February – the shortest month – some years doesn’t even contain a full moon, depending on how the dates fall. It was named after the Latin term ‘februum’ meaning purification since the Christian festival of Candlemas recognises Mary’s purification after the birth of Jesus occurs on the 2nd February. It’s a season of change as winter develops into Spring – days lengthen, bulbs open, birds nest and relationships bloom facilitated by Valentine’s Day.
Old English names for February include the terms Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-monath (name for cabbage). In Finnish, the month is called helmikuu, meaning “month of the pearl”; when snow melts on tree branches, it forms droplets, and as these freeze again, they are like pearls of ice.
So February is about gentle changes, expectation and hope. As Lent approaches what changes would you make in your lifestyle to celebrate Lent and help you come closer to God? What expectations do you have as Easter approaches? What does the death of the Son of God mean to You? And what is Your Hope for the future as a result of Christ’s sacrifice?
Here is a traditional February prayer, reflecting the life of St Brigid, whose feast day is the 1st of the month:
You who put the beam in moon and sun,
You who put the food in ear and herd,
You who put the fish in stream and sea,
Send Your blessing up to me.
Bring forth the warmth, the tears, the laughter from our repressed and frozen ground.
Bring forth loving, healing, forgiving to our fretting, festering wound.
Bring in light and truth and dancing after dark and frigid years.
Bring in singing, sowing, serving, in place of stagnant stubborn fears.
May calm pinion you,
May good preserve you,
May vitality power you,
In the Name of God, Amen