On February 2, Catholics have an ancient liturgical tradition of blessing candles, often accompanied by a candlelit procession into the church building.
For this reason the feast is commonly called in English Candlemas.
The tradition is rooted in St. Luke's Gospel where he narrates how, while at the Temple, the Holy Family encountered an old man named Simeon:
Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.
Deathbed
St. John Paul II, during a homily in 1998, mentioned a tradition during surrounding these candles that was connected to a person's deathbed:
Even more eloquent is the custom of putting the candle blessed on this day in the hands of a Christian on his deathbed, that it may illumine his last steps on the way to eternity. This practice is meant to show that, by following the light of faith, the dying person is waiting to enter the eternal dwelling place, where there is no longer “need of light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light” (cf. Rv 22:5).
This tradition also fits perfectly with the Canticle of Simeon, "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace."
While it may not always be possible to use candles when a person is dying, whenever it is possible, it surely could be a beautiful moment when the individual is preparing to meet their Lord for all eternity.
