Candlemas procession in Ponsonby

14 procession

Some pedestrians and motorists on Richmond Road in Ponsonby, Auckland, witnessed a sight not often seen there on weekday summer evenings.

On February 2, a Candlemas procession, with about 140 participants bearing lighted candles, and singing hymns, made its way from the chapel at St Paul’s College, down Richmond Road, through some side streets and back into the college.

The candles were blessed and lit before a Mass on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The Mass, which followed the procession, was celebrated in the extraordinary form (in Latin) by Fr Antony Sumich, FSSP. The feast is known in the old calendar as the Purification of Our Lady.

This was the first time that the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter community had arranged a Candlemas procession at St Paul’s. Processions had taken place in the previous two years at Te Atatu.

Fr Antony Sumich, FSSP, distributes candles at the altar rails.

After the tapers (slender candles) to be used in the procession had been blessed, they were distributed at the altar rails to the people. The candles were lit in the pews, with an altar server — Melchi Alfante (a student at Liston College) — taking a flame down the centre aisle.

In his homily in the Mass, Fr Sumich spoke about the Old Testament background to Jewish purification rituals, and also about the Ark of the Covenant, and the first and second Temples in Jerusalem. He spoke about Our Lady under her title of “Ark of the Covenant”, and how significant it was that she and her Son entered into the Temple area.

“The Emmanuel has left the cave of Bethlehem, he has come among the people now. He is about to take possession of his Temple, and the mere fact of entering it will, at once, give it a glory which is far above that of its predecessor, that of Solomon,” Fr Sumich said.

“But this great event would not be accomplished without a prodigy being wrought by the eternal God as a welcome to his Son”, he said, adding that the welcome was that given by “the holy man Simeon”, who held in his arms “the salvation of the world”.

“Happy Simeon, figure of the ancient world, grown old in its expectation and near its end, he broke forth in a magnificent canticle (Luke 2:29-32) which has come down to us through the ages.”

Fr Sumich spoke about the symbolism in the blessed candles on this feast.

“So Mary, [is] the pure handmaid of God, symbolised by the pure wax made by the humble bee, having carried the all-perfect one in her womb for nine months, symbolised by the wick, which now shows forth, and the light which brings guidance for all people for all time, [this] has now been set aflame as Simeon has told.”

People had held in their hands lit candles, “symbol of the light which is Christ”. During the Mass, the candles were lit at various points.

Fr Sumich also blessed more than 200 candles for the laity to use in their homes for their own devotions. People enjoyed a light supper and refreshments after the Mass.

Luke 2:29-32

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (NRSV)

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Michael Otto

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