A WORD FOR TODAY, February 2, 2026
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, February 2, 2026
“When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’), and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, ‘A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’” Luke 2:22-24, WEB
I look forward to spring in Texas, as that is when the wildflowers are most prominent. I am not expecting this year to be a very good one. Certain weather is necessary for the wildflowers to bloom, but there are too many anomalies to make an accurate forecast. Some have been good, but others are not so good. As with every wildflower season, there will be spots that are fantastic while others will be slight. We are in the midst of a very long drought, and the ground has not received the rain necessary to begin the growth of our wildflowers. We’ve had a good spurt of cold weather which has excited the peach growers nearby, but without the rain, it is unlikely to be enough for the wildflowers. A man that welcomes guests to visit his poppy covered yard has already said he will not be open this season because he won’t have many poppies.
It has been an extreme winter for many in the United States, very cold and too much precipitation. Today is Groundhog Day, and I’ve seen so many memes warning Punxsutawney Phil that he better not see his shadow. They want this winter to be over. A friend once said, however, “I can’t wait to see whether we will have six more weeks of winter or if spring will come in 42 days.” His joke reminds us that spring will come on March 20th, no matter what a groundhog in Pennsylvania has to say. It doesn’t make sense for Texans to follow a groundhog in Pennsylvania because our weather is so different. We are the lucky ones with an early spring. Texas always sees spring long before the people of western Pennsylvania, our first wildflowers will appear in the next few weeks, but the reality is that spring begins on March 20th for everyone.
The tradition of Groundhog’s Day is associated with the celebration of Candlemas. Candlemas is a special Christian service that celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the temple and the recognition by Simeon and Anna of the divine manifestation in the babe Jesus Christ. It happens on February 2nd, which is traditionally forty days after the end of the Christmas season. It is called Candlemas because in some places people take their candles to be blessed.
Our text for today is just the beginning of the story about Jesus’ presentation at the Temple. Mary and Joseph went to the Temple that day to present their offerings for the cleansing of Mary after the birth of Jesus, a ritual that was required thirty-three days after the circumcision of the child. Jesus was presented as Mary’s firstborn, dedicated to God. Jesus was sent by God with a purpose that everyone involved only barely understood.
Luke goes on to tells us about the encounters of the Holy Family with Simeon and Anna. Simeon was a righteous and devout man who had the Holy Spirit on him. We do not know his age, but he is portrayed as an older man, white haired and wise in appearance. God made a promise to him that he would see the salvation of Israel before he died. One day a couple with a young boy came into the temple to dedicate their son. Simeon saw the boy and knew God had fulfilled his promise. He praised God and said, “Lord, you now dismiss your servant in peace.” Simeon’s purpose was to see the Light, which is Christ, and once he saw Jesus he could rest in peace. We do not know whether Simeon died that day or lived for a time after, but it really does not matter. His story shows us the fulfillment of yet another promise from God that points us to Jesus.
Perhaps in a way Simeon did die that day. The nation of Israel had certain expectations about the type of Messiah that would come to save them. Simeon was in the temple that day, not because he was waiting for the Messiah but because the Holy Spirit led him there. Imagine his thoughts when he realized he was seeing the salvation of God in the flesh of a poor infant child. Could the Messiah, the king of Israel that will bring salvation to the Jews, really be found in such a humble being? What were his expectations of the promise? Did he believe with unwavering faith or did he ask with same question we hear throughout the birth story? “How can this be?”
Anna also knew God’s promises. She never left the temple, spending all her days and nights worshipping and praying. When she saw Mary and Joseph’s child, she praised God and told everyone who was waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises that she had seen the Redeemer. How many did she tell? Why didn’t more people know Jesus was the one for whom they were waiting after the witness of these two people?
There are songs and poems connected to Candlemas which talk of weather traditions. Including this old British proverb, “If Candlemas be fair and bright come, winter, have another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, go, winter, and come not again.” These traditions were carried to the United States by the early immigrants and have continued to this day. That’s why we expect a groundhog in Pennsylvania to give us weather reports. Phil’s record is less than admirable, because no matter what the tradition says, spring will come in due season. He saw his shadow this morning, so those looking forward to the end of this incredible winter will have to wait for six more weeks. For what it is worth, Bee Cave Bob, a Texas armadillo that has been predicting the weather for sixteen years, did not see his shadow, so I guess we will have an early spring. As usual. Maybe we’ll even see a few wildflowers soon.
We anxiously await the predictions of the animals, especially when we’ve suffered a harsh winter, but can we really trust them? Israel had predictions, prophecies, from the Old Testament pointing toward the day the Savior Messiah would come. People like Simeon and Anna were given personal promises that they would see the revelation of the Messiah. They trusted those promises and waited with hope. On the day Jesus was presented at the Temple according to the Law of Moses, they saw the fulfillment of all the promises and praised God that they saw God’s salvation in the flesh and blood of the baby Jesus.
Winter may or may not be past, but it doesn’t really matter in the greater scheme of things. What does matter is that God came seeking those He loves, bringing forgiveness and healing and transformation. He came to make all things new. Like the coming of spring, the coming of Christ ensures new life. We might not be able to depend on the prediction of a groundhog or the weathermen, but in God we can have hope and peace. On Candlemas we remember the divine presence in the Temple, and we look forward to the spring. It will get here when the time is right, just as God comes to us in His time and His way, according to His promises.
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