Groundhog Day and the Church

So was your first thought this morning, "Hey, it's Groundhog Day!" or "Hey, it's the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord!" (or "Candlemas," or "Purification of Mary," if you go that far back)? Actually, this midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox (which is what makes Feb. 2 Groundhog Day) is one of those occasions where the "liturgy" of the cosmos is incorporated into the Liturgy of the Church. Six weeks ago, liturgically speaking, the Light first shone in time. Today it makes its first foray into the wider world, where (Lo and Behold!) it was recognized as the "light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel." Simeon and Anna become, as it were, a new (if very old) Adam and Eve, walking with God in the first light of a new creation.