The second day of February may be celebrated as Groundhog Day in the secular world, but there is also a special significance to the date in the church. This day goes by various terms—Candlemas Day, the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, and the Purification of the Virgin—and it is one of the most ancient feasts in the church calendar.
St. Luke tells us (2: 22-40) that Mary and Joseph took their baby to the temple forty days after his birth to complete the ritual purification of Mary according to the law of Moses. There they encountered one of the interesting characters from the Bible about whom we know very little, but whose fame resides in the encounter that occurred at this moment—Simeon the Righteous. The old Simeon had been promised that he would not see death “before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord” (Luke 2: 26). When Simeon saw the infant Jesus he responded with the prayer that the church has named the Nunc Dimittis:
Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy Word,
for my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared before the face
of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
The beautiful Nunc Dimittis is included to this day in various liturgical occasions, such as the offices of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.
Simeon went on to prophesy to Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against—yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2: 34-35) In earlier times, candles were blessed in church for distribution to the faithful to use in their homes throughout the year (hence the term “Candlemas”) but increasingly the emphasis on this day has become the prophesy of Simeon the Righteous about the role of Jesus as the Messiah to all people.
So how did we get from Candlemas to Groundhog Day? In the United Kingdom historically the belief sprang up that good weather at Candlemas is an indication of severe weather to come:
If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,
Winter will have another bite.
If Candlemas Day brings clouds and rain,
Winter is gone and will not come again.
When you think today of Punxsuatawney Phil, remember Simeon the Righteous as well!
St. Luke tells us (2: 22-40) that Mary and Joseph took their baby to the temple forty days after his birth to complete the ritual purification of Mary according to the law of Moses. There they encountered one of the interesting characters from the Bible about whom we know very little, but whose fame resides in the encounter that occurred at this moment—Simeon the Righteous. The old Simeon had been promised that he would not see death “before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord” (Luke 2: 26). When Simeon saw the infant Jesus he responded with the prayer that the church has named the Nunc Dimittis:
Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy Word,
for my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared before the face
of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
The beautiful Nunc Dimittis is included to this day in various liturgical occasions, such as the offices of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.
Simeon went on to prophesy to Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against—yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2: 34-35) In earlier times, candles were blessed in church for distribution to the faithful to use in their homes throughout the year (hence the term “Candlemas”) but increasingly the emphasis on this day has become the prophesy of Simeon the Righteous about the role of Jesus as the Messiah to all people.
So how did we get from Candlemas to Groundhog Day? In the United Kingdom historically the belief sprang up that good weather at Candlemas is an indication of severe weather to come:
If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,
Winter will have another bite.
If Candlemas Day brings clouds and rain,
Winter is gone and will not come again.
When you think today of Punxsuatawney Phil, remember Simeon the Righteous as well!
1 comment:
Thanks for the lecture, doc!
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