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February 2nd Candles or Ground Hogs?

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
Image via Wikipedia

The Feast of the Presentation, often called Candlemas, commemorates the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the presentation of Christ in the temple, which took place 40 days after his birth as Jewish law required. According to Mosaic law, a mother who had given birth to a boy was considered unclean for seven days. Also, she was to remain 33 days “in the blood of her purification.” Luke tells us, quoting Exodus 13:2,12, that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem because every firstborn child was to be dedicated to the Lord. They also went to sacrifice a pair of doves or two young pigeons, showing that Mary and Joseph were poor. Once in the temple, Jesus was purified by the prayer of Simeon, in the presence of Anna the prophetess. Simeon, upon seeing the Messiah, gave thanks to the Lord, singing a hymn now called the Nunc Dimittis:

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace,
your word has been fulfilled:
My own eyes have seen the salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.

Simeon told Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” Simeon thus foreshadowed the crucifixion and the sorrows of Mary at seeing the death of her Son.

The name Candlemas comes from the activities associated with the feast. It came to be known as the Candle Mass. In the Western Church, a procession with lighted candles is the distinctive rite. According to post Vatican-II discipline, (if possible) the beeswax candles are to be blessed somewhere other than where the Mass is held. Often your local parish will hand out candles, or you may bring your own, to be blessed before the procession. These may be saved for later use in your home. After an antiphon, during which the candles held by the people are lighted, there is a procession into the church. During the procession to the church, the Nunc Dimittis is sung, with the antiphon “Lumen ad revelationem” (Luke 2:32). This procession into the church for Mass commemorates Christ’s entrance into the temple. Since Vatican II, the feast is reckoned a feast of the Lord (as opposed to a feast of Mary), and officially designated “The presentation of the Lord.”

History

Egeria, writing around AD 380, attests to a feast of the Presentation in the Jerusalem Church. It was kept on February 14th. The day was kept by a procession to the Constantinian basilica of the Resurrection, with a homily on Luke 2:22-39. However, the feast had no proper name at this point; it was simply called the 40th day after Epiphany. This shows that the Jerusalem church celebrated Jesus’ birth on the Epiphany Feast (as is common in some Eastern Churches today).

In regions where Christ’s birth was celebrated on December 25th, the feast began to be celebrated on February 2nd, where it is kept in the West today. In 542, the Emperor Justinian introduced the feast to the entire Eastern Roman empire in thanksgiving for the end to a great pestilence afflicting the city of Constantinople. Perhaps this is when Pope Gregory I brought the feast to Rome. Either way, by the 7th century, it is contained in the Gelasianum Sacramentary. Pope Sergius (687-701) introduced the procession to the Candlemas service. The blessing of candles did not come into common use until the 11th century.

While some scholars have asserted that the Candlemas feast was developed in the Middle Ages to counteract the pagan feasts of Imbolc and Lupercalia, many scholars reject this, based on Medieval documents. While the feast does coincide with these two pagan holidays, the origins of the feast are based in Scriptural chronology. Some superstitions developed about Candlemas, including the belief that if one does not take down Christmas decorations by Candlemas, traces of the holly and berries will bring about the death of the person involved. In past times, Candlemas was seen as the end of the Christmas season.

Candlemas Day was also the day when some cultures predicted weather patterns. Farmers believed that the remainder of winter would be the opposite of whatever the weather was like on Candlemas Day. An old English song goes:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,
Go winter, and come not again.

Thus if the sun cast a shadow on Candlemas day, more winter was on the way; if there was no shadow, winter was thought to be ending soon. This practice led to the folklore behind “Groundhog’s Day,” which falls on Candlemas Day.

Today, the feast is still celebrated on February 14th in some Eastern Churches, including the Armenian Church, where the feast is called, “The Coming of the Son of God into the Temple.” Most churches celebrate it on February 2nd.

Welcome to Gobblers Knob
Image by Eddie~S via Flickr

So whether it is a religious celebration or simply a weather forecasting gimmick February 2nd holds different significance to different people groups. A parallel can be draw between Simeon’s forecasting the life and death of Mary’s child Jesus with the farmers forecasting an early spring if there was no shadow cast on February 2nd. Punxytawny Phil causes quite a stir around these parts each year when thousands gather at Gobblers Knob to witness the ceremony. This annual celebration turned a small town in Western Pennsylvania into a tourist attraction. In fact there is a statue of a ground hog right in the center of town.

Punxytawny Phil may be the main attraction on Ground Hog day but as Christians our focal point should be Jesus Christ and the cross. It was the shadow of the cross that Simeon saw that day when Jesus was presented to him at the temple for dedication, and it is the shadow of the cross that can turn your wintertime of hopelessness and despair into a springtime of renewed life. So whether there is going to be an early spring or a much longer winter really depends on how you view the shadow of the cross  and not the shadow of the woodchuck.

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Administration Considers Changing Terror Trial

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

The madness continues. Due to a huge uprising against the trying of terrorists in New York Obama administration is seeking alternate locations for this SHOW TRIAL. On the list of possible locations is a deserted island off of Manhattan and military installations. Hey here is a NOVEL idea how about the military installation at GITMO?
clipped from newsmax.com
Obama administration considers moving 9/11 trial out of Manhattan after complaints

State of the Union Addresses: A Comparative Study

Allen Frederick 5 Comments

Portrait by Gilbert Stuart, 1795
Image via Wikipedia

Coming to office at a time when unemployment was high and the economy had slowed to a crawl the President of the United States stood at the podium and delivered his State of the Union Address. He looked back to illuminate the past with it’s accomplishments and errors, and pointed to the future with hope and courage. He addressed the congress and the American people that change is hard but it must be done to erase the errors of the past and forge a new America. To restore again the values that we hold dear.

Now I present to you the President of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, distinguished Members of the Congress, honored guests, and fellow citizens:

Today marks my first State of the Union address to you, a constitutional duty as old as our Republic itself.

President Washington began this tradition in 1790 after reminding the Nation that the destiny of self-government and the “preservation of the sacred fire of liberty” is “finally staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” For our friends in the press, who place a high premium on accuracy, let me say: I did not actually hear George Washington say that. But it is a matter of historic record.

But from this podium, Winston Churchill asked the free world to stand together against the onslaught of aggression. Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke of a day of infamy and summoned a nation to arms. Douglas MacArthur made an unforgettable farewell to a country he loved and served so well. Dwight Eisenhower reminded us that peace was purchased only at the price of strength. And John F. Kennedy spoke of the burden and glory that is freedom.

When I visited this Chamber last year as a newcomer to Washington, critical of past policies which I believed had failed, I proposed a new spirit of partnership between this Congress and this administration and between Washington and our State and local governments. In forging this new partnership for America, we could achieve the oldest hopes of our Republic–prosperity for our nation, peace for the world, and the blessings of individual liberty for our children and, someday, for all of humanity.

It’s my duty to report to you tonight on the progress that we have made in our relations with other nations, on the foundation we’ve carefully laid for our economic recovery, and finally, on a bold and spirited initiative that I believe can change the face of American government and make it again the servant of the people.

Seldom have the stakes been higher for America. What we do and say here will make all the difference to autoworkers in Detroit, lumberjacks in the Northwest, steelworkers in Steubenville who are in the unemployment lines; to black teenagers in Newark and Chicago; to hard-pressed farmers and small businessmen; and to millions of everyday Americans who harbor the simple wish of a safe and financially secure future for their children. To understand the state of the Union, we must look not only at where we are and where we’re going but where we’ve been. The situation at this time last year was truly ominous.

The last decade has seen a series of recessions. There was a recession in 1970, in 1974, and again in the spring of 1980. Each time, unemployment increased and inflation soon turned up again. We coined the word “stagflation” to describe this.

Government’s response to these recessions was to pump up the money supply and increase spending. In the last 6 months of 1980, as an example, the money supply increased at the fastest rate in postwar history–13 percent. Inflation remained in double digits, and government spending increased at an annual rate of 17 percent. Interest rates reached a staggering 21.5 percent. There were 8 million unemployed.

Continue reading “State of the Union Addresses: A Comparative Study” →

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

Allen Frederick 3 Comments

A View from the Nest
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
Insight from the Journey across the Sky
By Allen Scott
Jn 3 (GW) When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, "They’re out of wine." 4 Jesus said to her, "Why did you come to me? My time has not yet come." 5 His mother told the servers, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Six stone water jars were there. They were used for Jewish purification rituals. Each jar held 18 to 27 gallons. 7 Jesus told the servers, "Fill the jars with water." The servers filled the jars to the brim. 8 Jesus said to them, "Pour some, and take it to the person in charge." The servers did as they were told. 9 The person in charge tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it had come from, although the servers who had poured the water knew. The person in charge called the groom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the best wine first. When people are drunk, the host serves cheap wine. But you have saved the best wine for now." John 2:3-10
Wedding in Cana

Image via Wikipedia
You"ve got to love this story in the bible. Jesus’ mother came to him to inform him that they were out of wine and by telling him she was basically putting the problem to him to solve. I do not know what she thought he was going to do, but she expected him to do something. So after questioning his mother’s motives he instructs the servers to fill 6 stone jars with water, pour some into a glass and take it to the person in charge to have him drink it. The servers knew that they poured water into these stone jars but when the person in charge tasted it he commented on how GOOD the wine was and complimented the groom for saving the best wine until last.

I had always wondered why Jesus provided more wine for a drunk audience. I am not one to continue to give drink to someone who is visibly intoxicated, or for that matter even provide drink to someone who is sober. I am not a drinker, I do not hang around with people who drink, I really do not like the whole idea of drinking with the intent of getting drunk. I know some in the church who like to drink beer, others enjoy a glass of wine, and I am sure there are some who may like a mixed drink. I just do not. I really see no value in drinking so much that you become impaired and unable to think clearly and function rationally. The bible teaches to be SOBER and live a godly life.

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, Titus 2:11-12 (RSV)

Other than being obedient to his mother, I really do not know why Jesus would turn water into wine to be served to a drunken wedding crowd, but he did. I have to put myself in this scene and see what I would have done if approached about the wine situation. First I would not have thought about pouring water into stone pots to try to pass it off as wine. I would have had to see where I could procure wine to purchase for the bridle party. Or the more likely scenario I would say back to my mother, what do you expect me to do about it? I would not see it as my duty to provide wine to a drunken crowd. Or to paraphrase a famous quote, Let em drink water. So you see even when it comes to wine procurement I can not be like Jesus.

What can I learn from this, regardless of the theology of water to wine? What jumps out to me in this story is what happened when Jesus was called upon to make a contribution. First he questions his mother as to why she came to him to fix this problem because his time had not yet come to reveal himself to the people. He knew he had the ability and knew that he could do whatever it is that needed to be done, but he was also mindful of the reason why he came into the world and providing wine for a drunken wedding party was not high on his list of things to do before he died. His mother put him in charge by turning to the paid servants and told them to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Okay, again I have to ask myself, what would I do when presented with a paid staff looking to me for direction and instruction. What do you want us to do about this problem? The crowd is hollering for more wine and we are out! How do you want to handle this? Being in charge has it’s responsibilities. You can not say I don’t know, or do whatever you want to do. You have to have a solution or some plan to fix the problem. Now one thing I might have thought about doing was simply telling everyone the wine was gone and there would be no more. But any good host knows that when you are hosting a party it is your responsibility to make sure that the party goers are taken care of. It is a sign of a poor host who does not see to it that the guests are satisfied. That is just proper party etiquette.

Jesus tells the servants to gather up the ceremonial washing jars and fill them to the brim with water. There were 6 of them each holding almost 30 gallons of water would produce approximately 180 gallons of wine. That is a great deal of wine! The narrative does not say when exactly the water became wine it simply says that the servants were to fill the jars and then pour some out and give it to the person in charge of the party to taste. I do not know what the servants may have been thinking when taking a glass of water to the party host but they did as they were told and heard the host say that it was the best wine he had had that day. The servants perhaps looked at each other thinking this guy is drunker than we thought if he thinks water is good wine. Nevertheless the water filled ceremonial washing jars produced fine wine.

Continue reading “From Ordinary to Extraordinary” →

The Unprecedented President

Allen Frederick 4 Comments

the 44th President of the United States...Bara...
Image by jmtimages via Flickr

Wednesday evening President Barack Obama will give his State of the Union address. An address he hopes will change his sinking poll numbers and pull his unprecedented Presidency out of the free fall it currently finds itself in. This unprecedented President has fallen so fast that is it well unprecedented. This latest achievement can be added to his other unprecedented accomplishments since taking office a year ago. Let us take a look at a few shall we?

2009 started out with the unprecedented election of the first non-white President of these United States. There in fact are some who would argue he is the unprecedented undocumented President to occupy the White House. His election was reported as ‘historic‘. Surely it was unprecedented in the amount of money spent on his campaign.

Perhaps it was a sign when President Barack Obama sat down in January to record his first weekly address and announced:

“We begin this year and this administration in the midst of an unprecedented crisis that calls for unprecedented action.”

What has followed is declaration after declaration of “unprecedented” milestones.

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message930907/pg1

Unprecedented spending. Has spent more money then all Presidents since Washington combined. Congress has again asked for an increase in the debt limit now over 14 trillion dollars

Unprecedented taxing of anything that moves and if it keeps moving tax it even more

Unprecedented bowing to foreign dignitaries

Unprecedented take over of private companies

Unprecedented lack of knowledge concerning foreign and domestic policies

Unprecedented lack of credentials no birth certificate or actual executive experience. Did he ever really hold a real job?

Unprecedented granting of Constitutional rights to enemy combatants while simultaneously taking them away from actual American Citizens.

Unprecedented nepotism and cronyism when handing out government jobs and taxpayer money.

Unprecedented SPEED in passing 1000+ paged bills without even having read them and at the same time taking almost 9 months to decide what help to provide our Armed forces serving in Afghanistan

Unprecedented number of times and places where this President apologizes to foreign nations for the HORRORS of America

Unprecedented number of times he promotes Islam as a PEACEFUL religion while at the same time his administration demonizes Christians and grass roots Americans calling them TERRORISTS and a THREAT to this Nation.

Unprecedented appointment of Czars.

Unprecedented number of appearances on Sunday night televisions news programs.

Unprecedented number of televised speeches delivered during his first 100 days. Totally 411 for the year. And yet he says America had not heard his message.

Yes indeed we have an unprecedented President.

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