Candlewax and Hedgehogs – Groundhog Day

Ancient Faith Ministries ^ | February 2, 2023 | Fr. Stephen Freeman

[Carpe Cerevisi]

Candlewax and Hedgehogs—a peculiar way to entitle an article, I’ll admit. But both have their associations with the second day of February. The first is more important so we’ll begin there. The second day of February is one of the 12 great feasts, and is also celebrated by Christians in the West. The feast is the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, described in the second chapter of St. Luke’s gospel.

There we are told that the Christ child was brought by his mother into the temple in fulfillment of the law, 40 days after his birth (February 2 is 40 days after December 25). The Old Testament Law commanded that “every male that openeth the womb (the first born child) shall be holy to the Lord.” Thus the child was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem and an offering made on His behalf in thanksgiving to God for his birth.

The Most Holy Mother of God certainly kept this teaching of the Law. We are told that she brought her child to the Temple to make offering (and to receive her purification—another required rite of the Temple). There she was met by two people, one a woman, another a man, and both of them prophets. The woman, Anna the Prophetess, spoke to her concerning her child. The aged prophet Symeon, saw the mother and Child and exclaimed in words we repeat at every Vespers:

[Carpe Cerevisi]

The latest from Fr. Stephen Freeman. I never knew of the connection that Groundhog Day has to theology.

[Big Red Badger]

What’s a VESPA ¿?

[Carpe Cerevisi]

You mean Vespers? It’s a prayer service usually done in the evenings.

[Big Red Badger]

CC squared..
Thanks FRiends.
Fascinating post!
.
Rejoice in the Light of the World!
The dark comprehended it Not.

[Terry L Smith]

“ancient faith” ain’t but 2023 years old, by their premise.

the real ancient faith, that “ancient faith” would call myth, is where the groundhog story comes from, is where Feb 2nd is called ‘imbolc’ by some, and in ye olde agrarian calendars, is the first day of spring.

[Varda]

Thanks for posting this interesting article. We always watch Groundhog Day the movie today. It is an exploration of the idea of purgatory something I didn’t understand the first dozen or so times I saw it.