Notes From the Office
Fun Fact:
Americans know today, February 2, as Groundhog Day, when Punxsutawney Phil is brought out of his tree-trunk in Northwestern Pennsylvania to determine how much longer winter will last.
For Christians, it’s also the Feast of Candlemas. Most people assume that Groundhog Day and Candlemas are not connected, but in fact—as I recently discovered—they are!
The Feast of Candlemas is also known as the Feast of Christ’s Presentation in the Temple. It commemorates the day when 40 days after his birth, according to Jewish custom, Jesus Christ would have been brought to the Jerusalem Temple so that his mother could be ritually purified and he offered to God (with a sacrifice of “two turtle doves”!).
In the biblical account of the Presentation, Jesus is proclaimed by the figure of Simeon as “the light to the Gentiles.” Hence, candles became symbolically associated with the feast, and a special blessing of candles and procession with them would take place on this day.
“All over Europe Candlemas was considered one of the great days of weather forecasting. Popular belief claims that bad weather and cloudy skies on February 2 mean an early and prosperous summer. If the sun shines through the greater part of Candlemas Day, there will be forty more days of snow. This superstition is familiar to all in our famous story of the ground hog looking for his shadow on Candlemas Day.”
The
History Channel further connects some of the dots between Candlemas and Punxsutawney Phil:
“Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas Day, when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter. The candles represented how long and cold the winter would be. Germans expanded on this concept by selecting an animal–the hedgehog–as a means of predicting weather. Once they came to America, German settlers in Pennsylvania continued the tradition, although they switched from hedgehogs to groundhogs, which were plentiful in the Keystone State.”
By the way, if you believe the superstition, apparently we will have an early spring, as Punxsutawney Phil
did not see his shadow this morning. Of course, he's only right about
46% of the time.
*Please note - This blog was from 2017. Phil did see his shadow today!
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Annual Meeting Postponed - Our 2020 annual meeting which would typically be held in early February will be postponed until late spring when we can meet in-person (either indoors or outside). More information about nominations will be coming soon. In the meantime, we are working to put together the 2020 Annual Report which will be emailed out to the parish in March. If you are in charge of a ministry at Epiphany and need to submit a report, please have all reports into Cindy by 2/21/21.
Weekly Calendar
Sunday Morning Prayer - by Phone at 8:30
Sunday Morning Worship - on Facebook at 10:15
Tuesday Open Vestry Meetings - virtually every third Tuesday at 7:00
Wednesday Morning Prayer - by Phone at 7:30
Wednesday February 17th - Ash Wednesday - Virtual Worship TBA
Fridays - Wafer Pick Up - 5:00pm - 6:00 PM
Saturdays - Wafer Pick Up - 10:00am - 12:00PM
Office Hours
Please note that due to the continuing COVID pandemic the office hours are irregular. Please call and we will arrange a time to meet in person. All phone messages and emails will be picked up Monday through Thursday mornings. Please contact Rev Christen directly if you have a pastoral emergency.
Epiphany Email Policy: Fraudulent emails are continuing to become more common and more sophisticated, please note that Rev. Christen, Epiphany Parish staff, and/or the members of our Vestry will never solicit money, gift cards, or personal information via email. If you have any questions or concerns about an email request you receive from a leader or staff person in our parish, please do not hesitate to contact the parish office at 508-668-2353.
