Has January been longer this year? Colder? Greyer?

For some reason this month has felt long and bleak and hard. After the feasting of Christmas the fasting of January came all too abruptly, and without the incentive of celebrations to come. Diets and self-denial have combined with the coldest darkest days to rob me of my joy and make the simple things feel hard. And I don't think I'm alone in this. Without the sparkle of Christmas there is little to distract us from winter, and suddenly we all feel grumpy about it. Why isn't it spring? When will it get warmer and lighter and brighter? When will we see flowers again? Why can't we fast forward this bit?

But then slowly and quietly small green shoots begin to peer cautiously through the earth, and before we know it, delicate white drops, candlemas bells, appear to remind us that spring is coming. There is, at last, new hope for the new year and the newness of things. Into the cold and the dark, signs of life.

How apt then, that candlemas too is a reminder of light in the darkness. How wonderful to fill our dark nights with a multitude of candles and remember that Christ came to be light in our darkness. We need it. By the end of January we really feel the need of it. We long for the light more than we ever have time to in December, but the light that came at Christmas came to bring us light on the darkest of days and in the darkest of places. It's the miracle of Christmas that is all to easy to forget once the January blues set in. That the light has overcome the darkness once and for all, that the good news of Christmas is good news for all time, and that January days can be as joy-filled as any other.

If you, like me, have been grumpier than usual this month, then let Candlemas encourage and nourish you this week. Fill your kitchen with candles, drink punch, tell stories. Allow yourself to feast, even if just a bit. Say thank you and be glad that God has not left us in the dark. Remind each other around a table that light has come into the world and think of ways to be light to others in a dark world. No pressure. Pick a day that works, don't worry if it's not perfect, but do something to lighten and brighten your day, and be reminded that in Christ there is light and life in abundance.

And that spring is on its way!

The Candlemas resource we'll be using to celebrate can be found here.

Candlemas

Claire Widdows

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