In Orthodox, as well as in Catholic, Christian culture, there are many holidays that are of great importance for believers. One of them is the Meeting of the Lord. On this day, a Bible event known to many people is recalled. Therefore, the question: “The Presentation of the Lord - what kind of holiday?” - definitely deserves attention.
The origins
In the Russian-speaking Orthodox culture, for many years now they celebrate the Meeting of the Lord on February 15. This holiday is rooted in the traditions of Western and Eastern countries (IV-V c). It was then that the Meeting of the Lord became one of the twelve key dates that were included in the Orthodox calendar. On this special day, everyone who has faith in Christ reverently recalls the events that the Evangelist Luke once described. This is a special meeting of the baby Jesus and the righteous Simeon.
What does the Meeting of the Lord mean?
In fact, the very word “meeting” can be translated as “meeting”. As for the story, which was the cause of the holiday, it began almost 2000 years ago, when the Virgin Mary came to the Jerusalem Temple with little Jesus. The future Savior of the world at that time was only forty days old. According to the law of Moses, a woman who gave birth to a male baby was supposed to come to the Temple and offer a cleansing and thanksgiving sacrifice there. That is exactly what Maria did. Although the fact that she conceived a child of the Holy Spirit, relieved her of the need to make a sacrifice of purification.
It so happened that at that time, Elder Simeon lived in Jerusalem, who received the following revelation from God: he will not leave this mortal land until he sees the Savior of the world. Being inspired by Heavenly Father, Simeon came to the Temple exactly when Mary was there with the baby Jesus. Seeing the little Christ, the righteous old man took Him into his own hands and proclaimed that his eyes saw salvation from God.
Therefore, answering the question: “The Presentation of the Lord - what is it?” - it is worth talking specifically about the meeting of the Divine Infant and the righteous Simeon in the temple of Jerusalem. Another meaning of the word “meeting” is “joy”, the reason for which is the salvation brought to our world by Christ.
The importance of the meeting
To those who are not sophisticated in Christianity, it may seem a little strange that the meeting of Simeon and the baby Jesus is so important. In fact, such close attention paid by believers to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord is more than logical.
The bottom line is that almost all of the Old Testament prophets were waiting for the coming of the Messiah - God's Anointed One, who would free his people. And therefore, the meeting of Simeon with the born of Christ is nothing but the fulfillment of a prophecy, in which many men and women of God, who lived during the Old Testament, believed .
More about Simeon the God-Receiver
Trying to understand the question of the Presentation of the Lord - what kind of holiday and what its value is, it is worth paying more attention to one of the key figures of biblical history associated with this date (February 15). If we turn to the legend, we can find out that the elder Simeon, who met Mary in the Temple, was 360 years old. His name means nothing more than “hearing.” Moreover, he is considered one of the 72 scribes who received orders from the Egyptian king Ptolemy II to translate the scriptures from Hebrew to Greek.
It was during the work on the translation that Simeon read the prophecy, which stated that the virgin would give birth to a son - the Savior of the world. The Israeli prophet wanted to change the word “virgin” (virgin) to “wife” (woman), but the angel who appeared to him did not allow this. Having obeyed the heavenly messenger, Simeon received a promise from him that he could personally see the prophecy fulfilled.
The Day of the Presentation of the Lord became for the prophet the embodiment of the promise of an angel.
Anna the Prophetess
There is another character in the Bible that relates to a famous holiday. We are talking about Anna the prophetess. Understanding what the feast of the Presentation of the Lord means, it is also important to pay attention to it. On the day that the baby Jesus was brought to the Temple, a widow, who at that time was already 84 years old, approached his mother, the Virgin Mary.
She often voiced wise speeches about God before the townspeople, for which Anna the prophetess began to call her. It was this woman who approached the little Christ, bowed to him, and, leaving the temple, began to tell the inhabitants of the city that the Messiah had come, who would deliver Israel.
Historical evidence for veneration of the feast of the Presentation of the Lord
If you study the manuscripts left over from past generations, you can find an interesting fact. Its essence boils down to the fact that in the IV century the western pilgrim Esteria wrote the work “Pilgrimage to the Holy Places”. This is actually the oldest historically reliable evidence that the Presentation of the Lord had a church-worship celebration in the Christian East. At the same time, the manuscript of Estheria does not give the holiday its own liturgical title, defining it as the fortieth day from the Epiphany. But on the other hand, the process of triumph held in honor of the Meeting is described more than emotionally.
But the second monument, which gives the holiday a special liturgical character, has its roots in Jerusalem. We are talking about the Armenian Lecture. It was in him that the fact of liturgical and statutory practice of the beginning of the V century was attested. Based on this information, an obvious conclusion can be drawn: in the IV-V centuries, the Meeting of the Lord was defined in the Jerusalem Church as a holiday revered in this area.
Actual signs
If we consider the question: "The Meeting of the Lord - what is it?" - exclusively in a folk format, you will notice an interesting fact: this holiday is a symbol of the meeting of winter and spring. In this regard, many signs have appeared.
The first thing that can be attributed to the signs, which pay attention on February 15, is the weather. According to legend, if this day is warm and sunny, then you should expect an early spring. Even on a holiday such as the Presentation of the Lord, signs regarding the weather can indicate persistent frost if there is a clear sky on which the stars are not visible on the night of February 15. But in the case of the starry sky, there is every reason to expect a quick spring.
As for health, here you need to pay attention to the candle lit during the holiday: if the fire is steady and almost does not move, then there are no problems with the physical condition, but when the flame turns blue and sways, it makes sense to prepare to fight a disease.
On such a holiday as the Presentation of the Lord, signs also relate to the road. It is believed that if on this day a man hit the road, then he will not return home soon. This statement is explained by the fact that on February 15 the weather is unpredictable, there can be everything - from heavy rains to heavy snowfall. Such precipitation, of course, greatly complicates the movement.
The Presentation of the Lord: Traditions
It is generally believed that if on this holiday the living creatures are fed from the heart, it will grow rapidly and give a good offspring. The Meeting of the Lord, celebrated on February 15, helps to predict the abundance of the harvest: morning snowfall on this day is a sign of a plentiful harvest of early loaves, and daytime snow predicts the successful sowing of the middle ones.
On this day, seeds were usually prepared for sowing, animals were driven from the barn into the corral and examined the harness. Also among the people there was a widespread tradition of using water from snow that fell on the day of the Meeting, as it was believed that it could heal from various diseases.
Water flowing from the roofs during the holiday was also of great importance. It was used for baking cakes, which were then given to those who suffered from any ailment.
Celebration Features
For a complete answer to the question: “The Presentation of the Lord - what is it?” - it is necessary to study the peculiarity of this holiday. An interesting fact is that most of the services in the church are focused on the personality of the Virgin. From the ancient religious traditions to the present day, several Orthodox rites have survived that have not lost their relevance.
First of all, the consecration of water and candles takes place directly in the church itself. Another belief is connected with this: if during a thunderstorm a consecrated candle is placed in front of the icon, it will protect the house from lightning. Understanding what the Meeting of the Lord means, one cannot ignore the vibrant traditions of the celebration, during which very beautiful liturgical texts are heard. They reveal the essence of the speech of the prophet Simeon, as well as the honor shown to him to see the baby Jesus. As for the duration of the celebration, the Presentation of the Lord lasts 8 days: from 14 (celebration) to February 22 (giving the holiday).
Parsing the question: “The Presentation of the Lord - what is it?” - in the format of the Catholic tradition, it is worth noting a thorough approach to the celebration. On this day in the temples priests put on white clothing and, before starting the solemn mass, hold a bright procession with candles, and also perform a blessing ceremony. Everyone who came to the temple sings songs in which the words of Simeon spoken to the Divine Infant are transmitted, and the priests, conducting the rite, sprinkle the singing with holy water .
For many believers, this holiday is significant enough to prepare a congratulation. The Meeting of the Lord is actually veneration of the Savior, therefore, many verses and sketches on this day speak of a new life, joy and spring, which enlivens everything around.
Iconography of the Meeting
A significant holiday for Christians - the day of the meeting of Simeon and little Jesus - inspired artists to create many icons and murals. They all describe the moment when the Virgin Mary passes into the hands of the elder her son.
The Meeting of the Lord icon depicts Joseph the Betrothed, who is behind the Virgin and carries either in the cage or in the hands of two, and sometimes three doves. Anna the prophetess is also depicted on the icon behind Simeon.
An interesting fact is that the icon “Meeting of the Lord” either has the foot of the temple as a background, or depicts the meeting of an old man and a divine infant near the throne. And on images written at a later time, the torments of hell and the coming salvation (located at the bottom) are sometimes depicted.
The meaning of the icon "Softening Evil Hearts"
There is another icon that is directly related to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. It is called "Simeon's Prophecy" or "Softening Evil Hearts." This icon depicts the moment when an Israeli husband prophesies to the Mother of God that Her own weapon will pass the soul. Virgin Mary is standing on a cloud with seven swords that pierced her heart: three on the left side, three on the right and one on the bottom. The number of swords is explained by the fact that the number 7 characterizes the fullness, in this case, of suffering, heart pain and sadness.
In general, if we consider what the feast of the Presentation of the Lord means, we can conclude that it has a significant impact on Orthodox and Catholic Christian culture. This day also carries a tangible spiritual significance, as it symbolizes the meeting of two covenants: the Old, which is typified by Simeon, and the New, brought by the Savior.