What does the word "meeting" mean and why is this holiday considered one of the main ones among the Orthodox?
Easter, Christmas, Trinity, Palm Sunday- these church holidays are known, perhaps, by everyone. And on February 15, the Orthodox celebrate the Great Meeting. On this day, the events described in the Gospel of Luke are remembered - the meeting of the baby Jesus with the elder Simeon in the Jerusalem temple on the fortieth day after Christmas.
When is the Presentation Celebrated?
The meeting always falls on February 15th. And it never moves, unlike many church holidays. The meeting took place 40 days after the birth of Christ. If the Meeting falls on the Monday of the first week of Great Lent, which happens very rarely, the festive service is postponed to the previous day - February 14.
What does the word "meeting" mean?
Meeting is translated from Church Slavonic as "meeting". This holiday describes a meeting that took place on the fortieth day after the birth of Christ. Mary and Joseph arrived from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. With the 40-day-old God-Infant in their arms, they stepped on the threshold of the Temple to bring the thanksgiving sacrifice established by the law to God for the firstborn. After the ceremony, they already wanted to leave the temple. But then they were approached by an ancient old man who was considered the oldest person in Jerusalem, by the name of Simeon.
Why did Mary and Joseph arrive at the temple with the 40-day-old Divine Infant?
At that time, with the birth of a child in the family, the Jews had two traditions. A woman after giving birth could not appear in the Jerusalem temple for forty days if she gave birth to a boy. If a daughter was born in the family, then 80 days had to pass. As soon as the term expired, the mother should bring a cleansing sacrifice to the temple. It included a burnt offering - a one-year-old lamb and a sacrifice for the remission of sins - a dove. If the family was poor, then instead of the lamb, a dove could be brought.
In addition, if a boy was born in the family, then the mother and father would come to the temple on the fortieth day with the newborn for the rite of dedication to God. It was not just a tradition, but the law of Moses: the Jews established it in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - the liberation from four centuries of slavery.
Despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of an immaculate conception, the family, out of respect for Jewish law, decided to make a sacrifice. Two doves became the cleansing sacrifice of Mary and Joseph - the family was not rich.
Who is Simeon the God-Receiver?
According to legend, at the time of his meeting with Christ, Simeon was over 300 years old. He was a respected man, one of 72 scholars assigned to translate the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew to Greek. It was no coincidence that the elder was in the church - he was led by the Holy Spirit. Once upon a time Simeon translated the book of the prophet Isaiah and saw the mysterious words: "Behold the Virgin in her womb will receive and give birth to a Son." The scientist doubted that a virgin, that is, a virgin, could give birth, and decided to correct "Virgo" to "Wife" (woman). But an angel appeared to him and forbade him to do this. He also said that Simeon would not die until he was personally convinced that the prophecy was true.
On the day when Mary and Joseph came to the temple with the baby in their arms, the prophecy was fulfilled. Simeon took the baby, born of the Virgin, in his arms. The elder could die in peace.
Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote: "In the person of Simeon, the entire Old Testament, unredeemed mankind, in peace departs into eternity, giving way to Christianity ...". The memory of this gospel story sounds every day in Orthodox worship... This is the Song of Simeon the God-Receiver, or otherwise "Now let go."
Who is Anna the prophetess?
On the day of the Meeting, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem Temple. An 84-year-old widow, "Fanuil's daughter", approached the Mother of God. The townspeople called her Anna the Prophetess for her inspired speeches about God. For many years she lived and worked at the temple, as the Evangelist Luke writes, “serving God day and night by fasting and prayer” (Luke 2:37 - 38).
Anna the prophetess bowed to the newborn Christ and left the temple, bringing the news of the coming of the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel to the townspeople. A Holy Family returned to Nazareth, since he had fulfilled everything required by the law of Moses.
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The meaning of the feast of the Presentation
The meeting is a meeting with the Lord. The prophetess Anna and the elder Simeon left their names in the Holy Scriptures, because they gave us an example of how to receive the Lord with a pure and open heart. The meeting is not just a great holiday and a day from the distant New Testament history. Perhaps every person at least once in his life finds himself in the house of God - in the temple. And there his personal Presentation takes place - a meeting with Christ.
Customs and traditions for the Meeting
The custom to consecrate church candles on the feast of the Meeting of the Lord, he came to the Orthodox Church from Catholics. It happened in 1646. Metropolitan of Kiev Saint Peter (Tomb) compiled and published his own missal. The author has described in detail the Catholic rite religious processions with lighted lamps. These days, the pagan Celts celebrated Imbolc, the Romans - Lupercalia (a festival associated with the shepherd's cult), the Slavs - Gromnitsy. Interestingly, in Poland, after the adoption of Christianity, the Meeting began to be called the holiday of the Thunderous Mother of God... This is an echo of the myths about the thunder god and his consort. The people believed that Sretensky candles could protect a house from lightning and fire.
On this day, they began to celebrate the meeting of winter with spring. From here came the sayings: "At the Meeting, winter met with spring", "At the Meeting, the sun for the summer, winter turned to frost." After the holiday, the peasants began many "spring" activities: they drove the cattle out of the barn into the corral, prepared seeds for sowing, whitewashed fruit trees.
What the weather will be in spring was determined by that day. It was believed that if the meeting is cold, then the spring will be cold. If there is a thaw, then wait for a warm spring.
TROPARI, KONDAKI, PRAYERS AND GREATS
To the meeting of the Lord
Troparion to the Presentation of the Lord, Tone 1
Rejoice, Blessed Virgin Mary, / from Thee the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, / enlighten those who are in the dark.
Kontakion to the Presentation of the Lord, Tone 1
The womb of the Devich, sanctifying Thy Christmas / and the blessed Simeone's rue, / I am befitting, beforehand, / and now thou hast saved us, Christ God, / but subdue in marriage one love // and strengthened the people, and I love
THOUGHTS SVT. THEOPHANA VALVE
Candlemas.(Jude. 1 :1–10 ; OK. 22 :39–42, 45, 23 :1 )
In the meeting of the Lord, on the one hand, they are surrounded by righteousness, seeking salvation not in itself, - Simeon, and a strict life in fasting and prayer, quickened by faith - Anna; on the other hand, essential, all-round and unshakable purity is the Virgin Mother of God, and humble, silent obedience and devotion to the will of God is Joseph the Betrothed. Transfer all these spiritual moods to your heart and you will meet the Lord who is not brought, but Himself who is coming to you, you will receive Him in the arms of your heart, and you will sing a song that will pass through heaven and delight all angels and saints.
(Jude. 1 :11–25 ; OK. 23 :1–34, 44–56 )
Grief is announced by St. The Apostle Jude to those who seductively keep themselves in society, fatten themselves without fear at feasts, foaming with their shame, walking according to their lusts, speaking with pride and separating themselves from the unity of faith. Woe! For behold, the Lord is coming with all and will convict all the wicked in all the works that their wickedness has done.
PARABLE OF THE DAY
"Where is this hope that you held?"
It was said about a gardener that he worked and used all his labor for alms, leaving himself only what was necessary. But a thought inspired him: collect yourself some money, so that when you grow old or fall into illness, you do not endure extreme need. And, collecting, he filled the pot with money. He happened to get sick - his leg began to rot, and he spent money on doctors without getting any benefit. Finally, an experienced doctor comes and says to him: “If you don’t cut off your leg, then everything will rot your body"- and he decided to cut off his leg. At night, having come to himself and repented of what he had done, he said with a sigh: "Remember, O Lord, my former deeds, which I did, toiling in my garden and delivering what was needed to the brethren!" When he said this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said:
- Where is the money that you collected, and where is this hope that you kept?
He said:
- I have sinned, Lord, forgive me! From now on, I will not do anything like that.
Then the angel touched his feet, and he immediately healed, and, getting up in the morning, went into the field to work.
The doctor, on condition, comes with a tool to cut off his leg, and they say to him: "He went to work in the field in the morning." Then the doctor, amazed, went to the field where he worked, and, seeing him digging the ground, glorified God, who gave the gardener healing.
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On February 15, the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord. The word "meeting" means a meeting, contemplation of something or someone significant. In this case - the meeting of humanity in the person of Saints Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The meaning and events of the holiday
On the Day of the Meeting of the Lord, the righteous of the old covenant, such as Simeon the God-Receiver or Anna the Prophetess, finally saw the Savior promised by him, who would reconcile the languishing fallen mankind with God. On this day, the Old Testament in the person of the law also meets the New Testament and its grace, bringing into the law vitality and making it that "light yoke" about which the Lord will later speak.
According to Old Testament regulations, on the fortieth day after the birth of a child, every woman had to come to the Jerusalem temple (then the only one for the entire Jewish people) in order to offer the sacrifice of cleansing. If at the same time the firstborn male was born to her, he should also be brought to the temple for the rite of dedication to God (in memory of the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian captivity, where the Jewish first-borns survived during the tenth Egyptian execution).
The sacrifice of cleansing was a dove, and the sacrifice of dedication was a lamb (lamb), but if the family was poor, then two doves were sacrificed. Since Mary and Joseph lived very modestly, they sacrificed two pigeon chicks.
Not only priests served in the Jerusalem temple. Under him, children consecrated to God were also brought up to a certain age (like the Most Holy Theotokos herself). Also, the righteous living nearby came to pray there every day. Among them were two special people - Simeon the God-Receiver and the righteous widow Anna.
From the Tradition, we know that Simeon was among 72 translators of the Septuagint - the version of the Old Testament in Greek, which was created in the 3rd century BC at the request of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus to replenish the famous Alexandrian Library.
Ptolemy asked the Jewish elders to dispatch the most literate and experienced scribes who knew Greek to translate. Each got a certain part of the job. It fell to Simeon to translate the book of the prophet Isaiah. When he got to the place where it was said: "Behold the Virgin in her womb will receive and give birth to a Son," he considered this a mistake of the previous scribe and decided to correct the word to: "wife" (woman).
At that moment, an angel of the Lord appeared to Simeon. He held his hand and assured him of the correctness of the prophecy, which he can be convinced of for himself, since by the will of God he will live to see the birth of the Savior. Considering that Simeon was already an experienced translator at the time of the invitation of Tsar Ptolemy, by the time of the meeting with the Savior he could have been 300-350 years old.
O righteous Anna we know from the Gospel of Luke: “There was also Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Fanuil, from the tribe of Asir, who reached a ripe old age, having lived with her husband from her virginity for seven years, a widow of about eighty-four years old, who did not leave the temple, serving God by fasting and prayer day and night".
These righteous people were the witnesses who represented humanity before God brought to the temple. Simeon the God-Receiver immediately recognized the Savior and pointed out his messianic status: “Now you let Your servant, O Master, according to Your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, the light for the enlightenment of the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel ". Preached about the coming of the Messiah and righteous Anna telling the people of Jerusalem about Him.
Simeon accepted and blessed the baby and his parents, but he also prophesied to the Virgin Mary about the grief that awaits her in the future at the death of her child on the cross and disputes that will strike the Jewish people after his preaching: Israel and the subject of wrangling, and your own weapon will pass the soul- may the thoughts of many hearts be revealed. "
Formation and features of the holiday
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the twelve feasts - the 12 most important church holidays after the Resurrection of Christ (Easter). In the Russian Orthodox Church and a number of other Local Orthodox Churches, adhering to the Julian calendar, is celebrated on February 2 (February 15 in the Gregorian calendar).
If the Meeting falls on the Monday of the first week of Great Lent (rarely), the festive service is postponed to the previous day - February 1, the Week of Adam's Exile (forgiven Sunday).
The Feast of the Meeting arose in the Jerusalem Church and appeared in its liturgical calendar in the 4th century.
The oldest evidence of the celebration of the Meeting in the Christian East is the "Pilgrimage to the Holy Places" of the western pilgrim of Etheria, dating from the end of the 4th century. It does not give the Meeting an independent liturgical title and calls it “the fortieth day from the Epiphany,” and also briefly and emotionally describes the very celebration taking place on this day in Jerusalem.
The second historical monument, already of a liturgical nature, also originates from Jerusalem. This is an Armenian Lectionary, in which the liturgical and statutory practice of the beginning of the 5th century is attested, where the Meeting is defined as: "The fortieth day from the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ."
As an independent holiday of the annual calendar, the Meeting was established in the Roman Church at the end of the 5th century, and in the Church of Constantinople in the first half of the 6th century, in contrast to the Monophysitism condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, which claimed that Jesus Christ is only God in a human body, and not a God-man ...
In the service of the Meeting, the features of the Lord's and the Mother of God's twelve feasts are combined. The festive stichera and the canon, telling about the events of the holiday and its great significance, were written by famous church hymnographers - Anatoly, Patriarch of Constantinople (5th century); the Monk Andrew of Crete (VII century); The Monks Cosmas of Mayium and John of Damascus (VII-VIII centuries), Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople (VIII century) and the Monk Joseph Studite (IX century).
The iconography of the Presentation is deeply symbolic meaning: The Infant Savior, sitting in the arms of the God-Receiver Simeon, who takes the Savior into his arms, represents, as it were, the old world, filled and revived by the Divine, and the Mother of God, giving her son, seems to let him go on the path of the cross and the salvation of the world.
Interestingly, there is also an icon that symbolizes the prophecy of Simeon the God-Receiver to the Virgin Mary. It is called "Simeon's Prophecy" or "Softening Evil Hearts."
In this icon, the Mother of God is depicted standing on a cloud with seven swords stuck in her heart: three on the right and left, and one below. There are also half-length images of the Virgin. The number seven denotes the fullness of grief, sorrow and heartache experienced by the Mother of God in her earthly life.
Holiday traditions
On the feast of the Meeting of the Lord at the end of the sixth hour, it is customary to consecrate church candles and distribute to believers.
The tradition of blessing church candles on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord came to the Russian Orthodox Church from Catholics through the missal of Metropolitan Peter (Grave) in 1646.
Catholics consecrated candles and embarked on a procession with them, with which they tried to distract their flock from the pagan holidays associated with the veneration of fire (Imbolc, Lupercalia, Gromnitsa, etc., depending on the locality and nationality). In Orthodoxy, Sretensky candles were treated more simply and reverently - they were kept for a year, lighting them during home prayer.
Also, the Meeting of the Lord has been the Day of Orthodox Youth since 1953. The idea of the holiday belongs to the World Orthodox Youth Movement "Syndesmos", which already unites more than 100 youth organizations from 40 countries.
On this day, all over the world, Orthodox youth holds meetings with clergy, visits hospitals, arranges concerts with dances and live music, organizes sport competitions, contests, games and other interesting events.
In Russia, since 2002, youth activity has been supplemented by the tradition of holding the most beautiful Sretensky balls.
It is customary among the people to say that on the day of the Meeting “winter meets spring”, that is, the main cold is already over, the day has become noticeably longer and the spring season will come very soon. After the holiday, the peasants began to whitewash fruit trees, prepare seeds for sowing and plant seedlings (at home).
From the editorial board of the magazine "Pravoslavie.fm" we congratulate all our readers on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord! May your meeting with God be as joyful as for the righteous Simeon the God-Receiver!
Andrey Segeda
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Among Orthodox holidays you can meet the feast of the Presentation. And some may immediately have a question about what the Presentation is. What events gave rise to it? The Presentation of the Lord is one of the most revered Twelve Christian holidays. Events related to the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and Blessed virgin Theotokos. The Feast of the Presentation is non-passing, and it is customary to celebrate it on February 15th. The word "shrinking" is translated from Church Slavonic as "meeting".
The day of the Meeting determined the point in time when the Old Testament met with the New Testament - the ancient world with the world of Christianity. All this happened thanks to one person; a special place is assigned to this in the Gospel. However, let's start in order. The Gospel of Luke says that the Presentation of the Lord took place exactly 40 days after Christ's Nativity.
There is very interesting fact, related to the answer to the question of what date the meeting. In 528, Antioch passed strong earthquake and many people perished. Then in the same lands (in 544) there was an epidemic of pestilence, and people began to die in thousands. In these days of terrible calamities, providence was revealed to one pious Christian so that the people would celebrate the feast of the Meeting more solemnly. And then, on this day, an all-night vigil (public service) and a procession were held. And only then did these terrible calamities in Christian Byzantium cease. Then the Church, in gratitude to God, established the Meeting of the Lord to celebrate 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 a 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. After the expiration of the term, the woman in labor had to bring a cleansing sacrifice to the Temple. For the burnt offering and for the atonement of sins, a young lamb and a dove were offered. The poor family sacrificed another dove instead of a lamb.
On the 40th day, the parents of the newborn boy were to come with him to the Temple to perform the sacrament of dedication 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 Presentation is.
Mary and Joseph arrived from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. They had the Divine Infant in their arms. Their family was poor, so they sacrificed two doves. The Most Pure Mother of God, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of the immaculate conception, still brought the due 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, an elder named Simeon approached them. This 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 his meeting with the Christ Child, Elder Simeon was over 300 years old. He was a highly respected and respected man, one of 72 scholars who were commissioned to translate the Gospel from Hebrew to Greek language... On this Sabbath day, it was not at all by chance that he found himself in this Temple, because it was the Holy Spirit who brought him here.
Once upon a time, Simeon began to translate the book of the prophet Isaiah, he was greatly surprised to read there such incomprehensible words for his mind: "Behold the Virgin in her womb will receive and give birth to a Son." Then he thought to himself that a virgin could not give birth, and wanted to change the word "Virgo" to "wife". When suddenly an Angel appeared from Heaven 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 he waited for this moment for a long time, and at last the prophecy of the Angel was fulfilled - Simeon saw the Child, whom the Immaculate Virgin gave birth to. Now he could rest in peace. The church called Simeon the God-receiver, and he became glorified as a saint.
Later, Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote that from the moment of the Meeting the Old Testament gave way to Christianity. Now this Gospel story is mentioned every day in the Christian divine service - "The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver", or in other words - "Now let go."
Simeon's predictions
Simeon, taking the Child of the Most Pure Virgin into his hands, said to her: “Behold, because of Him they will argue among the people: some will be saved, while others will perish. And the weapon itself will penetrate the soul to You, - may the thoughts of many hearts be revealed. "
What did he mean? It turns out that the disputes among the people signify 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 received death from nails and spears that passed through the mother's heart with terrible pain.
The icon of the Mother of God "Softening Evil Hearts" became a vivid illustration of the prophecy of Simeon. Icon painters depicted the Mother of God standing on a cloud with seven swords stuck in her heart.
Prophetess Anna
Another important event happened on this day, and another meeting happened. An 84-year-old eldress Anna the prophetess approached the Mother of God, as the townspeople called her. She worked and lived at the temple and was pious, since she was in constant fasting and prayer. Anna bowed to the Infant Christ, left the Temple and began to tell all the townspeople the great news that the Messiah had come into the world. Meanwhile, Joseph and Mary with the Child, having fulfilled everything that was required according to the law of Moses, returned to Nazareth.
Now is it clear what the Presentation is? After all, the Meeting is a meeting with the Savior. The names of the 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 Infant God 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 people preached the first sermons of the Sretensky, for example, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nyssa.
Some are interested in the question of what date is the Meeting. V 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 Meeting of the Lord falls on the Monday of the first week in Great post, which may also be the case, the festive divine service is postponed to February 14.
Answering the question about what the Presentation is, first of all I must say that this is a holiday dedicated to the Lord Jesus. In the first centuries it was the day of the celebration of the Virgin Mary. Therefore, the one who calls this holiday the Mother of God will also be partly right. After all, in the structure of the service on this day, addresses in prayers and chants to the Mother of God occupy a central position. This duality of the Feast of the Meeting also influenced the color of the clothes worn by the clergy at the service. White became a symbol of Divine light, blue - the purity and purity of the Mother of God.
Candles. Candlemas
The tradition of hallowing church candles on the Feast of the Meeting came to Orthodoxy from Catholics. In 1646, the Metropolitan of Kiev Pyotr Mohyla described this Catholic rite in great detail in his missal, when a religious procession was organized, which was a procession with torches. Thus, the Roman Church distracted its flock from the pagan traditions associated with the worship of fire.
In the Orthodox Church, candles were treated with special reverence and reverence. These candles were kept throughout the year and were used during home prayer.
The tradition of celebrating the Presentation
As a result, the tradition of celebrating the Christian Orthodox Meeting was mixed with pagan rites. Another calendar analogy was found with Simeon's meeting with the Holy Family. The Day of Meeting has become a celebration of the meeting between winter and spring. People celebrate all kinds of omens at the Meeting. For example, there are various sayings such as: "in Meeting the sun for the summer, winter turned to frost," "Winter meets with spring," etc. The first thaws or frosts were called Sretensky. At the Meeting, signs suggest whether it will be warm soon or whether it will be cold for a long time.
After celebrating the feast of the Presentation with folk festivals, the peasants began to prepare for spring. The cattle were sent from the barn to the corral, the seeds were prepared for sowing, the trees were whitewashed, etc.
Interestingly, in the USA and Canada, the Meeting is celebrated on February 2 and another famous holiday is timed to it - Groundhog Day.
But in the Chita region there is the city of Sretensk, named in honor of this great holiday.
In some other countries, this day is celebrated as the Day of Orthodox Youth, 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 Pious Virgo Mary hands her baby Jesus to Elder Simeon. Behind the back of the Mother of God stands 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 the city of 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 in two frescoes of the 12th century. The first is located in the St. Cyril Church in Kiev. The second icon of the Presentation is in Novgorod, in the Church of the Savior on Nerditsa. There is a rather unusual image 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 "Softening Evil Hearts" (in another way it has the name "Simeon's Prophecy", "Seven-shot") is associated with the events of the Presentation. 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. By softening the heart, not only their bodily, but also mental suffering is relieved. They know that if you pray in front of the image of the Mother of God for your enemies, then the hostile feeling will gradually fade away and anger will disappear, giving way to mercy and kindness.
The Orthodox holiday Presentation of the Lord in the folk tradition symbolizes not only the meeting of Christ with the righteous Simeon, but also the meeting of winter with spring. This is not surprising, because the Old Church Slavonic word "meeting" means "meeting". the site tells about the history of this ancient solar holiday, as well as its main features and interesting Christian traditions.
What is the Presentation and when is it celebrated
In Church Slavonic "meeting" means "meeting". Orthodox Christians celebrate the holiday every year on February 15th. In Orthodoxy, the Meeting refers to the twelve (twelve) most important holidays dedicated to Christ and is always celebrated on the same day.
Philippe de Champagne. Bringing to the temple
The meaning of the biblical legend
The Presentation of the Lord is associated with the biblical legend described in the Gospel of Luke. According to legend, on this day - the fortieth day after the birth of Jesus - the Virgin Mary brought a baby to the temple in order to make the statutory sacrifice of thanks to God for the firstborn.
As required by the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a boy could not cross the threshold of the temple for 40 days (and 80 if a girl was born). Also, the church needed to bring a grateful cleansing sacrifice to the Lord - a one-year-old lamb, and for the remission of sins - a dove. If the family was poor, a dove was sacrificed instead of a lamb, and it turned out "two turtle doves or two chicks of pigeons." In addition, on the 40th day it was necessary to visit the temple for the rite of dedication to God. It was not just a tradition, but the Mosaic Law, established in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - the liberation from four centuries of slavery.
And although the Virgin Mary did not need cleansing, since Jesus was born from an immaculate conception, she crossed the threshold of the temple as a sign of humility. Elder Semion came out to meet her (in Hebrew it means "hearing"). According to legend, the elder lived for 360 years: “He was a just and pious man, longing for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was on him. It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw Christ the Lord ”(Luke 2: 25-26).
Fra Bartolomeo. Candlemas On the day of the Meeting, what the elder had been waiting for all his long life was fulfilled. The prophecy has come true. The elder could now die in peace. Simeon took the baby in his arms and said: "Now you let Thy servant go, Master, according to Thy word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all nations, the light for the enlightenment of the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel" (Luke 2: 29-32). The church named him Simeon the God-receiver and glorified him as a saint.
Who is Anna the Prophetess?
On the day of the Meeting, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem temple. In the church, an 84-year-old widow, "Fanuil's daughter", approached the Mother of God. For her inspired speeches about God, the townspeople called her Anna the prophetess. She lived and worked for many years at the temple, "Serving God day and night by fasting and prayer" (Luke 2:37 - 38).
Anna the prophetess bowed to the newborn Christ and left the temple, bringing the news of the coming of the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel to the townspeople. “And at that time she came and glorified the Lord and prophesied about Him to all who were awaiting deliverance in Jerusalem” (Luke 2: 36-38).
Francesco Bassano Jr. Presentation of the Lord Meeting in the traditional representation of the Slavs
Traditionally, the Meeting is accepted by the Slavs as a long-awaited meeting of the outgoing and weakening winter with the coming spring. Colds and dark early evenings are leaving, daylight hours are gradually increasing, which means that spring is already very close.
Do's and Don'ts on the Presentation
In Russia, the Meeting was loved as a holiday because on this day, first of all, it was necessary to have fun and rest, while quarrels, abuse and excessively hard work were inappropriate, as they could offend the sun. In Russia, in Meeting it was customary to walk on fresh air, treat yourself to pancakes, which symbolize the luminary, have fun in every possible way and rejoice in the early approach of springtime. It is not for nothing that we have already repeatedly mentioned the sun - the celebration of the Presentation is directly related to the rituals of "pleasing the heavenly body", which is the most striking natural symbol of spring.
At the Meeting, one should not be sad and bored, and it is also not accepted to do work. Even all household and household chores, except for cooking, were banned. It was also not customary that day to clean the house, sweep and work in the yard and in the gardens. It was believed that such actions could bring trouble not only to a person, but also to his relatives and even to the whole village. By the way, washing and washing were also prohibited during the Meeting.
Among the prohibitions on the Presentation there is also abuse and abuse - on this sunny day it promises continuous troubles.
There are Christian holidays that literally everyone knows about. And they can describe in a nutshell what, in fact, the believers note. Christmas - Christ was born. Easter - Christ is risen. And what is the Presentation of the Lord? What does this unusual mean? modern man word - "meeting"? We invite you to get acquainted with the chronology of the events of the Presentation and see what trace this day of the New Testament history left in world culture.
What does the word "Presentation" mean?
Most frequent question, which can be heard about the Presentation: “So, well, today is the Presentation. And what is it?"
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the Twelve Feasts of the Christian Church, that is, the main holidays church year... This is an everlasting holiday; it is celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church on February 15th.
Translated from Church Slavonic "srѣtenie" - "meeting". The Day of the Presentation is the point in time where the Old and New Testaments. Ancient world and Christianity. This happened thanks to a person who has a very special place in the Gospel. But first things first.
On February 15, we recall the events described in the Gospel of Luke. The meeting took place 40 days after the birth of Christ.
The Jews of that time had two traditions associated with the birth of a child in a family.
First, a woman after giving birth could not appear in the Jerusalem Temple for forty days (and if a girl was born, then all eighty). As soon as the term expired, the mother had to bring a cleansing sacrifice to the Temple. It included a burnt offering - a one-year-old lamb, and a sacrifice for the remission of sins - a dove. If the family was poor, instead of a lamb, they also brought a dove, it turned out "two turtle doves or two chicks of pigeons."
Secondly, if the first-born in the family was a boy, the parents on the fortieth day came with the newborn to the Temple - for the rite of dedication to God. It was not just a tradition, but the law of Moses: the Jews established it in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - the liberation from four centuries of slavery.
And so, Mary and Joseph arrived from Bethlehem to the capital of Israel, Jerusalem. With the forty-day-old Divine Infant in their arms, they stepped onto the threshold of the Temple. The family did not live well, so two doves became the cleansing sacrifice of the Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin decided to sacrifice out of humility and respect before the Jewish law, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of the virgin birth.
Meeting at the Jerusalem Temple
After the ceremony, the Holy Family was already on their way to the exit from the Temple, but then an ancient old man, perhaps the oldest person in Jerusalem, approached them. His name was Simeon. Translated from the Hebrew "šim'on" means "hearing". The righteous man took the Baby in his arms and joyfully exclaimed: “ Now you let Thy servant go, Master, according to Thy word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, the light for the enlightenment of the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel."(Luke 2: 29-32).
According to legend, at the time of his meeting with Christ, Simeon was over 300 years old. He was a respected man, one of seventy-two scholars commissioned to translate the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek. The translation of the Septuagint was made at the request of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-247 BC).
It was no coincidence that the elder was in the Temple this Saturday - the Holy Spirit brought him. Many years ago Simeon translated the book of the prophet Isaiah and saw the mysterious words: “ Behold the Virgin in her womb will receive and give birth to a Son". How can a virgin, that is, a virgin, give birth? The scientist doubted and wanted to correct "Virgo" to "Wife" (woman). But an angel appeared to him and not only forbade him to change the word, but said that Simeon would not die until he was personally convinced that the prophecy was true. The Evangelist Luke writes about this: “ He was a just and pious man, longing for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was on him. It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw Christ the Lord"(Luke 2: 25-26).
And now, the day has come. It came true that the scientist had been waiting for his entire unbearably long life. Simeon took the Child born of the Virgin into his arms, which means that the Angel's prophecy was fulfilled. The elder could die in peace. " Now you are letting go of Your servant, Master ... The Church named him Simeon the God-Receiver and glorified him as a saint.
Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote: "In the person of Simeon, the entire Old Testament, unredeemed mankind, in peace departs into eternity, giving way to Christianity ...". The memory of this gospel story is heard every day in Orthodox divine services. This is the Song of Simeon the God-Receiver, or otherwise - "Now let go."
"Your own weapon will pass your soul"
Having accepted the Infant from the hands of the Most Pure Virgin, Elder Simeon turned to her with the words: “Behold, because of Him they will argue among the people: some will be saved, while others will perish. And for You the weapon will pass the soul- may the thoughts of many hearts be revealed"(Luke 2: 34-35).
The controversy among the people is the persecution that was prepared for the Savior. The opening of thoughts is the judgment of God. What kind of weapon will pierce the heart of the Mother of God? This was the prophecy of the Crucifixion that awaited her Son. After all, the nails and the spear, from which the Savior accepted death, passed with unbearable pain through her mother's heart. There is an icon of the Mother of God - a vivid illustration of this prophecy. It's called Softening Evil Hearts. Icon painters depict the Mother of God standing on a cloud with seven swords stuck in her heart.
Anna the prophetess
On the day of the Meeting, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem Temple. An 84-year-old widow, "Fanuil's daughter", approached the Mother of God. The townspeople called her Anna the Prophetess for her inspired speeches about God. She lived and worked at the Temple for many years, as the Evangelist Luke writes, “ serving God day and night by fasting and prayer"(Luke 2: 37-38).
Anna the prophetess bowed to the newborn Christ and left the Temple, bringing the news of the coming of the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel to the townspeople. And the Holy Family returned to Nazareth, since they had fulfilled everything that was prescribed by the law of Moses.
The meaning of the feast of the Presentation
Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral at MGIMO, cleric of the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God on Red Square.
The meeting is a meeting with the Lord. Elder Simeon and Prophetess Anna left their names in the Holy Scriptures, because they gave us an example - how to receive the Lord with a pure and open heart.
After meeting with Christ, Simeon went to the forefathers to await the Resurrection of Christ. And, imagine, death became a great happiness for him! The righteous elder lived a long life - according to legend, he was more than three hundred years old. Many will say "lucky" because they dream of living forever. But read the stories of centenarians who have exceeded the age given to man by God - one hundred and twenty years. I remember one TV story: an ancient old woman was brought to journalists by her great-great-great-granddaughter, who is also far from young. The bent grandmother was straightened out and asked: “Television has come to you here. What can you say?" And she answered: “Why is the Lord angry with me? Why doesn't He take me? " So Simeon was waiting for deliverance from the burden of a long life. And, having received the Divine Infant from the hands of the Virgin Mary, he rejoiced.
“Now let go of Thy servant,” says Simeon. Now, when he saw the Savior with his own eyes, the Lord releases him from the perishable world - into the Heavenly world. Likewise, having met God once, we must understand that the time of sin, weakness and self-will has passed. The time of bliss is coming!
It is no coincidence that the Presentation takes place with the forty-day-old Infant. He is small and defenseless, but at the same time - great and full of triumphant joy. This is how a person who has come to know Christ, a newborn Christian, should be. Full of jubilation.
The meeting is not just a day from the distant New Testament history. At least once in his life, any person finds himself in the house of God - in the temple. And there his personal Meeting takes place with everyone - a meeting with Christ. How to understand if a Meeting has taken place in your life? Quite simply - ask yourself: Am I joyful? have I changed? how much love is in my heart? Let's meet the Lord, see Him with our hearts!
Song of Simeon the God-Receiver
The song of Simeon the God-receiver, or "Now let go ..." - these are the words of Simeon the God-receiver from the Gospel of Luke.
For the first time this prayer is mentioned already in the Apostolic Statutes. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the words of Simeon the God-Receiver are read during the service, not sung, in contrast to the Catholics, for example. This takes place at the end of Vespers. In addition, the Orthodox say "Now let go ..." during the Sacrament of Baptism - but only for baby boys.
Text:
Church Slavonic:
Now let go of Thy servant, Master, according to Thy word, in peace;
as my eyes see your salvation,
Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
light for the revelation of tongues, and the glory of your people Israel.
Russian:
Now you release Thy servant, Master, according to Thy word, in peace,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared before the face of all nations,
light to the enlightenment of the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.
Celebration history
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is one of the oldest in the Christian Church. The first Sretensky sermons were delivered to the people as early as the 4th-5th centuries - for example, Saints Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa and John Chrysostom.
The oldest and at the same time historically reliable evidence of the celebration of the Meeting in the Christian East is the "Pilgrimage to the Holy Places." It was written by the pilgrim Etheria (Sylvia) at the end of the 4th century. She writes: “On this day there is a procession to Anastasis, and everyone walks, and everything is done in order with the greatest triumph, as if on Easter. All the elders preach, and then the bishop ... After that, having sent everything in the usual order, they celebrate the Liturgy.
The holiday became a national holiday for Byzantium in the 6th century. Following this, the tradition of the solemn celebration of the Presentation spread throughout the Christian world.
Worship of the Presentation
The Meeting of the Lord has a permanent place in the church calendar. February 15 (February 2 old style). If the Meeting falls on the Monday of the first week of Great Lent, which happens very rarely, the festive service is postponed to the previous day - February 14.
The meeting is a feast of the Lord, that is, dedicated to Jesus Christ. But in the first centuries of Christianity, the Mother of God was honored on this day. Therefore, those who say that it is Theotokos feast, will be partly right.
The meeting is close to the holidays in honor of the Mother of God and in the order of the divine service. In the troparion of the feast, in the prokimnas at Matins and Liturgy and other hymns, appeals to the Mother of God occupy a central place.
It is interesting that the duality of the Meeting influenced the color of the vestments of the clergy at the festive service. They can be white - as on the Lord's feasts, and blue - as on the Mother of God. V church tradition White color symbolizes Divine light. Blue - the purity and purity of the Virgin Mary.
The custom of consecrating candles
The custom to consecrate church candles on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord came to the Orthodox Church from Catholics. This happened in 1646, when the Metropolitan of Kiev, St. Peter (Grave), compiled and published his missal. In it, the author described in detail the Catholic rite of religious processions with lighted lamps. With the help of such a torchlight procession, the Roman Church tried to distract its flock from the pagan holidays associated with the veneration of fire. These days, the pagan Celts celebrated Imbolc, the Romans - Lupercalia (a festival associated with the shepherd's cult), the Slavs - Gromnitsy. It is interesting that in Poland, after the adoption of Christianity, the Meeting began to be called the feast of the Thundering Mother of God. This is an echo of the myths about the thunder god and his wife - the people believed that the candles of prayer could protect the house from lightning and fire.
Sretensky candles were treated in a special way in the Orthodox Church - not magically, but reverently. They were kept all year round and lit during home prayer.
Folk traditions of the Presentation
V folk traditions the celebration of the Meeting mixed the ecclesiastical and the pagan. Some of these customs are completely non-Christian, but even they say something important about this day - it was very joyful for people.
A simple calendar analogy was found for the meeting of the Holy Family with Elder Simeon. On this day, the common people began to celebrate the meeting of winter with spring. Hence, there are many sayings: “at the Meeting, winter met with spring”, “at the Meeting, the sun turned into summer, winter turned to frost”.
The last winter frosts and the first spring thaws were called Sretensky. After the holiday, the peasants began many "spring" activities. They drove the cattle out of the barn into the corral, prepared seeds for sowing, whitewashed fruit trees. And of course, in addition to household chores, festivities were held in the villages.
1. Many are named after the Meeting. settlements in Russia and abroad. The largest is the city of Sretensk, the regional center of the Chita region.
2. In the USA and Canada, the famous folk holiday- Groundhog Day.
3. Meeting of the Lord - in some countries there is also the Day of Orthodox Youth. The idea of this holiday belongs to the World Orthodox Youth Movement - "Syndesmos". In 1992, with the blessing of all the heads of the local Orthodox Churches, Syndesmos approved February 15 as the Day of Orthodox Youth.
Meeting Icons
The iconography of the Meeting is an illustration of the story of the Evangelist Luke. Virgin Mary hands over the Divine Infant into the arms of Elder Simeon - here main plot icons and frescoes of the holiday. Joseph the Betrothed is depicted behind the back of the Mother of God; he carries two pigeons in his hands or in a cage. Behind the righteous Simeon they write Anna the prophetess.
The oldest image of the Presentation can be found in one of the mosaics of the Arc de Triomphe in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The mosaic was created in the first half of the 5th century. On it we see the Mother of God walking with the Child in her arms towards Saint Simeon, accompanied by angels.
The most ancient depictions of the events of the Meeting in Russia are two frescoes of the 12th century. The first is in the St. Cyril Church in Kiev. The second is in the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa in Novgorod. It is interesting that on the fresco of the Church of St. Cyril the Infant does not sit, but lies in the arms of the Mother of God.
Introduction to the temple of the Virgin. Presentation of the Lord. Frescoes of the Savior on Nereditsa church near Novgorod. 1199
An unusual version of the iconography of the Meeting is found in medieval Georgian art. On these icons there is no image of the altar, instead there is a burning candle, a symbol of sacrifice to God.
The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Softening Evil Hearts" is associated with the event of the Presentation; it is also called "Simeon's Prophecy". The iconographic plot reminds us of the words of Simeon the God-receiver, addressed to the Virgin Mary: “And for You the weapon will pass the soul ".
By the way, this image is very similar to the icon of the Mother of God "Seven-shot". But there is one difference. The arrows piercing the heart of the Virgin are located on the icon "Softening Evil Hearts", three on the right and on the left, one below. The "Seven-arrow" icon has four arrows on one side and three on the other.
Quotes:
Theophan the Recluse. Word on the Meeting of the Lord
“... We are all called not to only a mental representation of this bliss, but to actually taste it, because everyone is called to have and carry the Lord in us and disappear in Him with all the forces of our spirit. And now, when we reach this state, then our bliss will not be lower than the bliss of those who participated in the Presentation of the Lord ... "
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh on the Presentation
“… Together with Him, the Mother is sacrificed, as it were. Simeon the God-Receiver says to her: But a weapon will pass through your heart, and you will go through torment and suffering ... And the years pass, and Christ hangs on the cross, dying, and the Mother of God stands at the cross silently, resignedly, full of faith, full of hope, full of love giving Him to death, as She brought Him to the temple as a living sacrifice to the living God.
Many mothers over the centuries have experienced the horror of their son dying; many mothers have weapons passed through their hearts. She can understand everyone, She embraces everyone with Her love, She can reveal to everyone the depths of this sacrifice in the silent mystery of communion.
Let those who die a terrible and painful death remember Christ crucified and give their life as the Son of God, who became the son of man, gave it: without anger, meekly, lovingly, for the salvation of not only those who were close to Him, but and those who were his enemy, last words bringing them out of destruction: Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing!
And mothers, whose sons, whose children die an evil death - oh, their Mother of God can teach them how to give to heroism, suffering and death those whom they love most on earth and in eternity ...
Therefore, we all reverently worship the Mother of God in her suffering on the cross, in her crucified love, in her endless sacrifice, and to Christ the Savior, who is being brought to the temple today, and whose sacrifice will be performed at Calvary. Ends, ends the Old Testament, begins new life love for life and death, and we belong to this life. "
Archbishop Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). Word on the day of the Presentation of the Lord
« In the world, in a deep spiritual world, Saint Simeon the God-Receiver went into eternity after 300 years of life in anticipation of the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy: “Behold the Virgin in her womb will receive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Emmanuel, he also says,“ God is with us ”.
Why do you constantly hear this prayer now? Why is it, like no other, repeated at every vespers?
Then, in order to remember the hour of death, to remember that you too must die in such a deep peace as St. Simeon the God-Receiver died ...
. ..If you want the words of the prayer of Simeon the God-Receiver to be fulfilled on you, if you want to have boldness in the hour of death, repeat his prayer and say: "now release Thy servant, Master, according to Thy verb in peace" - if you want this, then go after Christ, taking His yoke upon ourselves, learning from Him, for He is meek and lowly in heart. "
1953 year.
Poetry
Candlemas. Joseph Brodsky
Anna Akhmatova
When She first brought
Child, were inside of the number
people who were there constantly,
Saint Simeon and the prophetess Anna.
And the old man took the Baby out of his hands
Mary; and three people around
The baby stood like a shaky frame,
that morning, lost in the gloom of the temple.
That temple surrounded them like a frozen forest.
From the gaze of people and from the gaze of heaven
hid the peaks, having managed to spread out,
that morning Mary, the prophetess, the elder.
And only on the crown of the head with a random ray
light fell on the Infant; but He's about nothing
did not know yet and snored sleepily,
resting on strong hands Simeon.
And it was told to this old man,
about what he will see mortal darkness
not before the Lord sees the Son.
It has come to pass. And the elder said: “Today,
keeping the once spoken word,
You in peace, Lord, let me go
then my eyes saw it
Child: He is Your continuation and light
a source for idols of worshiping tribes,
and the glory of Israel is in Him. " - Simeon
fell silent. Silence surrounded them all.
Only the echo of those words, touching the rafters,
circled for a while later
over their heads, rustling slightly
under the arches of the temple, like a certain bird,
that is able to take off, but not able to descend.
And it was strange to them. There was silence
no less strange than speech. Confused
Maria was silent. "What words ..."
And the elder said, turning to Mary:
“In what is now lying on Thy shoulders
the fall of some, the rise of others,
subject of wrangling and cause for contention.
And with the same weapon, Maria, with which
tormented his flesh will be, your
the soul will be hurt. This wound
will let you see what is hidden deep
in the hearts of people, like an eye. "
He finished and moved to the exit. Followed by
Mary, stooped, and the weight of the years
bent Anna gazed silently.
He walked, diminishing in value and in body
for these two women under the shade of the columns.
We almost adjust them with glances, he
walked silently through this empty temple
to the dimly white doorway.
And the tread was firm as an old man.
Only the voice of the prophetess from behind when
rang out, he held his step a little:
but there they did not call him, but God
the prophetess has already begun to praise.
And the door was approaching. Clothes and chela
the wind has already touched, and in the ears stubbornly
rushed in the noise of life outside the walls of the temple.
He was going to die. And not into the street hum
he, opening the door with his hands, stepped,
but into the deaf and dumb domain of death.
He walked through a space devoid of solidity,
he heard that time has lost its sound.
And the image of a Baby with a shine all around
the furry crown of the death path
the soul of Simeon carried before him
like some kind of lamp, into that black darkness,
in which no one has ever
It did not happen to illuminate the way for oneself.
The lamp was shining, and the path widened.
Orthodox magazine "Thomas"
