Does anyone see the devil at work mocking Christ in

[pollycarp]

Groundhog Day? Mocking the Presentation of Christ? It is always on the feast of the Presentation, Feb. 2. A special little groundhog emerges, is presented to the officials and the people, and a prophecy is made. Only the prophecy is about the weather, and everyone has fun and the officials make money I daresay.

I just think it’s another reason to kill your television. Last month I watched only EWTN for two weeks, got my news from the internet, and it was quite nice actually. The devil is so subtle when he works his evil, and he uses the media well. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Kithrus]

Groundhog Day? Mocking the Presentation of Christ? It is always on the feast of the Presentation, Feb. 2. A special little groundhog emerges, is presented to the officials and the people, and a prophecy is made. Only the prophecy is about the weather, and everyone has fun and the officials make money I daresay.

I just think it’s another reason to kill your television. Last month I watched only EWTN for two weeks, got my news from the internet, and it was quite nice actually. The devil is so subtle when he works his evil, and he uses the media well. Just my humble opinion.

If you spend all your time looking for the devil/evil you will find it even where there was no devil/evil.
Groundhog day was made refrence to an old poem that went something like this:

If Candle mas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

There was also a german folk tale that the ground hog peeps out this time of year to see how the weather is shaping up. the two I suppose kinda collided.

There was a time I was like you, bitter about Halloween, Christmas, Valentines day, Groundhog Day, Easter ect… but its not that important.

What is important is that you have a story to tell your children about how the holiday got started. Frankly many catholic holidays were imposed onto pagan ritual days to snuff out their meaning. (look it up). Jesus for example was born in mid summer, the church moved it onto the solstices for frankly rather intolerant reasons. It wasn’t the best PR stunt we ever pulled but your okay with that?

A good catholic is so comfortable with his/her religion that unless your neighbor is sacrificing babies you really shouldn’t care.

Why should you? How about you remember the day the way your supposed to and stop going demon hunting…

 

[pollycarp]

If you spend all your time looking for the devil/evil you will find it even where there was no devil/evil.
Groundhog day was made refrence to an old poem that went something like this:

If Candle mas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

There was also a german folk tale that the ground hog peeps out this time of year to see how the weather is shaping up. the two I suppose kinda collided.

There was a time I was like you, bitter about Halloween, Christmas, Valentines day, Groundhog Day, Easter ect… but its not that important.

What is important is that you have a story to tell your children about how the holiday got started. Frankly many catholic holidays were imposed onto pagan ritual days to snuff out their meaning. (look it up). Jesus for example was born in mid summer, the church moved it onto the solstices for frankly rather intolerant reasons. It wasn’t the best PR stunt we ever pulled but your okay with that?

A good catholic is so comfortable with his/her religion that unless your neighbor is sacrificing babies you really shouldn’t care.

Why should you? How about you remember the day the way your supposed to and stop going demon hunting…

I’m not bitter about anything, are you? There is a difference in the way you and I look at things, and I’m staying with mine. I do not spend all my time looking for the devil, but I do see evil in the world, and I’m not interested in folk tales or silly poems. You remember the day the way you’re supposed to also.

 

[JRKH]

Never saw any connection…

Peace
James

 

[ProdglArchitect]

I just see it as one more in a myriad of secular celebrations that are embraced by Catholics the world over…

 

[Ohana]

Well yeah, but not on account of groundhogs day. Besides, I would rather spend my time growing closer to God.

 

[celtic_catholic_1]

Yeah…No.
I mean, the Devil mocks Christ all over the place, but I don’t think that Groundhog day is part of it.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

My concern would be that seeing the devil everywhere desensitizes one from seeing those places where he is most at work.

 

[Kithrus]

I’m not bitter about anything, are you?

Yes you are.

There is a difference in the way you and I look at things, and I’m staying with mine.

Truth is all that matters and in this case you asked a question so your getting the truth. You don’t get to cope out when someone disagrees with you. That kinda of mentality if you had it (least the healthy version) then you wouldn’t have made this thread.

I do not spend all my time looking for the devil, but I do see evil in the world, and I’m not interested in folk tales or silly poems.

In your first post you made it quite clear you were pointing out ‘the devil at work’. This requires a mentality that has the willingness to look at events casually and say ‘this is corrupted’. One doesn’t normally do this and by pointing out that you were wrong and showing you that there was nothing in error with groundhog day and your reaction to how defensive you are on you point of view speaks volumes.

Don’t come onto a public forum/stage and expect no one to pick your point to pieces. If you honestly expect us to answer your narrow question you presented with your mind set its not going to happen. You either except that people can present you with facts that can shake your perception of truth or don’t bother.

You remember the day the way you’re supposed to also.

Which frankly as I said before neither way is morally wrong. If you didn’t care how people celebrated feb 2nd you would not have started this thread.

My concern would be that seeing the devil everywhere desensitizes one from seeing those places where he is most at work.

I love you

 

[Lion_of_Narnia]

Actually, I’ve read quite compelling arguments that Groundhog Day is an allegory of the doctrine of Purgatory.

 

[SKWill]

Actually, I’ve read quite compelling arguments that Groundhog Day is an allegory of the doctrine of Purgatory.

I don’t think Pollycarp is complaining about Groundhog Day the movie, but is complaining about “Groundhog Day” the actual holiday.

 

[TomD123]

Groundhog Day? Mocking the Presentation of Christ? It is always on the feast of the Presentation, Feb. 2. A special little groundhog emerges, is presented to the officials and the people, and a prophecy is made. Only the prophecy is about the weather, and everyone has fun and the officials make money I daresay.

I just think it’s another reason to kill your television. Last month I watched only EWTN for two weeks, got my news from the internet, and it was quite nice actually. The devil is so subtle when he works his evil, and he uses the media well. Just my humble opinion.

I think this attitude can be problematic. When we start to see the devil in everything, we become cynical and I think it can be a temptation to pride on our part ( I am not accusing you just warning what this could become)

What I mean is that we should stand up for the truth by trusting the Church and then acting on it. So abortion, contracpetion,divorce, lack of respect for clergy, heresy, whatever sins exist in our culture we should fight against with humility, prudence, and charity. Always in charity!

But when the Church makes no condemnation, we start to rely on our own fallible judgment. When there is no specific sin somewhere in a mostly innocent (and might I add unimportant) holiday we can become tempted towards pride because its easy to make ourselves feel oh so holy “I am better than all because I recognize the evils in groundhog day! yes I know its simple but the devil is subtle and I can see it!” This attitude is dangerous. Much better to look at the subtle ways the devil is after our own souls. Much better too look at how the culture is crumbling before the devil because we murder unborn and mock the Church directly before we start to worry if there is some minor problem at work in a simple holiday barely mentioned and that the Church has never condemned.
Just my opinion

My concern would be that seeing the devil everywhere desensitizes one from seeing those places where he is most at work.

^THIS IS SO VERY TRUE

 

[pollycarp]

I don’t think Pollycarp is complaining about Groundhog Day the movie, but is complaining about “Groundhog Day” the actual holiday.

Yes I was. It is Feb. after all. Movies aren’t the first thing that come to my mind every day.
I just thought it was interesting and I don’t think people believe in the devil enough these days. I certainly never hear any preaching about it locally. So here I get accused of seeing the devil under every rock, and being prone to pride. I feel like I got put on trial. How do you delete a thread, I’m truly sorry I shared the thought.

 

[Jade_Tiger]

Come on… are you serious? The Devil surely has better (worse) things to do! How many people have been led away from Christ because of Groundhog Day? Not everything in this world is evil.

 

[johnnyjones]

Groundhog Day? Mocking the Presentation of Christ? It is always on the feast of the Presentation, Feb. 2. A special little groundhog emerges, is presented to the officials and the people, and a prophecy is made. Only the prophecy is about the weather, and everyone has fun and the officials make money I daresay.

I just think it’s another reason to kill your television. Last month I watched only EWTN for two weeks, got my news from the internet, and it was quite nice actually. The devil is so subtle when he works his evil, and he uses the media well. Just my humble opinion.

God has taken many pageon days of recognition and turned them to a better purpose. Groundhog Day, although derived from a poem, is no exception. Many times it is the meaning your pour into something that makes it what it is. “Behold, I make all things new.”

Of course evil exists and tries to gain a foot hold constantly, but this can be combated. Think how the church took a pageon tree that was worshipped and concecrated it to God.

 

[Cat]

Groundhogs are cute.

C’mon, now. Don’t take things so seriously.

I live in Northern Illinois, and earlier today, I tried to drive up to Madison to see my father who is dying of cancer, but I had to turn around and come back because of heavy snow and ice. It was pretty sad.

I’m frankly sick of winter, and I’m not alone. I like snow and cold, but right about now, I’m ready for some warmth, and I’m tired of tramping salt through my house and wearing big clutsy boots and dressing in layers everytime I walk out of the house.

Groundhog Day is just a cute little diversion to help all of us winter-weary people remember that spring will be here sooner than we think! IMO, Groundhog Day is an analogy of Christianity because when we become weary of this world, we always need to remember that we have the hope of heaven, and that Jesus will come again.

I guess it’s just a question of how you look at things. Half full or half empty.

 

[jimmy]

If this is what we learn by being Christians, then I can understand why atheists think we are stupid. You make more people into atheists with ideas like this.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Actually, I’ve read quite compelling arguments that Groundhog Day is an allegory of the doctrine of Purgatory.

I watched the film last week again and the same thing crossed my mind. He is stuck in that day until he changes and becomes a decent guy. Layers of nastiness are shed while he is stuck there and finally his true self emerges. I think the strory is very funny and quite beautiful in a way.

And no, I don’t see the devil at work in that film.