Holiday Presentation of the Lord. Evangelical history and traditions. Presentation of the Lord - what a holiday when he is celebrated

The Presentation of the Lord is among the 12 main church holidays, which are devoted to the events of the Savior's earthly life and the Virgin. The Presentation of the Lord is not a turning holiday and always falls on February 15. Translated from the Version of the word "Considering" means "meeting."

The holiday is established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke, which occurred on the 40th day after the Nativity of Christ.

Candlemas

On this day, the Church recalls an important event in the earthly life of Jesus Christ. According to the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a male baby, for 40 days was forbidden to enter the Temple of God.

After this period, the mother came to the temple with a baby to bring the Lord thanks and cleaning sacrifice. The Most Holy Virgo Mary did not need to be cleansing, but in deep humility, she obeyed the prescription of the law.

Icon "Simeon Bogopria"

And when the Mother of God crossed the temple's threshold with a baby in his arms, she came to meet an ancient old man - by name Simeon, that in the Hebrew means "hearing".

In the gospel of Luke says: "He was a righteous and pious, whoaring the comforts of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was on him. He was predicted by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death, the state would not see Christ the Lord."

Simeon, according to legend, was one of 72 scribes who, at the territory of the Egyptian king Ptolemya II transferred the Bible with Jewish to Greek. In the year, when the Holy was 360 years old (for some sources about 300 years), the Holy Spirit led him to the Jerusalem Temple.

According to the suggestion, over, the pious old man came to the temple at the time when the Most Holy Mother of God and the righteous Joseph brought the Baby of Jesus to fulfill the legal rite.

Simeon realized that the prophecy was fulfilled and the baby in the hands of Mary - the same long-awaited Messiah, about which the prophets wrote for hundreds of years, and now he could die quietly.

The Godhead took the hands of the baby and bless God, the prophecy of the Savior of the world: "Now you let go of your slave, Vladyka, according to your word with the world, for you saw the eyes of my salvation, which you took the forefront of all nations, light to educate pagans and glory The people of your Israel. " The church called him Simeon the god excavator and glorified as the saint.

This was evidenced by the elderly widow of the prophetess Anna, who lived at the Jerusalem Temple. The words spoken by Simeon at the time of the meeting were part of Orthodox worship.

History

The statement of the Lord belongs to the oldest holidays of the Christian Church and completes the cycle of Christmas holidays, but in spite of this until the VI century, this holiday was not so solemnly.

The earliest certificates of the celebration of the Claim in the Christian East belong to the end of the IV century, and in the West - from the V century. Then the penciliation in Jerusalem was not still an independent holiday, and was called "fortieth day from the Epiphany."

Icon "Claim", written in the XVI century

In 528, with the emperor of Justinian (527 - 565), the antioch has suffered a disaster - an earthquake from which a lot of people died. This misfortune followed another. In 544, a marine ulcer appeared, which carried out a few thousand people daily.

These days of a nationwide disaster, one of the pious Christians was openly discovered that the celebration of the Festival of the Lord was solemn.

When a vigil vigil and a procession was committed on the day of the reference of the Lord, disasters in Byzantium ceased. In gratitude to God, the church in 544 established a celebration of the Presentation of the Lord solemn and made a major holidays.

The feast of the counseling has one day of preferences and seven days of the cost. On the second day of the celebration, on February 16, the church celebrates the memory of the righteous Simeon, who called God Approach, and Anna Growing - Saints, whose personal spiritual feat, as well as was directly related to the events of consultation.

Essence

The priests explain that the essence of the holiday is in the long-awaited and saving meeting, on this day there were two epochs, marked by the two covenants of God and Man - Old and New.

In the face of Simeon, one of the best people of the exhaust time, the Old Testament was welcomed and bowed to the New Testament, who had to embody Christ's baby in himself.
The law of God, this Jewish people, meets with the new senior law of Divine Love, brought to the world by the Lord by our Jesus Christ.

In fact, the whole life of mankind before the coming of the Savior is a long and all-time waiting for the joy of this meeting, the referee of the Lord. And this long-awaited day has come - humanity in the face of Simeon clearly learned and firmly confessed that after many millennia of his unauthorized excommunication from God, it was finally met his creator.

After all, Simeon held on his hands of the one who, in his mysterious realization, pumping the limits of eternity and omnipotence, "silent" to the state of a helpless baby, held - God himself.

This bright holiday is equivalent as for the Lord of our Christ and for the Virgin Mary.

Traditions

On this day, in addition to the festive liturgy in the temples, the procession is sometimes held. People pay thanksgiving heaven, and also take candles from the temple home to light them while reading prayers.

According to custom, the church candles consecrate on the day of reference. This custom came to the Orthodox Church from Catholics in 1646. The people believed that the candles were consecrated in the reference of the Lord can protect the house from lightning and fire.

Fresco "Considering" of the XVIII century

After the holiday, the peasants began many "spring" affairs, including those who drove the cattle from the chlev in the pen, they prepared the seeds to sow, blew fruit trees. In addition to the work on the housework, in the villages of course they held a walking.

The people believed that on February 15 there were winter with the spring, as evidenced by many sayings - "I met in the snow with the spring", "in the reaches of the sun for the summer, winter on the frost rooted."

According to the signs, if it is cold weather, the Spring will be cold on the reference of the Lord. If a thaw is expected, then wait for a warm spring. But, be that as it may, and the penitution is always the joy of parting with winter and waiting for a new yield year.

The last winter frosts and the first spring thaws were called Sretensky.

Simeonovo Growing

With the event of the reference of the Lord, the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God is connected, which is referred to as the "softening of evil hearts" or "Simeonovo".

She symbolizes the execution of the prophecy of the righteous elder Simeon: "You will be held the arms my weapon," which he is empty after he took the Holy Magnifying and blessed the Holy Joseph and the most Mary Mary.

Just like Christ pierce with nails and a spear, and the soul of the Muslim will hit some "weapons" sorrow and heart pain when she sees the suffering of the son.

Icon "Considation". Icon painter Andrei Rublev

Such an interpretation of Simeonov prophecy and became the subject of several "symbolic" icons of the Virgin. All coming to them with prayer feel how peaceful and bodily sufferings are facilitated.

The image of "softening evil hearts" occurs, presumably from southwestern Russia, but historical information about him, or where and when it appeared, no.

Usually, the icon is depicted by the Mother of God, the heart of which permeates seven swords - three on the right and left and one below. The choice of the image of the sword on the icon is not accidental, since it is associated in the human pioneering of blood.

The number "Seven" in the Holy Scripture means "completeness" of anything, in this case - the completeness of all that grief, "sorrow and heart disease", which suffered the Most Holy Virgo in her earthly life.

The celebration of this image is committed a week of all saints (on the first Sunday after the Trinity).

Prayer

On the long-suffering Mother of God, the depletion of all the dashing of the Earth, on the purity of its own and in many sufferings, to the lands transferred, and we will use the multi-breaking of the reebean and save us under the telescope of your grace. Inago Bo-refuge and warm-up is not the veams, but, I can't be born of a born, pumping and save with my prayers, and it is inconspicuous to achieve the kingdom of heaven, the idea with all the saints we will sing in the Trinity of the One God, now and dream and forever and ever. Amen.

The material is prepared on the basis of open sources.

Editor's response

On this day, the Church recalls the events described in the Gospel of Luke - a meeting with the older Simeon of the Baby Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple on the fortieth day after Christmas.

The Presentation of the Lord is one of the two-month, that is, the main holidays of the church year. This is an innocent holiday - it is always celebrated on February 15.

What does the word "consultation" mean?

Presentation of the Lord. James Tisso.

At the Church-Slavic "Considering" means "meeting". The holiday is installed in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke, which occurred on a fortieth day after the Nativity of Christ. On that day, Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph, the wrap brought the baby Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple to make a letter of gracious victim to God for the firstborn.

What kind of victim was needed after the birth of a baby?

According to the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a boy, in a continuation of 40 days (and if a girl was born - then all 80) was forbidden to enter the temple. She also had to bring the Lord than a letter of thanks and the cleansing sacrifice: a thank-gratitude - a one-year-old lamb, and to leaving sins - a dove. If the family was poor, instead of a lamb donated a diet, and "two crooks or two pigeons of pigeons" were turned out. "

In addition, if the firstborn family was a boy, the parents on the fortieth came with a newborn in the temple and for the rite of dedication to God. It was not just a tradition, but the Moiseev law established in memory of the exodus of Jews from Egypt - liberation from four-year-old slavery.

The Most Holy Deva Mary did not need to be cleansing, because Jesus was born as a result of a defective conception. However, from humility and in order to fulfill the law, she came to the temple. Two doves were the cleansing victim of the Virgin, because the family was poor.

Who is Simeon Gogopria?

According to legend, when Virgo Maria crossed the threshold of the temple with a baby in her arms, she came to toward an ancient old man.

Bilateral icon-tablet for the second quarter of the XV century. Sergiev-Posad Museum Reserve (Risnica)

The name was Simeon. Increased Simeon means "hearing".

Tradition says that Simeon lived 360 years old. He was one of 72 scribes who in the III century BC. At the territory of the Egyptian king Ptolemya II transferred the Bible with Jewish to Greek.

When Simeon translated the book of the Prophet Isaiah, he saw the words: "Ce Virgo in the womb will and give birth to a son" and wanted to fix the "Virgin" (Virgin) to "wife" (Woman). However, he was an angel and forbade the word to change the word, promising that Simeon would not die until he was convinced of the execution of prophecy. This is stated in the Gospel of Luke: "He was a husband righteous and pious, taking care of Israel; And the Holy Spirit was on it. He was predicted by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death, the Ministry would not see Christ the Lord "(LK 2: 25-26).

On the day of the penitution, it turned out what the old man was waiting for his whole long life. The prophecy turned. The old man could now die quietly. The righteous took the baby and exclaimed: "Now you let go of your slave, Vladyko, according to your word, with the world, for you saw the eyes of my salvation, which you took the forefront of all nations, the light to educate the pagans and the glory of the people of your Israel" (LK 2: 29-32). The church called him Simeon the god excavator and glorified as the saint.

In the 6th century, his relics were transferred to Constantinople. In 1200, the coffin of St. Simeon saw the Russian pilgrim - St. Anthony, the future Archbishop of Novgorod.

Candlemas. Andrea Selesti. 1710.

Bishop Feofan The Navdapa wrote: "In the face of Simeon, all the Old Testament, non-executed mankind, is moving into eternity with the world, giving way to Christianity ...". In the memory of this gospel event in Orthodox worship every day, Simeon's song Simeon is sounded every day: "Now let go."

Who is Anna-Growing?

On the day of the reference in the Jerusalem temple there was another meeting. In the temple to the Mother of God, an 84-year-old widow, "Fanulov's daughter" approached. Citizens for inspired speeches about God called her Anna-Growing. She lived for many years and worked at the temple, "fasting and prayer serving God day and night" (LK 2:37 - 38).

Anna-Growzhanka bowed to the newborn Christ and left the temple, carrying the news of the coming of the Messiah, the delightful of Israel. "And at the time, at the time, coming up, sofled the Lord and prophesy about him to everyone who was expected to get rid of Jerusalem" (Luke. 2, 36 - 38).

How did you start to celebrate the penitution of the Lord?

The Presentation of the Lord belongs to the oldest holidays of the Christian Church and completes the cycle of Christmas holidays. The holiday is known in the East from the IV century, in the West - from the V century. The earliest certificates of the celebration of the Claiming in the Christian East belong to the end of the IV century. Then the penitution in Jerusalem has not yet been an independent holiday, but was called "the fortieth day from the Epiphany." The texts of the sermons have been preserved that the St. Cyril Jerusalemsky, Vasily Great, Grigory Theologian, John Zlatoust and other famous hierarchs have pronounced on this day. But before the VI century, this holiday was not so solemnly.

Candlemas. Rogir van der Wayden. Fragment

Under the emperor of Justinian (527-565), in 544, antioch was struck by a marine ulcer, who carried out a few thousand people daily. These days, one of Christians was revealed by the indication of the celebration of the reference of the Lord solemn. The disasters really stopped when a vigorous vigil and a procession was committed on the point of reference. Therefore, the church in 544 installed solemnly celebrate the feasibility of the Lord.

From the V century, the names of the holiday were rooted: "Meeting Holiday" (Clearing) and "Cleansing Holiday". In the east, it is now called sown, and in the West it was called the "holiday of purification" until 1970, when a new naming was introduced: "Holiday of the Lord".

In the Roman Catholic Church, the holiday of cleansing the Virgin Mary, dedicated to the memory of bringing the baby Jesus to the temple and the cleansing rite committed by his mother on the fortieth after the birth of the firstborn, called Chandeleur, i.e. lamp. The lamp, the feast of the Mother of the Mother of the Mother Light (Festival of Fire Mary, Studs) - So Catholics is called him.

Our liturgical charter - Tipikon says nothing about the sanctification of the candle (and water) on the feast of the statement of the Lord. Do not contain anything and old chille. Only after 1946 in the demandments began to print the sanctification of candles to the statement of the Lord, and this was associated with the transition from the population of the regions of Western Ukraine. The custom of sanctifying church candles on the feast of the referee of the Lord was postponed to the Orthodox Church from Catholics in the 17th century, when Metropolitan Peter's grave rules "Celebrations for the Maloros Diocese". For editing, the Roman Church was used in particular, in which the rank of marchs with lit lamps was described in detail. We have not rooted the Latin Sretensky rite, and Chin, thanks to Peter the grave, remained (neither the Greeks, nor in the Old Believers and in Mischina). Therefore, in many dioceses of the Russian church, the candles are sanctified either after a calamon prayer (like the Chin of the Great Water Surgery, which is "inserted" into the liturgy), or after liturgy on prayers. And there are places where there is no custom consecrate the candles. The "magical" attitude to Sretensky Candles is a remnant of a pagan ritual of the reverence of fire associated with the cult of Perun, and called "lifrics".

Candlemas. Herbrandt Van Den Ekhat.

What does it mean "softening evil hearts" icon?

With the event of the statement of the Lord, the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God is connected, which is called "or" Simeonovo to rust. " It is symbolically depicted by the prophecy of St. Simeon's God Drum, uttered by him in the Jerusalem Temple on the day of the reference of the Lord: "The soul goes the weapon itself" (Luke 2, 35).

The Mother of God is depicted standing on the cloud with a seven pierced heart with swords: three on the right and left and one below. There are also waist images of the Virgin. The number seven means the completeness of grief, sadness and heart pain tested by the Virgin in her earthly life. Sometimes the image is replenished with the image on the knees of Our Lady of the deceased Biggrowet.

What signs exist on the reference?

In Russia, on this holiday, the deadlines for the start of spring field work were determined. According to folk signs, the consistency is the border between the winter and in the spring, what the folk sayings are evidenced by: "Speaking - winter with the spring and in the summer I met", "The Sun for Summer, Winter in the Frost."

According to the weather on the feast of the fellow, the peasants were tried about the upcoming spring and summer, about the weather and crop. This was judged by the spring: "What is the weather for reference, this will be both spring." It was believed that if on the statement of thaw - spring will be early and warm, if a cold day is waiting for cold spring. The snow fell on this day - to a protracted and rainy spring. If the snow is on the rest of the road - the spring is late and cold. "Snow is the crop of early breads in the morning; If at noon - medium; If in the evening - later. " "To the reference of the drops - the crop of wheat." "At the steps of the wind - to the fertility of fruit trees."

Read the fragment from the poem of Joseph Brodsky "Pointing"

On this day, the Christian Church recalls the events described in the Gospel of Luke, namely in stretch in the Jerusalem Church of the Baby Jesus with an older Simeon On a fortieth day after christmas.

The Presentation of the Lord is one of the two-month, that is, the main holidays of the church year. This is an innocent holiday, it means that it is always celebrated on February 15.

What does the word reference mean?

In the church-Slavic language "Considering" means "a meeting". The holiday is established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of the Gospel. On that day, Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph, the wrap brought the baby Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple to make a letter of gracious victim to God for the firstborn.

What kind of victim in ancient Judea needed to do after the birth of a baby?

According to the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a boy, in a continuation of 40 days (and if a girl was born - then all 80) was forbidden to enter the temple. She also followed the Lord thank you and Cleaning: Thank you - one year old lamb, and to leaving sins - dove. If the family was poor, instead of a lamb donated a diet, and "two crooks or two pigeons of pigeons" were turned out. "

In addition, if the firstborn family was a boy, the parents on the fortieth came with a newborn in the temple and for the rite of dedication to God. It was not just a tradition, but Moses law, established in the memory of the exodus of Jews from Egypt - liberation from four-year-old slavery.

The Most Holy Deva Mary did not need to be cleansing, because Jesus was born as a result of a defective conception. She came to the temple from humility and in order to fulfill the law. Two doves became the cleansing victim of the Virgin, because the family in which Jesus was born was poor.

Rembrandt Wang Rhine. Personia.

Who is Simeon Gogopria?

According to legend, when Virgo Maria crossed the threshold of the temple with a baby in her arms, she came to toward an ancient old man. The name was Simeon. Increased Simeon means "hearing".

Tradition says that Simeon lived 360 let. It was one of 72 scribes who in the III century BC. At the territory of the Egyptian king Ptolemya II transferred the Bible with Jewish to Greek.

On the day of the penitution, it turned out what the old man was waiting for his whole long life. The prophecy turned. The elder could now calmly die. The righteous took the baby and exclaimed: "Now you let go of your slave, Vladyko, according to your word, with the world, for you saw the eyes of my salvation, which you took the forefront of all nations, the light to educate the pagans and the glory of the people of your Israel" (LK 2: 29-32). The church called him Simeon the god excavator and glorified as the saint.

In the 6th century, his relics were transferred to Constantinople. Bishop Feofan The Navdapa wrote: "In the face of Simeon, all the Old Testament, non-executed mankind, is moving into eternity with the world, giving way to Christianity ...". In the memory of this gospel event in Orthodox worship every day, Simeon's song Simeon is sounded every day: "Now let go."

Rembrant Wang Rhine. Simeon Bogourine 1627-1628

Who is Anna-Growing?

How did you start to celebrate the penitution of the Lord?

The Presentation of the Lord belongs to the oldest holidays of the Christian Church and completes the cycle of Christmas holidays. The feast is known in the East from the IV century, in the West - with V. The earliest certificates of celebrating the reference in the Christian East belong to the end of the IV century. Then the penitution in Jerusalem has not yet been an independent holiday, but was called "the fortieth day from the Epiphany." It should be noted that until the VI century, this holiday was not so solemnly.

Under Emperor Justinian (527-565), in 544 Antioch was struck by the marine ulcer, who carried out a few thousand people daily. These days, one of Christians was revealed by the indication of the celebration of the reference of the Lord solemn. The disasters really stopped when a vigorous vigil and a procession was committed on the point of reference. Therefore, the church in 544 installed solemnly celebrate the feasibility of the Lord.

Icon "Softening of Evil Hearts"

What does it mean "softening evil hearts" icon?

With the event of the referee of the Lord, the icon of the Blessed Virgin, which is called "Softening Evil Hearts" or "Simeonovo Growing". It is symbolically depicted by the prophecy of St. Simeon's God Drum, uttered by him in the Jerusalem Temple on the day of the reference of the Lord: "The soul goes the weapon itself" (Luke 2, 35).

The Mother of God is depicted standing on the cloud with a seven pierced heart with swords: three on the right and left and one below. There are also waist images of the Virgin. The number seven means the completeness of grief, sadness and heart pain tested by the Virgin in her earthly life.

What signs exist on the reference?

By midfield, they begin to weaken frost in Russia, and the approach of spring is felt in the air. In our country on the weather on this holiday, the deadlines for the start of spring field work were usually determined. According to folk signs, the consistency is the border between the winter and in the spring, as evidenced by the folk sayings: "Speaking - winter with the spring and in the summer met", "Summer Summer, Winter in Frost."

According to the weather on the feast of the fellow, the peasants were tried about the upcoming spring and summer, about the weather and crop. This was judged by the spring: "What is the weather for reference, this will be both spring." It was believed that sELL TO CENTIFICATION Thaw - Spring will be early and warm, if a cold day - Wait for cold spring. Snow fell on this day - To a protracted and rainy spring. If the snow has a snow across the road - Spring late and cold. "Snow is the crop of early breads in the morning; If at noon - medium; If in the evening - later. " "To the reference of the drops - the crop of wheat." "At the steps of the wind - to the fertility of fruit trees."

Holiday Description

HOLIDAY COLUTION OF THE LORD Celebrated on February 15 (new. Art.) and has 1 day of preferences and 1-7 days of the cost.

Presentation Archimandrite Rafail (Karelin)
Creation of V. Lossky
Population N. Popov
Bishop Veniamin Milov
Biblical encyclopedia
Diacon Andrey Kuraev
Metropolitan Surozhsky Anthony
Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskaya
Marina Mikhailova
Presentation of the Lord God and the Savior of our Jesus Christ the worship of the holiday
I.I. Turkin

Tale of the Presentation of the Lord

In the presentation of the saint

After forty days after the Christmas of the Lord of our Jesus Christ, and on the execution of the days of legitimate purification, the prediest and predicted Virgo Materia, together with Holy Joseph, came from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to the Temple of God, bringing a forty-day baby of Christ to fulfill the Moiseyev law. By this law it was necessary, firstly, at birth to be cleaned by bringing the appropriate sacrifice to God and through the Hiere prayer, - and, secondly, it was necessary to put the original primary infant and make a redemption for him by price (). So it was commanded by the Lord in the Old Testament Moses, who in the books about the law of cleansing mothers are written like this: "If a woman begins and give birth to a baby's baby, then she will be seven days; in the eighth day, he will do it crawling his flesh: and thirty Three days should sit, cleansed by the blood of their own; Neither to the sacred should not be touched and should not come to the sanctuary until the days of cleansing it will be fulfilled. At the end of the days of cleansing their own, it should bring the annual Lamb in the disconnect and a young dove or a gorge in Sacrifice for sin. If she is not able to bring the lamb, then let it take two ruling or two young pigeons, one in the burnt offering, and the other sacrificing for sin, and will clean her priest, and she will clean "(,).

And about the dedication to the God of the firstborn men in the law says so: "Consecrate me every firstborn (the masculine sex) of a first born, expanding setting" (). And another time: "Give me a firstborn from your sons" (). It was required for the great benefit of God in Egypt, when the Lord, beating the Egyptian firstborn, spared Israeli (). Therefore, the Israelites brought their primorn babies to the temple, devoting to God, as a proper tribute established by law. And again they redeemed them from God for themselves by the price set, which was called "redemption silver", and was given to serving at the Temple of the Lord Levites, as is written in the fourth book of Moses (). The established price of ransom consisted of five sacred sickers of church weight, and each saccble had twenty adhesions in himself. By performing this law of the Lord, the Mother of God now came to the temple with the legislator. It came to be cleaned, although I did not require purification, like a non-disconnect, unlaced, imperceptible, and therapy. For the one who pushed without her husband and lust, and gave birth without illness and violations of his virgin purity, did not have a bad, characteristic of wives, related to the natural law: for the born source of purity, as uncleanness could touch? Christ was born from her like a fruit from the tree; And both the tree, at the birth of his fetus, is not damaged and does not be dedicated and the Virgin, by the birth of Christ, the fetus of the blessed, remained intact and inexcute. Christ occurred from her, like a beam sunshine passes through glass or crystal. A sunbeam passing through glass or crystal does not break up and does not spoil it, but even more illuminates. Did not damage the nine of his mother and the sun of the truth - Christ. And the door of natural birth, the purity captured and the lady protected, did not desecrate the usual bleeding for women, but, having passed supernaturally, even more aggravated her purity, consecuting it with his origin, and by transfers the Divine Light of Grace. It was absolutely no need for no cleansing for giving birth without the evolution of God-words. But in order not to disrupt the law, but to fulfill it, it came to cleanse the perfectly clean and not causing any vice. Together with the sim fulfilled humility, she did not proudly proud of Nevinnaya Cleaning, but came, as if unclean, stand together with unclean wives before the door of the Temple of the Lord, - and demand cleansing, not bent the unclean and sinful. I brought both a sacrifice, but not as rich, who brought the immaculate annual Lamb, but as the poor, who brought two horrids, or two chicks of pigeons, in all showing humility and love for poverty, and avoiding the pride of the rich. For from gold, brought by the wrappers (), she took a little, and then distributed to the poor and poor, keeping only the most needed on the road to Egypt. Having bought the mentioned two birds, she brought them, according to the law, for the victim, and with them brought their original infant. "Brought him to Jerusalem to submit before the Lord" () - says the evangelist of Luka, that is, to return God to God, for in the law, the Lord says that every baby's baby, exploring himself, must be dedicated to the Lord (). Holding his newborn in the hands of his newborn, the Holy Deva Maria king knees before the Lord and with a deep reverence, as a gem gift, caught and betrayed the baby to God, saying:

CE, your son, the voyage of which you sent to come from me to save the genus of human! You gave birth to him before the centuries without a mother, and in your favor, according to the performance of the years, gave birth to him without a husband; Here is the fruit of my original born, the Holy Spirit in me is a winner, and inhaverno, how are you one you know, I happened from me: he is my firstborn, formerly yours, you are a pleasant and disabled, and the firstborn you have one who has come down, for you, for you, without retreating from your deity. We accept the firstborn with whom you have created (), and with whom the light has commanded the light: I got your word that you approved the sky, founded the land, gathered in the connection of the water: I got your son from me, which I approach this Great, yes, about him and about me, you will arrange as you like, and you will sponder the humanity of his flesh and blood, take it away from me.

Saying this word, she gave her precious child to his hands a bike, like the governor of God, as if giving him to God himself. After this, she bought it, as the law demanded, set by the price, is five sacred siques, the number of which, as it were, there were five sacred ulcers on the body of Christ, adopted by him on the cross, which the whole world was redeemed from the oath of legitimate and from work.

At that time, when the Mother of God brought the baby Jesus for fulfilling him the custom prescribed by the law, the temple came, led by the Holy Spirit, the elder Simeon, the man righteous and pious, who was waiting for the Jeraelie, who had to step up with the coming of the Messiah. He knew that the expected Messiah was already approaching, because the Scepter moved from Judah to Orod, and the prophecy of the Patriarch of Jacob's prophecy was fulfilled, which she did not care for the prince from Juda until the expectation of peoples, Christ, Lord (). Daniylovs were also ended in the number of seventy, after which, on the prophecy, there must be the coming of the Messiah. At the same time, the saint Siememon himself was promised not to see death before he did not see Christ Christ. Simeon, looking at the extremely virgin and on the baby who was on her hands, saw the grace of God, the surrounding mother with a baby, and, taught from the Holy Spirit that this there is an expected Messiah, hastily approached and, having accepted him with ineffore joy and awe, Great Thanksgiving gods. He, who was ridked by gray, as a swan in front of his death, melted a prophetic song: "Now let your slave, Vladyko, the verb of yours, with the world."

"I didn't have, - as if he said, - the world in his thoughts, all the days waiting for you, and all the days were in sorrow, while you attain: now, seeing you, I received a gift, and, having freesed from sadness, I leave here with a joyful message to my fathers: I will be announced about your coming to the world of Platz Adam and Abraham, Moses and David, Isaiah and other holy fathers and prophets, the inener joy I will bring them, staying accrued to sorrow; to them and let me go in order , leaving sadness, they argue about you - the deliverant of yours. Let me go to your slave, after many years of work, calm down on Lona Abraham: My eyes have already seen your salvation, prepared for all people, my eyes saw the light prepared for scattering darkness for enlightenment Peoples, to reveal them the unknown Divine Tain, - the light that delusted to glorify the people of Israel, which you promised through the Prophet Isaiah, saying: "Let Sion Salvation, Israel Glory Mo" ().

Joseph and the Major Virgin, hearing all said Simeon about the baby, surprised; Moreover, they saw that Simeon speaks to a baby, not as a baby, but as to "old days," and praying appeals to him not as a person, but how to God, having the power of life and death and the powerful immediately release the elder to another Life, or retain in the present. Simeon turned with a blessing and to them, praising and the magnitude of the presequitoral mother, giving birth to the world of God and man, and the removal of the imaginary father of St. Joseph, who became able to be a servant to such a sacrament. Then, by contacting Mary, his mother, and not to Joseph - for he glanced in her the eyes of his undelived Mother, - Simeon said:

This will be on the fall and on the way to many in Israel: to fall in those who do not wish to believe in the words of him, on the construction of those who will accept His preaching with love, - for the fall of scribes and the Pharisees, blinded by malice, on the way of simple fishermen and people NEMUMD. He will not choose the wise, the wise century of this century, - for the fall of the Old Testament of the Jewish Cathedral, and on the exalting of the fertile church of God. This will serve as a banner for the stocking, for the great discord will happen in people because of him: Some will call him good, others will say that he is deceiving people; and put it, - according to the word of the Prophet of Jeremiah, "History for arrows" (); Having hung on the cross tree, vulnerable as arrows, nails and spear. At that time, a stray mother, "the old man continued," your weapon will pass the weapons of sadness and heart pain, when you see the sophisticate your son, when you with a great pain in my heart and sobs, you will navigate from the world who you gave birth to the world without illness.

Here in the temple was Anna Growing, the daughter of Fanulov, from the knee of Assyrov. She was a widow that had already made up, she was eighty-four; - She only lived with her husband and, Ovdov, spent an awning life, not leaving the temple, but in the post and prayer serving God day and night. Having come at that hour to the temple, Anna prophesied a lot about the Baby Lord brought to the temple, to all those who were expected to get rid of Jerusalem. I hearing and seeing all this, scribes and the Pharisees broke up in their hearts, and indignged on Simeon and Anna for their testimony about the pattern. They did not disadvantaged, but the sodium of the king was informed about everything that happened and said in the temple. He immediately sent warriors with the orders to find the Divine Baby of Christ-Lord and kill him; But they did not find it already: in the command, this Joseph in a dream, he was found in Egypt. Holy Joseph with the Merchassment Music, fulfilling all the required law in the temple, did not return to Bethlehem, and went to Galilee, in their city Nazareth, and from there quickly disappeared into Egypt (). The fatters ascended, and strengthened the Spirit, fulfilling the wisdom, and the grace of God was lying on it ().

The celebration of the Festival of the Lord is established in the reign of Justinian, previously, although the Presentation of the Lord and was remembered in the church, but was solemnly not celebrated. The pious king of Justinian established the celebration of this holiday as the Lord and the Virgin, along with other great holidays. The motivation to establish this holiday was special circumstances. In the reign of Justinian in Byzantium and the surrounding area of \u200b\u200bthe Her, for three months, since the last numbers of October, there was a strong Mor, so first died five thousand people a day, and then ten thousand; The bodies of even rich and high-ranking people remained without burial, because the servants and slaves were all extinct and not to anyone to burnt the Lords themselves. And in the Antioch to the marine ulcer, for the sins of people, the other execution of God was joined - a terrible earthquake, from which all big houses and high buildings and temples fell, and a lot of people died under their walls; Among the dead was the Euphrases, the bishop of the Antioch, crushed to death with the fall of the temple. In this terrible and dedicate time, one pious person was a revelation, so that the solemn celebration of the Festival of the Lord was established, as well as other Lord and the Motheratic Great Holidays. And now, upon the occurrence of the day of the reference of the Lord, February of the second day, when they began to celebrate with the all-sleeping outstanding and emergence with crosses, the deadly ulcer, the sea and the earthquake immediately ceased, in the mercy of God and the prayers of the Maundy Virgin. To her with her born from her, God will be honored, fame, worship and thanksgiving forever. Amen.

Sermon Archpriest Rodion Putyathine. Teaching on the day of the referee of the Lord.

Preaching St. Luke (War-Yasenetsky). Word on the day of the referee of the Lord.

Sermon Metropolitan Sourozh Anthony. Candlemas.

Sermon Archimandrite Iannaria (Ivlya). Presentation of the Lord, EU.7: 7-17.

Presentation of the Lord of our Jesus Christ.

Mr. Jesus Christia - one of the two-month non-leaving holidays; It is observed on a fortieth day after Christmas February 2/15. In the West, this holiday is more famous called purification (Purification) of the Blessed Virgin. The Slavic Word "Considering" means "meeting." This event in gospel history marks the meeting of the Old and New Testament. As most of the holidays of Palestinian origin, the holiday of the attachment of Christ in the temple dates back to the ancient times of Christianity ...

This day in history

1904 year. Consecrated Bronze Statue of Christ at the Chilean-Argentine border.

1881 year. Alexander II was mortally wounded on the Ekaterininsky Canal embankment in St. Petersburg the bomb, abandoned by the People, Ignatius Grinevitsky.

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

One of the holidays established in the memory of the most important events in the earthly life of Jesus Christ is the reference of the Lord, celebrated on the 40th day after Christmas and ending with him the cycle of celebrations. In the Orthodox Church Calendar, he occupies a special place, because it personifies the line between the epochs of the Old and New Testament.

According to the law of Moiseev

In order to fully understand that the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, it is necessary not only to appeal to the text of the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which contains a description of this event, but also touch the religious traditions of the Jewish people set forth in the Old Testament. According to the law of Moses, given in the books, Levit and Numbers, a woman who gave birth to his son, was considered unclean and was not allowed in the temple. This custom is partly preserved to the present day, although it does not have such a strict installation.

After this period, the mother was obliged to come with the child to the Jerusalem Temple and bring God the cleansing and thank you for a victim ─ lamb and one dwarf. If the family in which the child was born was poor, the smaller sacrifice was allowed. So they did all the wives of Israeli. The main meaning of this action was to dedicate himself to God and express gratitude to him for the missed infant.

From the evangelical texts, it is that the Most Holy Maiden Maria did not have need in purification, since the Christmas of the baby Jesus was a consequence of a degraded conception committed by the host of the Holy Spirit, but in his deepest humility she came with the infant Jesus Christ in the temple to fulfill the prescription of the law. As a sacrifice, she was able to bring with him only two small doves, since very constant material circumstances did not allow greater.

Meeting of heaven and earthly

The key to understanding that the feast of the Presentation of the Lord gives itself this word that came to us from the Church Slavonic language. "Considering" in translation means "meeting". However, in this case, it laid a deeper meaning than the one that is attached to him in everyday speech.

The Son of God, embodied and having mastered the human nature, was first brought to the temple, who was nothing more than the house of God. In the future, Jesus himself, speaking of him, consumes the expression "My Father's House". Consequently, bringing it to the temple ─ this meeting (determination) of the Son's God and the Father's God. Not servants of the temple with the Virgin Mary and brought by her baby, but the earthly meeting of the two divine hypostasis.

From the evangelical texts, it is known that subsequently Jesus Christ will often be in the temple, and therefore, and repeatedly meet with his father, but for the fortieth day after Christmas it happened for the first time, and therefore is considered one of the main holidays. It is noted not only by Orthodox Christians, but also Catholics, and Protestants.

Another explanation is also common in what the personnel of the Lord means. Presentation, that is, the meeting of the baby Jesus, occurred in this case not only with his father heaven, invisibly in the temple, but also in the face of the righteous Simeon and the propheted of Anna (they will be told below) with all the people of the world. This is quite obvious, since, according to the custom, the custom, Israeli mother did not show their child to the strangers before bringing it to the temple. Thus, the first 40 days of life of the child was hidden from human eyes.

Righteous Simeon

The evangelist of Luke narrates also about the righteous Start of Simeon, who lived in Jerusalem and who came on the temple that day. It should be stopped in more detail, since it is a very important role in the Gospel. From the sacred legend it is known that Simeon was among the 72 wise men, who, on behalf of the Egyptian king, Ptolomere were engaged in the transfer of the Holy Scriptures from the Hebrew language to Greek.

He fell to work on the text of the book of the Prophet Isaiah, and when he reached the famous words "Ce Deva in Jerevius will live and give birth to a son," then fell in doubt ─ as a immensant maid can give birth? Having considered it a simple description of the book of the book, he in translation instead of the word "Virgo" wanted to put the "wife", which more corresponded to his concepts about human nature, but suddenly appeared angel stopped his hand. The Messenger of God's crude prophecy, according to which Simeon does not taste death, until he is convinced of the truth of the words of the Prophet Isaiah.

From the lives of the righteous Simeon, God Drivers (the explanation of this gain to the name will be given below), compiled by the Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Dimitri Rostovsky, it is known that at that time he was 60 years old by himself, but in the execution of the prophecy he lived another 300 years Before the Baby Jesus appeared in Bethlehem. According to some reports, he even became a priest of the Jerusalem Temple, taking the place of the killed elder Zechariah ─ Father John the Forerunner.

One of the church legends that have come down to this day complements the above-mentioned story of a very curious fact. Even after the phenomenon of Angela Simeon, there was no doubt about the possibility of the birth of a baby from the Virgin. And once, walking along the river bank, he threw a ring to the water, saying that only having gained him again, would believe in the truth of the prediction. The next day, Simeon bought fish in one of the villages and, separating it, discovered inside his ring. After this miracle, all doubts were left.

The execution of the prophecy

But back to the gospel of Luke. Staying in more than advanced years, righteous Simeon could not leave this world due to the revelation given to him over. On the day, when the Most Her Mother of God and her wrap is a righteous Joseph, he was brought to the temple of the infant Jesus, he was there on the divine suggestion came there and became not only a witness, but also a participant of events. It marked the beginning of the execution of Divine Revelation.

Going to the Holy Family, he accepted from the hands of the Virgin Mary of the Baby of Jesus (for which he was subsequently nailed by God Approach) and the prophecy about the salvation of the world. His text presented in the article, for many centuries, sounds in Orthodox churches, becoming one of the most famous prayers. It begins in words "now you let go of your slave, Lord ...". Turning to the mother of the Bog Mountain, he opened a lot from what he had to survive and herself, and the entire Israeli people.

Another participant of this great event was the 84-year-old prophetian Anna, for many years stayed in the width and non-extently located in the Jerusalem Church. On the slope of the years she devoted their days to the posts and prayers. Going together with the righteous Simeon to the Holy Family, she also famous God, and then gave the news about the phenomenon to the world of the Savior to all residents of Jerusalem.

The role of righteous Simeon and the propheted of Anna in the sacred history is very large. Before the Nativity of Christ, the whole people of Israel for many centuries lived the expectation of the arrival of the Messiah-Savior, and only them two, the last righteous of the Old Testament, were destined to see his coming. In the face of Jesus Christ, there was an unsalted and inseparable unity of a person with the Deity that they were not only encountered to see, but also witnessed in many ways. That is why the referee of the Lord became among the main Christian holidays.

When was it installed?

The researchers cannot give an accurate answer to this question. However, the historical documents at their disposal indicate that before the IV century, the cycle of the most important annual Christian holidays included only Easter, Pentecost (St. Trinity Day) and the Epiphany. Over the next two centuries, the Heruncherkovsky liturgical calendar was replenished with the holidays of the Christmas cycle. Since there is every reason to believe that their number includes the decision of the Lord, the meaning of which is directly related to the phenomenon to the world of the Savior, it is customary to consider this period by the time of its establishment.

This hypothesis has documentary justifications. The very early of these are travel records, compiled at the turn of the IV and V centuries by the Western European pilgrims of Ecytter, who visited the holy places and described in detail what he saw there in their diaries. In this first Christian monument of this genre, the Lord is not yet given an independent liturgical headline, and the author mentions it only as the 40th day after Christmas, which indirectly confirms the assumption of a later inclusion of the holiday in the liturgical cycle.

Nevertheless, judging by the records of the pious and very inquisitive pilgrimage, even then this day was celebrated with great solemnity. Eteriya describes crowded processions, similar to those who are usually committed at Easter. In addition, according to her, in all the temples, the fragment of the Gospel was read in all the temples, which describes the offering of the baby Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple and his meeting righteous Simeon and Anna.

Playful religious holiday

The following historical monument, covering this topic, is the Armenian lexionary ─ church book containing the texts of various worship services, with their comments and explanations. She was written in the middle of the V century, and includes prayers read on the referee of the Lord. What a holiday was celebrated on that day, lexionary gives a fully complete idea, but in it, as in the way records of the pilgrimage of Eterius, it is still liturgically entitled, and again mentioned only the 40th day from the Nativity of Christ.

Based on the two mentioned historical monuments, most modern researchers concludes that during the period of the V-Vi centuries, the decision of the Lord, although it was noted with great solemnity, but was only a seed feast of the Jerusalem Church.

The prayers and marchs that were made on this day were the character of religious mystery, which allowed their participants in the historical setting to survive the events of the fortieth day of the Savior's earthly life and even become their participants. It is thanks to the topographic realism of the whole that happened this still officially not established Christian holiday was unique and could not be reproduced in other local churches.

Celebration of Byzantium

Literary sources of a later time (mainly Byzantine) indicate that in the Soviet Calendar of the Constantinople Church, this holiday was officially established in the middle of the 6th century, the field of which became a national celebration. However, in this case, the dating of this event is very vague and is not amenable to more specific clarification.

In the "Chety Mineyas" ─ a church book designed to read, and not for worship, for every day of the year there are certain lives of saints and stories about the Orthodox holidays. In a section related to 2 (15) of February, a legend is given of the establishment of a celebration on the occasion of the reference of the Lord. From her we learn that in 541, two disasters were collected at the Byzantine Empire, ─ anti-oar epidemic and an earthquake. Daily thousands of residents of the country either found death under the wreckage of rushing buildings, or died, hit by a terrible disease.

And when it already seemed that God's anger is ready to finally destroy the once mighty and prosperous empire, a wonderful phenomenon was one pious husband. The Messenger of the Heavenly Forces opened him that all disasters, comprehended by Byzantium, will stop as soon as its people begin to celebrate the holiday of the statement of the Lord.

This husband handed over to the Konstantinople Patriarch, and when it came 2 (15) February, that is, the 40th day after the Nativity of Christ, solemn services were committed throughout the country. Indeed, terrestrial shocks immediately stopped, and a deadly epidemic retreated with them. The emperor of Justinian's emperor Great in the memory of this wonderful event issued a decree, according to which a new Christian holiday was established ─ Presentation of the Lord.

Historical evidence of legendary events

Despite the fact that the events set forth in the "Chettym Mineyas" more resemble a pious legend than a historical review, in reality they are based on quite real facts. For example, from a number of sources independent of each other, it is absolutely reliably known about the earthquake, comprehended by Byzantia for the specified year.

In addition, from the documents drawn up during the Board of Justinian I, it obviously follows that the epidemic of the seaside ulcers is also not a fiction, and really carried thousands of lives that year. So it is quite logical to assume that the Byzantine defeated by these disasters was looking for protection from God and resorted to such a radical, in their opinion, to the medium, as the establishment of a new religious holiday.

Holiday Christians around the world

Over time, the tradition of celebrating February 15, the member of the Lord spread almost to the whole Christian world, although in different confessions this holiday was named in different ways. If its name has always remained unchanged on Orthodox Russia, it changed in the Western Church. For a long time, the statement was called the day of purification, and in the 70s of the last century, the following name went into use: the feast of the sacrifice of the Lord.

We also note that on the question of what number of the Presentation of the Lord, not all Christian churches give a unambiguous answer. For example, Armenians celebrate this holiday a day earlier, that is, February 14. Also, representatives of many areas of the Old Believer, or, as it is customary to be called a one-day church, is considered to be correct to celebrate the holiday on the old style- February 2.

Epiphany in the calendar adopted by the Russian Orthodox Church, among the two-month holidays, that is, the number of the most significant, and the reference of the Lord is also indicated. Worship service on this day is performed on special ranks and is distinguished by extraordinary solemnity. During the festive liturgy, trophari, Kondak and the mention of the subjects are fulfilled.

It is important to remember that this holiday is installed in the memory of the event standing at the turn of two epochs, ─ periods of the Old and New Testament. In himself, he concludes as joy from the phenomenon into the world of the Savior, and the sadness, overflowing the heart of the Virgin Mary from the words of Simeon's God Drum, who discovered her that day that her son would go to the goddes and death to atone for human sins.

Noting it, it is very important to leave in the past all the bad thoughts and fill the hearts of Christian love to near. The prayers of her talent on this day are made to rendered to the icons "Presentation of the Lord", "Simeonovo Prophecy", as well as a virgin manner "softening evil hearts" (the photo icons is given above). It is very important to note the holiday of committing any good deeds and providing assistance to those who need it.

Signs and customs related to the reference of the Lord

It is known that a lot of customs is connected with this holiday. The Presentation of the Lord, for example, the time immemorial was considered the best moment in order to make an offer to the future bride. Obviously, it was believed that on this day the female hearts are the most responsive. If the agreement was obtained even in advance, then it was on the feast of the counseling that they were tried to get married, because they hoped that marriages concluded on this day would be the most happy. When, after due time, the stork brought young even a reward for their love, the best day of baptism of babies was also considered to be the penitution of the Lord.

Even since the time of Kievan Rus, it entered the custom of the weather, issued on this day, to build forecasts as to which this year will be spring. It was considered the correct admission that if 2 (February 15) shines the sun, and the frost is not too strongly pinch the nose and ears, then the spring will be early and friendly. If, on a festive day, the sky tightened the clouds and the blizzard does not shine outside the window, then it was not necessary to count on the ambulance.

Related folk signs and future harvest. So, if snow fell on the festive morning, the snow fell out, it was told with confidence that breads this year would raise early, and the crop will be abundant. If the snowfall began in the middle of the day, it also did not embarrass anyone, but he testified only that the ears cling to the usual time for them. The fear could cause evening snow, but then the optimists assured that he would not succeed, and the aging late grades. As for the gardeners, they considered windy weather on the day of the penitentiary of a rich harvest. Oddly enough, but the windlessness on this day they did not promise anything good.

Having learned in general terms that the holiday is the penitution of the Lord, what's sense in the gospel event, which laid it on the basis, and taking a note related to him, once again on February 15, we will give the Church and to the sounds of festive chants, we will pay praise to the Savior of the world !