Orthodox believers on Thursday, February 15, celebrate the Presentation of the Lord - one of the 12 main church holidays.

The word “sretenie” in the Old Church Slavonic language means “meeting”, and the second meaning of this word is “joy”. Meeting is a meeting of humanity in the person of Elder Simeon with God.

Gospel

Simeon the God-Receiver was a righteous and pious man - according to legend, one of the seventy-two learned interpreters and translators whom the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-247 BC) commissioned to translate the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek.

When Saint Simeon was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah and read the words “Behold, the Virgin will receive and give birth to a Son,” he thought that this was an obvious typo and instead of “Virgin” there should be “Wife,” and considered it his duty to correct the text. But the angel of the Lord stopped the hand of Saint Simeon and assured him that he would not die until he was convinced of the truth of the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah.

Simeon waited a long time for the fulfillment of God's promise - he lived, according to legend, about 300 years. And on this day, at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he came to the temple. And when Mary and Joseph brought the Baby Jesus, Simeon took Him in his arms and, glorifying God, said:

Now do You let Your servant go, Master, 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 the glory of Your people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

These words righteous Simeon became a prayer called “Song of Simeon the God-Receiver.” It is sung in church twice: at the end of Vespers (both small and great during the All-Night Vigil) and at “ Prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion" at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

Joseph and the Mother of God were surprised by such words. Simeon blessed them and, turning to Mother of God, predicted to Her about the Child:

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His Mother: Behold, this One is destined for the fall and rebellion 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 2:34-35)

These words formed the basis of the iconography of the image of the Mother of God “Softening evil hearts" Right there in the temple was the pious widow Anna the Prophetess, eighty four years, who served God with fasting and prayer day and night throughout the long years of her widowhood. And she recognized the Savior and, coming up, glorified the Lord and spoke about Him to everyone in Jerusalem.

Holiday

The Feast of the Presentation originated in the Church of Jerusalem and appeared in its liturgical calendar in the 4th century. Initially, it was perceived not as an independent holiday, but as a day completing the 40-day cycle after the Feast of the Epiphany.

Presentation is one of the Lord's feasts, dedicated directly to Christ, but in its liturgical content it is extremely close to the feasts of the Theotokos. And in ancient times, in its origins, it was considered as a holiday dedicated to the Mother of God.

Candlemas symbolizes the meeting of the Old and New Testaments. Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote: “In the person of Simeon, all Old Testament, unredeemed humanity, departs in peace into eternity, giving way to Christianity..."

On the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, before the start Divine Liturgy, at the end of the rite of 6 o'clock, on the pulpit in front, Royal Gates The candles are consecrated and then distributed to believers.

Folk beliefs and traditions on the Presentation of the Lord

There are a number of church and pagan traditions associated with the Presentation. Very often they are so closely intertwined that it is difficult to find the roots of rituals and customs.

To make it easier for the Slavs to accept the new faith, the church fathers used an already existing analogy - the holiday of the meeting of Winter and Spring, celebrated in the same period as the Presentation of the Lord. The modified customs of this day became church canons.

The main one is the blessing of candles for Candlemas.

According to tradition, during the festive service in the church, candles are blessed and then distributed to parishioners. Such candles were highly valued and were always brought home and stored for a year.

in the old days it was believed that they were able to protect a house from storms and tornadoes, crops from hail and violent winds, and a person from lightning strikes, the evil eye and diseases.

The first time the loud candle was lit immediately after coming home from church - “so that the spring wind would not damage the crops, and so that the frost would not kill the trees.”

During the same year, the candle was lit in the following cases:

• if terrible bad weather was raging over the house,
• if a fire or other natural disaster started nearby,
• if there were difficulties during childbirth,
• if a person is “caught by a black disease” (epilepsy),
• if a person was dying (with this candle, it was believed that the deceased would be able to leave the world of the living more calmly and easily).

Second important tradition on Candlemas - blessing of water.

Sretenskaya water from the church was valued on a par with Epiphany water. By itself ancient tradition, water was not carried to the temple to be blessed, but collected from melting, dripping icicles.

Sretenskaya water was used in the following cases:

• for the treatment of wounds and internal diseases,
• from the evil eye and witch spells,
• they sprinkled it on soldiers before battle and on Chumaks before a campaign,
• at the beginning of the season, beekeepers sprinkled the hives with it,
• The same water was sprinkled on livestock during the first pasture after winter.

What not to do on Candlemas

The bans on the Presentation of the Lord are similar to other great Christian holidays. So, on this day:

• you cannot miss a solemn service in church, and if you cannot attend it in its entirety, you should go in and at least light a candle and pray,
• you cannot leave the temple without a candle - the consecrated Sretensky “loud” candle is carefully carried home and stored for a whole year,
• you can't perform heavy physical work, except for what is done free of charge for the benefit of other people,
• You should not go on a long journey - it may end unexpectedly and badly.

Folk signs for Candlemas

Since in Slavic tradition Meeting is a turning point, when Winter meets Spring and “fights” with it for the first time; February 15 is associated with a lot of signs about the weather, the harvest, and in general about what the coming year will be like.

Here are the main signs for Candlemas:

• If on the night of Candlemas the sky is clear and all the stars are visible, this year you should wait big harvest fruit.
• If a thaw begins on Candlemas, wait for late spring.
• Strong wind on this day - bad sign for the harvest.
• Clear and calm weather is a joy for the beekeeper, because it portends an extremely successful year.
• What is the weather at Candlemas, such will be the spring.
• If the sky is starry, then spring will be late.
• If the sun comes out before sunset, the last frosts have passed, and if it doesn’t, then there will be severe Vlasyev frosts.
• On the Meeting of the drops there is a harvest for wheat, and if there is a blizzard, then there will be no bread.
• On Candlemas, a blizzard sweeps up the road and sweeps up food (towards a crop failure).
• On Candlemas morning, snow is a harvest of early bread; if at noon - medium; if in the evening - late.

Description of the holiday

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord It is celebrated on February 15 (New Art.) and has 1 day of pre-celebration and 1-7 days of post-celebration.

• Meeting Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin)
• Presentation V. Lossky
• Meeting N. Popov
• Bishop Veniamin Milov
• Bible Encyclopedia
• Deacon Andrey Kuraev
• Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
• Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy
• Marina Mikhailova
• Meeting of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ Feast service
• I.I. Turkin

The Legend of the Presentation of the Lord

According to the saint

After forty days had passed after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and after the completion of the days of legal purification, the Most Pure and Most Blessed Virgin Mother, together with Saint Joseph the betrothed, came from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to the temple of God, bringing the forty-day-old infant Christ to fulfill the law of Moses. According to this law, it was necessary, firstly, to be cleansed upon birth by offering an appropriate sacrifice to God and through priestly prayer, and, secondly, it was necessary to place the firstborn baby before the Lord and make a ransom for him at the established price (). This was commanded by the Lord in the Old Testament to Moses, in whose books about the law of purification of the mother it is written as follows: “If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male child, she will be unclean for seven days; on the eighth day his foreskin will be circumcised: and thirty She must sit for three days, cleansing herself from her blood; she must not touch anything sacred and must not come to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed, she must offer a one-year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a young dove or turtledove as a burnt offering. "If she is not able to offer a lamb, then she must take two turtledoves or two young doves, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering, and the priest will cleanse her, and she will be clean."

And about the dedication of the first-born males to God, the law says this: “Sanctify to Me every firstborn (male) firstborn who opens the womb.”(). And another time: "Give Me the firstborn of your sons" (). This was required for that great good deed of God in Egypt, when the Lord, beating the Egyptian firstborn, spared the Israelites (). Therefore, the Israelites brought their firstborn babies to the temple, dedicating them to God, as a due tribute established by the law. And again they bought them back from God at a set price, which was called “redemption silver,” and was given to the Levites who served at the temple of the Lord, as it is written about in the fourth book of Moses (). The established ransom price consisted of five sacred shekels of church weight, and each sacred shekel contained twenty pennies. Fulfilling this law of the Lord, the Mother of God now came to the temple with the Lawgiver. She came to be cleansed, although she did not require cleansing, as undefiled, unglamorous, incorruptible, most pure. For She who conceived without a husband and lust, and gave birth without illness or violation of Her virginal purity, did not have the defilement characteristic of women who give birth according to the natural law: for who gave birth to the Source of purity, how could impurity touch it? Christ was born from Her, like fruit from a tree; and just as a tree, after the birth of its fruit, is not damaged or desecrated, so the Virgin, after the birth of Christ, the blessed fruit, remained intact and undefiled. Christ came from Her, just as a ray of sunlight passes through glass or crystal. The sun's ray passing through glass or crystal does not break or spoil it, but illuminates it even more. Christ, the Sun of Truth, did not damage the virginity of His Mother. And the door of natural birth, sealed with purity and protected by virginity, was not desecrated by the usual bleeding for women, but, having passed supernaturally, he further aggravated its purity, sanctifying it with his origin, and enlightening it with the Divine light of grace. There was absolutely no need for any purification for the One who gave birth without corruption of God the Word. But in order not to break the law, but to fulfill it, she came to cleanse herself, completely pure and without any blemish. At the same time, filled with humility, She was not proud of Her imperishable purity, but came, as if unclean, to stand together with unclean women before the doors of the temple of the Lord - and demand cleansing, not disdaining the unclean and sinful. She also made a sacrifice, but not like the rich, who brought a blameless one-year-old lamb, but like the poor, who brought two turtle doves, or two chicks of pigeons, in everything showing humility and love for poverty, and avoiding the pride of the rich. For from the gold brought by the Magi (), She took a little, and distributed it to the poor and wretched, keeping for Herself only the most necessary things for the road to Egypt. Having bought the two birds mentioned, She brought them, according to the law, for sacrifice, and with them she brought Her own the firstborn Child. "They brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him before the Lord"() - says the Evangelist Luke, that is, to return the things of God to God, for in the law of the Lord it is written that every male child who opens a lie must be dedicated to the Lord (). Holding Her Newborn in Her arms, the Holy Virgin Mary knelt before the Lord and with deep reverence, like a precious gift, lifted up and handed over the Child to God, saying:

Behold, Your Son, the Eternal Father, Whom You sent to be incarnate from me for the salvation of the human race! You gave birth to Him before the ages without a Mother, and by Your good pleasure, when I was full of years, I gave birth to Him without a husband; This is the firstborn fruit of my womb, conceived in me by the Holy Spirit, and ineffable, as You alone know, came from me: He is my Firstborn, before all Yours, co-essential with You and co-originating, the firstborn befitting You alone, for He came from You, without departing from Your Divinity. Receive the Firstborn, with whom You created the ages (), and with whom You commanded the light to shine together: receive Your Word incarnate from me, with whom You established the heavens, founded the earth, gathered the waters into a union: receive from me Your Son, Whom I offer You for this great thing, that you may arrange for Him and Me as You please, and that you may redeem the human race with His flesh and blood received from Me.

Having uttered these words, She gave Her precious Child into the hands of the bishop, as God’s vicegerent, as if giving Him to God Himself. After this, She redeemed Him, as required by the law, at the established price - five sacred shekels, the number of which seemed to foreshadow the five sacred plagues on the body of Christ, which He accepted on the cross, by which the whole world was redeemed from the legal oath and from working with the enemy.

At the very time when the Mother of God brought the baby Jesus to fulfill the custom prescribed by law over Him, Elder Simeon, a righteous and pious man, came to the temple, guided by the Holy Spirit, awaiting the joy of Israel that would come with the coming of the Messiah. He knew that the expected Messiah was already approaching, for the scepter had passed from Judas to Herod, and the prophecy of the forefather Patriarch Jacob was being fulfilled, who predicted that the prince would not become scarce from Judas until the expectation of the nations, Christ the Lord, came (). In the same way, the seventy weeks of Daniel ended, after which, according to prophecy, there should be the coming of the Messiah. At the same time, Saint Simeon himself was promised by the Holy Spirit not to see death until he saw Christ the Lord. Simeon, looking at the Most Pure Virgin and the Child who was in Her arms, saw the grace of God surrounding the Mother and Child, and, having learned from the Holy Spirit that this was the expected Messiah, he hastily approached and, receiving Him with indescribable joy and reverent fear, gave God great thanks. He, gray-haired, like a swan before his death, sang a prophetic song: “Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace.”

“I did not have,” he seemed to say, “peace in my thoughts, all the days waiting for You, and all the days I remained in sadness until You came: now, having seen You, I received the Gift, and, freed from sadness, I am leaving here with joyful news to my fathers: I will announce Your coming into the world to the forefathers Adam and Abraham, Moses and David, Isaiah and the other holy fathers and prophets, I will bring unspeakable joy to them who are hitherto in sorrow, so that let me go to them; Having left sorrow, they rejoiced in You, their Savior. Let me, Thy servant, after many years of labor, rest in the bosom of Abraham: my eyes have already seen Your Salvation prepared for all people, my eyes have seen the Light prepared for the dispersion of darkness, for enlightenment. nations, for the revelation of unknown Divine Mysteries to them, - the Light that shone for the glorification of Your people Israel, Which You promised through the prophet Isaiah, saying: "I will give salvation to Zion, My glory to Israel" ().

Joseph and the Most Pure Virgin, hearing everything that Simeon said about the Child, were surprised; Moreover, they saw that Simeon speaks to the Child, not as to a baby, but as to the “Ancient of Days,” and when praying he turns to Him not as a person, but as to God, who has the power of life and death and can immediately release the old man to another life, or keep it in the present. Simeon turned to them with a blessing, praising and magnifying the immaculate Mother, who gave birth to God and man into the world, and pleasing the imaginary father of Saint Joseph, who was honored to be a minister of such a sacrament. Then, turning to Mary, His Mother, and not to Joseph - for he saw the husbandless Mother in Her with his eyes - Simeon said:

This will serve for the fall and rebellion of many in Israel: for the fall of those who do not want to believe His words, for the rebellion of those who will lovingly accept His holy preaching - for the fall of the scribes and Pharisees, blinded by malice, for the rebellion of simple fishermen and people unwise. He will choose the unwise, but he will put to shame the wise of this age - for the fall of the Old Testament Jewish council, and for the rise of the grace-filled Church of God. This will serve as a banner for wrangling, for great discord will occur among people because of Him: some will call Him good, others will say that He deceives people; and they will lay Him down, according to the word of the prophet Jeremiah, "like a target for arrows"(); hanging on the tree of the cross, wounding him with arrows, nails and spears. At that time, husbandless Mother,” the elder continued, “the weapon of sadness and heartache will pass through your soul, when you see your Son nailed to the cross, when you, with great pain in your heart and sobs, will see off from this world the One whom you gave birth to. without illness.

Here in the temple was Anna the prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Assir. She was a widow, already very old - she was eighty-four years old; - She only lived with her husband for seven years and, having become a widow, led a God-pleasing life, not leaving the temple, but serving God day and night in fasting and prayer. Arriving at that hour in the temple, Anna prophesied a lot about the Child brought to the temple of the Lord, to all those awaiting deliverance in Jerusalem. Hearing and seeing all this, the scribes and Pharisees became inflamed in their hearts, and were indignant at Simeon and Anna for their testimonies about the Youth. They did not keep silent, but they informed King Herod about everything that happened and was said in the temple. He immediately sent soldiers with orders to find the Divine Infant Christ the Lord and kill Him; but they no longer found Him: according to the command given to Joseph in a dream, He was found in Egypt. Saint Joseph and the Most Pure Mother of God, having fulfilled everything required by law in the temple, did not return to Bethlehem, but went to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth, and from there they quickly disappeared into Egypt (). The youth grew and became strengthened in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God abided on Him ().

The celebration of the Presentation of the Lord was established during the reign of Justinian; earlier, although the Presentation of the Lord was remembered in the Church, it was not solemnly celebrated. The pious king Justinian established the celebration of this holiday as the Lord's and the Theotokos, along with other great holidays. The impetus for the establishment of this holiday were special circumstances. During the reign of Justinian in Byzantium and its environs, for three months, starting from the last days of October, there was a strong pestilence, so that at first five thousand people died a day, and then ten thousand; the bodies of even rich and high-ranking people remained without burial, because the servants and slaves all died out and there was no one to bury the masters themselves. And in Antioch, the pestilence, for the sins of the people, was joined by another execution of God - terrible earthquake, from which everyone fell big houses and high buildings and temples, and many people died under their walls; Among the dead was Euphrasius, Bishop of Antioch, who was crushed to death when the temple fell. In this terrible and disastrous time, there was a revelation to one pious person that a solemn celebration of the Presentation of the Lord would be established, as well as other great feasts of the Lord and the Theotokos. And so, at the arrival of the day of the Presentation of the Lord, February the second, when they began to celebrate with an all-night vigil and procession with crosses, the deadly plague, pestilence and earthquake immediately stopped, by the mercy of God and through the prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God. To her and to the God who was born of her, may there be honor, glory, worship and thanksgiving forever. Amen.

Sermon by Archpriest Rodion Putyatin. Teaching on the Day of the Presentation of the Lord.

Sermon of Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). Sermon on the Day of the Presentation of the Lord.

Sermon by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Candlemas.

Sermon by Archimandrite Iannuarius (Ivliev). Presentation of the Lord, Hebrews 7:7-17.

Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ- one of the twelve permanent holidays; celebrated on the fortieth day after Christmas, February 2/15. In the West, this holiday is better known as Purification. Holy Virgin. The Slavic word “sretenie” means “meeting”. This event in gospel history marks the meeting of the Old and New Testaments. Like most holidays of Palestinian origin, the holiday of the Bringing of Christ to the Temple dates back to the ancient times of Christianity...

This day in history

1904 A bronze statue of Christ on the Chilean-Argentine border has been consecrated.

1881 Alexander II was mortally wounded on the embankment of the Catherine Canal in St. Petersburg by a bomb thrown by Narodnaya Volya member Ignatius Grinevitsky.

1989 The World Wide Web (WWW), better known as the Internet, was invented.

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 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 righteous Joseph The betrothed brought the baby Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple to make the legally established sacrifice of thanksgiving 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.

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 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. 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 gospel event in Orthodox worship Every day the Song of Simeon the God-Receiver sounds: “Now you let go.”

Who is Anna the Prophetess?

On the day of the Presentation in Jerusalem Temple another meeting took place. 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 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, on the day of Candlemas, all-night vigil and procession. 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.”

What does the “Softening Evil Hearts” icon mean?

An icon is associated with the event of the Presentation of the Lord Holy Mother of God, 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. By folk signs Meeting is the border between winter and spring, as evidenced by folk 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.”

Joseph Brodsky - Presentation

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 for a while 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.

Sophronius of Jerusalem - Homily on the Presentation of the Lord

We, beloved, knowing this [the story of the Presentation of the Lord], Let us go together to meet Christ our God, having self-control, bringing purity and kindness, showing forgetfulness of offenses, freeing ourselves from worldly worries, presenting ourselves pure before God, distinguished by meekness of disposition and good will, having mutual love for everyone, as well as sympathy and compassion. By doing this, we will meet the coming Christ, we will see Him, we will take Him in our arms, we will confess Him with a prophetic word, praising His coming to us, and with a majestic voice we will glorify the mercy He showed us - so that we may reach the kingdom of heaven and enjoy eternal blessings in Christ the Redeemer and Savior to our God, to Him, together with the beginningless God the Father and the All-Holy Spirit, be glory, honor and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Read the Word of St. Sophronia in full

Cyril of Jerusalem - Homily on the Meeting of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and on Simeon the God-Receiver

3. With Zion, the people of tongues, carrying lamps, let us go out to the meeting: we will go into the temple, together with the Temple, which is God and Christ. With the Angels let us exclaim the song of the Angels: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the heavens and the earth are filled with His glory (Isa. 6:3): the ends of the world are full of His goodness, all creation is filled with His praise: all humanity is filled with His condescension. Heavenly, earthly and underworld are full of the essence of His mercy: full of His mercy, full of generosity, full of gifts, full of His benefits.

4. So, all the nations clasp your hands (Ps. 46:2): all the ends of the earth, come and see the works of God (Ps. 66:5). Let every breath praise the Lord (Ps. 150:6), let all the earth bow down (Ps. 66:4), and let every tongue sing, let everyone sing praises, let everyone praise the Child of God, the forty-day-old and eternal: the Child who is small and ancient of days (Dan. 7:9): The child of things that exist and the Creator of ages (Heb. 1:2). I see a baby, I know my God: a baby who lives and nourishes the world: a baby who weeps and gives life and joy to the world: a baby who is entwined and delivers me from the swaddling clothes of sin: a baby in the arms of his mother, with the flesh truly and inseparably on earth: and The same in the bosom of the Father, truly and inseparably in heaven.

Read the Word of St. Kirill completely

Amphilochius of Iconium - Two words for the Presentation of the Lord

Anna at that time came up, glorified the Lord and spoke about Him to all those awaiting deliverance in Jerusalem. Do you see Anna's greatness? She became the protector of the Lord and announced Him in the face of Himself. Oh, miracle! A widow, she denounced the bishops and scribes and, denouncing them, inspired the whole people. She observed the Lord and pointed out the coming deliverance in Jerusalem, addressing all those gathered and declaring to them the signs of the Lord. Anna saw the Lord in a newborn child, she saw the gifts and cleansing sacrifices offered for Him and with Him, but was not embarrassed by the fact that He was small in age. Anna confessed the baby as God, Physician, All-Powerful Redeemer, Destroyer of Sins.

Don't ignore what Anna said. She addressed the audience, pointing out to everyone present the acts of the Lord: “Don’t you see the Baby, how He reaches out to the Mother’s nipple, and then clings to the other, clings to the mother’s breast, who has not yet set foot on the ground, receiving circumcision in the eighth day? Can't you see This Child? It was He who created the eyelids, He who established the heavens, He who spread out the earth, He who fenced the sea with shores. This Child brings forth winds from his treasures, This Child under Noah opened the flood gates, This Child created streams of rain, This Child blows snow like a white cloth. This Child, through the rod of Moses, freed our forefathers from the land of Egypt, divided the Red Sea and led them through a green plain, and, pouring out manna for them in the desert, gave them a land flowing with milk and honey as their inheritance. This Child predetermined that this temple, through the labors of the fathers, would rise to heights. This Child, making an oath to Abraham, said: By multiplying I will multiply your seed like the stars of heaven and like the sand on the seashore. About this Child, the prophetic host, offering prayers, said: Raise up your strength and come to save us. May the Child not confuse you with His infancy. One and the same is both the Child and the Co-originator with the Father, One and the same and is counted in years, and no one can confess His family, One and the same and babbles like a baby, and gives wisdom to the lips. One is due to his birth from the Virgin, the other is due to the incomprehensibility of His existence. And Isaiah also made it clear about this, who says: To us a child is born, to us a son is given. As a child He was born, as a Son He was given. Such is He in the visible and the Other in the intelligible.”

The first and second words of St. Amphilochia

Theophan the Recluse - Three words for the Presentation of the Lord

There will be, brethren, the meeting of the Lord that will once be common to the entire human race, when a voice is heard: Behold the bridegroom is coming, come ye to the meeting. Only those who have become accustomed to this meeting here will joyfully greet Him, have tasted His power while still on the path of this life, or at least have laid down a decisive intention to achieve this and have begun the work necessary in this undertaking, namely the work of purifying the heart by steadily fulfilling all the commandments of God. Those who are not accustomed to this meeting will be amazed by that voice: go to the meeting, and from the meeting of the Lord they will perceive not joy, but fear and trembling, which, having begun where there are no changes of time, will forever remain in them later, constituting for them their own hell - the property outcasts. Think about this, brethren, and from this receive a new, special impulse to zealously fulfill the commandments of God, leading to purity and dispassion and worthy of meeting the Lord in the spirit, which, pleasing here, lays a solid foundation and undoubted hope for receiving the bliss there. How the Lord will be pleased by the one who now puts his mother-in-law in this way and not otherwise in the way of his remaining life. May the Lord bless such an undertaking.

The first, second and third words of St. Feofana

Him from the “Gospel Story”

Divine service of the holiday

Rejoice, blessed Virgin Mary, / for from You has arisen the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God, / enlightening those in darkness. / Rejoice also, O righteous elder, / who accepted into the arms of the Liberator of our souls, / who gives us resurrection.

Read in full in Russian, in Church Slavonic

Andrey Kuraev - Miracle of meeting

Meeting is a meeting between man and God. The old, very old Jerusalem priest Simeon had been waiting all his life to meet God. Even old age itself was given to him as a punishment for having once lost his faith. And in that moment of long-standing doubt, he was told: you will not die until you yourself see the fulfillment of the prophecies. And now this day has come. And what - the heavens opened up, and in the jubilant choir of Angels the Heavenly Light descended to Simeon? Did the fiery chariot that appeared to Elijah and Ezekiel rush before Simeon? Did the cloud with a thundering voice and flashes of lightning, from which Moses once heard the Ten Commandments, shine upon the old man? No. A young mother came, and in her arms was a month-old baby... But that heart-tremor, which was familiar to Moses, Elijah, and Ezekiel, suddenly pierced Simeon, and the long-ready words were reflected in his heart: “Now you are releasing your servant , Lord..." “Now You let me go, You let me go on the road of the fathers, You allow me to go through the door of death, and these gates are no longer scary for me - for I have seen the Salvation of my and Your people”...

Do you understand the meaning of this miracle? It is not angels who bring God to man, but people! And to this day, the road that leads to Heaven is shown to us not by archangels or wondrous visions, but by people, their human words and human actions. Simple people, in whose words and retellings of the Gospel our heart suddenly recognizes a ray of Truth. But when we then follow this ray, it turns out that this way of transmitting the Heavenly Gospel to us through earthly people was by no means accidental. It turns out that without people you cannot come to God at all. And if the Creator did not disdain to become one of us, then it means that the so often encountered desire for “pure spirituality” (without people, without the Church, without communication with people in prayer and sacraments) obviously does not come from God.

Meeting with God. Trying to tell how and from what it comes is more difficult than trying to write instructions on how true love grows in the human heart.

Anthony of Sourozh - The Presentation of the Lord

There are holidays when the soul is so filled with jubilation that the hand does not rise to worldly labor, but there are also those when the hand does not rise, because the heart is full of either sorrow or sacred horror. The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord combines both of these features. Simeon the God-Receiver, an old man who lived righteous life, who was promised by God that he would not see death until he met the Savior of the world, who came to accomplish His work of reconciliation and transformation of the world. Together with him, Anna the prophetess testifies to this joy. The expectation of not only the Old Testament, but of all humanity from the beginning of the world, its desire, longing, hope that the Lord would come and there would no longer be an impassable gulf between Him and us, was fulfilled. At the same time, these righteous people rejoice that not only the past, but also the future is now justified and shining with hope and joy. The Lord has come, and salvation has come, hope has come, which no grief, no earthly horror can extinguish, because God is already among us, Christ is among us, and no one will snatch us either from His hand or from His love.

But at the same time, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord bears the deep stamp of sacred horror and sorrow.

Read the entire sermon of Anthony of Sourozh

His other sermon

Georgy Chistyakov - Meeting

If you look at the story of the Meeting of the Lord as an icon, then in the center there will be a Baby in the arms of the Mother, Simeon and Anna are standing on the right. She brings Him to Simeon. In the person of Simeon the God-Receiver, all the wise men of the Old Testament seem to be represented, and in the person of 84-year-old Anna - all the wives of the Old Testament: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Deborah, etc. The Mother of God is next to Joseph. Simeon with Anna and Maria are people whose lives can be described in one word: fidelity. But for Simeon or Anna it is the fidelity of expectation. Anna is already 84 years old, and she does not leave the temple day or night, remaining in prayer and fasting, that is, she lives in complete fidelity to God. Simeon is so faithful to the expectation of the Messiah, Christ, who must come in the flesh to this world, that he cannot even die until he sees Him. And fidelity to Mary is already fidelity to co-work, fidelity to being with Christ and working with Him.

And at the same time, the Mother of the Lord hears strange words, which neither She nor Joseph at first understood, and even seemed embarrassed. The Elder took the Baby in his arms and said: “Here lies this Child for the fall and rising of many in Israel,” that is, through Him many people will stumble and fall, and many will rise, rise, and come to life: “And a weapon will pierce your very soul.” This means that there will be trials in the heart of the Mother of God through Her Son. By this he predicted Her suffering from the first days. We think that the Mother of God had no temptations, but if even Her Divine Son had temptations, She also had such trials.

Easter, Christmas, Trinity, Palm Sunday– Perhaps everyone knows these church holidays. And on February 15, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Great Meeting. On this day, they remember the events described in the Gospel of Luke - the meeting of the baby Jesus with the elder Simeon in the Jerusalem Temple on the fortieth day after Christmas.

When is Candlemas celebrated?

Candlemas always falls on February 15th. And it never moves, unlike many church holidays. The meeting took place 40 days after the Nativity of Christ. 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.

What does the word "meeting" mean?

Meeting is translated from Church Slavonic as “meeting.” This holiday describes a meeting that took place on the fortieth day after the Nativity of Christ. 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 to offer the legally established thanksgiving sacrifice to God for their firstborn. After the ceremony was completed, they already wanted to leave the temple. But then an ancient old man, who was considered the oldest man in Jerusalem, named Simeon, approached them.

Why did Mary and Joseph arrive at the temple with the forty-day-old Infant of God?

At that time, with the birth of a child in a family, the Jews had two traditions. After giving birth, a woman could not appear in the Jerusalem Temple for forty days if she gave birth to a boy. If a daughter was born into the family, then 80 days should have passed. Once the period has expired, the mother must bring a cleansing sacrifice to the temple. It included a burnt offering - a one-year-old lamb and a sacrifice for the remission of sins - a dove. If the family was poor, then instead of a lamb they could bring a dove.

In addition, if a boy was born in a family, then the mother and father came to the temple on the fortieth day with the newborn 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.

Even though Jesus was born from the virgin birth, the family decided to make a sacrifice out of respect for Jewish law. Two doves became the cleansing sacrifice of Mary and Joseph - the family was not rich.

Who is Simeon the God-Receiver?

According to legend, at the time of his meeting with Christ, Simeon was more than 300 years old. He was a respected man, one of 72 scholars tasked with translating the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew to Greek. It was no coincidence that the elder ended up in the temple - he was brought by the Holy Spirit. Once upon a time, Simeon was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah and saw the mysterious words: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son.” The scientist doubted that a virgin, that is, a virgin, could give birth, and decided to correct “Virgo” to “Wife” (woman). But an Angel appeared to him and forbade him to do this. He also said that Simeon would not die until he was personally convinced that the prophecy was true.

On the day when Mary and Joseph came to the temple with a baby in their arms, the prophecy was fulfilled. Simeon took into his arms the baby born of the Virgin. The old man could die peacefully.

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.”

Who is 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 the 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

Meeting is a meeting with the Lord. The prophetess Anna and Elder Simeon left their names in Holy Scripture, because they gave us an example of how to accept the Lord with a pure and open heart. Meeting is not easy great holiday and a day from distant New Testament history. Perhaps every person at least once in his life finds himself in the house of God - in the temple. And there his personal Meeting takes place - a meeting with Christ.

Customs and traditions for Candlemas

The custom of consecrating church candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord came to Orthodox Church from Catholics. This happened in 1646. Metropolitan of Kiev Saint Peter (Mogila) compiled and published his missal. The author described in detail the Catholic rite religious processions with lit lamps. 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.

On this day they began to celebrate the meeting of winter with spring. This is where the sayings came from: “On Candlemas, winter met spring,” “On Candlemas, the sun turned to summer, winter turned to frost.” After the holiday, the peasants began many “spring” tasks: they drove the cattle out of the barn into the paddock, prepared seeds for sowing, and whitewashed fruit trees.

What the weather would be like in the spring was determined by this day. It was believed that if it was cold on Candlemas, then the spring would be cold. If there is a thaw, then expect a warm spring.