Orthodox Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord

The icon of the Presentation of the Lord. Photo: open sources

On February 2 (February 15 according to the new calendar), the Orthodox Church celebrates the Candlemas – the Presentation of the Lord (Meeting of the Lord), one of the twelve Great Feasts, established in memory of the meeting of the Infant Jesus with the elder Simeon.

The feast was established in memory of the event described in the Gospel of Luke: on the fortieth day after the Nativity, the Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph brought the Infant Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple to dedicate Him to God according to custom.

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 word "sretenie" translated from Church Slavonic means "meeting" – the meeting of the Old and New Testament, the meeting of humanity with God.

On this day, festive services are held in Orthodox churches. Believers come to pray and venerate the festive icons. After the Liturgy, water blessing services are held in churches with the blessing of special Presentation candles, with which believers stand during the services of the Great Canon of Andrew of Crete and Great Friday.

Earlier, the UOJ analyzed, Presentation candle: a light to lighten the Gentles or a magical amulet?

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