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See also (Solemn) prayer day

Description of this motif:

The Danish incumbent Christina Smith has written about candlemas at www.kirken-underviser.dk/artikler/kyndelmisse.htm:

February 2nd is called Candlemas.

Candlemas can be traced back to at least the 6th century. Candlemas hasn't celebrated in Denmark since 1770. In catholic countries Candlemas is still celebrated as a holiday.

Candlemas means literally "mass for candles". At Candlemas the candles, which are going to be used in church the coming year, are consecrated.

Example :

"The labor of righteousness is peace"; and again it is written: "The wages of sin are death!" Much has been said and written that one does not know – or, as it was with Anne Lisbeth, does not remember – but such things can appear before one's subconscious self, can come to mind, though one is unaware of it.

The germs of vices and virtues are alive deep in our hearts – in yours and mine; they lurk like tiny invisible seeds. There comes a ray of sunshine or the touch of an evil hand; you turn to the right or to the left, and the little seed quivers into life, puts forth shoots, and pours its life throughout all the veins. Walking in a daydream, one may be unconscious of many painful thoughts, but they have their being within us all the same; thus Anne Lisbeth walked as if in a daydream, but her thoughts lived within her.

From Candlemas to Candlemas the heart has much written upon it, even the record of the whole year. Many sins are forgotten, sins in word or thought, sins against God or our neighbor or our own conscience;

Comment on this quote:

According to the commentary in H.C. Andersen eventyr, DSL, Borgen, Copenhagen 1990, vol. 7, p. 203, "The labor of righteousness is peace" comes from The Book of Wisdom, one of the deutero-canonical writings of the Old Testament, and "The wages of sin are death!" from Paul's Letter to the Romans 6.23.