Catholicism is a religion that understands human needs deeply, and after a dark and snowy January that chilled much of the nation to the bone, the Church offers one of Her oldest feasts to bring light to the faithful: Candlemas.

In the liturgical calendar for the Traditional Latin Mass, Feb. 2 is the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Feb. 2 is celebrated today in the ordinary form of the Mass as the feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ. However, it is best known as “Candlemas” because of the ancient tradition of bringing candles to church to be blessed.

This feast is beloved around the world, but it has a special resonance for Catholics who, like me, live in places that experience long, cold, dark winters. To give you an idea of the northern climate where my family has lived since the 1840s, for about two months of the year it’s dark by 4 p.m., and the snowplows are traditionally on the roads most days from November to April.

This year, much of the nation is experiencing a January like ours. As snow and ice storms have cascaded across the country, leaving some without power for hours or even days, many Americans are feeling downtrodden and even frightened.

For the Christian, though, we know that Our Lord does not leave us alone and powerless in the darkness. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, is the Light that shines in the darkness of our hearts. Similarly, the candles from Candlemas light the darkness of winter and remind the faithful of their Savior.

The fundamental claim of Christianity is that God was made man and dwelt among us. Catholicism is not a religion of mere abstract thought, but one centered on incarnate love. So too does the Catholic liturgy inform our minds, hearts, and souls by way of physical actions. Every time we enter a pew, we genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament present in the tabernacle, physically lowering ourselves before the greatness that is Our Savior.

T.S. Eliot, the great Anglican poet, reflected in “Choruses from the Rock” on the way that the Christian liturgical patrimony connects the created world around us with the uncreated World above.

“The formed stone, the visible crucifix,
The dressed altar, the lifting light,
  Light
  Light
  The visible reminder of Invisible Light.”

Each candle on the altar — and each blessed candle burned in one’s home — shares warmth and brightness with its surroundings, just as Christ does. And, indeed, it is not just Christ who shines in the darkness. Over the course of the Church’s history, God has given grace to saints who have shone His light in the darkness of this world.

So this year on Candlemas, we pray that all those experiencing the darkness of winter might look to the Light that illuminates the world, and that they might themselves become little lights of Christ.