You can celebrate the Feast of the Presentation. And some may immediately wonder what Candlemas 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 the Blessed Virgin Mary are revered. The holiday of the Presentation is immutable, and it is customary to celebrate it on February 15th. The word “sretenie” is translated from Church Slavonic as “meeting.”
Candlemas Day determined the point in time when the Old Testament met the New Testament - the ancient world with the world of Christianity. All this happened thanks to one person; this is given a special place in the Gospel. However, let's start from the beginning. The Gospel of Luke says that the Presentation of the Lord took place exactly 40 days after
There is a very interesting fact related to the answer to the question of what date Candlemas is. In 528, a strong earthquake occurred in Antioch, and many people died. Then in the same lands (in 544) a pestilence epidemic arose, and people began to die in the thousands. During these days of terrible disasters, providence was revealed to one pious Christian so that the people would celebrate the Feast of the Presentation more solemnly. And then on this day an all-night vigil (public worship) and a religious procession were held. And only then did these terrible disasters in Christian Byzantium cease. Then the Church, in gratitude to God, established the Presentation of the Lord to be celebrated on February 15 solemnly and reverently.
history of the holiday
At that time, the Jews had two traditions that were associated with the birth of a baby in the family. After giving birth, a woman was forbidden to come for 40 days, this is if a boy was born, and if a girl was born, then all 80. After the expiration of the period, the woman in labor had to bring a cleansing sacrifice to the Temple. For the burnt offering and for the atonement of sins, they brought a young lamb and a dove. The poor family sacrificed another dove instead of a lamb.
On the 40th day, the parents of the newborn boy had 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 Candlemas is.
Mary and Joseph arrived from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. In their arms was the Infant God. Their family lived poorly, so they sacrificed two doves. The Most Pure Mother of God, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result, still offered the required sacrifice with meekness, humility and great respect for Jewish laws.
Now, when the ceremony was completed and the Holy Family was about to leave the Temple, an old man named Simeon approached them. He was a great righteous man. Taking the Divine Infant in his hands, he exclaimed with great joy: “Now you are releasing 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 Infant Christ, Elder Simeon was over 300 years old. He was a very revered and respected man, one of the 72 scholars who were commissioned to translate the Gospel from Hebrew into Greek. On this Sabbath day, it was not at all by chance that he ended up in this Temple, because it was the Holy Spirit who brought him here.
Once upon a time, Simeon began translating the book of the prophet Isaiah; he was greatly surprised to read there such words that were incomprehensible to his mind: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child 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.” 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 you let go”
From that moment on, he had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and finally 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 Presentation, the Old Testament gives way to Christianity. Now this gospel story is mentioned every day in Christian worship - “The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver”, or in other words - “Now you let go.”
Simeon's predictions
Simeon, taking the Infant of the Most Pure Virgin in his hands, said to her: “Behold, because of Him the people will argue: some will be saved, and others will perish. And a weapon will pierce your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
What did he mean? It turns out that disputes among the people mean the persecution prepared for Her son, the opening of thoughts - the Judgment of God, the weapon that will pierce Her heart - the prophecy of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, because he suffered death from nails and spears, which passed through the mother’s heart with terrible pain.
The icon of the Mother of God “Softening Evil Hearts” became a vivid illustration of Simeon’s prophecy. Icon painters depicted the Mother of God standing on a cloud with seven swords stuck in her heart.
Prophetess Anna
Another important event happened on this day, and another meeting took place. The 84-year-old elder Anna the Prophetess, as the townspeople called her, approached the Mother of God. She worked and lived at the temple and was pious, as 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 to the world. Meanwhile, Joseph and Mary with the Child, having fulfilled everything that was required by the law of Moses, returned to Nazareth.
Now is it clear what Candlemas is? After all, Meeting is a meeting with the Savior. The names of Elder Simeon and Anna the prophetess are inscribed in the Holy Scriptures; they gave us an example, since they accepted the Lord with a pure and open heart. After meeting the Infant Jesus, Simeon went to his 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 Sretensky sermons, take, for example, Saints Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory the Theologian, and Gregory of Nyssa.
Some are interested in the question of what date Candlemas is. The feast of the Presentation, which is always celebrated on February 15, occupies an invariable place in the church calendar. But if the date of the Presentation of the Lord falls on Monday of the first week of Lent, which can also happen, then the festive service is moved to February 14.
Answering the question about what Candlemas is, first of all it must be said that it is a holiday dedicated to the Lord Jesus. In the first centuries it was a day of honoring the Mother of God. Therefore, the one who calls this holiday the Mother of God will also be partly right. Indeed, according to the structure of the service on this day, appeals in prayers and chants to the Mother of God occupy a central position. This duality of the feast of the Presentation also influenced the color of the clothes that the clergy wore during the service. White color became a symbol of Divine light, blue - the purity and purity of the Mother of God.
Candles. Candlemas
The tradition of consecrating on the feast of the Presentation came to Orthodoxy from Catholics. In 1646, Kiev Metropolitan Peter Mohyla described this Catholic rite in great detail in his missal, when a procession of the cross was held, which was a procession with torches. In this way, the Roman Church distracted its flock from pagan traditions associated with the worship of fire.
But in the Chita region there is the city of Sretensk, named in honor of this Great holiday.
In some other countries, on this day they celebrate 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”.
Subjects of icons
The icon of the Presentation illustrates the plot of the story from the Evangelist Luke, where the Pious Virgin Mary gives the elder Simeon into the hands of her baby Jesus. Behind the back of the Mother of God stands Joseph the Betrothed, who is carrying a cage with two doves. And behind Simeon is Anna the prophetess.
One of the oldest images can be found in the mosaic of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, which was created at the beginning of the 5th century. On it you can see how the Holy Virgin Mary with the Child of God in her arms goes to Saint Simeon, and at this time she is accompanied by angels.
The Orthodox Meeting in Rus' was depicted in two frescoes of the 12th century. The first is located in the St. Cyril Church in Kyiv. The second icon of the Presentation is in Novgorod, in the Church of the Savior on Nerditsa. There is a rather unusual depiction of the Presentation on icons in medieval Georgian art; there, 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” (otherwise it has the name “Simeon’s Prophecy”, “Seven Arrows”) is associated with the events of Candlemas. In this icon, sharp arrows pierce the heart of the Mother of God standing on a cloud, three arrows on one side and the other and one on the bottom. 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 the Mother of God and her Child.
Believers always turn to these icons in prayer. By softening the heart, not only their physical but also mental suffering is alleviated. They know that if they pray in front of the image of the Mother of God for their enemies, then the hostile feeling will gradually begin to fade and anger will disappear, giving way to mercy and kindness.
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.
Double-sided tablet icon from the second quarter of the 15th century. Sergiev Posad Museum Reserve (Sacristy)
On this day, the Church remembers the events described in the Gospel of Luke - the meeting with the elder Simeon of the baby Jesus 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 an everlasting holiday - it is always celebrated on February 15th.
What does the word "meeting" mean?
In Church Slavonic, “sretenie” means “meeting.” The holiday was established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke, which took place on the fortieth day after the Nativity of Christ. 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 had to be made after the baby was born?
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 also had to bring a thanksgiving and cleansing sacrifice to the Lord: a one-year-old lamb for thanksgiving, and a dove for the remission of sins. 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 a tradition, but the Mosaic Law, established 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. However, out of humility and in order to fulfill the law, she came to the temple. Two doves became the purifying sacrifice of the Mother of God, since the family was poor.
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. 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. This is stated in the Gospel of Luke: “He was a righteous and pious man, looking forward to 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” (Luke 2:25-26).
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 peacefully. 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. In 1200, the tomb of Saint Simeon was seen by a Russian pilgrim - Saint Anthony, the future Archbishop of Novgorod.
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.”
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.” The texts of the sermons that were delivered on this day by Saints Cyril of Jerusalem, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom and other famous hierarchs have been preserved. But 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.”
In the Roman Catholic Church, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, dedicated to the memory of the bringing of the baby Jesus into the temple and the purification rite performed by his mother on the fortieth day after the birth of her first child, is called Chandeleur, i.e. lamp. Lamp, feast of the Mother of God Gromnichnaya (feast of the Fiery Mary, Gromniyya) - that’s what Catholics call it.
Our Liturgical Charter - Typikon says nothing about the consecration of candles (and water) on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The old missals do not contain anything like this. Only after 1946 did the rite of blessing candles for the Presentation of the Lord begin to be printed in breviaries, and this was associated with the transition from the union of the population of the regions of Western Ukraine. The custom of consecrating church candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord was transferred to the Orthodox Church from Catholics in the 17th century, when Metropolitan Peter Mogila edited the “Trebnik for the Little Russian dioceses.” For editing, in particular, the Roman missal was used, which described in detail the order of processions with lit lamps. In our country, the Latin Sretensky rite never took root, but the rite, thanks to Peter Mogila, remained (neither the Greeks nor the Old Believers have any trace of it). Therefore, in many dioceses of the Russian Church, candles are blessed either after the prayer behind the pulpit (like the rite of the Great Blessing of Water, which is “inserted” into the liturgy), or after the liturgy at a prayer service. And there are places where there is no custom of blessing candles. The “magical” attitude towards Sretensky candles is a relic of the pagan ritual of honoring fire, associated with the cult of Perun, and called “gromnitsy”.
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 “The Softening of 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. Sometimes the image is replenished with the image of the deceased Infant of God on the knees of the Mother of God.
What signs exist for Candlemas?
In Rus', this holiday was used to determine the start of spring field work. According to folk signs, 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 was a thaw on Candlemas, spring would be early and warm; if it was a cold day, expect a cold spring. Snow falling on this day means a long and rainy spring. If snow blows across the road on Meeting Day, 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.”
If you notice an error, select it with the mouse and press Ctrl+Enter
There are Christian holidays that literally everyone knows about. And they can describe in a nutshell what, in fact, believers celebrate. Christmas - Christ was born. Easter - Christ is risen. What is the Presentation of the Lord? What does this word, unusual for modern man, even mean, “meeting”? We invite you to get acquainted with the chronology of the events of Candlemas and see what trace this day of New Testament history left in world culture.
What does the word "Candlemas" mean?
The most common question that can be heard about Candlemas is: “Okay, today is Candlemas. And what is it?"
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the Twelfth Feasts of the Christian Church, that is, the main holidays of the church year. This is a permanent holiday; in the Russian Orthodox Church it is celebrated on February 15.
Translated from Church Slavonic “sretenie” means “meeting”. Candlemas Day is the point in time where the Old and New Testaments met. The ancient world and Christianity. This happened thanks to a man who is given a very special place in the Gospel. But first things first.
On February 15, we remember the events described in the Gospel of Luke. The meeting took place 40 days after the Nativity of Christ.
The Jews of that time had two traditions associated with the birth of a child in the family.
Firstly, after giving birth, a woman could not appear in the Jerusalem Temple for forty days (and if a girl was born, then all eighty). As soon as the period 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, which resulted in “two turtle doves or two pigeon chicks.”
Secondly, if the first-born in the family was a boy, the parents came to the Temple with the newborn on the fortieth day - for a rite of dedication to God. This was not just a tradition, but the law of Moses: the Jews established it in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - 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 Infant of God in their arms, they stepped onto the threshold of the Temple. The family did not live richly, so two doves became the purifying sacrifice of the Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin decided to make a sacrifice out of humility and respect before Jewish law, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of the immaculate conception.
Meeting in the Jerusalem Temple
After the ceremony, the Holy Family was already heading towards the exit from the Temple, but then an ancient old man, perhaps the oldest man in Jerusalem, approached them. His name was Simeon. Translated from Hebrew, “šim’on” means “hearing.” The righteous man took the Child in his arms and joyfully exclaimed: “ Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace, for mine 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).
According to legend, at the time of his meeting with Christ, Simeon was more than 300 years old. He was a respected man, one of seventy-two scholars tasked with translating 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 found himself in the Temple this Saturday - the Holy Spirit brought him. Many years ago, Simeon was translating 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. Evangelist Luke writes about this: “ He was a righteous and pious man, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. He was predicted 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. What the scientist had been waiting for all his unbearably long life came true. Simeon took into his arms the Child born of the Virgin, which means that the Angel’s prophecy was fulfilled. The old man could die peacefully. " Now You are releasing Your servant, O 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 humanity, passes into eternity in peace, giving way to Christianity...” The memory of this gospel story is heard every day in Orthodox services. This is the Song of Simeon the God-Receiver, or in other words - “Now you let go.”
“A weapon will pierce your very soul”
Having received the Child from the hands of the Most Pure Virgin, Elder Simeon addressed her with the words: “Behold, because of Him the people will argue: some will be saved, while others will perish. And the weapon will pierce your very soul- may the thoughts of many hearts be revealed"(Luke 2:34-35).
Disputes among the people are the persecutions that were prepared for the Savior. Opening thoughts - God's judgment. What kind of weapon will pierce the heart of the Virgin Mary? This was a prophecy of the Crucifixion that awaited her Son. After all, the nails and spear from which the Savior died passed through her mother’s heart with unbearable pain. 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 Presentation, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem Temple. An 84-year-old widow, “the 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, as Evangelist Luke writes, “ 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 the Holy Family returned to Nazareth, since they fulfilled everything prescribed by the law of Moses.
The meaning of the Feast of the Presentation
Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church at MGIMO, cleric of the Cathedral of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God on Red Square.
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 of how to accept the Lord with a pure and open heart.
After meeting Christ, Simeon went to the forefathers to await the Resurrection of Christ. And, imagine, death became a great happiness for him! The righteous old man 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 allotted to man by God - one hundred and twenty years. I remember one TV story: an ancient old woman was brought out to the journalists by her great-great-great-granddaughter, who was also far from young. The bent grandmother was straightened up and asked: “Television has come to you here. What can you say?" And she answered: “Why was the Lord angry with me? Why doesn’t He take me?” So Simeon waited 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 you are releasing your servant,” says Simeon. Now that he has seen the Savior with his own eyes, the Lord releases him from the corruptible world - to the Heavenly world. So we, once we have met God, must understand: the time of sin, weakness and self-will has passed. It's time for bliss!
It is no coincidence that the Presentation occurs with the forty-day-old Infant. He is small and defenseless, but at the same time he is great and full of triumphant joy. This is how a person who has come to know Christ should be—a newborn Christian. Full of jubilation.
Meeting is not just a day from distant New Testament history. At least once in his life, any person finds himself in the house of God - in the temple. And there each person experiences his personal Meeting - a meeting with Christ. How to understand whether a Meeting has occurred in your life? It’s very simple - ask yourself: am I joyful? have I changed? how much love is in my heart? Let's meet the Lord, let's see Him with our hearts!
Song of Simeon the God-Receiver
The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver, or “Now you let go...” are the words of Simeon the God-Receiver from the Gospel of Luke.
This prayer is mentioned for the first time in the Apostolic Constitutions. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the words of Simeon the God-Receiver are read rather than sung during services, unlike Catholics, for example. This happens at the end of Vespers. In addition, Orthodox Christians say “Now you let go...” during the Sacrament of Baptism - but only for infant boys.
Text:
Church Slavonic:
Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace;
for my eyes have seen Your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all people,
light for the revelation of tongues, and the glory of Your people Israel.
Russian:
Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace,
for mine eyes have seen Your salvation,
which You have prepared before all nations,
light for the enlightenment of the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.
History of the celebration
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is one of the most ancient in the Christian Church. The first Sretensky sermons were delivered to the people in 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 Presentation 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 marches, and everything is done in order with the greatest triumph, as if on Easter. All the presbyters preach, and then the bishop... After this, having sent everything in the usual order, they perform the Liturgy.”
The holiday became national for Byzantium in the 6th century. Following this, the tradition of the solemn celebration of the Presentation spread throughout the Christian world.
Divine service of the Presentation
The Presentation of the Lord has an invariable place in the church calendar. February 15 (February 2, old style). If Candlemas falls on the Monday of the first week of Lent, which happens very rarely, the festive service is moved to the previous day - February 14.
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 this is the feast of the Mother of God will be partly right.
Meeting is close to the holidays in honor of the Mother of God and according to the structure of the service. In the troparion of the holiday, in the prokeimnas at Matins and Liturgy and other hymns, appeals to the Mother of God occupy a central place.
Interestingly, the duality of the Presentation influenced the color of the vestments of the clergy at the festive service. They can be white - as on the Lord's holidays, and blue - as on the Mother of God. In church tradition, white color symbolizes Divine light. Blue - the purity and purity of the Virgin Mary.
The custom of blessing candles
The custom of blessing church candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord came to the Orthodox Church from Catholics. This happened in 1646, when Metropolitan of Kiev Saint Peter (Mogila) compiled and published his missal. In it, the author described in detail the Catholic rite of religious processions with lit lamps. With the help of such a torchlight procession, the Roman Church tried to distract its flock from pagan holidays associated with the veneration of fire. On these days, the pagan Celts celebrated Imbolc, the Romans celebrated Lupercalia (a festival associated with the shepherd cult), and the Slavs celebrated Gromnitsa. It is interesting that in Poland, after the adoption of Christianity, the Presentation began to be called the feast of the Gromnica Mother of God. This is an echo of the myths about the thunder god and his wife - people believed that Sretensky candles could protect a house from lightning and fire.
The Orthodox Church treated the Sretensky candles in a special way - not magically, but reverently. They were kept all year and lit during home prayer.
Folk traditions of Meeting
In the folk traditions of celebrating the Presentation, church and pagan traditions are mixed. Some of these customs are completely unchristian, 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 and spring. Hence many sayings: “at Candlemas, winter met spring,” “at Candlemas, the sun turned to 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 and into the corral, prepared the seeds for sowing, and whitewashed the fruit trees. And of course, in addition to housework, festivities were held in the villages.
1. Many settlements in Russia and abroad are named in honor of the Presentation. The largest is the city of Sretensk, the regional center of the Chita region.
2. In the USA and Canada, the famous national holiday - Groundhog Day - is dedicated to the holiday of Candlemas, which is celebrated there on February 2.
3. The Presentation of the Lord - in some countries it 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 heads of local Orthodox Churches, Syndesmos approved February 15 as Orthodox Youth Day.
Icons of the Presentation
The iconography of the Presentation is an illustration of the narrative of the Evangelist Luke. The Virgin Mary hands the Divine Child into the arms of Elder Simeon - this is the main plot of the 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 righteous Simeon they write Anna the prophetess.
The oldest image of the Presentation can be found in one of the mosaics of the triumphal arch 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 images of the events of Candlemas in Rus' are two frescoes of the 12th century. The first is in the St. Cyril Church in Kyiv. The second is in the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa in Novgorod. It is interesting that in the fresco of the Cyril Church the Child does not sit, but lies in the arms of the Mother of God.
Introduction to the Temple of the Virgin Mary. Meeting of the Lord. Frescoes of the Savior on the Nereditsa Church near Novgorod. 1199
An unusual version of the iconography of the Presentation can be found in medieval Georgian art. On these icons there is no image of an 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 the weapon will pierce your very soul.”.
By the way, this image is very similar to the “Seven Arrow” icon of the Mother of God. But there is one difference. The arrows piercing the heart of the Mother of God are located on the “Softening of Evil Hearts” icon, three on the right and left, one on the bottom. The “Seven Arrows” icon has four arrows on one side and three on the other.
Quotes:
Theophan the Recluse. Word for the Presentation of the Lord
“...We are all called not to only mentally imagine this bliss, but to actually taste it, because we are all called to have and carry the Lord within ourselves and to disappear in Him with all the strength of our spirit. And so, when we reach this state, then our bliss will not be lower than the bliss of those who participated in the Meeting of the Lord...”
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.”
Archbishop Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). Word on the Day of the Presentation of the Lord
« In the world, in the deep spiritual world, Saint Simeon the God-Receiver passed into eternity after a 300-year life in anticipation of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isain: “Behold, the Virgin will receive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Emmanuel, as it is said, “God with us.”
Why do you constantly hear this prayer now? Why is it, like no other, repeated at every vespers?
Then, in order for them to remember the hour of death, so that they remember that you too must die in such deep peace as Saint 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 you are releasing Your servant, Master, according to Your word in peace,” - if you want this, then go following Christ, taking His yoke upon yourself, learning from Him, for He is meek and lowly in heart.”
1953
Poetry
Candlemas. Joseph Brodsky
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:
“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 people, 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 silently through this 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.
Orthodox magazine "Thomas"
There are Christian holidays that literally everyone knows about. And they can describe in a nutshell what, in fact, believers celebrate. Christmas - Christ is born. Easter - Christ is risen. What is the Presentation of the Lord? What does this word, unusual for modern man, even mean, “meeting”? We invite you to get acquainted with the chronology of the events of Candlemas and see what trace this day of New Testament history left in world culture.
What does the word "Candlemas" mean?
The most common question that can be heard about Candlemas is: “Okay, today is Candlemas. And what is it?"The Presentation of the Lord is one of the Twelfth Feasts of the Christian Church, that is, the main holidays of the church year. This is a permanent holiday; in the Russian Orthodox Church it is celebrated on February 15.
Translated from Church Slavonic “sretenie” means “meeting”. Candlemas Day is the point in time where the Old and New Testaments met. The ancient world and Christianity. This happened thanks to a man who is given a very special place in the Gospel. But first things first.
Purification sacrifice from the Most Pure Virgin
On February 15, we remember the events described in the Gospel of Luke. The meeting took place 40 days after the Nativity of Christ.The Jews of that time had two traditions associated with the birth of a child in the family.
Firstly, after giving birth, a woman could not appear in the Jerusalem Temple for forty days (and if a girl was born, then for all eighty). As soon as the period 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, which resulted in “two turtle doves or two pigeon chicks.”
Secondly, if the first-born in the family was a boy, the parents came to the Temple with the newborn on the fortieth day for a rite of dedication to God. This was not just a tradition, but the law of Moses: the Jews established it in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - 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 Infant of God in their arms, they stepped onto the threshold of the Temple. The family did not live richly, so two doves became the purifying sacrifice of the Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin decided to make a sacrifice out of humility and respect before Jewish law, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of the immaculate conception.
Meeting in the Jerusalem Temple
After the ceremony, the Holy Family was already heading towards the exit from the Temple, but then an ancient old man, perhaps the oldest man in Jerusalem, approached them. His name was Simeon. Translated from Hebrew, “šim’on” means “hearing.”The righteous man took the Child in his arms and joyfully exclaimed: “ Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace, for mine 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).
According to legend, at the time of his meeting with Christ, Simeon was more than 300 years old. He was a respected man, one of seventy-two scholars tasked with translating 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 found himself in the Temple this Saturday—the Holy Spirit brought him. Many years ago, Simeon was translating 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. Evangelist Luke writes about this: “ He was a righteous and pious man, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. He was predicted 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. What the scientist had been waiting for all his unbearably long life came true. Simeon took into his arms the Child born of the Virgin, which means that the Angel’s prophecy was fulfilled. The old man could die peacefully. " Now You are releasing Your servant, O 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 humanity, passes into eternity in peace, giving way to Christianity...” The memory of this gospel story is heard every day in Orthodox services.
This is the Song of Simeon the God-Receiver, or in other words - “Now you let go.”
“A weapon will pierce your very soul”
Having received the Child from the hands of the Most Pure Virgin, Elder Simeon addressed her with the words: “Behold, because of Him the people will argue: some will be saved, while others will perish. And the weapon will pierce your very soul May the thoughts of many hearts be revealed"(Luke 2:34-35).Disputes among the people are persecutions that were prepared for the Savior. Opening thoughts - God's Judgment. What kind of weapon will pierce the heart of the Virgin Mary? This was a prophecy of the Crucifixion that awaited her Son. After all, the nails and spear from which the Savior died passed through her mother’s heart with unbearable pain. 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 Presentation, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem Temple. An 84-year-old widow, “the 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, as Evangelist Luke writes, “ 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 the Holy Family returned to Nazareth, since they fulfilled everything prescribed by the law of Moses.
The meaning of the Feast of the Presentation
Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church at MGIMO, cleric of the Cathedral of the Icon of the Kazan 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 of how to receive the Lord with a pure and open heart.After meeting Christ, Simeon went to the forefathers to await the Resurrection of Christ. And, imagine, death became a great happiness for him! The righteous old man 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 allotted to man by God - one hundred and twenty years. I remember one TV story: an ancient old woman was brought out to the journalists by her great-great-great-granddaughter, who was also far from young. The bent grandmother was straightened up and asked: “Television has come to you here. What can you say?" And she answered: “Why was the Lord angry with me? Why doesn’t He take me?” So Simeon waited 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 you are releasing your servant,” says Simeon. Now that he has seen the Savior with his own eyes, the Lord releases him from the corruptible world into the Heavenly world. So we, once we have met God, must understand: the time of sin, weakness and self-will has passed.
It's time for bliss!
It is no coincidence that the Presentation occurs with the forty-day-old Infant. He is small and defenseless, but at the same time he is great and full of triumphant joy. This is how a person who has come to know Christ should be—a newborn Christian. Full of jubilation.
Meeting is not just a day from distant New Testament history. At least once in his life, any person finds himself in the house of God - in the temple. And there each person experiences his personal Meeting—a meeting with Christ. How to understand whether a Meeting has occurred in your life? It’s very simple - ask yourself: am I joyful? have I changed? how much love is in my heart? Let's meet the Lord, let's see Him with our hearts! "
Song of Simeon the God-Receiver
The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver, or “Now you let go...” are the words of Simeon the God-Receiver from the Gospel of Luke.This prayer is mentioned for the first time in the Apostolic Constitutions. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the words of Simeon the God-Receiver are read rather than sung during services, unlike Catholics, for example. This happens at the end of Vespers. In addition, Orthodox Christians say “Now you let go...” during the Sacrament of Baptism - but only for infant boys.
Text:
Church Slavonic:
Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace;
for my eyes have seen Your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all people,
light for the revelation of tongues, and the glory of Your people Israel.
Russian:
Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace,
for mine eyes have seen Your salvation,
which You have prepared before all nations,
light for the enlightenment of the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.
Troparion to the Presentation of the Lord
Rejoice, Blessed Virgin Mary, / from You the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, has risen, / enlightening those in darkness. / Rejoice, you too, the elder righteous, / received into the arms of the Liberator of our souls, // giving us resurrection.
History of the celebration
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is one of the most ancient in the Christian Church. The first Sretensky sermons were delivered to the people in 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 Presentation 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 marches, and everything is done in order with the greatest triumph, as if on Easter. All the presbyters preach, and then the bishop... After this, having sent everything in the usual order, they perform the Liturgy.”
The holiday became national for Byzantium in the 6th century. Following this, the tradition of the solemn celebration of the Presentation spread throughout the Christian world.
Divine service of the Presentation
The Presentation of the Lord has an invariable place in the church calendar. February 15 (February 2, old style). If Candlemas falls on the Monday of the first week of Lent, which happens very rarely, the festive service is moved to the previous day - February 14.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 this is the feast of the Mother of God will be partly right.
Meeting is close to the holidays in honor of the Mother of God and according to the structure of the service. In the troparion of the holiday, in the prokeimnas at Matins and Liturgy and other hymns, appeals to the Mother of God occupy a central place.
Interestingly, the duality of the Presentation influenced the color of the vestments of the clergy at the festive service. They can be white - as on the Lord's holidays, and blue - as on the Mother of God. In church tradition, white color symbolizes Divine light. Blue - the purity and purity of the Virgin Mary.
The custom of blessing candles
The custom of blessing church candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord came to the Orthodox Church from Catholics. This happened in 1646, when Metropolitan of Kiev Saint Peter (Mogila) compiled and published his missal. In it, the author described in detail the Catholic rite of religious processions with lit lamps. With the help of such a torchlight procession, the Roman Church tried to distract its flock from pagan holidays associated with the veneration of fire. On these days, the pagan Celts celebrated Imbolc, the Romans celebrated Lupercalia (a festival associated with the shepherd cult), and the Slavs celebrated Gromnitsa. It is interesting that in Poland, after the adoption of Christianity, the Presentation began to be called the feast of the Gromnica Mother of God. This is an echo of the myths about the thunder god and his wife - people believed that Sretensky candles could protect a house from lightning and fire.The Orthodox Church treated the Sretensky candles in a special way - not magically, but reverently. They were kept all year and lit during home prayer.
Folk traditions of Meeting
In the folk traditions of celebrating the Presentation, church and pagan traditions are mixed. Some of these customs are completely unchristian, 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 and spring. Hence many sayings: “at Candlemas, winter met spring,” “at Candlemas, the sun turned to 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 and into the corral, prepared the seeds for sowing, and whitewashed the fruit trees. And of course, in addition to housework, festivities were held in the villages. 1. Many settlements in Russia and abroad are named in honor of the Presentation. The largest is the city of Sretensk, the regional center of the Chita region.
2. In the USA and Canada, the famous national holiday - Groundhog Day - is dedicated to the holiday of Candlemas, which is celebrated there on February 2.
3. The Presentation of the Lord - in some countries it 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 heads of local Orthodox Churches, Syndesmos approved February 15 as Orthodox Youth Day.
Icons of the Presentation
The iconography of the Presentation is an illustration of the narrative of the Evangelist Luke. The Virgin Mary hands the Divine Child into the arms of Elder Simeon - this is the main plot of the 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 righteous Simeon they write Anna the prophetess.
The oldest image of the Presentation can be found in one of the mosaics of the triumphal arch 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 Candlemas in Rus' are two frescoes from the 12th century. The first is in the St. Cyril Church in Kyiv. The second is in the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa in Novgorod. It is interesting that in the fresco of the Cyril Church the Child does not sit, but lies in the arms of the Mother of God.
An unusual version of the iconography of the Presentation can be found in medieval Georgian art. On these icons there is no image of an 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 the weapon will pierce your very soul.”.
By the way, this image is very similar to the “Seven Arrow” icon of the Mother of God. But there is one difference. The arrows piercing the heart of the Mother of God are located on the “Softening of Evil Hearts” icon, three on the right and left, one on the bottom. The “Seven Arrows” icon has four arrows on one side and three on the other.
Quotes:
Theophan the Recluse. Word for the Presentation of the Lord
“...We are all called not to only mentally imagine this bliss, but to actually taste it, because we are all called to have and carry the Lord within ourselves and to disappear in Him with all the strength of our spirit. And so, when we reach this state, then our bliss will not be lower than the bliss of those who participated in the Meeting of the Lord...”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 the heroism, to the suffering and to the 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.”
Archbishop Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). Word on the Day of the Presentation of the Lord
“In the world, in the deep spiritual world, Saint Simeon the God-Receiver passed into eternity after a 300-year life in anticipation of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isain: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Emmanuel, as it is said, “God with us.” .Why do you constantly hear this prayer now? Why is it, like no other, repeated at every vespers?
Then, in order for them to remember the hour of death, so that they remember that you too must die in such deep peace as Saint 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 you are releasing Your servant, O Master, according to Your word in peace,” - if you want this, then follow Christ , taking His yoke upon yourself, learning from Him, for He is meek and lowly in heart.”
1953
