Orthodox Church celebrates the Meeting of the Lord

The Meeting of the Lord. Photo: jizn.info

On February 2 (February 15 according to the new calendar), the Orthodox Church celebrates the Candlemas – Meeting of the Lord, one of the twelve Great Feasts that is not movable.

According to the Law of Moses, on the fortieth day after the birth of a male child, parents were required to bring the infant to the Jerusalem Temple to be dedicated to the Lord. In the Gospel of Luke (Lk. 2:22–40), it is written that on the fortieth day after the Nativity of Christ, the Mother of God, together with the righteous Joseph, came from Bethlehem to the Jerusalem Temple, bringing the forty-day-old Infant Jesus. Two doves were chosen for the purification offering.

In the Jerusalem Temple, the Holy Joachim and Anna, along with the Divine Infant Christ, were met by the righteous Simeon the God-Receiver. He was one of those commissioned by the Egyptian King Ptolemy II to translate the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek. While translating the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Simeon read the words: “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive in her womb and bear a Son,” and wanted to change the word “Virgin” to “Woman,” thinking it was a mistake. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “Have faith in the written words, for you will see them fulfilled yourself, as you shall not taste death until you see Christ the Lord, born of the Pure and Immaculate Virgin.”

Simeon lived for about 300 years, and when the Mother of God brought the Infant Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple, the Holy Spirit led him there and revealed to him that the Divine Infant held by the Most Pure Virgin Mary was indeed the awaited Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Simeon took the Infant Christ in his arms and proclaimed: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people – a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”

The elder blessed the Most Pure Virgin and the righteous Joseph, and addressing the Mother of God, said: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against – yes, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also – that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk. 2:34–35).

Initially, the Feast of the Candlemas was celebrated as the day concluding the 40-day cycle after the Feast of Theophany, but after the Council of Chalcedon in 451, it was established as an independent feast.

As the UOJ previously reported, Simeon the God-Receiver lives within each of us.

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