Fourth Sunday Before Lent

The time after Epiphany and before Lent is called Ordinary Time. This year, Ordinary Time runs from February 3 to February 28. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 1, 2017.

During the Epiphany season, the Sundays are reckoned forward from Epiphany on January 6, so we talk about the 'first Sunday after Epiphany', the 'second Sunday after Epiphany', and so forth. After Candlemas on February 2 - the last day of the Epiphany season - the Sundays are reckoned backward from Lent. So today is called the 'fourth Sunday before Lent'. It may also be called the 'fifth Sunday after Epiphany'.

The theme of Ordinary Time is the rhythm of life anchored by the weekly Sunday gathering in the church.

Lectionary

• Isaiah 58:1-12: 'If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.'
• Psalm 112: 'Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.'
• 1 Cor. 2:1-16: 'Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.'
• Matt. 5:13-20: 'You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.'

Prayer

O God of light,
your searching Spirit reveals and illumines
your presence in creation.
Shine your radiant holiness into our lives,
that we may offer our hands and hearts to your work:
to heal and shelter,
to feed and clothe,
to break every yoke and silence evil tongues. Amen.

- Revised Common Lectionary

Reflection

"Sunday is the day of resurrection, the day of the new creation, the day of the beginning again. On the seventh day God rested from his work of creation. But on the first day God acted to re-create the world. Thus Sunday, the eighth day, brings creation and re-creation together in a very special event - Sunday worship. Thus the Sundays of ordinary time are not so ordinary - they celebrate the full story of God's action in history to save creatures and creation. This is the special nature of ordinary time. It is the day to celebrate the re-creation of the world."

- Robert E. Webber, Ancient-Future Time

Art

'Light for Others' (ca. 1900) (Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Presentation of Christ / Candlemas

February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of Christ. Some churches call it "Candlemas". It's the culmination of the Epiphany season, and brings to a close the "cycle of light" that began with Advent. From here, we begin the "cycle of life" as we journey through ordinary time, then Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost, and then ordinary time again until next Advent.

Lectionary

• Malachi 3:1-4: "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple...".
• Psalm 84: "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord."
• Hebrews 2:14-18: "Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."
• Luke 2:22-40: "[Simeon:] My eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Prayer

God of steadfast love,
you sent your Son to be the light of the world,
saving people everywhere from sin and death.
As Anna gave thanks for the freedom he would bring,
and Simeon saw in him the dawn of redemption,
complete your purpose once made known in him.
Make us the vessels of his light,
that all the world may glory in the splendor of your peace. Amen.

- Revised Common Lectionary

Reflection

Candlemas articulates the necessary future of this beautiful Light coming into the world. Our celebrations so far [in Christmas and Epiphany] have dwelt on the joyful implications of the Son of God’s arrival, our redemption, salvation, and deliverance. Candlemas reiterates in a pointed way that the coming of the Lord includes difficult things – the persecutions of Jesus in His ministry and the call of the Christ to suffer the Cross. Candlemas rounds out our thoughts regarding the significance of the Word become flesh, and moves us forward to Lent.

- Fr. Wayne McNamara (Christ the King Anglican Church), "The Meaning of Candlemas"

Poem

From Malcom Guite, "A Sonnet for Candlemas". It ends thus: "We glimpse with them, amidst our busyness, / The peace that Simeon and Anna knew. / For Candlemas still keeps His kindled light, / Against the dark our Saviour’s face is bright".

Other Resources

Explore the meaning and celebration of Candlemas at The Homely Hours:

• "A  Candlemas Celebration"
• "The Meaning of Candlemas"
• "Candlemas Resources"

Art

    Presentation in the Temple (14th century), Musée de Cluny, Paris.

Keeping the Church Calendar

Our goal at KeepingAdvent.com is to reacquaint Christians not only with the seasons of Advent and Christmas, but with the Church Calendar more generally. That's because all time is sacred. The annual seasonal cycle of the Church Calendar keeps us immersed in the Gospel story, helping us to walk with Christ throughout the year.

Advent and Christmas are now past, but this site keeps going. You'll see two big changes going forward:

• A redesigned and simplified home page, with a section called "What Time Is It?" that highlights the current church season, dates, themes, and how to learn more.

• Throughout the year, the blog will feature posts on the different church seasons and special days, with resources aplenty: lectionary readings, prayers, short reflections, and selections of music, poetry, and art.

We want to know if this site is useful to you, and whether and how we can improve it. Don't hesitate to contact us with feedback.

Grace & peace,
Ian