presented the Child Jesus in the Temple.

4) Finally, Candlemas is intended for our edification. It teaches us that if we wish to be purified in the sight of God, we should be sincere in faith, unselfish in conduct, and righteous in intention. For the lighted candle signifies faith with good works. And the wick which is hidden in the wax represents the right intention of which Saint Gregory speaks when he says: 'Let your works be visible to all, but let your intention be hidden; so that we may give the example of good works to our neighbors, and yet ever desire that our virtues be unknown, by the intention we have of pleasing God alone.'

And this from another source:
'In regards to "Candlemas" it is well said by Dom Guarenger:
"The mystery of today's ceremony has frequently been explained by
liturgists, dating from the 7th century. According to Ivo of Chartres, the
wax, which is formed from the juice of flowers by the bee, always considered
as the emblem of virginity, signifies the virginal flesh of the Divine
Infant, who diminished not, either by His conception or His birth, the
spotless purity of His Blessed Mother. The same holy bishop would have us
see, in the flame of our Candle, a symbol of Jesus who came to enlighten our
darkness. St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking on the same
mystery, bids us consider three things in the blessed Candle: the wax, the
wick, and the flame. The wax, he says, which is the production of the
virginal bee, is the Flesh of our Lord; the wick, which is within, is His
Soul; the flame, which burns on top, is His divinity. "'

according to the Golden Legend:
"...if we will appear in this feast before the face of God, pure and clean
and acceptable, we ought to have in us three things which be signified by
the candle burning: that is good deeds, true faith, with good works. And
like as the candle without burning is dead, right so faith is dead without
works as Saint James saith, for to believe in God without obeying his
commandments profiteth nothing. And therefore saith Saint Gregory: The good
work ought to show withoutforth that thy intention abide good withinforth
the heart, without seeking within any vain glory to be allowed and praised.
And by the fire is understood charity, of which God saith: I am come to put
fire in the earth, and whom I will, I will burn.

Yes, we plan to do that, but the priest only wishes for those 13 and older to be holding lighted candles.

Andrew, I will now turn attention back to the original question on your edited thread. You know us EF folks; we like to hijack things. LOL

I'm sorry as well about the diversion, Andrew. I didn't realize this thread was about the OF. Mea culpa. : (

canadash, thanks for posting this. When I saw your recent posting of it on another thread, I immediately liked it. Our choir started practicing it on Monday.

Presentation, Candlemas, and Groundhog Day. I don't quite know how to handle this.

I have wondered about the candles, as well, but am guessing they will be blessed at only one mass. I do plan to ask in case I am wrong about that.

Is there a blessing of groundhogs? I don't know! My money is on General Beauregard Lee for predictions, since that Yankee hog is unreliable in this part of the country.

Presentation sounds like a good time for a part of the Tournemire piece mentioned earlier - probably the communion since it is a better length for my place.

Thank you Andrew for alerting me to my posting of this in the wrong "discussion".

Hi, I'm not sure yet what we might be doing at the beginning of mass but I wrote this using the antiphon from the missal for the blessing of candles. The verses are from The Grail and are the ones used in our Gather hymnal. I am thinking of a random bell ring while candles are lit and then using the music below as the processional - if the people have candles in their hands they won't have to hold books. We'll sing Sylvia Dunstan's setting of Nunc Dimittus to REGENT SQUARE at the end of mass.image