02.02.2012
In Darkness There is Light – Introduction by the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral
A civic service of music and readings to express solidarity with all who are experiencing the effects of the current world economic recession took place in Christ Church Cathedral on the Feast of Candlemas, February 2. The following is the introduction by the Dean of Christ Church, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne.
Today we join in a service of solidarity for the people of Ireland as we journey through the darkness of economic gloom. In these times we are all experiencing the pain of huge economic depression when everyone in Ireland is bearing the cost of world recession. The Christian Church needs to meet and identify with the pain of the people. It is in response to this that this service is happening in this cathedral.
The celebration of Candlemas (the Feast day of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple) which we celebrate today is ideally suited to locate an ecumenical service incorporating all the churches of the land. We come together in solidarity with the people of the country as we journey through the darkness of economic gloom to affirm that in all darkness there is light and hope.
This service seeks to affirm and stir the spirit of the Irish people not to lose hope but to rekindle the flame of optimism and national belief that has sustained us throughout our long and often troubled history.
From the beginning of time humankind has grappled with the experience of light and darkness in the universe. The Neolithic passage tomb at Newgrange is testament to the ancient peoples of Ireland and their understanding of primitive hope where, in the midst of darkest winter the light of the sun of the winter solstice heralds the coming of a more permanent light. The later Christian Church developed this theme of light in darkness and used it to describe the life giving effect of the coming of the light of Christ.
Using the Candlemas theme we embrace the light in the midst of darkness and spread that light all around us. This service is linked to the ancient rituals of Candlemas because its message speaks loudly to our present situation. In the liturgy of Candlemas it states: ‘The true meaning of Candlemas is found in its bitter–sweet nature. It is a feast of the revelation of the child Jesus in the Temple, greeted by Simeon and Anna, and calls for rejoicing. Nevertheless, the prophetic words of Simeon, which speak of the falling and rising of many and the sword that will pierce Mary’s heart, lead on to the passion and the Easter coming at the very end of the Christmas celebration with Lent nearly always nearby.’
Traditionally on this day candles were blessed for use in the church and at home. The significance of such a ritual is that the flame of hope enkindled in the coming of the light of Jesus Christ is borne throughout the year as we contemplate on the significance of the coming of the Light into the world. As we go out from this service of hope let us also bring the flame of that hope into our lives, into the lives of other people and into the life of our society.