Orthodox holiday Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God. Cathedral of Our Lady icon

So-boron of the Pre-Holy Bo-go-ro-di-tsy. On the next day, after the Nativity of Christ, the hundred-ve is celebrated-well-et-sya So-boron of the Pre-holy Bo-go-ro-di-tsy, in memory of St. Yosi -fa Ob-ruch-no-ka, tsar Da-vi-da (predecessor according to the flesh of the Lord-yes Jesus Christ) and St. Ia-ko-va, brother of the Lord, son of the first marriage of St. Joseph Ob-ruch-no-ka. Saint James co-leader gave together with his father Joseph the Mother of God and God-la-den-tsa Jesus when fleeing to Egypt.

To the history of the holiday. After the sorcerer left Beth-le-e-ma, An-gel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph-fu in a dream, commanding him to be together with the new-born baby Jesus Christ and His Ma-teriyu, Pre-chi-stand De-voi Ma-ri-she, fled to Egypt and stay there as long as it’s ve-le-but it will come back from there, because Herod wants to search for Mla-den -tsa, to-gu-beat Him. Joseph, getting up, took the Child and His Mother at night and went to Egypt. But sleep-cha-la, before-de-from-the-proceeding of his-e-th-y-yes, he-full-nil in the temple of So-lo-mo-no-vom everything that defines-de- le-but it would-be for-to-well the Lord-under-nu, for the days of purification Pre-clean-stand and Pre-not-roch-noy Bo-go-ma-te-ri already on-stu-pi-li, and in that temple we-me-ti-whether the Lord-yes-on-she-go elder Si-me-on and An-na pro-ro-chi-tsa. Therefore, after having used everything that was defined-de-le-but-lo in the law, Joseph went to Na-za-ret, to his house. For this is how holy Lu-ka says: "And when they did everything according to the Lord-under-nu, they returned to Ga-li-leya, to their city Na-za-ret "(). From-here-yes, it’s obvious that they didn’t immediately go right from Beth-le-e-ma to Egypt, but sleep-cha-la went to the temple of the Lord day, then to Na-za-ret and, finally, to Egypt. The saint also testifies about this in the interpretation on the Evangel-he-li-hundred Matthew, when he writes like this: " Question: How is it that the Evangelist-he-leaf of Lu-ka says that the Lord removed himself to Na-za-ret after 40 days after the birth of His and after the meeting of His own elder Si-meon-nom? And here Saint Matthew says that he came to Na-za-ret already after returning from Egypt? Answer: Know that the Evangelist-list Lu-ka mentions what the Evangelist-list Matthew kept silent about, namely, that the Lord (go-vo-rit Lu-ka) by birth, he went to Na-za-ret. And Matthew speaks of what happened already after that, namely: how our Lord fled to Egypt and how -ni from-that-yes again went to Na-za-ret. In general, Evan-ge-li-sta is not pro-ti-vo-re-chat to each other, but only Lu-ka-go-vo-rit about the removal of Christ from vith-le-e-ma in Na-za-ret, and Mat-fey tells-west-woo-et about His return to Na-za-ret from Egypt".

So, according to you-ho-de from the temple of the Lord-under-ny, the saints put-no-ki sleep-cha-la from-great-we-were in Na-za-ret and immediately-len-but -la-whether races-in-a-same-from-but-si-tel-but your-e-home, and then, for-hva-tiv-shi everything you need for a pu- those-movements, in a hurry, but-whose (so that the nearest co-se-di would not recognize this) on-right-we-were on the road to Egypt -that. At the same time, they took with them for the service and Ia-ko-va, the elder son of Iosi-fo-va, who was later called brother Lord-under-him, that it is visible from the churches-of-the-song-but-singing on October 23rd, where it says so: "Even in the flesh of the Lord -under-nya-la-niya wise-re, brother in-ka-hall-sya, student-nick, and sa-mo-vis-dets of divine secrets, be-ga-yay with him, and in Egypt being with Joseph, Ma-teriyu Jesus-with-howling: with them, could we save us ". From-here-yes, it’s obvious that Jacob also traveled with the holy family on the way to Egypt, serving him during the journey those steps. And the Lord fled to Egypt in part in order to show that He is a true human being incarnated, and not a spirit and pre-vi-de-nie (what does the saint indicate in the word on Pre-ob-ra-zh-ne, when he says: "If He was not flesh, then with whom did Joseph fled to Egypt "); and partly in order to teach us to run from the anger and fury of the human, and not with the mountain-to-stu about-ty-wit-sya them . So he explains: “In his flight,” he said, “the Lord teaches us to give a place of fury, i.e. run of human fury. make yourself dangerous." The purpose of the Lord’s flight to Egypt is to cleanse Egypt from idols and, as the holy pa-pa says, so that not without this country, in someone swarm for the first time through the laying of the lamb, would you pro-pro-ra-zo-va-na spa-si-tel-noe sign of the cross and Pas-ha of the Lord-under-nya, - oh-so-wa-elk the-in-stvo of the saints of the victim. So, too, to use the following pro-ro-che-thing Is-a-and-and-but: "The Lord rises on the field of light, and comes in Egypt. And shake the idols of Egypt from His face"(). In this place, under the ob-la-coma of the holy ra-zu-me-et Pre-chi-stuyu De-va, Someone-paradise brought-la on the hands of His Lords -yes, in Egypt, and pa-whether the idols of the Egyptian gods. That cloud, Pre-chi-flock De-va, is easy, for She does not o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o ha or carnal-th-wait-le-niya and knowledge of su-pru-same-stva.

Pe-re-yes-et-sya and the fact that when the righteous Joseph, the Pre-chi-flock of the Virgin and Bo-gom-la-de-nets went to Egypt, in one in some deserted place, on-pa-whether on them one-fight-no-ki and ho-te-whether to take away a donkey from them, on some rum they carried something a little -goe, what was necessary for them in the way-ro-gu, and on some-rum sometimes they themselves went-di-li. One of those times-fight-no-kov, seeing the virgin Mla-den-ts unusual tea-noy beauty and being surprised by such beauty, said-hall:

If God had taken on Himself a human body, then it could not have been more beautiful than this Young Child.

Having said this, he forbade his that-va-ri-sham, let’s say, break-no-kami, and did not give them anything to offend these put-no-kov. Then the Pre-chi-flock of Bo-go-ro-di-tsa said-for-la that once-a-fight-no-ku:

Know that This Mla-de-nets will reward you with a generous reward for protecting Him.

This robber was the same one, who later, at the Crucifixion of Christ, was hanged on the cross on the right side -well, and to someone-ro-mu the Lord said: "Now you will be with me in paradise"(). And the pro-ro-che-fore-saying of God-mother Ma-te-ri was used, that "This Mla-de-net will reward you."

When they entered the Egyptian country and went to the pre-de-lah of Thebe-and-dy, they approached the city Er-mo-on-lu. Near the entrance to this city, a very beautiful de-re-vo grew up, na-zy-vav-she-e-sya "Per-seya", some-tho-mosh- living in your own way ido-lo-clone-no-thing-usually like-chi-ta-li like a god because of his you-with-you and the great beauty of you, bowing to him and making sacrifices to him, for in that de-re-ve the demon also lived, in chi -ta-e-my them. When the Pre-chi-flock of the God-mother with the Divine Baby came close to that de-re-vu, that hour it is strong -but it was shaking, for the demon, having succumbed to the coming of Jesus-so-va, fled. And de-re-in-to-lo-ni-lo your top-hush-ku to my earth-whether, raising-yes-vay-to-ba-yu-che-clo-not-nie to its own So-create-te-lu and His Ro-di-tel-ni-tse, Pre-chi-stay De-ve, besides that, it encloses-di-lo their te-new of their many leaf-vein branches from the sun-nech-but-th heat and thus gave the opportunity to fatigue-lazy holy-shim put-no-kam from- breathe. And in such a clo-nen-nom-de-de-elk, there remained a de-re-vo in an obvious sign of the coming of the Lord in Egypt. After that, as under this de-re-vom, the Lord with His Ma-teriu and Joseph from-dy-ha-li, this is de-re-vo in-lu-chi -lo healing power, because from its branches all sorts of pains were used. Therefore, the holy paths, first of all, went into that city and the idol temple, which was in it, and that hour everything went ly pa-whether. About this temple, mention-mi-na-et in “Lav-sa-i-ke”: “We see-de-li,” he says, “there (in Yer-mo-po-le ) an idol temple, at some time during the advent of Spa-si-te-la, did all the idols prostrate on the ground. -le-nii, na-zy-va-e-mom "Si-ren", dropped three-hundred six-de-syat five idols in one temple, while that -Yes, Christ-stos entered with Pre-chi-stand Ma-te-ryu.

Yes, and in all of Egypt, at the time of the advent of the Lord, the underworld, idols were crushed, and the demons were be-zha-li from them, and was-half-no -moose in this event is that the fore-river of St. the prophet Jeremiah, being in Egypt, when he said, "All idols must fall, and all the images of the gods co- crashing then, when the Deva Mother comes here with the Baby, born in the manger. Since the time of this Iere-mi-and-on pro-ro-che-stva among the Egyptians, there was a custom-of-tea to portray De-vu, in-to- I-shu-yu-sya on the sta-li, and near Her Mla-den-ts, lying in the manger and in-so-pe-le-na-mi, and in-clo-nyat-sya this-mu iso-bra-zhe-niyu. When one day the king Pto-le-mey asked the Egyptian priests, for what they de-la-yut, they from-ve-ti-li "This is tai -na, raised-up to the ancient-our-ancestors by our one holy pro-ro-com, and we are waiting for the fulfillment of that pro-ro- values and races of this secret."

After this, the saints travel-te-she-stven-no-ki in-ver-well-whether a little a hundred-ro-well from the city-ro-da Yer-mo-po-la and , looking for a place to stop, went into the village, on-zy-vav-she-e-sya "Na-ta-reya", ko from Ilio-po-la. Joseph, near this village, left the Holy Virgin Mary with Christ the Lord, and he went to the village for the sake of about-re-te-niya as required. And then smo-kov-nothing de-re-vo, pri-yutiv-neck of the holy countries-ni-kov under the battle, one-two-and-moose from the top to the bottom and lower it -lo its top, forming, as it were, a canopy or a tent over their head: and below, at its root, it forms-ra-zo-va-lo in that ras-se-line, as it were, a deepening, convenient for pre-be-va-ing, and there the Pre-chi-flock of the Deva with the Child lay down and from-breath-well -la from traveling. That place, and until this time, in a big way in-chi-ta-nii, not only among christi-an, but also among sa-ra-tsinov, someone -rye and so far (as it is ras-say-zy-va-et-sya to-one-hundred-ver-us-mi eyes-vid-tsa-mi) barely eat in the ras-se-line de-re-va in honor of the de-you with the Baby. Yossi-fu and Pre-holy Bo-go-ro-di-tse for-ho-te-elk to stay in that se-le-nii and, find for yourself not-le-ko from then-de-re-va hi-zhi-well, they na-cha-whether live in it. Co-performed the elk and another miracle with the power of the Divine Child, for in the same place, near their place, there were near that miracle-des-no-go de-re-va, appeared out-of-the-west, but the source of living water, from someone-ro-go Pre-chi-flock De-va cher-pa-la for your own in-tre-be and in some way arrange-and-va-la ku-pa-nye for His-e-th Child-den-tsa. That source exists to this day, having very cold and healthy water. And what else is more surprising that in the whole land of Egypt this is the only source of living water, and he is famous in that -le-nii. Sim end-cha-et-sya in-vest-in-va-nie about pre-be-va-ni Pre-chi-stay Bo-go-ma-te-ri with Christ in Egypt, where they are about a few years. But there is no exact information about how many years the Lord spent in Egypt. St. go-vo-rit that - two years, and Ni-ki-for three years, and Ge-orgy Ked-rin five years; others, like Am-mo-niy Alek-san-driy-sky, do-ma-yut that it is seven years. In any case, it’s undeniable that until the end of Iro-do-howl, like the Evangel-ge-lie go-vo-rit: "And there Iro-da was before his death" ().

After the murder of the Beth-le-em-children and after that, as the eye-yan-ny Herod died an evil death, An-gel of the Lord - the day again appeared in a dream to Joseph, instructing him to return from the country of Egypt to the land of Iz-ra-ile-va, for (say- hall it) "Did the is-kav-shie soul-shi of the baby-den-tsa". Joseph got up, took the Child and His Mother and went to Judea, somehow making up the best and most of the land Is-ra-il- skoy. Hearing that Ar-he-lai reigns in Judea instead of Hero-yes, his father, he was afraid to go there. For Herod left after himself three sons: the first Ar-he-lay, the other Iro-da An-ti-pu, and the third, my-my-youngest, Philip-pa. All of them, by the death of their father, from-great-went to Rome, to ke-sa-ryu, because of co-per-ni-thing, since each of they wanted to receive the kingdom of the father. Caesar, without giving any of them the royal honor, divided the kingdom into four parts, calling them tet-rar-khi -i-mi. He gave the elder brother Ar-he-lai Judea, Iro-du An-ti-pe gave Ga-li-lei, and the younger brother Philip-pu - Tra-ho-nit country; He gave Avi-li-nia to Li-sa-nia, the youngest son of Li-sa-nia, the older one, once a friend Iro-do-wa, and then kill so-and-so for them. Letting all of them out of Rome, Caesar promised Ar-he-lai and royal honor, if only he about-on-ru-lives a good-ro-neck and for -both-whether to manage your own part. But Ar-he-lai was in no way better than the hundredth father of his own, much-tea and killing many, for, having come to Jera -sa-lim, he immediately killed three ty-sya-chi on-ro-yes and ordered many citizens to torment on the day of the feast-no-ka in the middle of the temple -ma, before all the fellow Jews. Due to the reason of such a hardness of his own, after a few years, he was okle-ve-tan, deprived of power and exiled for some reason something. Joseph, with his return, heard that this evil Ar-he-lai reigns, even without the royal ti-tu-la, and killed -sya go to Judea, but after receiving something in a dream from that An-ge-la, someone who had already appeared to him before, left in pre-de-ly Ga-li-Lei-sky, in the power of Iro-da An-ti-py, brother of Ar-he-lai, for this Herod with a big neck right-for-ro-house than his brother; and Joseph poured in the city of Na-za-re-te, in his house, where they lived before, in order to use -said about Christ the Lord, in de pro-ro-ka-mi, that He is on-zo-vet-sya on-zo-re-em. Glory to him forever. Amen.

Notes

On the verse, sti-khi-ra 2nd.

Thebe-i-da - the area of \u200b\u200bknow-me-no-thing in the ancient egy-pet-city of Thebes; by the same name they call it by the name of the main city, and in general the whole Upper (South) Egypt. Yer-mo-pol - one of the significant cities of ancient Egypt, which served as a prominent re-li-gi-oz-ny language center -things.

(from 368 to 430) was a native of Ga-la-tia; in 388, he arrived in Aleksandria, from there, then, he removed himself to a nearby desert-nu for moving silently wiya, and then re-se-le-li-sya in Beth-le-em; in 399 he was elected episcopal of Ele-no-Polish, in Wifi, in Asia Minor. After that, im-pe-ra-tor Ar-ka-diy sent him as a side-by-ron to St. John-on Evil-mouth, in Upper Egypt, from-where-yes in 408 he was re-me-schen in An-ti-noy, and in 412 he returned puppy to his cafe in Yele-no-pol. At the request of the cap-pa-do-ki-sko-go pre-fek-ta Lav-sa in 420, he co-bred a collection of the lives of the saints in-movement and narration about them, someone called him “Lav-sa-i-com” in honor of him. - Pa-myat Pal-la-dia Barely-pol-sko-th in sub-bo-that cheese-ny.

All in detail about the journey of the Pre-holy De-you with God-la-den-ts Jesus and right. Joseph-thom in Egypt and about their presence there, as well as many in-details about the birth of Christ, for-him-stvo -va-ny from the apo-cree-fi-che-evangels, especially ben-no-sti from the so-called-zy-va-e-mo-go "Evan-ge-liya of childhood Spa-si-te-la "also from apo-cree-fi-che-so-co-chi-non-niya, from-west-no-go under the head of" Is- to-rya of the birth-de-niya of Mary and childhood Spa-si-te-la "- Pre-da-tion about the pa-de-nii of the idols of the Egyptians at the entrance of her se -me-stva in Egypt-pet upo-mi-na-et-sya and in aka-fi-ste Spa-si-te-lu, where go-in-rit-sya "Ido-whether our Spa-se, do not ter-pa-sche Your-her-for-sti, pa-do-sha"(Ikos 6th).

Ilio-pol is a city in Lower (Northern) Egypt.

On the next day of the feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church established the celebration of the Cathedral Holy Mother of God. The name of this feast “sobor” means the gathering of all feasts, the celebrations of the Most Holy Theotokos in one day, the gathering on this day of the faithful to glorify the Heavenly Lady who gave birth to our Savior. On the first day of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Church glorifies the Redeemer of the human race himself, who deigned to save the sinful world from the networks of the enemy, and on the second day after the remembrance of this great event, believers are called upon by the Church to honor and worthily appease the Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of our beloved Lord, who served the great event of the salvation of the race human.

Many holidays have a "cathedral" the next day. Such are the Nativity of the Virgin, on the second day after which the righteous Joachim and Anna are honored; after Theophany, on the second day, a feast was established in honor of John the Baptist, etc.

The establishment of the Cathedral of Our Lady belongs to very ancient times. In the IV century, some holy fathers, for example, St. Epiphanius of Cyprus, the teachings were already spoken on the day of this celebration.

In the ancient calendars, the feast of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos is also called "Maternity Gifts". They think that this name hides an indication of the gifts brought to the newborn King of the Jews - the God-child Jesus from the Eastern magi. The feast of the Cathedral of Our Lady is also called the “Flight into Egypt”. Probably, in the ancient Church, the memory of the worship of the sages of the East and the flight to Egypt was combined with the celebration of the Cathedral of the Mother of God. Therefore, on the icons depicting the Nativity of Christ with the veneration of the shepherds and the Magi and the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt, one can very often find the inscription "Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos."

Source: Book "E. Villager. Mother of God.
Description of Her earthly life and miraculous icons»

On the meaning of the holiday "Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos"

The birth of the Savior was from the Holy Spirit. This was not an ordinary birth. But in the earthly life of the Savior importance His family played: His Blessed Mother, Joseph the Betrothed, His closest relatives - those who surrounded the Infant and Child Jesus. And therefore the Church, paying special veneration to all that the Lord God brought into the world through the incarnation of His Son, at the same time remembers earthly life Savior, and His family and friends. And it could not be otherwise, because in the Church the Divine and the human, the heavenly and the earthly are united, and in this union one is not diminished by the other.

It was pleasing to God that human nature, human life, with its joys and sorrows, be raptured into the Mystery of the Holy Trinity, so that this human life would be deified. This was pleasing to the Lord in relation to His beloved Son, and after the incarnation of the Son of God, this God's plan for the glorification of all creation, for the glorification human nature became completely obvious, for in Christ the heavenly and the earthly, the divine and the human are united.

That is why a Christian, striving for the things above, striving for eternal salvation, should never follow the path to salvation, offending his relatives and friends, refusing good things. family relations and generally humiliating the human principle. It seems to some that in the human beginning there is sin. But sin is not in human nature itself, but in the evil human will. And everything that a person does for the glory of God, everything that is the result of his work, is blessed by God. This is a kind of shrine through which we serve God. That is why human creativity, both the highest and the most insignificant, is all our gift to God, it is a sacrifice that we bring to God.

If we have such an understanding of human existence, such an understanding of human nature, such an understanding of human relations, then this being, this nature and these relations will be filled with the grace of God - so that, according to the apostle, the heavenly is united with the earthly and that at the head of everything is God, who fills everything and contains everything with His power.

The Nativity of Christ - the mystery of the Divine Incarnation - teaches us a lot, including the attitude of man to his earthly life that is pleasing to God. Let us glorify the Lord in our souls and bodies, which are God's, the apostle calls us. And today, emphasizing the kinship and human relations of the Savior with those who surrounded Him, again and again calls us all to a pious life, to good relations with our loved ones and relatives, to building human relationships according to the commandment of God, in order to truly glorify God and in our souls and in our bodies. Amen.

Word of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

worship

Dear brothers and sisters, today is the second day of the great feast of the Nativity of Christ. This day is called the day of the Council Mother of God, because in ancient times the first Christians on the second day of the feast of the Nativity of Christ gathered in the temple to glorify the One Who gave the earth the Savior of the world. She was the culprit of our salvation, by Her humility, obedience to the will of the Lord, purity, the highest chastity, having become the Mother of Christ, the Son of God.

The Church during the celebration of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos in divine services calls on the faithful to glorify the Mother of God: “ Come, let us sing to the Mother of the Savior, after His birth, still remaining a Virgin: « Rejoice, City animated by the King and God - Christ, having settled in Him, accomplished salvation. With Gabriel we sing of Thee, with shepherds we glorify Thee, exclaiming: “Theotokos, intercede before the Incarnate of Thee for our salvation!»» (Mains of the feast).

The icon usually depicts the Theotokos seated on a throne with the Divine Infant in her arms. Above, next to and below are angels, wise men who bring gifts, and Old Testament elders.

Troparion of the Theotokos, tone 4:
Most Pure Mother of God, Mother of God, Your honest Cathedral is decorated with various kindnesses, gifts to Thee are brought, Madam, by many worldly people, tear our sinful bonds with Your mercy and save our souls.

Establishment of the feast of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary

We do not have exact information about the origin of this holiday. It is known that the establishment of a special celebration of the Nativity of Christ immediately entailed the honoring of the Mother of God, already captured in the sermons of Sts. Epiphanius of Cyprus, Ambrose of Milan and Blessed. Augustine (in their teachings on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, they combined the praise of the born God-Man with the praise of the Virgin who gave birth to Him). However, the message found on some sites that “the official indication of the celebration of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos on the day after the Nativity of Christ can be found in canon 79 of the VI Ecumenical Council, held in 681,” is somewhat inaccurate.

Firstly, the canonical rules that refer to the VI Ecumenical Council, which actually took place (more precisely, ended) in 681, were not adopted at it (the V and VI Ecumenical Councils were devoted to dogmatic issues, and no canons were published), but at the so-called Trulli Council, convened in 691 (also called the "Fifth-Sixth"), which was considered by its participants as a continuation of the VI Ecumenical Council.

Secondly, in the mentioned rule there is no indication of the celebration of the memory of the environment of the Blessed Virgin, and even more so - there is no reason to consider this holiday a conciliar institution. The 79th canon indirectly points to the accustomed custom of celebrating the memory of the Most Holy Theotokos the day after the Nativity of Christ, but it concerns not so much the celebration itself, but the widespread ritual form, which the fathers of the Council considered contrary to church teaching, and denounced the ignorance of the "Orthodox people", who , revering the Most Pure with the preparation of ritual food similar to that usually prepared in honor of the “diseases of birth” (“bread baking”), showed a lack of understanding of the exclusivity of the mystery of the Incarnation: the conception of the seedless and the birth of the painless, “for this is not an honor to the Virgin, more than mind and word, the flesh that gave birth to the inconceivable Word, even if its inexpressible birth is determined and presented according to the example of an ordinary and peculiar to us birth.

It can be said that by this conciliar instruction, the celebration of the Most Holy Theotokos, which spontaneously developed in the church environment, was cleansed of alien impurities, consecrated and churched, and then grew into the veneration of her entire inner circle. Celebrating this holiday, we seem to find ourselves at a quiet family celebration. Only the family in this case is special and guests of honor such that the mere mention of them evokes a joyful, respectful thrill from touching the mystery of the Incarnation, and it smelled like the air of those very days, when, as it is said in the Christmas kontakion, “Angels with shepherds glorify, wise men travel with the star.”

Archpriest Igor Prekup

VI Ecumenical Council - rule 79

“The divine birth from the Virgin, as having been without seed, confessing painless, and preaching this to the whole world, we subject those who create, out of ignorance, to correction, which is either not due. After all, some, on the day of the holy birth of Christ our God, are seen preparing bread biscuits, and passing each other, as if in honor of the birth diseases of the all-blameless Virgin Mother: then we determine that the faithful do not do anything like that. For this is no honor to the Virgin, more than the mind and the word, the flesh that gave birth to the incongruous Word; if its inexpressible birth is determined and presented according to the example of an ordinary and peculiar birth to us. If henceforth anyone who does such things is foreseen: then let the cleric be deposed, and let the layman be excommunicated.«.

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary - a quiet family celebration

The veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos was naturally expressed in the fact that in the annual liturgical circle a day was allocated immediately following the feast of the Nativity of Christ, which gathers us in honor of the Mother of God, and also in the fact that on this day not only the memory of the Most Pure One herself is celebrated, but also those who turned out to be participants in the events connected with the appearance of the Divine Infant into the world. First of all, this is St. Joseph the Betrothed and his son from his first marriage, Jacob, brother of the Lord, first bishop of Jerusalem. This is also the day of St. King David, from whose family the Most Pure came, this is a holiday of all those who rejoiced with her about the birth of the Son of Man - both shepherds and magicians - all gathered around her, not only and not so much in the spatial, but in the spiritual sense.

- Saint Joseph the Betrothed;
- King David (an ancestor in the flesh of Jesus Christ);
- the holy apostle James, brother of the Lord (son from the first marriage of Joseph the Betrothed). Saint James, together with his father Joseph, accompanied the Mother of God and the Divine Infant Jesus during their flight to Egypt.

Being an 80-year-old elder, Joseph the Betrothed, with the blessing of the high priest, received the Virgin Mary in order to preserve her virginity and purity. And although he was betrothed to the Most Pure, his whole ministry was to protect the Mother of God.

“But for many people who did not know the mystery of the Incarnation, Joseph was the father of the Lord Jesus Christ,” we note that the Mother of God also said, referring to Jesus, who at the age of twelve remained in the Jerusalem temple and was lost for his parents, that the Servant grieved his father - after all, Joseph was like a father to those around him (cf. Luke 2:39-52).

The Church also remembers the king, the prophet, the psalmist David, a holy man who sinned grievously, but repented so that with his words people today call on the name of God, remembering the great lines addressed to the Creator: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy” (Ps. .50:1). “Prophet David was according to the flesh the ancestor of the Lord and Savior, because, as it should be, the Savior, the Messiah, came into the world from the lineage of David.”

The Apostle James is called the brother of God, because he was the eldest son of the Betrothed Joseph - from his first marriage. Jacob was a very pious man, and after the Resurrection of Christ he was chosen as the primate of the Jerusalem Church. James, fulfilling the prescriptions of the Old Law, was the bishop of the New Testament and proclaimed the Lord Jesus Christ both the Messiah and the Deliverer of Israel. The preaching of James was objectionable to all those who led Jesus Christ to Calvary, and the holy apostle James was thrown from the roof of the Jerusalem temple.

The Legend of the Flight of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Divine Infant to Egypt

After the Magi left Bethlehem, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, commanding him that he, together with the newborn baby Jesus Christ and His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, fled to Egypt and remained there until he was led from there return, because Herod wants to look for the Child in order to destroy Him. Joseph got up, took the Child and His Mother by night and went to Egypt.

But first, before his departure there, he fulfilled in Solomon’s temple everything that was determined according to the law of the Lord, for the days of purification of the Most Pure and Immaculate Mother of God had already come, and in that temple the elder Simeon and Anna the prophetess met our Lord. Then, having fulfilled everything that was determined in the law, Joseph went to Nazareth, to his house. For this is what Saint Luke says: “And when they had done everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth” (Luke 2:39). From this it is clear that they did not immediately set off from Bethlehem to Egypt, but first went to temple of the Lord, then to Nazareth, and finally to Egypt. Saint Theophylact also testifies to this in his interpretation of the Evangelist Matthew, when he writes: “Question: How does the Evangelist Luke say that the Lord withdrew to Nazareth after 40 days after His birth and after meeting His elder Simeon?

And here St. Matthew says that he came to Nazareth after his return from Egypt? Answer: Know that the Evangelist Luke mentions what the Evangelist Matthew kept silent about, namely, that the Lord (Luke says) after His birth went to Nazareth. And Matthew speaks of what happened after that, namely: how our Lord fled to Egypt and how, on his return from there, he again went to Nazareth. In general, the Evangelists do not contradict each other, but only Luke speaks of the removal of Christ from Bethlehem to Nazareth, and Matthew tells of His return to Nazareth from Egypt. So, after leaving the temple of the Lord, the holy travelers first went to Nazareth and immediately made arrangements for their house, and then, having taken everything they needed for the journey, hastily, at night (so that the nearest neighbors would not recognize this) set off along the road to Egypt. At the same time, they took with them, for service, and Jacob, the eldest son of Joseph, who later was called the brother of the Lord, as can be seen from the church hymn for October 23 (S.S.), where it is sung like this: “brother appeared to you, disciple, and seer of divine mysteries, run with him, and in Egypt be with Joseph. Hence it is clear that Jacob also accompanied the holy family on the way to Egypt, serving him during the journey.

And the Lord fled to Egypt in part in order to show that He is a true incarnate man, and not a spirit and a ghost (which Saint Ephraim points out in the word on the Transfiguration when he says: “If He were not flesh, then with By whom did Joseph flee to Egypt”); and partly in order to teach us to flee the wrath and fury of man, and not to resist them with pride. This is how Chrysostom explains: “In his flight,” he said, “the Lord teaches us to give place to rage, i.e. run around human fury. And if the Almighty flees, then we, the proud, learn by this not to endanger ourselves. The purpose of the Lord’s flight to Egypt is also that to cleanse Egypt from idols and, as the holy Pope Leo says, so that not without this country, in which for the first time through the slaughter of a lamb the saving sign of the cross and the Passover of the Lord were foreshadowed, the sacrament of the most holy sacrifice was prepared. Also, to fulfill the following prophecy of Isaiah: “The Lord will sit on a light cloud, and come in Egypt. And the idols of Egypt shall shake at His presence” (Isaiah 19:1). In this place, under a cloud, St. Ambrose means the Most Pure Virgin, Who brought her Lord into Egypt in her arms, and the idols of the Egyptian gods fell. That cloud, the Most Pure Virgin, is light, for She is not weighed down by any burden of any sin or carnal lust and the knowledge of marriage.

It is also transmitted that when righteous Joseph, the Most Pure Virgin and the Divine Infant were going to Egypt, in one deserted place robbers attacked them and wanted to take away their donkey, on which they carried the little that they needed on the road, and on which sometimes and they went on their own. One of those robbers, seeing the Baby of extraordinary beauty and being surprised at such beauty, said:

“If God took on a human body, he would not want to be more beautiful than this Infant.

Having said this, he forbade his comrades, other robbers, and did not allow them to offend these travelers in any way. Then the Most Pure Theotokos said to that robber:

“Know that this Child will reward you with a generous reward for protecting Him.

This thief was the one who later, at the crucifixion of Christ, was hanged on the cross on the right side, and to whom the Lord said: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). And the prophetic prediction of the Mother of God was fulfilled, that "This Child will reward you."

When they entered the Egyptian country and were within the boundaries of Thebaid, they approached the city of Hermopolis. Near the entrance to this city grew very beautiful tree, called "Perseus", which the inhabitants there, according to their idolatrous custom, revered as a god, because of his height and majestic beauty, worshiping him and offering him sacrifices, for in that tree there also lived a demon revered by them. When the Most Pure Mother of God with the Divine Infant approached that tree, it immediately shook violently, for the demon, fearing the coming of Jesus, fled. And the tree bowed its top to the very ground, giving proper worship to its Creator and His Parent, the Most Pure Virgin, in addition, it protected them from the heat of the sun with the shadow of its many leafy branches and thus gave the weary holy travelers the opportunity to rest. And in such an inclined form, that tree remained as an obvious sign of the coming of the Lord into Egypt. After the Lord with His Matter and Joseph rested under this tree, this tree received healing power because from its branches all sorts of diseases were healed. Then the holy travelers first of all entered that city and the idol temple that was in it, and immediately all the idols fell. Palladius mentions this temple in Lavsaik: “We saw,” he says, “there (in Hermopol) an idol temple in which, during the coming of the Savior, all the idols fell prostrate to the ground. Also in one village, called "Siren", three hundred and sixty-five idols fell in one temple, while Christ entered there with the Most Pure Matter.

After this, the holy travelers turned a little away from the city of Hermopol and, looking for a place to stop, entered the village called “Natareya”, which lies not far from Iliopol, near this village, Joseph left the Most Pure Virgin Mary with Christ the Lord, and he himself went to the village in order to acquire needed. And that fig tree, which sheltered the holy wanderers under it, forked from top to bottom and lowered its top, forming, as it were, a canopy or tent over their head: and below, at its root, it formed, as it were, a recess in that cleft, convenient for staying, and there the Most Pure Virgin with the Child lay down and rested from her journey. That place is still in great veneration not only among Christians, but also among the Saracens, who still (as it is told by reliable eyewitnesses) light a lamp with oil in a cleft of a tree in honor of the Virgin with the Child who rested there.

Joseph and the Most Holy Theotokos wanted to stay in that village and, having found a hut for themselves not far from that tree, they began to live in it. Another miracle was performed by the power of the Divine Infant, for there, near their place of residence and near that wonderful tree, a source of living water suddenly appeared, from which the Most Pure Virgin drew for her needs and in which she arranged a bath for Her Infant. That spring exists to this day, having very cold and healthy water. And what is even more amazing is that in all the land of Egypt it is the only source of living water, and it is famous in that village. This ends the story of the sojourn of the Most Pure Mother of God with Christ in Egypt, where they spent several years. But there is no exact information about how many years the Lord spent in Egypt. St. Epiphanius says that two years, and Nikifor three years, and George Kedrin five years; others, like Ammonius of Alexandria, think that it is seven years. In any case, it is certain that until the death of Herod, as the Gospel says: "And there he was until the death of Herod" (Matt. 2:15).

After the slaughter of the Bethlehem babies and after the accursed Herod died an evil death, the Angel of the Lord again appeared in a dream to Joseph, commanding him to return from the land of Egypt to the land of Israel, “for (he said) those who sought the soul of the baby died.” Joseph got up, took the Child and His Mother and went to Judah, which was the best and most part of the land of Israel. When he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go there. For Herod left behind him three sons: the first Archelaus, another Herod Antipas, and the third, the youngest, Philip. All of them, after the death of their father, went to Rome, to Caesar, because of rivalry, since each of them wanted to receive the kingdom of his father. Caesar, without giving any of them royal honor, divided the kingdom into four parts, calling them tetrarchies. He gave Judea to his elder brother Archelaus, Galilee to Herod Antipas, and Trachonite country to his younger brother Philip; He gave Avilinia to Lysanias, the younger son of Lysanias the elder, once a friend of Herod, and then killed by him out of envy.

Releasing all of them from Rome, Caesar promised Archelaus royal honor, if only he would show good and careful management of his part. But Archelaus was no better than his cruel father, tormenting and killing many, for, having come to Jerusalem, he immediately killed three thousand people in vain, and ordered many citizens to be tortured on the day of the holiday, in the middle of the temple, in front of the entire assembly of the Jews. Because of his cruelty, he was, after a few years, slandered, deprived of power and exiled to prison. Joseph, on his return, heard that this evil Archelaus reigns, although without a royal title, and was afraid to go to Judea, receiving the same a notice in a dream from that angel who had already appeared to him before, went into the Galilee, into the possession of Herod Antipas, brother of Archelaus, for this Herod ruled the people with greater meekness than his brother; and Joseph settled in the city of Nazareth, in his house, where they had lived before, so that what was predicted about Christ the Lord by the prophets would be fulfilled, that He would be called a Nazirite. To Him be glory forever. Amen.

Dimitry, Metropolitan of Rostov "Lives of the Saints"

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CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God - a holiday Orthodox Church takes place the day after Christmas.
The second day after Christmas is called the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, i.e. assembly, which included persons personally close to Virgin Mary, Joseph the Betrothed, and also the Lord Jesus Christ.

As part of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, the memory of those who were close to Christ in the flesh is celebrated:
- St. Joseph the Betrothed;
- King David (an ancestor in the flesh of Jesus Christ);
- the holy Apostle James, brother of the Lord (son from the first marriage of Joseph the Betrothed). Saint James, together with his father Joseph, accompanied the Mother of God and the Divine Infant Jesus during their flight to Egypt.

“But for many people who did not know the secret of the Incarnation, Joseph was the father of the Lord Jesus Christ,” we note that the Mother of God also said, referring to Jesus, who at the age of twelve remained in the Jerusalem temple and was lost for his parents, that the Servant grieved his father - after all, Joseph was like a father to those around him (cf. Luke 2:39-52).

On the first Sunday on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Church also remembers the king, the prophet, the psalmist David - a holy man who sinned grievously, but repented in such a way that people today call on the name of God with his words, remembering the great lines addressed to the Creator: “Have mercy on me, God, according to your great mercy” (Ps. 50:1). “Prophet David was according to the flesh the ancestor of the Lord and Savior, because, as it should be, the Savior, the Messiah, came into the world from the lineage of David.”

On the meaning of the holiday "Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos"

The birth of the Savior was from the Holy Spirit. This was not an ordinary birth. But in the earthly life of the Savior, His family played an important role: His Most Pure Mother, Joseph the Betrothed, His closest relatives - those who surrounded the Infant and Child Jesus. And therefore the Church, paying special veneration to all that the Lord God brought into the world through the incarnation of His Son, at the same time remembers the earthly life of the Savior and His loved ones. And it could not be otherwise, because in the Church the Divine and the human, the heavenly and the earthly are united, and in this union one is not diminished by the other.

It was pleasing to God that human nature, human life, with its joys and sorrows, be raptured into the Mystery of the Holy Trinity, so that this human life would be deified. This was pleasing to the Lord in relation to His beloved Son, and after the incarnation of the Son of God, this God's plan to glorify all creation, to glorify human nature became completely obvious, for in Christ the heavenly and the earthly, the divine and the human are united.

That is why a Christian, striving for the things above, striving for eternal salvation, must never follow the path to salvation, offending his relatives and friends, refusing good family relationships and generally humiliating the human principle. It seems to some that in the human beginning there is sin. But sin is not in human nature itself, but in the evil human will. And everything that a person does for the glory of God, everything that is the result of his work, is blessed by God. This is a kind of shrine through which we serve God. That is why human creativity, both the highest and the most insignificant, is all our gift to God, it is a sacrifice that we bring to God.

If we have such an understanding of human existence, such an understanding of human nature, such an understanding of human relations, then this being, this nature and these relations will be filled with the grace of God - so that, according to the word of the apostle, the heavenly is united with the earthly and that God, who fills everything and contains everything with His power.

The Nativity of Christ - the mystery of the Divine Incarnation - teaches us a lot, including the attitude of a person to his earthly life that is pleasing to God. Let us glorify the Lord in our souls and bodies, which are God's, the apostle calls us. And today, emphasizing the kinship and human relations of the Savior with those who surrounded Him, again and again calls us all to a pious life, to good relations with our loved ones and relatives, to building human relationships according to the commandment of God, in order to truly glorify God and in our souls and in our bodies. Amen.

Word of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

Troparion to the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God:
Most Pure Mother of God, Mother of God,
Your honest cathedral is decorated with various kindnesses,
The gifts of Ty are brought, Madam, by many worldly people,
Tear our sinful bonds with Your mercy
and save our souls.

Establishment of the feast of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The establishment of this celebration dates back to the ancient times of the Christian Church. Already Epiphanius of Cyprus (+ 402), as well as Saint Ambrose of Milan and Blessed Augustine, in their teachings on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, combined praise of the God-man who had been born with praise of the Virgin who had given birth to Him. An indication of the celebration of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos on the day after the Nativity of Christ can be found in canon 79 of the 6th Ecumenical Council, held in 691.

VI Ecumenical Council - rule 79

Divine birth from the Virgin, as having been without seed, confessing painless, and preaching this to the whole world, we subject those who create, out of ignorance, to correction, which is either not due. After all, some, on the day of the holy birth of Christ our God, are seen preparing bread biscuits, and passing each other, as if in honor of the birth diseases of the all-blameless Virgin Mother: then we determine that the faithful do not do anything like that. For this is no honor to the Virgin, more than the mind and the word, the flesh that gave birth to the incongruous Word; if its inexpressible birth is determined and presented according to the example of an ordinary and peculiar birth to us. If henceforth anyone who does such things is seen, then let the clergy be deposed, and let the layman be excommunicated."

The Legend of the Flight of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Divine Infant to Egypt

But first, before his departure there, he fulfilled in Solomon’s temple everything that was determined according to the law of the Lord, for the days of purification of the Most Pure and Immaculate Mother of God had already come, and in that temple the elder Simeon and Anna the prophetess met our Lord. Then, having fulfilled everything that was determined in the law, Joseph went to Nazareth, to his house. For thus says St. Luke: "And when they had done everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth" (Luke 2:39).From this it is clear that they did not immediately set off from Bethlehem to Egypt, but first went to the temple of the Lord, then to Nazareth, and finally to Egypt. Saint Theophylact also testifies to this in his interpretation of the Evangelist Matthew, when he writes as follows: “Question: How does the Evangelist Luke say that the Lord withdrew to Nazareth after 40 days after His birth and after meeting His elder Simeon?

And here St. Matthew says that he came to Nazareth after his return from Egypt? Answer: Know that the Evangelist Luke mentions what the Evangelist Matthew kept silent about, namely, that the Lord (Luke says) after His birth went to Nazareth. And Matthew speaks of what happened after that, namely: how our Lord fled to Egypt and how, on his return from there, he again went to Nazareth. In general, the Evangelists do not contradict each other, but only Luke speaks of the removal of Christ from Bethlehem to Nazareth, and Matthew tells of His return to Nazareth from Egypt. their house, and then, having taken everything necessary for the journey, hastily, at night (so that the nearest neighbors would not know this) set off along the road to Egypt.At the same time, they took with them, for service, and Jacob, the eldest son of Joseph, later called the brother of the Lord , which can be seen from the church hymn for October 23 (S.S.), where it is sung like this: "brother appeared to you, disciple, and seer of divine mysteries, run with him, and in Egypt being with Joseph"... From here it is clear that James accompanied the holy family on their way to Egypt, ministering to them during the journey.

And the Lord fled to Egypt in part in order to show that He is a true incarnate man, and not a spirit and a ghost (which Saint Ephraim points out in the word on the Transfiguration when he says: "If He were not flesh, then with By whom did Joseph flee to Egypt"); and partly in order to teach us to flee the wrath and fury of man, and not to resist them with pride. This is how Chrysostom explains: “In his flight,” he said, “the Lord teaches us to give place to rage, that is, to run away from human rage. And if the Almighty flees, then we, the proud ones, learn not to put ourselves in danger.” The purpose of the Lord’s flight to Egypt is also that to cleanse Egypt of idols and, as the holy Pope Leo says, so that not without this country, in which for the first time through the slaughter of a lamb the saving sign of the cross and the Passover of the Lord were foreshadowed, the sacrament of the most holy sacrifice was prepared. Also, to fulfill the following prophecy of Isaiah: "The Lord will sit on a light cloud, and will come in Egypt. And the idols of Egypt will shake at His presence" (Is.19:1). In this place, under a cloud, St. Ambrose means the Most Pure Virgin, Who brought her Lord into Egypt in her arms, and the idols of the Egyptian gods fell. That cloud, the Most Pure Virgin, is light, for She is not weighed down by any burden of any sin or carnal lust and the knowledge of marriage.

If God took on a human body, He would not want to be more beautiful than this Infant.

Having said this, he forbade his comrades, other robbers, and did not allow them to offend these travelers in any way. Then the Most Pure Theotokos said to that robber:

Know that this Child will reward you with a generous reward for guarding Him.

This thief was the same one who later, at the crucifixion of Christ, was hanged on the cross on the right side, and to whom the Lord said: "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). And the prophetic prediction of the Mother of God was fulfilled, that "This Child will reward you."

When they entered the Egyptian country and were within the boundaries of Thebaid, they approached the city of Hermopolis. Near the entrance to this city grew a very beautiful tree, called "Perseus", which the inhabitants there, according to their idolatrous custom, revered as a god, because of his height and majestic beauty, worshiping him and making sacrifices to him, for in that tree lived and the demon worshiped by them. When the Most Pure Mother of God with the Divine Infant approached that tree, it immediately shook violently, for the demon, fearing the coming of Jesus, fled. And the tree bowed its top to the very ground, giving proper worship to its Creator and His Parent, the Most Pure Virgin, in addition, it protected them from the heat of the sun with the shadow of its many leafy branches and thus gave the weary holy travelers the opportunity to rest. And in such an inclined form, that tree remained as an obvious sign of the coming of the Lord into Egypt. After the Lord with His Matter and Joseph rested under this tree, this tree received healing power, for all kinds of diseases were healed from its branches. Then the holy travelers first of all entered that city and the idol temple that was in it, and immediately all the idols fell. Palladius mentions this temple in Lavsaik: “We saw,” he says, “there (in Hermopol) an idol temple in which, during the coming of the Savior, all the idols fell prostrate to the ground. Also in one village called Siren, it fell three hundred and sixty-five idols in one temple, while Christ entered there with the Most Pure Matter.

After this, the holy travelers turned a little away from the city of Hermopol and, looking for a place to stop, entered the village called "Natareya", which lies not far from Iliopol, near this village, Joseph left the Most Pure Virgin Mary with Christ the Lord, and he himself went to the village in order to acquire needed. And that fig tree, which sheltered the holy wanderers under it, forked from top to bottom and lowered its top, forming, as it were, a canopy or tent over their head: and below, at its root, it formed, as it were, a recess in that cleft, convenient for staying, and there the Most Pure Virgin with the Child lay down and rested from her journey. That place is still in great veneration not only among Christians, but also among the Saracens, who still (as it is told by reliable eyewitnesses) light a lamp with oil in a cleft of a tree in honor of the Virgin with the Child who rested there.

Joseph and the Most Holy Theotokos wanted to stay in that village and, having found a hut for themselves not far from that tree, they began to live in it. Another miracle took place by the power of the Divine Infant, for in the same place, near their place of residence and near that wonderful tree, there suddenly appeared a source of living water, from which the Most Pure Virgin drew for her needs and in which she arranged a bath for Her Infant. That spring exists to this day, having very cold and healthy water. And what is even more amazing is that in all the land of Egypt it is the only source of living water, and it is famous in that village. This ends the story of the sojourn of the Most Pure Mother of God with Christ in Egypt, where they spent several years. But there is no exact information about how many years the Lord spent in Egypt. St. Epiphanius says that - two years, and Nikifor three years, and George Kedrin five years; others, like Ammonius of Alexandria, think that it is seven years. In any case, it is certain that until the death of Herod, as the Gospel says: "And there he was until the death of Herod" (Matt. 2:15).

After the slaughter of the Bethlehem babies and after the accursed Herod died an evil death, the Angel of the Lord again appeared in a dream to Joseph, commanding him to return from the land of Egypt to the land of Israel, "for (he said) those who sought the soul of the baby died." Joseph got up, took the Child and His Mother and went to Judah, which was the best and most part of the land of Israel. When he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go there. For Herod left behind him three sons: the first Archelaus, another Herod Antipas, and the third, the youngest, Philip. All of them, after the death of their father, went to Rome, to Caesar, because of rivalry, since each of them wanted to receive the kingdom of his father. Caesar, without giving any of them royal honor, divided the kingdom into four parts, calling them tetrarchies. He gave Judea to his elder brother Archelaus, Galilee to Herod Antipas, and Trachonite country to his younger brother Philip; He gave Avilinia to Lysanias, the younger son of Lysanias the elder, once a friend of Herod, and then killed by him out of envy.

Dimitry, Metropolitan of Rostov "Lives of the Saints"

The theme of the incarnation of the Savior in Eastern Christian art is reflected not only in icons depicting the Nativity of Christ, but also in images dedicated to the feast of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos.

In the liturgical annual circle there is next feature: after the "main", "main" holiday, the next day a special memory of those persons associated with this holiday is celebrated. So, after the Epiphany, the "Cathedral of John the Baptist" is celebrated, after the day of the chief apostles Peter and Paul - the "Cathedral of the 12 Apostles." The word "cathedral" in this context means a certain, not limited by either time or space, assembly of the faithful, performed in honor of a saint. The celebration of the Cathedral of Our Lady takes place on the second day of the Nativity of Christ, January 8 (n.s.). The divine services of these days are closely connected in meaning and character, as are the iconography of these holidays. On the day of the Cathedral of Our Lady, we honor Her as the Blessed Virgin and Mother of the Son of God, who served the great mystery of the Incarnation.

The celebration in honor of the Mother of God, correlated with the feast of the Nativity, arose in the Church very early, already in the 4th century. It was the very first Mother of God feast, from which other Mother of God celebrations were later formed.

The iconography of the "Cathedral of Our Lady" was formed quite late, only at the end of the 13th century. It was based on the iconography of the Nativity of Christ and some important elements introduced under the influence of the text of the Nativity stichera. This is the fourth verse of the Great Vespers of the Feast of the Nativity: « What will we bring to you, Christ, as if you appeared on earth as a Man for us? Each time, from Thee former creatures bring thanks to Thee: Angels - singing; heaven is a star; Volsvi - gifts; shepherding is a miracle; earth - den; desert - nursery; we are the Virgin Mother. Even before the age, God, have mercy on us. In the manuscript of the Sofia library of the XIV century. (No. 193) it is said that the shepherds bring "surprise" to Christ as thanksgiving.

The earliest known composition on this subject is a fresco in the narthex of the Church of Our Lady Peribleptos in Ohrid (1295). In the Paleologian period, iconography spread in the Orthodox ecumene. The oldest Russian icon on this subject comes from Pskov and was created at the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century. This is a most interesting monument both in its iconography and in stylistic terms. The icon differs significantly both from previous Byzantine monuments and from Russian icons and frescoes of a later time. Perhaps the features of the composition of the icon are due to the fact that it was based not only on the text of the stichera “What shall we bring to you…”, but also on other festive hymns. Some details of this particular Pskov icon still remain a mystery to researchers.

In the center of the icon is depicted the Blessed Virgin sitting on a throne, which has a curved asymmetrical back and is decorated with a white curtain. However, the Mother of God does not hold the Christ Child in her arms, although this is how She is depicted in all other works on this plot. On the Pskov icon, in front of the Mother of God, on Her chest, is placed an image of Christ Emmanuel enclosed in a two-color eight-pointed “glory”, which She seems to be holding.

Such an image of the Savior and the Mother of God resembles the iconography of the Mother of God "The Sign". On the “Sign” icons, the placement of the image of Emmanuel in “glory” on the chest of the Mother of God indicates His hidden, mysterious presence and emphasizes the main theological idea of the image - the dogma about the incarnation of God the Son from the Ever-Virgin Mary predicted by the prophets. In the iconography of the Cathedral of Our Lady, such an unusual move further emphasizes the theme of the Incarnation.

Another feature of the Pskov icon is the image of a cave, inside which is a manger with a swaddled Baby. This episode, borrowed from the image of the Nativity of Christ, is not found in other works of iconography of the Cathedral of Our Lady. It can be assumed that both of these unique features appeared as a reflection, for example, of the text of the kontakion of the Christmas holiday: “Today the Virgin gives birth to the Most Substantial, and the earth brings a den to the Unapproachable: angels with shepherds glorify, wise men travel with a star: for our sake be born Otrocha young, Eternal God». In this case, the image of a manger with a newly born Baby reinforces the very theme of birth, and the image of Christ-Emmanuel in “glory” is intended to emphasize that she is born from the Virgin, incarnates, not a common person, namely the "Eternal God", the Second Hypostasis of the Most Holy Trinity.

Otherwise, the central and upper parts of the composition of the icon follow the established tradition. To the left of the throne of the Mother of God, the Magi are depicted bringing gifts, one of which points to a star, the image of which has not been preserved. To the right and left of the foot of the throne are placed two peculiar figures: half-naked women with disheveled hair. These are personifications - images that personify the Desert and the Earth. The desert, dressed in red, brings a manger to Christ, and the Earth, dressed in a green cloak, with one hand, as it were, stretches out a den, and in the other holds a flourishing branch.

Above, above the hills, angels and wondering shepherds are written. In the upper corners are half-figured images of especially revered saints: Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. Barbarians, which, apparently, were made at the request of the customer and are not directly related to iconography.

Usually, in the compositions of the Cathedral of Our Lady, a solemn Christmas service is depicted below: a choir of singers, hymnographers John of Damascus and Cosmas Mayumsky, priests, monks; patriarchs and kings may also be depicted. This group, on the one hand, personifies the entire human race, which, according to the verse, brings the Virgin Mother to Christ. On the other hand, the depicted liturgical glorification of the Mother of God is performed right before our eyes. This enhances the liturgical, liturgical function of the image.

In the lower part of the Pskov image, a unique iconographic solution is again found. Here are depicted three men in white robes, similar to surplices, a young reader, and a young man in an intricate pose, reminiscent of the movement of a dance. This whole scene still has no unambiguous interpretation. There are conflicting interpretations in the scientific literature.

It is assumed that the whole group as a whole can personify various forms glorification of the Mother of God, which is performed by all mankind (therefore, the characters are depicted different ages and peoples). The three central figures were interpreted as a choir of singers, as deacons, as the Fathers of God David, Joseph and Jacob. They were defined as "pastors in the concrete and allegorical sense of the word," meaning by this the wandering performers of spiritual verses dedicated to biblical events.

Some researchers see the Magi in men. Indeed, three men are very similar to the Magi depicted in the middle part of the icon in appearance and age: an old man, a middle-aged man and a young man. The change in the color and character of the robes can be explained by the tradition, according to which, after Pentecost, the Magi were baptized by the Apostle Thomas. White clothes are a sign of the cleansing of the newly baptized from the burden of original sin.

It should be noted that in Western Europe the Magi were highly revered. Their relics, according to legend acquired by Empress Helen, from Constantinople came to Milan, and from there to Cologne. In the 12th century, a special liturgical Christmas rite arose in the West, which is a kind of performance in faces performed by clerics, singers and readers. Magi were the main characters of this mystery. Much later, having got to Western Ukraine, a theatrical performance of this kind was called "Nativity Scene". Pskov was the westernmost Russian city and Western European traditions and influences were strong in this principality. It is quite possible that in the 14th century the people of Pskov knew about such performances, and perhaps a similar rite was part of the celebration of Christmas in this city. This is not difficult to assume, if we remember that in Rus' there was a rank close in nature - "Stove Action". Thus, a specific festive church rite can be represented on the Pskov icon. In exactly the same way, in the iconography considered above, it was depicted Christmas service, but without pointing to any specific part of the service.

Using and transforming the version about the image of a special festive rite representing the adoration of the Magi, we dare to suggest that the three men may not be Magi, but shepherds. The shepherds depicted in the upper part of the icon are also an old man, a middle-aged man and a young man. There is also a certain resemblance. Men in white robes and shepherds have the same attributes - staves. This version is supported by the fact that from the 11th century in the Western Church there was a liturgical rite dedicated exclusively to the worship of shepherds.

This church rite was performed as follows: a manger was set up near the Throne on a special dais, in which there was a statue or icon of the Virgin with the Child. Several canons (clerics) in church vestments, with linen scarves on their heads and wands in their hands, represented the Bethlehem shepherds. A choir boy who pretended to be an angel told them about Christmas by quoting the gospel. To the singing of the choir “Glory to God in the highest…” the shepherds went to the altar, where two canons, representing midwives, were waiting for them at the manger. They asked: “Whom are you looking for in the manger, shepherds?” “We are looking for,” answered the shepherds, “the Savior of Christ.” The midwives pulled back the veil that hid the image of the Blessed Virgin with the Divine Infant. Pointing to him, they said: "Here he is - this Infant with his Mother." The shepherds bowed and sang prayers, then the liturgy began.

This version would explain well unusual shape the throne of the Virgin, and an extremely rare white curtain for Russian monuments. However, this motif - the veil on the throne - originated in early Christian art, and later developed in South Slavic paintings and icons. The above reasoning is nothing more than a cautious guess, since it is not possible to know for certain whether such a rank could be known in the Western Russian lands. And such an attribute as a staff could well move from one “scenario” to another and become an attribute of a traveling sorcerer.

The riddles of the icon do not end there. The most difficult figure to interpret is the dancing youth. There is an opinion that this is a young shepherd marveling (surprising) at the miracle of Christmas. Struck, he covers his face with his hand, which resembles the shepherd depicted in the upper corner of the icon - he, seeing a star, also covers his eyes. The young man's clothing - a short tunic - corresponds to the tradition of depicting shepherds. It is easier to define the image of a young man with a book in his hands. Some researchers see him as Roman the Melodist; others, pointing to the absence of a halo, the reduced size of the figure, and other details, believe that this is some kind of collective image of a hymnographer or reader.

In the monuments of the 16th-17th centuries, the composition is greatly expanded, it includes personifications of the sea and winds, bringing to the Child, in the words of the icon-painting original, obedience and obedience. The image of the worshipers becomes more and more multi-figured.

Reformatskaya M.A. Pskov icon painting of the XIII - early XV centuries (To clarify the concept of "local school"): Dis. M., 1979. S. 117, 118.

Ovchinnikov A.N. Experience in describing ancient Russian easel painting: Technique and style: Pskov school of the 13th - 16th centuries. M., 1971. Issue. 1. S. 13.

January is rightfully called one of the richest months for holidays. In addition to the beloved New Year and Christmas, on the 8th of this month they celebrate an important church holiday - the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Why is this day so important from a religious point of view?

It is not by chance that the Church celebrates the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos on the day after the Nativity of Christ.

The servants of the Lord turn with laudatory prayers to the Mother of Jesus, who was chosen by the Lord for the birth of the Son of God. The Bible speaks of the virgin birth and painless childbirth of Mary. For the reason that she is the very chosen virgin, in church customs it is customary to honor the mother of Jesus immediately after His Birthday.

Why is the holiday called the Cathedral?

Mother of God honored all year round. There are many dedicated to her birth, her receiving the good news from an angel, and so on. so named because it is aimed at the general service of Mary. We are talking about a conciliar service, where prayers are proclaimed for the Mother of God, as well as persons close to her and Jesus Christ: King David, Saints Joseph and Jacob.

Joseph the Betrothed and Saint James

For the line of David, the birth of the Messiah was the greatest event, despite the fact that the action took place in an unsightly cave in Bethlehem. Mary had no relatives, and at the time of the birth of Jesus, only Joseph the Betrothed was nearby, who was already at a respectable age and was called to guard the virginity of the Virgin. Tradition says that the Jewish high priest blessed him for his betrothal to Mary. Joseph took care of the Mother of God and her baby long years and it was to him that an angel appeared in a dream with a warning that he must flee to Egypt. Without a moment's hesitation, he got up and led Maria and the child behind him. He did not even prevent Joseph from taking responsibility for two such important lives, and in order to provide for his charges, he began working as a carpenter in Egypt, earning a living.

According to the flesh, David was the ancestor of the Lord, since according to tradition it was necessary that the Savior be born of the lineage of David. No less important person close to the Lord is Jacob. He was the son of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage, so he is considered the brother of the Lord. Being pious and devoted to God, after the resurrection of Christ from the dead, he was named the rector of the Jerusalem Church.

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin: the history of the holiday

The Virgin Mary has been revered by people since the early days of the Christian Church. Feast of the Holy Cathedral

The Mother of God as such began to be celebrated as early as the 4th century AD, when Epiphanius of Cyprus, Augustine the Blessed and Ambrose of Milan performed the rite of Divine Liturgy in honor of the Birth of Christ and combined it with it for His Mother. This church event acquired official status only in 681, when a council was first held in honor of the Virgin Mary, James and his father Joseph the Betrothed.

The date of January 8 was not chosen by chance. Among all the saints, the Mother of God is awarded the highest honor. Therefore, as a tribute to the Blessed Virgin, church ministers honor her the day after the most important religious holiday - the birth of the Savior.

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin: features of the holiday

Over time, some church events tend to become popular. So, on January 8, it is customary to celebrate a religious holiday - the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, but Rus' has its own customs. The people on this day were nicknamed "Women's porridge." It is supposed to honor women in labor and midwives. In the villages on January 8, according to old customs, it was customary to bake pies and treat them to women in labor. In peasant families where there were children, on this day it was the duty of the parents to cook goodies, take vodka and go with a bow to visit the midwife who took birth.

According to old Russian customs, on the day of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, women felt their special unity with the Mother of God, so they left bread for her as a gift. As a rule, women baked and brought them to church: they left some of the treats at the altar, and some they consecrated and carried home.

It is believed that these customs came from paganism, which flourished in Rus' for a long time. It is known that before the dedication of Russian lands to Christianity, people revered many gods. Among them was the patroness of all women - Makosh, whose cult underwent metamorphoses and mingled with the celebration of the Cathedral of the Virgin. It was impossible to eradicate the traces of paganism for a long time, especially with regard to the worship of goddesses who help women.

There are cases when, in parallel with the appearance of Christian churches, many peasant women in the villages continued to present gifts to the goddesses of women in childbirth every autumn. These ossified traditions aroused the wrath of the church fathers, but, nevertheless, even the fear of punishment did not prevent women from performing their rituals. There is an opinion that in many respects the celebration of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos was a disguise for the pagan rites that took place during the service and after it. People rolled feasts on this day, danced round dances and continued to visit women in labor and midwives.

Even in the 18th century, the persecution of pagans continued, who carefully concealed their rituals from the churches. The priests called most of the traditions of this day the devil's work, plunging into confusion all the peasants. Even such a non-trivial custom, how to cook porridge on this day, they attributed to intrigues. An interesting fact is that the clergy also denied the consecration of bread at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos. In 1590, the Metropolitan of Kiev condemned people, calling their actions heretical.

Who else was chanted in Rus' on January 8?

According to the old custom, the day of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos fell on December 26th. In addition to the prayerful chanting of the Virgin Mary, the Slavs paid tribute to the memory of the prophet David, who was able to defeat the giant Goliath with his own hands. The peasants revered this saint and turned to him with prayers for help. It was believed that those who believe and pray to David will be delivered from rage and anger. This belief was formed as a result of historical data that the prophet was Saul's armor-bearer and often had to tame the obstinate husband with song and joke. From here, in Rus', a belief was born that, setting off on a journey, a wanderer should ask for protection from David. This was to provide him with an easy road and get rid of all sorts of misfortunes, including robbers and wild animals.

Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Representatives of the Christian

religions know firsthand that the calendar is streaked in red on the days of the most significant church events. The Virgin Mary is one of the most important characters in the history of the birth of the Savior. Therefore, many laudatory ceremonies are dedicated to her, including the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos held on January 8. The history of the holiday goes to the very heart of the history of the New Testament. However, the list of important events does not end there, and there are many other events that are important from a religious point of view.

The Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos is a holiday that came from ancient Giving. It belongs to the twelve most important religious events of the year and is celebrated on the fourth day of December.

On this day, according to Giving, people should remember the parents of the Virgin: Anna and Joachim, who lived long life until old age, but God never rewarded them with children. Until the last, believing in God's justice, they trusted in the Lord in their prayers, promising that if he gives them a long-awaited child, they will dedicate it to him. Their requests were heard by the Almighty, and he sent them a baby - the beautiful Mary.

When the girl was three years old, Anna and her husband went to Jerusalem to take their daughter to the temple, as promised to the Lord. In view of the special importance of the vow, Mary's parents lit candles and arranged an accompanying procession for the girl. Ahead of her were young virgins, and around Mary and her parents were relatives.

When the procession approached the gates of the temple, they were met by priests led by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. There were 15 steps at the entrance to God's abode. The parents left the girl on the first of them, after which they watched with surprise as their daughter independently rose to the very dais.

Zechariah received a message from above that he must bring Mary into the very Holy place temple, where it was supposed to enter only once a year. From that moment on, it can be considered that a difficult and decisive period in History began - the mother of the Savior began her journey. The Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos is an event of the feast, when a young virgin began to serve the Lord in accordance with the promise of her parents.

Mary's stay in the temple

The chronicler who recorded the history of events about the life of the Virgin in God's house was He told that the girl lived in a room with other virgins and was under the care of pious virgins. The main occupations that the girl indulged in were prayer, needlework and reading prayers. Maria was a diligent student and from childhood she showed herself from the best side.

According to the rules

The then world, a girl, upon reaching the age of fifteen, had to leave the walls of the temple and acquire a husband. However, in this matter, Mary for the first time showed disobedience: she took a vow to remain a virgin until the end of her days and devote herself to the service of God. Zechariah, being wise, offered a way out of the situation. He advised the girl's elderly relative Joseph to marry her in order to provide her with a decent life. This meant that Mary would continue to remain blameless and be able to fulfill her vow.

The history of the celebration of the entry into the temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The first mention of this event appeared at the beginning of our era, or rather, the era of Christianity. In the period from 250 to 300 AD. at the insistence of Empress Elena, the first temple was built, dedicated to the memory of the entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple. The celebration of this event was finally established in church circles by the 4th century.

The celebration was insipid and superficial, and only by the beginning of the tenth century, George of Nikodimsky, together with Joseph the Songwriter, wrote canons for prayer rites.

Features of the celebration of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos

Need to say,

that any church event is a rite. Of course, unlike pagan sacrifices, Christians adhere to humane methods, mainly resorting to prayer chants, sermons, anointing and imitation of some historical events that are symbolic in nature.

Regardless of whether there is a service in the temple or any holiday, for example, the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, the prayer of the Virgin is an integral attribute of the event. Important factors in the conduct of worship are the clothes of priests. So, on the day of the celebration of the Entrance into the Temple of the Theotokos, the servants of the Lord dress in robes of blue or blue color. On this day, an evening service is held, all-night vigil, liturgy.

Features of the feast of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos imply the reading of only the prescribed texts: the prayer to the Mother of God, the troparion and kontakion of the same name, as well as a number of specific liturgical hymns.

Crucifixion in honor of the holiday

According to religious concepts, there are 12 most significant events in the year. Some of them are sung not only during mass prayer chants, but also have their own paraphernalia, such as the crucifix "Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos."

Crosses with the image of this subject are very popular. They are performed from various materials. On one side of the cross, you can see the Creator sitting on the throne prepared for him, and on the other side, you can watch the festive procession while climbing the steps of the temple of Mary.