At 11:00 (CET) on Sunday, 2 February, the Eucharist for the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas) will be celebrated at Santa Margarita. You are invited to participate in this recorded worship using the YouTube video above by following the words (congregational parts in subtitles, or bold), sharing the hymns and prayers, and listening to the sermon. You may use the video controls (pause, forward, back). The service lasts about 47 minutes.
How to Contribute to Santa Margarita's Chaplaincy
The cost of maintaining the chaplaincy of Santa Margarita is completely self-financed locally.
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Summary of this week's theme
Recycling centres have recently become familiar sights: a place where old things are made new - a modern version of the rag-and-bone man, once a familiar sight in British (and other) streets. This image is powerfully echoed in Walter Wangerin’s short story Ragman, where a Christ-like figure offers ’new for old,’ not by collecting objects but by taking on people’s infirmities and burdens. He exchanges his wholeness for their suffering, ultimately sacrificing himself.
This story reflects the message of the Letter to the Hebrews: Jesus came to share in our suffering so it could be redeemed. But there’s a challenge: we must be willing to let go of our pain. Too often, people become attached to their wounds, defining themselves by them. This can become a form of pride, a resistance to healing, even when Christ offers to carry our burdens. True faith calls us not to self-reliance but to interdependence, allowing others to help and lifting each other up.
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, which we celebrate today, highlights this theme. His parents follow Jewish tradition, redeeming their firstborn son with a sacrifice - yet, paradoxically, this child will be the one to redeem the world. Mary, who goes to be purified, is the mother of the one who purifies all. Jesus immerses himself in ordinary human life, not as a distant, set-apart priest but as one who walks among us.
Simeon’s prophecy reminds us that Jesus’ coming brings both upheaval and blessing. There is collateral damage: suffering, opposition, a sword that will pierce Mary’s soul. But there is also collateral blessing: renewal, healing, and new life for those who accept his gift. Jesus is more than the Ragman; he does not just exchange our suffering for healing, but enters fully into our humanity to walk beside us. He offers his presence, his love, and his transformation. Surely, it would be ungrateful to refuse such a gift.
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