One of the holidays established in memory of the most important events in the earthly life of Jesus Christ is the Presentation of the Lord, celebrated on the 40th day after Christmas and completing the cycle of celebrations associated with it. It occupies a special place in the Orthodox church calendar, since it represents the boundary between the eras of the Old and New Testaments.
According to the Law of Moses
To fully understand what kind of holiday the Presentation of the Lord is, it is necessary not only to turn to the text of the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which contains a description of this event, but also to touch upon the religious traditions of the Jewish people as set out in the Old Testament. According to the Law of Moses, given in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, a woman who gave birth to a son was considered unclean for 40 days and was not allowed into the temple. This custom has partially survived to this day, although it is not so strict.
After this period, the mother was obliged to come with the child to the Temple of Jerusalem and offer God a cleansing and thanksgiving sacrifice - a lamb and one dove. If the family into which the child was born was poor, then a smaller amount of sacrifice was allowed. This is what all the women of Israel did. The main meaning of this action was to dedicate oneself to God and express gratitude to Him for the sent baby.
From the Gospel texts it is clear that the Blessed Virgin Mary had no need for purification, since the Nativity of the Infant Jesus was the result of the immaculate conception accomplished by the influx of the Holy Spirit, but out of Her deepest humility She came with the Infant Jesus Christ to the temple to fulfill the dictates of the Law. As a sacrifice, She was able to bring with Her only two small doves, since very cramped material circumstances did not allow more.
Meeting of heavenly and earthly
The key to understanding what kind of holiday the Presentation of the Lord is is given by this word itself, which came to us from the Church Slavonic language. “Meeting” in translation means “meeting”. However, in this case it contains a deeper meaning than that given to it in everyday speech.
The Son of God, incarnate and taking on human nature, was first brought into the temple, which was nothing less than the House of God. Later, Jesus Himself, speaking about him, uses the expression “My Father’s House.” Therefore, bringing Him to the temple is a meeting (meeting) of God the Son and God the Father. Not the servants of the temple with the Virgin Mary and the Child brought by Her, but precisely the earthly meeting of two Divine hypostases.
From the Gospel texts it is known that subsequently Jesus Christ will often visit the temple, and therefore meet with the Father many times, but on the fortieth day after Christmas this happened for the first time, and therefore is considered one of the main holidays. It is celebrated not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Catholics and Protestants.
Another explanation of what the Presentation of the Lord means is also widespread. The meeting, that is, the meeting of the Baby Jesus, took place in this case not only with His Heavenly Father, who was invisibly present in the temple, but also in the person of the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna (they will be discussed below) with all the people of the world. This is quite obvious, since, according to the custom that existed at that time, Israeli mothers did not show their child to strangers before bringing it to the temple. Thus, for the first 40 days of his life the child was hidden from human eyes.
Righteous Simeon
Evangelist Luke also tells about the righteous elder Simeon, who lived in Jerusalem and came to the temple that day. We should dwell on it in more detail, since it plays a very important role in the Gospel. From the Holy Tradition it is known that Simeon was one of the 72 wise men who, on behalf of the Egyptian king Ptolemy, were engaged in translating the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek.
He had the chance to work on the text of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, and when he came to the famous words “Behold, the Virgin in her womb will receive and give birth to a Son,” he fell into doubt ─ how can an immaculate virgin give birth? Considering this a simple mistake by the compiler of the Book, he wanted to put “Wife” in the translation instead of the word “Virgo,” which was more consistent with his concepts of human nature, but an angel suddenly appeared and stopped his hand. The Messenger of God uttered a prophecy according to which Simeon would not taste death until he was convinced of the truth of the words of the prophet Isaiah.
From the life of the righteous Simeon the God-Receiver (an explanation of this addition to the name will be given below), compiled by the Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Dimitri of Rostov, it is known that at that time he was 60 years old ─ an advanced age in itself, but in fulfillment of the prophecy he lived another 300 years , before Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. According to some reports, he even became a priest of the Jerusalem Temple, taking the place of the murdered elder Zechariah, Father John the Baptist.
One of the church traditions that has survived to this day complements the above story with a very interesting fact. Even after the appearance of the angel Simeon, there was no doubt about the possibility of the birth of the Child from the Virgin. And then one day, walking along the river bank, he threw the ring into the water, saying that only by finding it again would he believe in the truth of the prediction. The next day, Simeon bought fish in one of the villages and, while cutting it, discovered his ring inside. After this miracle, all doubts left him.
Fulfillment of prophecy
But let's return to the Gospel of Luke. Being in more than advanced years, righteous Simeon could not leave this world due to the revelation given to him from above. On the day when the Most Holy Theotokos and Her betrothed, Righteous Joseph, carried out the Bringing of the Infant Jesus to the temple, he, by Divine inspiration, appeared there and became not only a witness, but also a participant in the events. This marked the beginning of the fulfillment of Divine revelation.
Approaching the Holy Family, he accepted the Baby Jesus from the hands of the Virgin Mary (for which he was later named the Receiver of God) and uttered a prophecy about the salvation of the world. Its text, presented in the article, has been heard in Orthodox churches for many centuries, becoming one of the most famous prayers. It begins with the words “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Lord...”. Turning to the Mother of the Infant God, he revealed much of what both She and the entire Israeli people would have to experience.
Another participant in this great event was the 84-year-old prophetess Anna, who had been widowed for many years and was constantly in the Jerusalem Temple. In her declining years, she devoted her days to fasting and prayer. Approaching the Holy Family together with the righteous Simeon, she also glorified God, and then conveyed the news of the appearance of the Savior into the world to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The role of the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna in Sacred history is very great. Before the Nativity of Christ, the entire people of Israel for many centuries lived in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah-Savior into the world, and only the two of them, the last righteous people of the Old Testament, were destined to see His Coming with their own eyes. In the person of Jesus Christ, an unfused and indivisible unity of man with the Divine took place, which they were not only honored to see, but also publicly witnessed. That is why the Presentation of the Lord became one of the main Christian holidays.
When was it installed?
Researchers cannot give an exact answer to this question. However, the historical documents at their disposal indicate that until the 4th century, the cycle of the most important annual Christian holidays included only Easter, Pentecost (Holy Trinity Day) and Epiphany. Over the next two centuries, the ancient church liturgical calendar was replenished with holidays of the Christmas cycle. Since there is every reason to believe that their number included the Presentation of the Lord, the meaning of which is directly related to the appearance of the Savior in the world, it is customary to consider this period as the time of its establishment.
This hypothesis has documentary justification. The earliest of them are travel records compiled at the turn of the 4th and 5th centuries by the Western European pilgrim Etheria, who visited the Holy Places and described in detail what she saw there in her diaries. In this first Christian monument of this genre, the Presentation of the Lord is not yet given an independent liturgical title, and the author mentions it only as the 40th day after Christmas, which indirectly confirms the assumption of a later inclusion of the holiday in the liturgical cycle.
Nevertheless, judging by the notes of the pious and very inquisitive pilgrim, even then this day was celebrated with great solemnity. Eteria describes crowded processions similar to those usually held at Easter. In addition, according to her, in all churches the fragment of the Gospel was read, which describes the offering of the Baby Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple and his meeting with the righteous Simeon and Anna.
Local religious holiday
The next historical monument covering this topic in chronological order is the Armenian Lexionary - a church book containing the texts of various services, with their comments and explanations. It was written in the middle of the 5th century, and includes prayers read at the Presentation of the Lord. What kind of holiday was celebrated on that day, the Lexionary gives a fairly complete picture, but in it, as in the travel notes of the pilgrim Etheria, it is not yet liturgically titled, and is mentioned again only on the 40th day from the Nativity of Christ.
Based on the two historical monuments mentioned above, most modern researchers conclude that during the period of the 5th-6th centuries, the Presentation of the Lord, although celebrated with great solemnity, was only a local holiday of the Jerusalem Church.
The prayer services and processions that took place on this day had the character of religious mysteries, allowing their participants to experience the events of the fortieth day of the Savior’s earthly life in a historical setting and even become participants in them. It was thanks to the topographical realism of everything that happened that this not yet officially established Christian holiday was unique and could not be reproduced in other local churches.
The holiday that saved Byzantium
Literary sources of later times (mainly Byzantine) indicate that in the liturgical calendar of the Church of Constantinople this holiday was officially established in the middle of the 6th century, after which it became a national celebration. However, in this case, the dating of this event is very vague and cannot be clarified more specifically.
The “Chetih-Minaia”, a church book intended for reading and not for worship, contains certain lives of saints and stories about Orthodox holidays for each day of the year. In the section relating to February 2 (15), a legend is given about the establishment of the celebration on the occasion of the Presentation of the Lord. From it we learn that in 541, two disasters struck the Byzantine Empire at once - a pestilence epidemic and an earthquake. Every day, thousands of residents of the country either found death under the rubble of collapsing buildings or died stricken by a terrible disease.
And just when it seemed that God’s wrath was ready to finally destroy the once mighty and prosperous empire, a miraculous phenomenon occurred to one pious man. The Messenger of the Heavenly Powers revealed to him that all the disasters that befell Byzantium would cease as soon as its people began to celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
This husband conveyed what he had heard to the Patriarch of Constantinople, and when February 2 (15) arrived, that is, the 40th day after the Nativity of Christ, solemn services were held throughout the country. And indeed, the earth tremors immediately stopped, and with them the deadly epidemic receded. Emperor Justinian the Great, who reigned in those years, in memory of this wonderful event, issued a decree according to which a new Christian holiday was established - the Presentation of the Lord.
Historical evidence of legendary events
Despite the fact that the events described in the “Chetya-Menaia” are more reminiscent of a pious legend than a historical review, in fact they are based on very real facts. For example, from a number of sources independent of each other, it is absolutely reliably known about the earthquake that befell Byzantium precisely in the indicated year.
In addition, from the documents compiled during the reign of Justinian I, it clearly follows that the pestilence epidemic is also not a fiction, but actually claimed thousands of lives that year. So it is quite logical to assume that the Byzantines, struck by these disasters, sought protection from God and resorted to such a radical means, in their opinion, as the establishment of a new religious holiday.
Holiday of Christians around the world
Over time, the tradition of celebrating the Presentation of the Lord on February 15 spread to almost the entire Christian world, although this holiday was named differently in different faiths. If in Orthodox Rus' its name always remained unchanged, then in the Western Church it changed. For a long time, the Presentation was called the Day of Purification, and in the 70s of the last century the following name came into use: the Feast of the Sacrifice of the Lord.
Let us also note that not all Christian churches give an unambiguous answer to the question of what date is the Presentation of the Lord. For example, Armenians celebrate this holiday a day earlier, that is, on February 14. Also, representatives of many directions of the Old Believers, or, as it is now commonly called, the United Faith Church, consider it correct to celebrate the holiday in the old style - February 2.
From time immemorial, in the calendar adopted by the Russian Orthodox Church, among the twelve holidays, that is, among the most significant, the Presentation of the Lord is also indicated. The service on this day is performed according to a special rite and is distinguished by extraordinary solemnity. During the festive liturgy, the troparion, kontakion and glorification of the Presentation are performed.
It is important to remember that this holiday was established in memory of an event that stood at the turn of two eras, the periods of the Old and New Testaments. It contains both the joy of the appearance of the Savior in the world and the sadness that filled the heart of the Virgin Mary from the words of Simeon the God-Receiver, who revealed to her that day that Her Son would have to atone for human sins through torture on the cross and death.
When celebrating it, it is very important to leave all bad thoughts in the past and fill your hearts with Christian love for your neighbors. On this day it is customary to offer prayers for its granting in front of the icons “The Presentation of the Lord”, “Simeon’s Prophecy”, as well as the Mother of God image “Softening Evil Hearts” (the photo of the icon is given above). It is very important to celebrate the holiday by doing some good deeds and helping those who need it.
Signs and customs associated with the Presentation of the Lord
It is known that many customs are associated with this holiday. The Presentation of the Lord, for example, from time immemorial was considered the best moment to propose to the future bride. Obviously, it was believed that on this day women's hearts are the most responsive. If consent was obtained in advance, then it was on the feast of the Presentation that they tried to get married, because they hoped that marriages concluded on this day would be the happiest. When, after the due date, the stork brought the young couple a reward for their love, the Presentation of the Lord was also considered the best day for the baptism of infants.
Since the times of Kievan Rus, it has become a custom to make predictions about what spring will be like this year based on the weather that happened on that day. It was considered a sure sign that if the sun was shining on February 2 (February 15), and the frost did not sting the nose and ears too much, then spring would be early and friendly. If on a holiday the sky was overcast and there was a blizzard outside the window, then you couldn’t count on quick warmth.
Folk signs related to the future harvest. So, if snow fell on a holiday morning, they said with confidence that the grain would ripen early this year and the harvest would be plentiful. If the snowfall began in the middle of the day, this also did not bother anyone, but only indicated that the ears of corn would pour in at their usual time. Evening snow could have caused concern, but even here optimists assured that it did not promise lack of food, but the ripening of late varieties of grain. As for gardeners, they considered windy weather on Candlemas Day to be a harbinger of a bountiful harvest. Oddly enough, the calmness that day did not bode well for them.
Having learned in general terms what kind of holiday the Presentation of the Lord is, what meaning lies in the gospel event that laid its foundation, and taking note of the folk signs associated with it, once again on February 15 we will come to church and, to the sounds of festive chants, we will give praise to the Savior of the world !
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the 12 main church holidays, which are dedicated to the events of the earthly life of the Savior and the Mother of God. The Presentation of the Lord is not a moving holiday and always falls on February 15th. Translated from ancient Slavic, the word “sretenie” means “meeting”.
The holiday was established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke, which took place on the 40th day after the Nativity 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 child was forbidden to enter the temple of God for 40 days.
After this period, the mother came to the temple with the baby to bring a thanksgiving and cleansing sacrifice to the Lord. The Blessed Virgin Mary did not need purification, but out of deep humility she submitted to the dictates of the law.
© photo: Sputnik / Ilya Pitalev
Icon "Simeon the God-Receiver"
And when the Mother of God crossed the threshold of the temple with a baby in her arms, an ancient elder came out to meet her - named Simeon, which in Hebrew means “hearing.”
The Gospel of Luke says: “He was a righteous and pious man, longing for the consolation 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 Christ the Lord.”
Simeon, according to legend, was one of the 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 Jerusalem Temple.
By inspiration from above, the pious elder came to the temple at the time when the Most Holy Theotokos and Righteous Joseph brought the Infant Jesus there to perform the legal rite.
Simeon realized that the prophecy had been fulfilled and the Baby 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 peacefully.
The God-receiver took the baby in his arms and, blessing God, uttered a prophecy about the Savior of the world: “Now you are sending Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all nations, 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 elderly widow prophetess Anna, who lived at the Jerusalem Temple, 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 most ancient 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 Presentation in the Christian East dates back to the end of the 4th century, and in the West - from the 5th century. At that time, the Meeting in Jerusalem was not yet an independent holiday, and was called “the fortieth day from the Epiphany.”
© photo: Sputnik / RIA Novosti
Icon of the Presentation, painted in the 16th century
In 528, under 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, killing several thousand people every day.
During these days of national calamity, it was revealed to one of the pious Christians that the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord should be celebrated more solemnly.
When the all-night vigil and procession of the cross were held on the day of the Presentation of the Lord, 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 pre-feast and seven days of post-feast. On the second day of the celebration, February 16, the Church celebrates the memory of the righteous Simeon, whom she called the Receiver of God, and Anna the prophetess - Saints, whose personal spiritual feat, as we know, was directly related to the events of the Presentation.
The essence
The clergy explain that the essence of the holiday is the long-awaited and saving meeting; on this day two eras 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 embody the Christ Child.
The Law of God given to the Jewish people meets the new higher Law of Divine love brought to the world by our Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, the entire life of mankind until the coming of the Savior is a long and tedious wait for the joy of this meeting, the Presentation of the Lord. And this long-awaited day came - humanity, in the person of Simeon, clearly recognized and firmly confessed that after many millennia of its unauthorized separation 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, “reduced” to the state of a helpless Baby, held God Himself.
This bright holiday is of equal value 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, on the day of the Presentation of the Lord, church candles are blessed. This custom came to the Orthodox Church from Catholics in 1646. People believed that candles blessed on the Presentation of the Lord could protect a house from lightning and fire.
© photo: Sputnik / V. Robinov
Fresco "Candlemas" of the 18th century
After the holiday, the peasants began many “spring” tasks, including driving the cattle out of the barn into the corral, preparing seeds for sowing, and whitening fruit trees. In addition to housework, festivities were, of course, held in the villages.
People believed that on February 15, winter meets spring, as evidenced by many sayings - “at Candlemas, winter met spring,” “at Candlemas, the sun turned to summer, winter turned to frost.”
According to signs, if the weather is cold on the Presentation of the Lord, then the spring will be cold. If a thaw is expected, then expect a warm spring. But, be that as it may, Candlemas is always the joy of parting with winter and the anticipation 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, which is called “The Softening of Evil Hearts” or “Simeon’s Prophecy,” is associated with the event of the Presentation of the Lord.
It symbolizes the fulfillment of the prophecy of the righteous elder Simeon: “A weapon will pierce your soul,” which he uttered after he took the Divine Infant in his arms and blessed Saint Joseph and the Most Pure Virgin Mary.
Just as Christ will be pierced with nails and a spear, so the soul of the Most Pure One will be struck by some “weapon” of sadness and heartache when She sees the suffering of the Son.
© photo: Sputnik / Yuri Kaplun
Icon "Candlemas". Icon painter Andrei Rublev
This interpretation of Simeon’s prophecy became the subject of several “symbolic” icons of the Mother of God. All those who come to them with prayer feel how mental and physical suffering is alleviated.
The image of "Softening Evil Hearts" supposedly comes from Southwestern Rus', 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 on the bottom. The choice of the image of a sword in the icon is not accidental, since in human understanding 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 the grief, “sadness and heart disease” that the Blessed Virgin suffered 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, Higher than all the daughters of the earth, in Your purity and in the multitude of sufferings You have endured on earth, accept our much-painful sighs and keep us under the shelter of Your mercy. For you know of no other refuge and warm intercession, but since you have the boldness to be born of You, help and save us with Your prayers, so that we may without stumbling reach the Kingdom of Heaven, where with all the saints we will sing praises in the Trinity to the One God, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.
The Twelfth Immovable Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated February 15, new style(February 2, old style) and has 1 day of forefeast and 1-7 days of afterfeast.
Meeting of the Lord. From the series "The Law of God":
On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Church remembers an important event in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2:22 - 40). On the 40th day after his birth, the Infant of God was brought to the Jerusalem Temple - 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 child was forbidden to enter the temple of God for 40 days. After this period, the mother came to the temple with the baby to bring a thanksgiving and cleansing sacrifice to the Lord. The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, had no need for purification, for she unknowingly gave birth to the Source of purity and holiness, but out of deep humility She submitted to the dictates 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 Righteous Joseph brought the Infant Jesus there to perform the legal rite. The God-receiver Simeon took the Divine Infant in his arms, and, blessing God, uttered a prophecy about the Savior of the world: “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all nations, a light for the enlightenment of the pagans. and the glory of Your people Israel" (Luke 2:29 - 32). Righteous Simeon said to the Most Holy Virgin: “Behold, this One is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for the subject of controversy, and a weapon will pierce Your own soul, so 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, daughter of Phanuel, “who did not leave the temple, serving God day and night with fasting and prayer. And at that time she approached, glorified the Lord and spoke about Him (the Infant of God) to everyone who was waiting deliverance in Jerusalem" (Luke 2:37 - 38).
Before the Nativity of Christ, all righteous men and wives lived by faith in the Coming Messiah, the Savior of the world and awaited His coming. The last righteous people of the outgoing Old Testament - 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.
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is one of the oldest holidays of the Christian Church. It is known that on the day of this celebration, sermons were delivered by Saints Methodius of Patara (+ 312), Cyril of Jerusalem (+ 360), Gregory the Theologian (+ 389), Amphilochius of Iconium (+ 394), Gregory of Nyssa (+ 400), John Chrysostom (+ 407 ). But, despite its early origin, this holiday was not celebrated so solemnly until the 6th century. In 528, under 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, killing several thousand people every day. During these days of national calamity, it was revealed to one of the pious Christians that the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord should be celebrated more solemnly.
When the all-night vigil and procession of the cross were held on the day of the Presentation of the Lord, the disasters in Byzantium ceased. In gratitude to God, the Church in 544 established a more solemn celebration of the Presentation of the Lord.
Church hymns decorated the holiday with many hymns: in the 7th century - St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, and in the 8th century - St. Cosmas, Bishop of Maium, St. John of Damascus, St. Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, in the 9th century - St. Joseph the Studite, Archbishop of Thessalonica.
Associated with the event of the Presentation of the Lord is the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, called “The Softening of Evil Hearts”, or “Simeon’s Prophecy”, which must be distinguished from the “Seven Arrow” icon.
The icon “Simeon’s Prophecy” symbolizes the fulfillment of the prophecy of the righteous elder Simeon: “A weapon will pierce your soul” (Luke 2:35).
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh on the Presentation
“...Together with Him, the Mother is, as it were, sacrificed. 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, with complete faith, complete hope, complete love giving Him to death, just 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 had weapons pass through their hearts. She can understand everyone, She embraces everyone with Her love, She can reveal to everyone in the silent sacrament of communication the depths of this sacrifice.
Let those who are dying a terrible and painful death remember Christ crucified and give their lives as the Son of God, who became the son of man, gave it: without anger, resignedly, lovingly, for the salvation of not only those who were close to Him, but and those who were His enemies, with the last words, drawing 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 deeds, to suffering and to death of those whom they love most on earth and in eternity...
Therefore, let us all reverently worship the Mother of God in Her suffering on the cross, in Her crucified love, in Her endless sacrifice, and in Christ the Savior, Who is brought to the temple today, and whose sacrifice will be accomplished on Calvary. The Old Testament is ending, a new life of love for life and death has begun, and we belong to this life.”
From Nikolky Blagovest
Novgorod school. 70-80 years of the 15th century.
The Great Twelfth Feast of the Presentation of the Lord was established by the Church in memory of the fact that on the 40th day after the birth of Christ the Blessed Virgin brought the Divine Infant to the Temple of Jerusalem in order, as the word of God says, “to present him before the Lord” (Luke 2:22) , dedicate to the Lord.
In the temple, the forty-day-old Infant, the Lord of heaven and earth, was greeted with blessed delight and great joy by the elder Simeon and the prophetess Anna. Saint Simeon, at the end of his days, utters wondrous words that St. The Church repeats daily during the evening service at sunset: “Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, in peace, according to Your word: as my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people...” Then continuing his inspired prophecy, the righteous elder turned to the Virgin Mary and, pointing Her to the Child, said: “Behold, this One is set for the fall and the uprising of many in Israel and as a subject of controversy, and a weapon will pierce Your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2; 35,36). These words meant that there would be debates and speculations about Him, that many would find rebellion and salvation for themselves in Him, and many would find temptation and death, as if they would smash their thoughts and efforts against a stone, never knowing God in Him. And the Most Holy Virgin was to be repeatedly wounded in her heart at the sight of the suffering of Her Divine Son, especially when She stood at the Cross of Christ. Through the mouth of Elder Simeon in the hymn: “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Master...” - Old Testament humanity said the last word. A new time begins, the prophecies of the God-Receiver Simeon are being fulfilled. In connection with the event of the Presentation of the Lord, it is important for every Christian to remember that at one time our mother brought us to the temple and also placed us before the Lord, so that we would stand in the firmness of faith and holiness of life. The words ““now you let go...”” apply not only to the Old Testament Church, to Old Testament humanity, they apply to each of us. Sooner or later they will touch us with all their essence. Therefore, it is very important to remember about them, and at the same time that we always stand before God, although we do not always realize this or drown out this consciousness with vanity, sins and disobedience to the will of God.
May the current holiday of Christ’s coming to the temple and His meeting in this temple move us to Christian reflection about God and ourselves, about our inevitable “now you let go...”, and may it then be for us a peaceful and joyful meeting with Christ our God , to which the Christian soul should always strive.
Meeting of the Lord. From the series "Summer of the Lord", studio "Neophyte":
Candlemas. Joseph Brodsky to Anna Akhmatova
When She first brought into the church
Child, were inside from among
people who were there all the time
Saint Simeon and the prophetess Anna.
And the old man took the Child from his hands
Maria; and three people around
The babies stood like an unsteady frame,
that morning, lost in the darkness of the temple.
That temple surrounded them like a frozen forest.
From the eyes of people and from the eyes of heaven
the peaks were hidden, having managed to spread out,
that morning Mary, the prophetess, the elder.
And only on the crown of the head with a random ray
the light fell on the Baby; but He doesn't mean anything
I still didn’t know and was snoring sleepily,
resting in Simeon's strong arms.
And it was told to this old man
that he will see mortal darkness
not before the Lord sees the Son.
It's finished. And the elder said: “Today,
keeping the word once spoken,
You are in peace, Lord, letting me go,
then my eyes saw it
Child: he is your continuation and light
source for idols of honoring 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,
was spinning some time later
above their heads, rustling slightly
under the arches of the temple, like some kind of bird,
that is able to fly up, but not able to come down.
And it was strange for them. There was silence
no less strange than speech. Confused
Maria was silent. "What words..."
And the elder said, turning to Mary:
"In the Lying now on your shoulders
the fall of some, the rise of others,
a subject of controversy and a cause for discord.
And with the same weapon, Maria, with which
His flesh will be tormented, Yours
the soul will be wounded. This wound
will let you see what is hidden deeply
in the hearts of men, like a kind of eye."
He finished and moved towards the exit. Following
Maria, stooping, and with the weight of years
the bent Anna looked on silently.
He walked, decreasing in importance and in body
for these two women under the shadow of the columns.
Almost urging them on with their glances, he
walked through the frozen empty temple
to the vaguely white doorway.
And the gait was as firm as an old man’s.
Only the voice of the prophetess from behind when
rang out, he paused his step a little:
but there they were not calling out to him, but to God
The prophetess has already begun to praise.
And the door was approaching. Clothes and forehead
the wind has already touched, and stubbornly in the ears
the noise of life burst in outside the temple walls.
He was going to die. And not in the street noise
He opened the door with his hands and stepped out,
but into the deaf and dumb domains of death.
He walked through a space devoid of firmament,
he heard that time had lost its sound.
And the image of the Child with radiance around
fluffy crown of the death path
Simeon's soul carried before it,
like some kind of lamp into that black darkness,
in which no one has hitherto
I didn’t have a chance to light my way.
The lamp shone and the path widened.
February 16, 1972*
* date of writing of the poem is Anna Akhmatova’s birthday. NIB dating: March 1972.
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. The Gospel of Luke tells about this. As can be seen from religious texts, this event occurred one month and ten days after the birth of Jesus.
Holiday: when and why?
The Meeting of the Lord with enviable consistency falls on the same day - February 15th. Compared to 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 the baby Jesus turned 40 days old. Sometimes it happens that the holiday falls on a Monday. If such a year falls, and this day is covered by Lent (the initial week), then the service is postponed for a day, held on the 14th of the second month of the year. However, as you can see, the Orthodox holiday of Presentation rarely occurs precisely under such a coincidence of circumstances.
Meeting is a name that came to us from previous centuries. In Church Slavonic it means meeting. It is the meeting that is celebrated when the Presentation is celebrated. The divine parents headed from Bethlehem to Jerusalem with the baby in their arms and arrived there after forty days of travel. Mary and Joseph found themselves on the temple threshold, planning to thank God with a sacrifice, as was required by law, because the baby was their firstborn. When the young parents completed the ceremony and were about to leave the temple, they met an old man, Simeon. There were legends that he was the oldest resident of the city. It is this meeting that they talk about when they analyze what the Feast of the Presentation means.
Why and why?
Where did this tradition come from, how did Jesus’ parents 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 into a family, families performed two rituals. If the child was a boy, the mother was not allowed to visit the temple for forty days from the birth of the baby, and in the case of the birth of a girl, this period was twice as long. When the time period prescribed by the ritual expired, religion demanded a cleansing sacrifice, which meant a one-year-old lamb and a dove. The first was a burnt offering, and the second symbolized farewell to sin. However, the poor family could get by with only two doves. It was precisely the day of this rite that became the moment from which the history of the Feast of the Presentation begins.
Traditions are important!
When a boy was born into an ancient Jewish family, the parents, after forty days, not only made a 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 liberation from slavery. Today, knowing what kind of holiday and custom the Presentation of the Lord is is important not only from the point of view of following religious commandments - it is also a rich historical context. According to religious texts, Jesus was born from an immaculate conception, yet his parents decided to sacrifice in tribute to established traditions. Since Jesus' parents were poor, they brought doves to the temple.
Simeon the God-Receiver
As can be seen from the religious texts telling what the day of Candlemas means, Simeon had already lived for more than three centuries at the time of his meeting with the divine child. In his city, he was one of the most respected residents, one of the seventy most enlightened scientists. He participated in the translation of the Holy Scriptures into Greek. It is known what date Candlemas is: February 15th. On this day, modern man finds himself in the temple to honor the meeting that took place many centuries ago, when, in the same way, it was not by chance that Simeon came to the temple under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
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 to “woman.” The angel who appeared to Simeon pointed out the mistake he had made and ordered the inaccuracy to be corrected, at the same time promising that during his lifetime Simeon would be convinced that the phrases he read were prophetic. What is Candlemas? This is a holiday dedicated to a meeting that confirmed the truth of biblical texts for those who once doubted them.
Change of eras
The world has known about what Candlemas is since that long ago year when Joseph and Mary came to the temple to make the traditional sacrifice. That day the prophecy was fulfilled, and Simeon was finally able to die in peace, tired from 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, which also tell us what Candlemas is and why this day is so important for an Orthodox person, Simeon symbolized a previous 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. To the question of what Candlemas is, we can safely answer: one of the most important symbolic Christian holidays, known since ancient times. The Gospel story is preserved in the memory and heart of every believer, and reminders of it can be heard in Orthodox services.
Anna the prophetess
The day, which remained in memory for centuries as Candlemas, was important not only for the meeting of the old man and the baby, the meeting of eras replacing each other: in the same temple, the Mother of God encountered her daughter Fanuel, 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 talks about her in his Gospel: Anna served God night and day with prayers and fasting.
Having met Mary, Anna knelt before the divine child, after which she left the temple, spreading the news everywhere that the Messiah had come. It was Hannah who told the world that the savior of Israel had come. The family of Jesus, meanwhile, headed their steps to Nazareth, performing all the rites required by the laws in force at that time.
Meeting: a significant holiday
Unfortunately, these days, even zealous followers of Christianity do not always understand what the great meaning of the celebration of the Presentation is. This day symbolizes a meeting with the Lord God. Anna and Simeon were the first to kneel before the divine, and their names were preserved in sacred texts for centuries. It was they who set an example for all humanity, showing how to accept the Lord. They showed: only an open, pure heart is a worthy reception of the divine.
Meeting is a majestic, significant, important Christian holiday, closely connected with the stories that the New Testament tells. Almost every one of our compatriots has been to a temple at least once, symbolizing 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 - on Candlemas.
Candlemas: what to do
Those customs that are known to modern man did not always exist. Today, almost everyone knows that at Candlemas it is necessary to consecrate a church candle, but few people think that this ritual has existed not so long ago - only since 1646. Orthodox Christians adopted it from the Catholic branch. It was in this year that the missal of Peter Mohyla, who that year held the post of Metropolitan of Kyiv, was first published. The publication he compiled contained a clear description of Catholic rites, from here people could learn how to correctly organize religious processions. It was Peter Mogila who mentioned the lit lamps.
The ritual dates 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 - Gromnitsa. It so happened that Candlemas fell during the same period and also became an important ritual festival. By the way, after the transition of the Poles to Christianity in this area, Candlemas was still called according to the old habit, although the name was slightly changed: the Thunderous Mother of God. This name recalls the ancient myths about the Thunderer and the divine wife. Ordinary people believed that candles lit at Candlemas would help protect the house from fire and lightning.
Holiday: reflection among the people
Like any other important religious holiday, Candlemas played a significant role for the common people. This can be seen from numerous sayings and signs that have survived to this day. Candlemas was believed to be the turning point of 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.
Candlemas for the common people was an important day, when peasant life also turned to summer: they had to begin preparing for the new agricultural season. In the old days, the general public had a lot of things to do in the spring: preparing to herd livestock, preparing seeds, whitening tree trunks. According to Candlemas, they looked at what kind of spring to expect: if the weather was cold, it meant that nature would also flourish in the cool weather. But the thaw at Candlemas predicted a warm spring.
What's promised comes true
In some ways, Candlemas is a celebration of promises being fulfilled. As you can learn from the most important religious texts, God told the first parents of mankind, Eve and Adam, that one day he would send the Savior. Meeting is the day when what was promised became reality. From this celebration, every Orthodox Christian learns that what is promised must be fulfilled in full, and also realizes that what the Lord promises 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 halfway only to those who themselves strive for truth, who thirst for it. This is exactly what Simeon was, the first to meet the Child of God in the temple, because, as can be seen from the Gospel, this old man came to earth to fulfill the truth.
Meeting is a celebration of deliverance from untruth, lawlessness, and injustice. On this day, humanity receives repentance from the Lord and is rewarded with saving fruits. Simeon, one of the main characters of the Holy Scripture dedicated to the Presentation, was pious, led a righteous life, and had an enlightened spirit. Currently, there are only twelve 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 a joyful state. Therefore, we can safely say that Candlemas is a day when one must rejoice at the first meeting of Jesus and Simeon. It is known that some church services currently practiced are designed to remind the flock of the events that happened to Christ during his stay on the sinful earth. Meeting is one of these most important days of the calendar.
From biblical texts it is known that Christ assured humanity: the purpose of his coming was not at all to violate the prophetic laws, but to fulfill what was promised. And to some extent, the baby’s arrival at 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 had no need to make a cleansing sacrifice, because the baby was born as a result of an immaculate conception and there was no defilement in the woman. However, as seen in 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 turned to them and said that Mary should be in the community of maidens, 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 and gave birth to a baby by divine providence, which makes her superior to any other virgin. The way the family of the baby Jesus behaved will in the future become an example for the son of Zechariah, who will call on humanity to “do all righteousness,” because they presented a sacrifice according to the rituals, although they should not have done this. This shows that Mary and Joseph, by divine providence, put the law first and observed it unquestioningly, as befits any conscientious person.
Truth and Commitment
The following text of biblical scripture is also significant and interesting, connected with the meaning of the celebration of the Presentation: Simeon turned to the Mother of God, informing her that the baby is the savior promised by God, in whom everyone should believe. If anyone does not believe in divine preaching and rebels, he will fall. Simeon also predicted great discord in humanity, because some will say that the Savior is good, while others will consider him a deceiver. Simeon also predicted the great sadness that would pierce the mother’s heart when Jesus was crucified.
On this day, the Christian Church remembers the events described in the Gospel of Luke, namely in I meet the baby Jesus with the elder Simeon in the Jerusalem temple on the fortieth day after Christmas.
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the twelve, that is, the main holidays of the church year. This is a permanent holiday, which means that it is always celebrated on February 15th.
What does the word Meeting mean?
In Church Slavonic, “meeting” means "meeting". The holiday was established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke. On that day, the Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed brought the baby Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem to make the legally established thanksgiving sacrifice to God for the firstborn.
What kind of sacrifice in ancient Judea had to be performed after the birth of a baby?
According to the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a boy was forbidden to enter the temple for 40 days (and if a girl was born, then all 80). She should also bring to the Lord thanksgiving and cleansing sacrifice: thanksgiving - a one-year-old lamb, and for the forgiveness of sins - a dove. If the family was poor, a dove was sacrificed instead of a lamb, and the result was “two turtle doves or two dove chicks.”
In addition, if the first-born in the family was a boy, on the fortieth day the parents came with the newborn to the temple for a rite of dedication to God. It was not just tradition, but the Mosaic Law, installed in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - liberation from four centuries of slavery.
The Blessed Virgin Mary did not need to be purified because Jesus was born from the virgin birth. She came to the temple out of humility and to fulfill the law. Two doves became the cleansing sacrifice of the Mother of God, since the family into which Jesus was born was poor.
Rembrandt van Rijn. Candlemas
Who is Simeon the God-Receiver?
According to legend, when the Virgin Mary crossed the threshold of the temple with a baby in her arms, an ancient elder came out to meet her. His name was Simeon. In Hebrew, Simeon means “hearing.”
Tradition says that Simeon lived 360 years t. He was one of the 72 scribes who in the 3rd century BC. At the behest of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II, the Bible was translated from Hebrew into Greek.
When Simeon was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah, he saw the words: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son” and wanted to correct “Virgin” (virgin) to “Wife” (woman). However, an Angel appeared to him and forbade him to change his word, promising that Simeon would not die until he was convinced of the fulfillment of the prophecy.
On the day of the Presentation, what the elder had been waiting for all his long life was fulfilled. The prophecy has come true. The old man could now die in peace. The righteous man took the baby in his arms and exclaimed: “Now, O Master, you are sending Your servant away in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all nations, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). The church named him Simeon the God-Receiver and glorified him as a saint.
In the 6th century, his relics were transferred to Constantinople. Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote: “In the person of Simeon, the entire Old Testament, unredeemed humanity, passes into eternity in peace, giving way to Christianity...” In remembrance of this evangelical event, the Song of Simeon the Receiver of God is heard every day in Orthodox worship: “Now you let go.”
Rembrandt van Rijn. Simeon the God-Receiver 1627-1628
Who is Anna the Prophetess?
On the day of the Presentation, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem Temple. In the temple, an 84-year-old widow, “daughter of Phanuel,” 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, “serving God day and night with fasting and prayer” (Luke 2:37 - 38).
Anna the prophetess bowed to the newborn Christ and left the temple, bringing the news to the townspeople about the coming of the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel. “And at that time she came up and glorified the Lord and prophesied about Him to all who were waiting for deliverance in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:36-38).
How did they begin to celebrate the Presentation of the Lord?
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the most ancient holidays of the Christian Church and completes the cycle of Christmas holidays. The holiday has been known in the East since the 4th century, in the West - since the 5th century. The earliest evidence of the celebration of the Presentation in the Christian East dates back to the end of the 4th century. At that time, the Meeting in Jerusalem was not yet an independent holiday, but was called “the fortieth day from the Epiphany.” It should be noted that until the 6th century this holiday was not celebrated so solemnly.
Under Emperor Justinian (527-565), in 544 Antioch was struck by a pestilence that killed several thousand people every day. During these days, one of the Christians was given instructions to celebrate the Presentation of the Lord more solemnly. The disasters truly ceased when an all-night vigil and religious procession were held on the day of the Presentation. Therefore, the Church in 544 established the solemn celebration of the Presentation of the Lord.
Since the 5th century, the names of the holiday have taken root: “Feast of the Meeting” (Candlemas) and “Feast of Purification.” In the East it is still called Candlemas, and in the West it was called the “Feast of Purification” until 1970, when a new name was introduced: “Feast of the Sacrifice of the Lord.”
Icon “Softening Evil Hearts”
What does the “Softening Evil Hearts” icon mean?
Associated with the event of the Presentation of the Lord is an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is called “Softening Evil Hearts” or “Simeon’s Prophecy”. It symbolically depicts the prophecy of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver, pronounced by him in the Jerusalem Temple on the Day of the Presentation of the Lord: “A weapon will pierce your own soul” (Luke 2:35).
The Mother of God is depicted standing on a cloud with seven swords piercing her heart: three on the right and left and one at the bottom. There are also half-length images of the Virgin Mary. The number seven signifies the fullness of grief, sadness and heartache experienced by the Mother of God in her earthly life.
What signs exist for Candlemas?
By mid-February, frosts in Russia begin to weaken, and the approach of spring can be felt in the air. In our country, the weather on this holiday usually determined the start of spring field work. According to popular beliefs, Candlemas is the border between winter and spring, as evidenced by popular sayings: “Candlemas - winter meets spring and summer,” “Sun for summer, winter for frost.”
By the weather on the feast of the Presentation, peasants judged the coming spring and summer, the weather and the harvest. They judged spring like this: “What is the weather on Candlemas, so will spring.” It was believed that If there is a thaw at Candlemas- spring will be early and warm, if it's a cold day- wait for a cold spring. Snow that fell on this day- for a long and rainy spring. If on Candlemas there is snow blowing across the road- spring is late and cold. “On Candlemas morning, snow is the harvest of early grain; if at noon - medium; if it’s late in the evening.” “On the Meeting of Drops - the wheat harvest.” “At Candlemas, the wind brings about the fertility of fruit trees.”
