Today is the meeting of the Lord. Liturgy of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

The Presentation of the Lord is one of the 12 main church holidays that are dedicated to the events of the earthly life of the Savior and the Virgin. The Presentation of the Lord is not a moving holiday and always falls on February 15th. Translated from the Old Slavonic word "sretenie" means "meeting".

The holiday is established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke, which took place on the 40th day after the birth of Christ.

Candlemas

On this day, the Church remembers an important event in the earthly life of Jesus Christ. According to the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a male baby was forbidden to enter the temple of God for 40 days.

After this period, the mother came to the temple with the baby to offer the Lord a thankful and cleansing sacrifice. The Blessed Virgin Mary did not need to be cleansed, but out of deep humility she submitted to the precept of the law.

Icon "Simeon the God-bearer"

And when the Mother of God crossed the threshold of the temple with the baby in her arms, an ancient elder came out to meet her - by the name of Simeon, which in Hebrew means "hearing".

The Gospel of Luke says: "He was a righteous and godly man, looking forward to the comfort of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw the Lord's Christ."

Simeon, according to legend, was one of 72 scribes who, at the behest of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II, translated the Bible from Hebrew into Greek. In the year when the Saint turned 360 years old (according to some sources, about 300 years old), the Holy Spirit led him to the Temple in Jerusalem.

By inspiration from above, the pious elder came to the temple at the time when the Most Holy Theotokos and the righteous Joseph brought the Infant Jesus there to perform the lawful rite.

Simeon realized that the prophecy had been fulfilled and the Infant in Mary's arms was the same long-awaited Messiah, about whom the prophets had been writing for hundreds of years, and now he could die in peace.

The God-bearer took the baby in his arms and, having blessed God, uttered a prophecy about the Savior of the world: “Now you release Your servant, Master, according to Your word in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and glory your people Israel." The Church named him Simeon the God-Receiver and glorified him as a Saint.

The aged widow prophetess Anna, who lived at the Jerusalem temple, also testified to this. The words spoken by Simeon at the moment of the meeting became part of the Orthodox service.

Story

The Presentation of the Lord is one of the oldest holidays of the Christian Church and completes the cycle of Christmas holidays, but despite this, until the 6th century, this holiday was not celebrated so solemnly.

The earliest evidence of the celebration of the Candlemas in the Christian East dates back to the end of the 4th century, and in the West - from the 5th century. Then the Meeting in Jerusalem was not yet an independent holiday, and was called "the fortieth day from Theophany."

Icon of the Presentation, painted in the 16th century

In 528, under the emperor Justinian (527-565), Antioch suffered a disaster - an earthquake, from which many people died. This misfortune was followed by another. In 544, a pestilence appeared, which claimed several thousand people daily.

In these days of nationwide calamity, it was revealed to one of the pious Christians to celebrate the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord more solemnly.

When on the day of the Meeting of the Lord an all-night vigil and a procession were performed, the disasters in Byzantium ceased. In gratitude to God, the Church in 544 established the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord more solemnly and included it among the main holidays.

The Feast of the Presentation has one day of forefeast and seven days of afterfeast. On the second day of the celebration, February 16, the Church celebrates the memory of the righteous Simeon, whom she called the God-Receiver, and Anna the prophetess - the Saints, whose personal spiritual feat, as is known, was directly connected with the events of the Candlemas.

essence

The clergy explain that the essence of the holiday is in the long-awaited and saving meeting, on this day two epochs met, marked by the two Testaments of God and man - the Old and the New.

In the person of Simeon, one of the best people of the passing time, the Old Testament welcomed and worshiped the New Testament, which was to be embodied in the Infant Christ.
The Law of God, given to the Jewish people, meets with the new higher Law of Divine love, brought to the world by our Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact, the whole life of mankind before the coming of the Savior is a long and agonizing expectation of the joy of this meeting, the Meeting of the Lord. And this long-awaited day has come - humanity, in the person of Simeon, clearly recognized and firmly confessed that after many millennia of its self-willed excommunication from God, it had finally met its Creator.

After all, Simeon held in his arms the One Who, by His mysterious will, having transgressed the limits of eternity and omnipotence, “diminished” to the state of a helpless Infant, held God Himself.

This bright holiday is equivalent both for our Lord Christ and for the Virgin Mary.

Traditions

On this day, in addition to the festive liturgy in churches, a religious procession is sometimes held. People give thanks to heaven, and also take candles from the temple to their homes to light them while reading prayers.

According to custom, church candles are consecrated on the day of the Meeting of the Lord. This custom came to the Orthodox Church from the Catholics in 1646. The people believed that candles consecrated on the Presentation of the Lord could protect the house from lightning and fire.

Fresco "The Presentation" of the 18th century

After the holiday, the peasants began many "spring" activities, including driving the cattle from the barn to the paddock, preparing seeds for sowing, whitewashing fruit trees. In addition to housework, festivities were, of course, held in the villages.

The people believed that on February 15, winter and spring meet, as evidenced by many sayings - "at the Candlemas, winter met spring," "on the Candlemas, the sun turned into summer, winter turned to frost."

According to the signs, if the weather is cold on the Presentation of the Lord, then the spring will be cold. If a thaw is expected, then wait for a warm spring. But, be that as it may, and the Meeting is always the joy of parting with winter and the expectation of a new fruitful year.

The last winter frosts and the first spring thaws were called Sretensky.

Simeon's prophecy

The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is associated with the event of the Meeting of the Lord, which is called "Softener of Evil Hearts" or "Simeon's Prophecy".

It symbolizes the fulfillment of the prophecy of the righteous elder Simeon: “Your own weapons will pierce your soul,” which he spoke after he took the Divine Infant in his arms and blessed Saint Joseph and the Most Pure Virgin Mary.

Just as Christ is pierced with nails and a spear, so the soul of the Most Pure One will be struck by a certain “weapon” of sadness and heartache when She sees the suffering of the Son.

Icon of the Meeting. Icon painter Andrey Rublev

This interpretation of Simeon's prophecy became the subject of several "symbolic" icons of the Virgin. All who resort to them with prayer feel how the sufferings of the soul and body are relieved.

The image "Softener of Evil Hearts" comes, presumably, from Southwestern Russia, but there is no historical information about it, or where and when it appeared.

Usually, the icon depicts the Mother of God, whose heart is pierced by seven swords - three on the right and left, and one below. The choice of the image of the sword on the icon is not accidental, since in the human mind it is associated with the shedding of blood.

The number "seven" in Holy Scripture means the "fullness" of something, in this case, the fullness of all that grief, "sorrow and disease of the heart" that the Blessed Virgin endured in Her earthly life.

The celebration of this image takes place on the Sunday of All Saints (on the first Sunday after Trinity).

Prayer

O long-suffering Mother of God, who exalted all the daughters of the earth, according to Your purity and the multitude of sufferings You have transferred to the lands, accept our painful sighs and save us under the shelter of Your mercy. Otherwise, for refuge and warm intercession, don’t you know, but, as if you have boldness to the One who was born of you, help and save us with your prayers, so that we unstoppably reach the Kingdom of Heaven, where with all the saints we will sing in the Trinity to the One God, now and forever and till the end of time. Amen.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

One of the largest and most important Orthodox holidays is the Presentation of the Lord. This is the day dedicated to the meeting of Simeon and Jesus, who was then still a baby. This is what the Gospel of Luke tells about. As can be seen from religious texts, this event took place a month and ten days after the birth of Jesus.

Holiday: when and why?

The Meeting of the Lord with enviable constancy falls on the same day - February 15th. In comparison with many other holidays, there are no shifts here, so it is easy to celebrate this holiday, but it is simply impossible to miss it - after all, this is the day when baby Jesus turned 40 days old. Occasionally it turns out that the holiday falls on a Monday. If such a year falls, and this day is covered by Great Lent (initial week), then the service is postponed for a day, they are held on the 14th day of the second month of the year. However, as you can see, the Orthodox holiday of the Presentation rarely happens precisely under such a coincidence of circumstances.

Meeting - the name that came to us from previous centuries. In Church Slavonic, it means a meeting. It is the meeting that is celebrated when the Candlemas is celebrated. The divine parents set off from Bethlehem to Jerusalem with a baby in their arms and arrived there after forty days of travel. Mary, Joseph was on the threshold of the temple, planning to thank God with a sacrifice, as it was necessary by law, because the baby was their firstborn. When the young parents completed the ceremony and were about to leave the temple, they met with the old man Simeon. There were legends that he was the oldest inhabitant of the city. It is about this meeting that they talk about when they sort out what the holiday of the Presentation means.

Why and why?

Where did this tradition come from, how did the parents of Jesus end up in the temple and what did they do there? To find out the answers to these questions, you need to remember the customs of the ancient Jews. When a child was born in a family, families performed two rituals. If the child was a boy, the mother could not visit the temple for forty days from the moment the baby was born, and in the case of the birth of a girl, this period was twice as long. When the time period prescribed by the rite expired, religion required a cleansing sacrifice, which meant a lamb at the age of one and a dove. The first was a burnt offering, and the second symbolized the farewell to sin. However, the poor family could get by with only two doves. It was precisely the day of the departure of this ceremony that became the moment from which the history of the Feast of the Presentation begins.

Tradition is important!

At the birth of a boy in an ancient Jewish family, forty days later, the parents not only offered sacrifice to God in the temple, but came there with the baby. This was the law of Moses, which was adopted to perpetuate the memory of the exodus from Egypt and the liberation from slavery. Today, it is important to know what kind of holiday, custom - the Meeting of the Lord, not only from the point of view of following religious precepts - this is also the richest historical context. According to religious texts, Jesus was born of an immaculate conception, and yet his parents decided to sacrifice in honor of established traditions. Since Jesus' parents were poor, they brought doves to the temple.

Simeon the God-bearer

As can be seen from the religious texts that tell what the day of the Presentation means, Simeon had already lived for more than three centuries at the time of the meeting with the divine baby. In his city, he was one of the most respected residents, one of the seven dozen most enlightened scientists. He participated in the translation of the Holy Scriptures into Greek. It is known what date the Meeting is: February 15th. On this day, modern man finds himself in the temple to honor the meeting that happened many centuries ago, when Simeon came to the temple under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, just as not by chance.

In ancient times, when looking at the book of Isaiah, Simeon learned that a certain virgin would one day give birth to a Son. Of course, Simeon doubted that such a thing was possible, and when translating, he corrected the word for “woman.” The angel, who appeared to Simeon, pointed out the mistake he had made and ordered to correct the inaccuracy, at the same time promising that during his lifetime Simeon would be convinced that the phrases he had read were prophetic. What is a Candlemas? This is a holiday dedicated to the meeting, which confirmed the truth of the biblical texts for those who once doubted them.

Change of eras

The world has known about the Presentation since that old year, when Joseph and Mary came to the temple to bring the traditional sacrifice. On that day, the prophecy was fulfilled, and Simeon finally got the opportunity to die in peace, tired of a long and useful life. Before his death, the elder was able to hold the divine Son in his arms, and the meeting with the baby filled him with happiness.

As can be learned from the manuscripts preserved from Bishop Theophan the Recluse and telling, among other things, what the Meeting is and why this day is so important for an Orthodox person, Simeon symbolized the former era, the Old Testament. Moreover, Simeon is a symbol of humanity. As the illustrious bishop noted, the meeting of the old man and the baby symbolizes changes in the world: the old gives way to the new, Christianity rules the world. When asked what the Candlemas is, one can safely answer: one of the most important symbolic Christian holidays known since ancient times. The gospel story has been preserved in the memory and heart of every believer, and reminders of it can be heard in Orthodox worship.

Anna the prophetess

The day, which remained in the memory for centuries as the Meeting, was important not only for the meeting of the old man and the baby, the meeting of eras that succeed each other: in the same temple, the Mother of God collided with her daughter Phanuilova, who was already 84 years old, as religious texts say. In her city, she was known as Anna the Prophetess, as she spoke with inspiration about the divine. Anna spent many years working at the temple, Luke also tells about her in his Gospel: night and day, with prayers, fasting, Anna served God.

Having met Mary, Anna knelt before the divine baby, after which she left the temple, spreading the news that the Messiah had come everywhere. It was Anna who told the world that the savior of Israel had come. The family of Jesus meanwhile directed their steps to Nazareth, having performed all the rites laid down according to the laws in force at that time.

Candlemas: a significant holiday

Unfortunately, today even zealous followers of Christianity do not always understand what is the great meaning of the celebration of the Candlemas. This day symbolizes the meeting with the Lord God. Anna, Simeon were the first to kneel before the divine, and their names have been preserved for centuries in sacred texts. It was they who set an example for all mankind, showing how to accept the Lord. They showed: only an open, pure heart is a worthy reception of the divine.

Candlemas is a majestic, iconic, important Christian holiday, closely connected with the stories told by the New Testament. Almost every one of our compatriots at least once was in the temple, which symbolizes the house of God on sinful earth, but you can meet Christ if you come to the divine house on the fortieth day after Christmas - at the Presentation.

Meeting: what to do

Those customs that are known to modern man did not always exist. Today, almost everyone knows that a church candle needs to be consecrated at the Candlemas, but few people think that this ceremony has existed not so long ago - only since 1646. Orthodox Christians adopted it from the Catholic branch. It was in this year that the breviary of Peter Mohyla, who in that year held the office of Metropolitan of Kyiv, was first published. The edition compiled by him contained a clear description of the Catholic ranks, from here people could learn how to properly organize religious processions. It was Peter Mogila who mentioned the lit lamps.

The ritual traces its history back to ancient times. It is known that among the Celts it was customary to celebrate Imbolc, among the Romans Lupercalia, and among the Slavic peoples - Gromnica. It so happened that the Candlemas fell on the same period and also became an important ritual festival. By the way, after the transition of the Poles to Christianity in this area, the Sretenye was still called according to the old habit, although the name was slightly changed: the Loud Mother of God. This name is reminiscent of the ancient myths about the Thunderer and the divine wife. Ordinary people believed that candles lit at the Candlemas would help protect the house from fire and lightning.

Holiday: reflection in the people

Like any other important religious holiday, Candlemas played a significant role for the common people. This can be seen from the numerous sayings, signs that have survived to this day. It was believed that Candlemas is the turning point in the calendar, when spring meets winter. This can be reflected, for example, in the saying that when the sun turns to summer, winter changes to frosty.

The meeting for the common people was an important day, when peasant life also turned to the summer: it was necessary to start preparing for the new agricultural season. In the old days, the broad masses had a lot of spring affairs: they prepared for cattle pasture, prepared seeds, whitened tree trunks. On the Candlemas, they looked at what kind of spring to expect: if the weather turned out to be cold, it means that the flowering of nature will also have to be cool. But the thaw at the Sretenie predicted a warm spring.

The promise comes true

To some extent, Candlemas is a celebration of promises coming true. As one can learn from the most important religious texts, even to the progenitors of mankind, Eve and Adam, God said that one day he would send a Savior. Candlemas is the day when the promised became a reality. From this celebration, every Orthodox Christian learns that the promise must be fulfilled in full, and also realizes that the promise of the Lord comes true - sooner or later. In addition, as can be seen from the religious stories associated with the Presentation of the Lord, God can meet only those who themselves strive for the truth, who yearn for it. This is exactly what Simeon was like, who was the first to meet the baby of God in the temple, because, as can be seen from the Gospel, this elder came to earth in order to fulfill the truth.

Meeting - the celebration of deliverance from unrighteousness, lawlessness, injustice. On this day, humanity receives repentance from the Lord, is rewarded with saving fruits. Simeon, one of the main characters of the Holy Scripture dedicated to the Candlemas, was pious, led a righteous life, had an enlightened spirit. There are currently only twelve of the most important Christian Orthodox holidays, and Candlemas is one of them.

Time to rejoice!

It is known that in ancient times the Slavs included in the word “meeting” not only the meaning of “meeting”, but also denoted by it a joyful state. Therefore, we can safely say that the Meeting is the day when it is necessary to rejoice at the first meeting of Jesus and Simeon. It is known that some church services currently practiced are called upon to remind the flock of the events that happened to Christ during his stay on sinful earth. Candlemas is one of these most important days of the calendar.

It is known from biblical texts that Christ assured mankind: the purpose of his coming was not at all to violate the prophetic laws, but to fulfill the promise. And to some extent, the arrival of the baby in the temple on the fortieth day after birth was a reflection of this fact. At the same time, modern church leaders pay attention: the woman who gave birth to the Source of Purity was pure herself, it simply cannot be otherwise. In fact, she did not need to make a cleansing sacrifice, because the baby was born as a result of an immaculate conception and there was no filth in the woman. Nevertheless, as can be seen from the scriptures, Mary is a humble woman who carefully observes all the laws prescribed for her.

Purity and truth

Mary and Joseph came with the baby to the temple to stand in the place of purification, but, as the sacred texts say, the prophet Zechariah addressed them and said that Mary should be in the community of girls, because the conception was immaculate. The Pharisees and scribes were dissatisfied with this behavior of Father John the Baptist, but Zechariah was able to explain that an immaculate virgin came to them, who gave birth to a baby according to divine providence, which makes her higher than any other virgin. The way the family of the baby Jesus behaved will become an example for the son of Zacharias in the future, who will call on mankind to “fulfill all righteousness”, because they presented the sacrifice laid according to the rites, although they should not have done it. This shows that Mary, Joseph, according to divine providence, put the law in the first place and observed it unquestioningly, as it should be for any conscientious person.

Truth and Commitment

Significant and interesting is the following text of the biblical scripture, connected with the meaning of the celebration of the Candlemas: Simeon turned to the Mother of God, informing her that the baby is the savior promised by God, in whom everyone should believe. If someone does not believe in divine sermons and rises in revolt, he will fall. Simeon also predicted a great strife in mankind, because others will say that the Savior is good, while others will consider him a deceiver. Simeon also foretold the great sorrow that would pierce a mother's heart when Jesus was crucified.

You can meet the feast of the Presentation. And for some, the question may immediately arise as to what the Candlemas is. What events gave rise to it? The Presentation of the Lord is one of the most revered Twelfth Christian holidays. Events related to the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary are venerated. The Feast of the Presentation is a non-transitory holiday, and it is customary to celebrate it on February 15th. The word "sretenie" is translated from Church Slavonic as "meeting".

The Day of the Meeting determined the point of time when the Old Testament met the New Testament - the ancient world with the world of Christianity. All this happened thanks to one person, in the Gospel this has a special place. However, let's start in order. The Gospel of Luke says that the Presentation of the Lord took place exactly 40 days after

There is a very interesting fact related to the answer to the question of what date the meeting is. In 528, there was a strong earthquake in Antioch, and many people died. Then in the same lands (in 544) an epidemic of pestilence arose, and people began to die by the thousands. In these days of terrible disasters, providence was revealed to one pious Christian, so that the people would celebrate the Feast of the Meeting more solemnly. And then on that day an all-night vigil (public service) and a religious procession were held. And only then did these terrible disasters in Christian Byzantium stop. Then the Church, in gratitude to God, established the Meeting of the Lord to be celebrated on February 15 solemnly and reverently.

history of the holiday

At that time, the Jews had two traditions that were associated with the birth of a baby in the family. A woman after childbirth was forbidden to come at 40 days, if a boy was born, and if a girl, then all 80. At the end of the term, the woman in labor had to bring a cleansing sacrifice to the Temple. For a burnt offering and for the atonement of sins, they brought a young lamb and a dove. A poor family sacrificed another dove instead of a lamb.

On the 40th day, the parents of a newborn boy had to come with him to the Temple in order to perform the sacrament of consecration to God. And this was not a simple tradition, but the law of Moses, established in memory of the liberation of the Jews from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt. And now we come to the most important Gospel event, which will explain in detail what the Candlemas is.

Mary and Joseph arrived in Jerusalem from Bethlehem. In their arms was the Divine Infant. Their family lived in poverty, so they sacrificed two doves. The Most Pure Theotokos, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result, still brought the required sacrifice with meekness, humility and great respect for Jewish laws.

Now, when the ceremony was completed and the Holy Family was about to leave the Temple, then an old man named Simeon approached them. It was a great righteous man. Taking the Divine Infant in his hands, he exclaimed with great joy: “Now you release Your servant, Master, according to Your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation…”

Simeon

At the time of the meeting with the Infant Christ, Elder Simeon was over 300 years old. He was a very revered and respected man, one of 72 scholars who were commissioned to translate the Gospel from Hebrew into Greek. On this Sabbath day, it was not by chance that he ended up in this Temple, because it was the Holy Spirit that brought him here.

Once, a very long time ago, Simeon began translating the book of the prophet Isaiah, he was very surprised when he read such words incomprehensible to his mind: “Behold the Virgin in the womb will receive and give birth to a Son.” Then he thought to himself that a virgin could not give birth, and he wanted to change the word "Virgo" to "Geno". Suddenly, an Angel from Heaven appeared and forbade him to do this, and also told him that until he saw the Lord Jesus with his own eyes, he would not die, and that the prophecy was true.

"Now let go"

From that moment on, he had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and finally the prophecy of the Angel came true - Simeon saw the Baby, whom the Immaculate Virgin gave birth to. Now he could rest in peace. The church called Simeon the God-bearer, and he became famous as a saint.

Later, Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote that from the moment of the Meeting, the Old Testament gives way to Christianity. Now this gospel story is mentioned every day in Christian worship - "The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver", or in another way - "Now you let go."

Simeon's predictions

Simeon, taking the Infant of the Most Pure Virgin in his hands, said to her: “Behold, because of Him they will argue among the people: some will be saved, while others will perish. And to You Yourself the weapon will pierce the soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

What did he mean? It turns out that disputes among the people mean the persecution prepared for Her son, the opening of thoughts - the Judgment of God, the weapon that will pierce Her heart - the prophecy of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, because he died from nails and a spear that went through the mother's heart with terrible pain.

The icon of the Mother of God "Softener of Evil Hearts" became a vivid illustration of Simeon's prophecy. Icon painters depicted the Mother of God standing on a cloud with seven swords stuck in her heart.

Prophetess Anna

Another important event happened that day, and another meeting happened. The 84-year-old Elder Anna the Prophetess approached the Mother of God, as the townspeople called her. She worked and lived at the temple and was pious, as she was in constant fasting and prayer. Anna bowed to the Christ Child, left the Temple and began to tell all the townspeople the great news that the Messiah had come into the world. In the meantime, Joseph and Mary with the Child, having fulfilled everything that was supposed to be according to the law of Moses, returned to Nazareth.

Now it is clear what the Presentation is? After all, the Meeting is a meeting with the Savior. The names of Elder Simeon and Anna the Prophetess are inscribed in the Holy Scriptures; they gave us an example, since they accepted the Lord with a pure and open heart. After meeting with the Divine Infant Jesus, Simeon went to the forefathers.

Feast of the Presentation

The Presentation of the Lord is an ancient holiday in Christianity. In the 4th-5th centuries, the first Sretensky sermons were delivered by the people, take, for example, Saints Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory the Theologian, and Gregory of Nyssa.

Some are interested in the question of what date the Candlemas. In the church calendar, an invariable place is occupied by the Feast of the Presentation, which is always celebrated on February 15th. But if the date of the Presentation of the Lord falls on Monday of the first week of Great Lent, which can also be, then the festive service is postponed to February 14th.

Answering the question about what the Meeting is, first of all it must be said that this is a holiday dedicated to the Lord Jesus. In the first centuries it was the day of honoring the Virgin. Therefore, anyone who calls this holiday the Theotokos will also be partly right. After all, according to the structure of worship on this day, conversions in prayers and hymns to the Mother of God occupy a central position. This duality of the feast of the Candlemas also influenced the color of the clothes worn by the clergy during the service. White color has become a symbol of Divine light, blue - the purity and purity of the Mother of God.

Candles. Candlemas

The tradition to sanctify on the feast of the Presentation came to Orthodoxy from the Catholics. In 1646, Metropolitan of Kyiv Peter Mohyla described this Catholic rite in great detail in his breviary, when a religious procession was arranged, which was a procession with torches. Thus the Roman Church distracted her flock from the pagan traditions associated with the worship of fire.

But in the Chita region there is the city of Sretensk, named after this Great holiday.

In some other countries, Orthodox Youth Day is celebrated on this day, approved in 1992 by the heads of local Orthodox churches. This idea belongs to the World Orthodox Youth Movement "Syndesmos".

Plots of icons

The Icon of the Presentation illustrates the plot of the story from the evangelist Luke, where the Pious Virgin Mary gives her baby Jesus to the elder Simeon in the hands. Behind the Mother of God is Joseph the Betrothed, who carries a cage with two doves. And behind Simeon is Anna the prophetess.

One of the oldest images can be found in the mosaic of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, which was created at the beginning of the 5th century. On it you can see how the Holy Virgin Mary with the Divine Infant in her arms goes to Saint Simeon, and at this time she is accompanied by angels.

The Orthodox Meeting in Russia was depicted on two frescoes of the 12th century. The first is located in the St. Cyril's Church in Kyiv. The second icon of the Presentation is in Novgorod, in the Church of the Savior on Nerditsa. There is a rather unusual depiction of the Meeting on icons in medieval Georgian art, where instead of an altar, a symbol of sacrifice to the Lord is depicted - a burning candle.

The icon of the Blessed Mary "Softener of evil hearts" (in another way it has the name "Simeon's prophecy", "Seven-shooter") is associated with the events of the Candlemas. In this icon, sharp arrows pierce the heart of the Mother of God standing on a cloud, three arrows on one side and the other and one from below. But there is an icon where the Mother of God is pierced by a dagger, not arrows.

These icons symbolize the prophecy of the holy elder Simeon the God-Receiver, which he made after meeting with the Mother of God and her Child.

Believers always turn to these icons with prayer. When the heart is softened, not only their bodily, but also mental suffering is relieved. They know that if you pray before the image of the Virgin for your enemies, then the hostile feeling will gradually fade away and anger will disappear, giving way to mercy and kindness.

Among the Orthodox holidays, you can meet the Feast of the Presentation. And for some, the question may immediately arise as to what the Candlemas is. What events gave rise to it? The Presentation of the Lord is one of the most revered Twelfth Christian holidays. Events related to the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary are venerated. The Feast of the Presentation is a non-transitory holiday, and it is customary to celebrate it on February 15th. The word "sr?tenie" from Church Slavonic is translated as "meeting".

The Day of the Meeting determined the point in time when the Old Testament met the New Testament - the ancient world with the world of Christianity. All this happened thanks to one person, in the Gospel this has a special place. However, let's start in order. The Gospel of Luke says that the Presentation of the Lord took place exactly 40 days after the Nativity of Christ.

history of the holiday

At that time, the Jews had two traditions that were associated with the birth of a baby in the family. After giving birth, a woman was forbidden to come to the Jerusalem Temple for 40 days, if a boy was born, and if a girl, then all 80. At the end of the period, the woman in labor had to bring a cleansing sacrifice to the Temple. For a burnt offering and for the atonement of sins, they brought a young lamb and a dove. A poor family sacrificed another dove instead of a lamb.

Mary and Joseph arrived in Jerusalem from Bethlehem. In their arms was the Divine Infant. Their family lived in poverty, so they sacrificed two doves. The Most Pure Theotokos, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of an immaculate conception, still brought the proper sacrifice with meekness, humility and great respect for Jewish laws.

Simeon

"Now let go"

From that moment on, he had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and finally the prophecy of the Angel came true - Simeon saw the Baby, who was born by the Immaculate Virgin. Now he could rest in peace. The church called Simeon the God-bearer, and he became famous as a saint.

Later, Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote that from the moment of the Meeting, the Old Testament gives way to Christianity. Now, this gospel story is mentioned every day in Christian worship - "The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver", or in another way - "Now you let go."

Simeon's predictions

Simeon, taking the Infant of the Most Pure Virgin in his hands, said to her: “Behold, because of Him they will argue among the people: some will be saved, while others will perish. And to You Yourself, weapons will pierce the soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

Prophetess Anna

Feast of the Presentation

Candles. Candlemas

The tradition of blessing church candles on the feast of the Meeting came to Orthodoxy from Catholics. In 1646, Metropolitan of Kyiv Peter Mohyla described this Catholic rite in great detail in his breviary, when a religious procession was arranged, which was a procession with torches. Thus the Roman Church distracted her flock from the pagan traditions associated with the worship of fire.

In the Orthodox Church, Sretensky candles were treated with special reverence and reverence. These candles were kept throughout the year and used during home prayer.

The tradition of celebrating the Candlemas

As a result, the tradition of celebrating the Christian Orthodox Candlemas was mixed with pagan rites. With the meeting of Simeon with the Holy Family, another calendar analogy was found. The Day of the Meeting became a celebration of the meeting of winter with spring. People celebrate the Candlemas with all sorts of omens. For example, there are various sayings such as: “on Candlemas the sun turned to summer, winter turned to frost”, “on Candlemas winter meets spring”, etc. The first thaws or frosts were called Sretensky. On the Candlemas, signs tell whether the heat will come soon or whether it will be cold for a long time.

Having celebrated the Feast of the Presentation with festivities, the peasants began to prepare for spring. The cattle was sent from the barn to the paddock, the seeds were prepared for sowing, whitewashed trees, etc.

It is interesting that in the USA and Canada the Candlemas holiday is celebrated on February 2 and another well-known holiday is timed to coincide with it - Groundhog Day.

But in the Chita region there is the city of Sretensk, named after this Great holiday.

In some other countries, Orthodox Youth Day is celebrated on this day, approved in 1992 by the heads of local Orthodox churches. This idea belongs to the World Orthodox Youth Movement "Syndesmos".

Plots of icons

These icons symbolize the prophecy of the holy elder Simeon the God-Receiver, which he made after meeting with the Mother of God and her Child.

On February 15, the Church celebrates the twelfth feast - the Presentation of the Lord. The date of this holiday is unchanged and tied to Christmas. The word "sretenie" means "meeting".

On the feast of the Meeting of the Lord, the Church commemorates an important event in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2:22-40). On the 40th day after his birth, the Divine Infant was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem, the center of the religious life of God's chosen people. According to the law of Moses (Lev. 12), a woman who gave birth to a male baby was forbidden to enter the temple of God for 40 days. After this period, the mother came to the temple with the baby to offer the Lord a thankful and cleansing sacrifice. The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, had no need for purification, for she unskillfully gave birth to the Source of purity and holiness, but out of deep humility She obeyed the precept of the law.

At that time the righteous elder Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He had a revelation that he would not die until he saw Christ the Savior. By inspiration from above, the pious elder came to the temple at the time when the Most Holy Theotokos and the righteous Joseph brought the Infant Jesus there to perform the lawful rite. The God-bearer Simeon took the God-child in his arms, and having blessed God, he uttered a prophecy about the Savior of the world: “Now you release Your servant, Lord, according to Your word in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32). Righteous Simeon said to the Blessed Virgin: "Behold, this lies for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for the subject of controversy, and a weapon will pierce the soul to Thee, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:35).

In the temple there was also the 84-year-old widow Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, “who did not leave the temple, serving God day and night with fasting and prayer. deliverance in Jerusalem" (Luke 2:37-38).

Before the birth of Christ, all righteous men and women lived by faith in the Coming Messiah, the Savior of the world, and expected His coming. The last righteous of the outgoing Old Testament - the righteous Simeon and Anna the prophetess - were honored to meet in the temple the Bearer of the New Testament, in Whose Person Divinity and humanity had already met.

holiday icon

In the center of the icon of the Presentation is the Mother of God and the elder Simeon, carefully, with his hands wrapped in clothes, accepting the infant Christ. To the right of Simeon, the prophetess Anna is depicted, just like him, who was waiting for the arrival of the Savior. To the left of the Mother of God is Joseph, in whose hands is a cage with doves - a sacrifice for purification after the birth of a child.

The red veil over the buildings of the temple on the icons traditionally symbolizes that the action takes place indoors.

The Feast of the Presentation is celebrated on the 40th day after Christmas, since on the 40th day the time for the purification of a woman after childbirth ended and according to the law she had to offer a sacrifice of purification. In Orthodoxy, this custom is reflected in the "prayers for the fortieth day" read over the mother of the child.

Righteous Joseph holds in his hands a basket with two doves.

first dove- a sacrifice for the firstborn, laid down according to the law of Moses. When the angel of the Lord came down to earth and killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt, he did not touch the children of those who, according to Moses' instructions, marked their door with the blood of a lamb. In remembrance of this event, all the first-born males were to be consecrated to God, and for them it was supposed to bring to God a symbolic "substitute" sacrifice - a dove.

second dove- a sacrifice of purification and thanksgiving after the birth of a child, which was supposed to be brought to Mary, the Mother of Christ.

Sacrifice for the firstborn is also closely connected with the celebration of the Jewish Passover. As at the time of the flight from Egypt, the Jews every year at Passover ate a specially prepared Passover lamb, the blood of which saved their firstborn from death.

Easter lamb- this is the image of Christ, who accepted death for all the firstborn of the world. Thus, the Feast of the Candlemas refers us directly to the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, “the firstborn from the dead,” as is sung in the Easter hymn.

The blue color of the clothes of the Mother of God means innocence and purity. Candlemas cannot be attributed to either the master's or the Mother of God Twelve Feasts. For example, the decoration of the temple and the clothes of the clergy for the Presentation of the "Mother of God" blue color. This symbolism leads its continuity from the main holidays in the Jerusalem temple, during which the high priest put on blue clothes.

Elder Simeon, according to legend, he was one of 70 "interpreters" who translated the books of Holy Scripture into Greek in the 3rd century by order of the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy II. Tradition says that he, translating a line from the book of the prophet Isaiah, "Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and give birth to a Son" (Is 7 :14) doubted how a virgin could give birth, and wanted to translate "virgin" as "young woman", which fully allows for the ambiguity of the corresponding word in the Hebrew text of the Bible. Then an angel appeared to him and promised that Simeon would not die until he himself saw the Virgin and the Savior of Israel born from her.

"Septuagint"- translation of the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament into Greek, performed by 70 interpreters, one of whom, according to legend, was the elder Simeon. The Septuagint, along with other later manuscripts, formed the basis of the Christian canon of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, approved by the Council of Laodicea in 360.

Taking Christ in his arms, Simeon uttered the words transmitted to us verbatim by the Evangelist Luke: “Now you release Your servant, Master, according to Your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel." We hear this prayer in the church at every vespers, in Church Slavonic it begins with the words "Now let go...".

When Mary came to the altar, the elder predicted that Her Infant Himself to become the atoning victim of the crime of Adam and Eve. She will also become a witness to His atoning sacrifice and her soul "will pass through the weapon."

Metropolitan Hilarion's film "The Presentation of the Lord". Neofit Studio

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