Presentation of the Lord's icon of the 17th century. Icon of the Presentation of the Lord (Meeting in the Temple). Brief history of the shrine

The image is reproduced according to the publication: Icons of Yaroslavl XIII - the middle of the XVII century. Masterpieces of ancient Russian painting in the museums of Yaroslavl: in 2 volumes = Yaroslavl Icons of 13-mid 17th century. The museum masterpieces of ancient russian painting in the Yaroslavl: in 2 volumes. M.: Northern pilgrim, 2009.

With. 116¦ 31. Candlemas

First half of the 17th century. Yaroslavl
Wood, tempera. 79.5×64.5
Comes, possibly, from the Tolgsky monastery near Yaroslavl 1
Yaroslavl Museum, inv. I-62

1 The Tolga Monastery was founded, according to legend, in 1314 on the site of the appearance of the icon of Our Lady of Tolga to Bishop Tryphon of Rostov (before tonsure into the schema - Prokhor, d. 1328) during the reign of St. David Fedorovich Yaroslavsky.

The Meeting is one of the most important holidays of Orthodoxy. On this day, the events of the bringing by the Virgin Mary and Joseph to the Jerusalem temple of their firstborn and an expiatory sacrifice - two doves are remembered. In the temple, the Holy Family is met by the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna, who glorify Christ as the Savior who has come into the world.

This icon belongs to a lengthy iconographic recension, which apparently appeared in the circle of Stroganov masters at the end of the 16th century and was created on the basis of prologue readings for the feast. In the composition, in addition to the event described in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2: 22–38), scenes are depicted that reveal its deep meaning. The lower left hallmark depicts Isaiah writing a book of prophetic revelations; in the lower right stamp - the appearance of an angel to Simeon, who translated the Book of the prophet Isaiah for the Egyptian king Ptolemy and doubted the truth of the words "behold the Virgin in the womb will receive", translating them as "behold the young woman will receive in the womb". The angel predicts to Simeon that he will not die until he receives the Eternal Child in his hands. In the upper left corner - the sign of the cross of the Mother of God: an angel informs Mary of the future fate of her firstborn - in fact, here is a variant of the image of the Holy Mother of God (cat. No. 25). Above in the center - the image of the Trinity in the form of the Fatherland (cat. No. 4). In the upper right corner it is shown how idols are thrown down at the entrance to the temple of the Savior of the world. The building of the Church by Christ means the destruction of the darkness of pagan ignorance. In the center of the lower part of the icon there is a hellish mouth, from which the righteous Belarusians, strengthened by the right hand of God, joyfully rise and the devil and sinners are thrown down, which corresponds to the words of the Prologue: “This brainchild tramples death, overcome the devil, break the oath.”

The complex multi-part composition of the icon, with an emphasis on the main event - the Meeting, is permeated with the idea of the implementation of God's Providence.

A. Fedorchuk With. 116
¦

Comes from the Tolga Monastery near Yaroslavl (?).
Restored in 1930 in the Yaroslavl branch of the Central State Museum of Music.

The Feast of the Presentation was established in remembrance of the bringing of the Infant Christ to the Temple in Jerusalem on the fortieth day after birth (Lk. II, 22-38). According to the law of Moses, the first-born male in each family was dedicated to God and offered an expiatory sacrifice for him - a lamb or two pigeon chicks. This custom was followed by the Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed. In the temple, the Holy Family was met by the elder Simeon and the prophetess Anna, which was interpreted as a meeting of the Old and New Testaments.

The icon belongs to a lengthy iconographic edition, which appeared, apparently, in the circle of "Stroganov" masters at the end of the 16th century and was created on the basis of prologue readings for the feast and the Akathist to the Mother of God. In addition to the Candlemas itself, the prehistory of the event is also depicted here. The lower left hallmark shows the prophet Isaiah writing his book of revelations. In the lower right stamp there is an appearance of an angel to Simeon, who, according to legend, translated the book of Isaiah for the Egyptian king Ptolemy and doubted the truth of the words of the prophet “behold the Virgin in the womb will take” (Is. VII, 14), translating them as “behold the young woman in the womb womb will receive. An angel predicted to Simeon that he would not die until he "sees the Lord's Christ" (Lk. II, 26). In the upper left corner, an angel with a cross in his hands informs Mary about the future fate of Her firstborn. At the top in the center is the Life-Giving Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. In the upper right corner there is a scene of the overthrow of idols: this is how the sixth ikos of the Akathist of the Mother of God is reflected in the iconography, which tells about the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt (“idols for him [Egypt], Savior, do not tolerate Your fortress, padosha ...”). Below you can see the hellish mouth with the righteous-Belarusians rising from it and the fallen sinners and the devil. This corresponds to the words of Simeon's prophecy: "behold the fall and the rising of many in Israel" (Lk. II, 34) and the text of the Prologue: "This offspring of death tramples, overcome the devil, destroy the oath."

The complex multi-part composition of the icon, built around the main event - the Meeting, consistently shows how, in accordance with Divine Providence, the prophecies about the Incarnation and the sacrificial ministry of the Savior are being fulfilled.

Many icons are dedicated to saints and prophets. But besides them, there are icons that were painted in honor of holidays and events. The Candlemas icon is one of those.

The Presentation of the Lord is a great twelfth holiday, which is very important for believers. Its significance is so great that it was decided to paint an icon in honor of the holiday and make it a symbol of celebration in antiquity - around the second or third century AD, at the height of the struggle between Christianity and paganism.

History and description of the icon

The history of the icon is the history of the Feast of the Presentation. It all started with the Nativity of Christ, after which 40 days passed. According to the tradition of the ancient Jews, the first boy in the family had to be initiated into the faith on the fortieth day from birth. For this, a special ritual was performed with a sacrifice, to which the Virgin Mary and Joseph brought two doves.

Sometimes the icon depicts a dove and a dove, which in Catholicism have become a special symbol of goodness and light. Almost always on the icon there is the Virgin Mary herself, Joseph, Simeon the God-bearer and Anna the Prophetess, as well as the baby Jesus. The image reflects the events of the day when our Lord Jesus Christ accepted the ancient rite of passage. It was the moment of joining two great eras. It was from this moment that the countdown of our era began. It was the horizon where the Old and New Testaments met. This is the greatest moment in the history of the world.

Simeon the God-bearer, who, according to some sources, lived for more than two centuries in anticipation of the baby Christ, the Messiah, who would save the world, accepted into faith and performed the ceremony. The prophecy was fulfilled, as it was intended by Heaven and our Father God.

Meeting means meeting. This is the greatest meeting of God in human form with the world. This icon fully reflects the essence of the holiday, its secret meaning and all the power of human faith, which is why many clergymen recommend that every Christian have it in their home.

What helps the icon "The Presentation of the Lord"

The image of the Meeting is a unique icon, the action of which is aimed at comprehensive assistance to a believer. This is a truly miraculous image, along with other icons dedicated to the twelfth holidays. She helps with almost everything. Before it, you can and even need to pray every day. It will replace any other icon of this type. It can be hung in any room and used as a prayer or protective. The icon helps people to see the secret meaning in any event, in any action of other people. She fills the soul with faith and meaning, because next to her you can feel some kind of divine presence.

Prayer before the icon

You can read any prayers directed to the Mother of God or the Holy Trinity, to Jesus Christ. It can be "Our Father", "Living Help", "Symbol of Faith". These three most important prayers are the basis of everything. Everyone should know them. If you want, you can also read a special prayer for the day of the Candlemas:

“Our Lord, who accepted the fate and plan of the Father of God, we will forever be your unworthy slaves, for we do not see your strength without your promptings. Give us knowledge and wisdom to understand everything that is happening around us. To direct our life along the right path, to love your commandments and accept them as true forever. Our intercessor, Virgin Mary, pray to God for us, for sinners and for your disobedient children. Do not lead us into temptation and help us live this short life with dignity, with a smile on our face, without sorrow and sinful despondency. May the will of God be done for all time, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”

Where is the icon

The icon of the Presentation of the Lord is in many churches. This image is also applied to the walls, internal and external. It often happens that in the temple there is an icon of the Presentation. There are many temples built in honor of this great holiday, so it will not be difficult for you to find an icon in any of them.

The Day of the Candlemas Icon is directly the holiday itself on February 15th. On this day, the icon will be a great gift for a loved one or even the whole family. This holiday is non-transitory, so its date does not change. Sometimes the service is postponed to the 14th, but this happens extremely rarely. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

15.02.2018 05:30

The Presentation of the Lord is one of the main holidays of Orthodox Christians. This day has always been considered...

The iconography of the Presentation was formed on the basis of the narration of the Evangelist Luke (Luke 2:22–39). On icons, frescoes and miniatures, the key action is the handing over of the Infant by the Mother of God to Simeon, while behind the Mother of God is depicted Joseph the Betrothed, carrying pigeons in his hands or in a cage, and behind the back of the righteous Simeon is the prophetess Anna with a scroll in her hand.

The oldest surviving image of the Presentation is captured in one of the mosaics of the triumphal arch framing the altar space of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome (432-440s). The multi-figure scene of the Meeting is interpreted here as the procession of the Mother of God with the Child in her arms, accompanied by angels, towards St. Simeon. The measured rhythm of this procession is set by the rhythm of the colonnade with arches, against which the action takes place. Bent Simeon in an impulse stretches out his hands draped in a mantle to Christ. Behind him are men (perhaps scribes or priests of the Jerusalem Temple). On the frescoes in the church of Santa Maria in Castelseprio in Italy, made by a Byzantine master (end of VII), Simeon is depicted as an emphatically dilapidated old man with long hair - according to legend, in anticipation of the meeting with the Lord promised by the angel, he lived for more than three hundred years. Another ancient monument of the iconography of the Presentation, created before the era of iconoclasm, is the Constantinople mosaic of c. Our Lady of Kyriotissa (during the era of Turkish rule, it became the mosque of Kalendarkhane). Here, the Mother of God also holds the Christ Child in her arms, while in the monuments created after the era of iconoclasm, the Christ Child is most often held by Simeon. The Mother of God is often portrayed as grieving, foreseeing the suffering of the Son on the cross, according to Simeon's prophecy: "And a weapon will pierce through your own soul" (Luke 2:35).

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Along with the Annunciation, Nativity and Epiphany, the Candlemas was one of the leading scenes in the mosaic decoration of churches of the Middle Byzantine period - St. Luke in Phokis, Nea Moni on about. Chios, Church of the Assumption in Daphni. In Russia, the most ancient examples of the Candlemas scene are the mid-12th-century frescoes in the Pskov Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery, as well as the 12th-century murals in the St. Cyril's Church (Kyiv) and the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa (Novgorod). On a fresco from the Church of the Assumption on the Volotovo Field (Novgorod, mid-14th century), Simeon with the Child in her arms is shown behind low closed doors leading to the Holy of Holies. Numerous icons of the Presentation, which have survived to this day, were part of the festive row of temple iconostases.

Meeting of the Lord. Icon, 1408. Workshop of Andrei Rublev. From the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. State Russian Museum

Album of images of holy icons of the publication of chromolithography by E.I. Fesenko in Odessa. 1895 Fesenko's album depicts the icon of the Presentation of the Lord from the upper tier of the iconostasis of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The original icon was made by Professor T.A. von Nefom in the 1860s.

Meeting of the Lord and Epiphany. Icon of Nevyansk, 1814-1822 Icon painters - workshop of the Bogatyrevs

Meeting of the Lord. Miniature Menology of Basil II, first quarter of the 11th century. Vatican Library (Vat. gr. 1613)

Meeting of the Lord. Painting from the end of the 7th century, the Church of Santa Maria Castelseprio, Italy

Meeting of the Lord. Mosaic of the triumphal arch of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. 432-440s

Meeting of the Lord. Enamel. Late XII - early XIII centuries. Georgia. State Art Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi

Meeting of the Lord. Painting of the Trinity Church of the Sopochany Monastery. Around 1265, Serbia

The Presentation of the Lord, XII century. Part of the west facade tympanum at La Charité-sur-Loire, Burgundy, France

Meeting of the Lord. Frescoes in the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, Gracanica Monastery, Serbia, 1321

Meeting of the Lord. Detail of the Vasilyevsky gates, 1336. Technique of gold pickup on copper

Meeting of the Lord. Frescoes in the Church of Agios Nikolaos Tis Stegis, 17th century. Kakopetria, Cyprus

Meeting of the Lord. Mosaic of the Church of Our Lady of Kyriotissa (Kalendarhane Mosque) in Istanbul, Istanbul Archaeological Museum

Meeting of the Lord. Icon of the first half of the 16th century, from the festive row of the Church of the Archangels on Gorodets in Pskov, Pskov Museum-Reserve

Meeting of the Lord. Icon, XIII century. Duccio di Buoninsegna, Sienese school

Meeting of the Lord. Enamel, Byzantine style, late 19th - early 20th century

Meeting of the Lord. Icon, circa 1497. From the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve

Meeting of the Lord. Icon, 1680s. Circle Workshop of Gury Nikitin, Kostroma, Yaroslavl Art Museum

Meeting of the Lord. Icon, beginning of the 15th century, from the festive row of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

Meeting of the Lord. Icon from the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, circa 1425. Attributed to Andrei Rublev

At the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Mosaic law was in force, according to which all Jewish parents had to bring their first sons to the temple for dedication to God on the fortieth day after birth. Along with this, it was supposed to offer sacrifice to God in gratitude. This law was established in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - the salvation of the Jewish firstborn from death and liberation from slavery.

Fulfilling this law, Mary and Joseph brought the Baby Jesus to the temple of Jerusalem, which is the center of the religious life of God's chosen people. In the temple, the Divine Infant was taken into the arms of the righteous Simeon, for which the elder was called the God-bearer.

Simeon the God-bearer was a pious and righteous man, among the seventy-two learned interpreters he was entrusted with translating the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek. When Simeon was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah, it seemed to him that he encountered a typo in the line "Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and give birth to a Son." The scientist had a desire to correct the text by replacing the word "Virgo" with the more appropriate word "Wife". According to legend, the Angel of the Lord stopped his hand and assured him that Elder Simeon would not die until he was convinced of the truth of Isaiah's prophecy. For about three hundred years, the righteous Simeon waited for the fulfillment of God's promise.

The Holy Spirit commanded the righteous Simeon to go to the temple in Jerusalem on the very day when Mary and Joseph were to bring the Infant Jesus there. The God-bearer Simeon took the God-child in his arms and, uttering blessings, prophesied about the Savior of the world: “Now you release Your servant, Master, according to Your word in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). These words of righteous Simeon became part of the liturgical hymns of Christian churches, becoming a prayer called "The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver."

And righteous Simeon said to the Blessed Virgin: “Behold, this lies for the fall and the rising of many in Israel and for the subject of controversy; This meant that she herself would experience great grief for her Son when he suffered. These words formed the basis of the iconography of the image of the Virgin "Softener of Evil Hearts".

Right there, in the temple, was the pious widow Anna the Prophetess, eighty-four years old, who served God day and night with fasting and prayer. And she recognized the Savior and praised the Lord, and went to preach the good news about the Messiah to all who were waiting for the coming of Christ the Savior to earth.

In Orthodoxy, the Meeting of the Lord is one of the twelfth holidays. The word "candlemas" is translated into modern Russian as "meeting". The Candlemas is a meeting of humanity in the person of Elder Simeon with God, it symbolizes the meeting of the Old and New Testaments. Righteous Simeon and Anna the Prophetess are the last righteous of the outgoing Old Testament. Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote: “In the person of Simeon, the entire Old Testament, unredeemed humanity, departs in peace into eternity, giving way to Christianity…”.

The meaning of the icon

The meaning of the icon, its deep meaning lies in the very composition of the icon: the Mother of God places the Divine Infant in the arms of St. Simeon the God-Receiver, as on a throne. And when St. Simeon places Him on the throne of the Jerusalem temple to perform the rite of consecration to God, this, in essence, is a realized evidence of what has always been - God the Father was at the time of the Transubstantiation of the Gifts. The offering of sacrifice on each throne of each temple is eternal, according to the Creed, but now - God the Son was incarnated from the Holy Spirit, and He, the Living God, is here on the throne: this is how we see the triumph of the Holy Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible long before the Church proclaims the Creed .

And by the same action, Simeon himself prophesies that before us is the Lamb of God, who has come into the world "to save sinners." His Bloodless Sacrifice, transformed into wine and bread - the Holy Gifts, we will then begin to receive at the sacrament of Holy Communion.

The infant on the icon blesses the elder, releasing him after so many years of waiting for the fulfillment of the prophecy, and there is another witness to the miraculous and expected incident: St. Anna the Prophetess, who was at the same time and is present in the image. She, along with Joseph, had just received a revelation about the Son of God. Her hand is raised in blessing, as if blessing what is happening in the temple, for "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel." From the dynamics of the poses, the composition of the icon, the emotionality, even more emphasized by the radiance of the colors of Kuznetsov's painting, breathes the great joy of this meeting - the meeting of God with man.
Here we see another manifestation of the great humility and obedience of the Most Pure One. Women brought newborn boys to the temple on the fortieth day, since it was believed that 7 and 33 more days after the birth of the first male child, the young mother is unclean and cannot go to the temple. The Blessed Virgin had no need to purify herself - She, the Bride of the Bride, was pure, but in this - obedience to the Law of Her people, established by God. She brought the Son to put Him before God, She came to the temple to stand before God herself. This is what the icon "The Presentation of the Lord" can tell us.

The Candlemas is the happiest event that happens to us when we meet the Lord in our life. This Candlemas occurs for everyone at different times - for everyone at their own time. But how wonderful it is to experience this holiday together for those who have already had this meeting!

And, as Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov said in his reflections on the feast of the Meeting of the Lord: “... The Meeting of the Lord teaches us to constantly stand before the Lord so that our minds are not distracted” 1 .

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1 Remember God: Orthodox calendar with the teachings of Fr. Dmitry Smirnov for 2012. Nizhny Novgorod, publishing house "Christian Library", 2011. P. 51.

History, traditions, icons and worship of the holiday

Meeting of the Lord It is an enduring holiday celebrated every year. February, 15, February 2 old style. Established in memory of the bringing to the temple of Christ the Savior on the 40th day after birth to perform the established sacrifice. " Now let your servant go, Lord”- this saying of the elder Simeon, known from church services and even secular literature and music, is the leitmotif of the holiday. Church Slavonic word Candlemas"can be translated into Russian with the word" meeting". The meeting of the Old Testament with the New, the meeting of Simeon the God-bearer and Anna the prophetess with the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “meeting” most fully conveys the meaning of this event, because it means not just a meeting, but a meeting of a smaller one with a larger one, a person with God.

Meeting of the Lord. holiday event

Believers will learn the details of the event of the Meeting of the Lord from the Gospel of Luke. According to the Old Testament law, the firstborn of Moses, i.e. eldest son, dedicated to God. This was a reminder of how, on the night before the Jews left Egypt, the Angel of the Lord killed all the first-born Egyptians, children and animals, leaving Jewish houses unharmed, in which the jamb was anointed with sacrificial blood.

At the time of the birth of the Lord, it was customary for the firstborn to bring a symbolic ransom in Jerusalem to the temple. A woman who gave birth to a son was supposed to have 40 days of purification, after which she had to make a sacrifice - a one-year-old lamb and a young dove or turtledove. If the family was poor, only a couple of doves were brought to the temple (Lev. 12:6–8).

According to legend, after the holy family lived in Bethlehem, in the house of their relative Salome. On the 40th day, Joseph the Betrothed and the Most Holy Theotokos with the Infant Christ went to Jerusalem to fulfill the commandments of the Law. In the temple they were met by an old man Simeon who had been waiting for this meeting for many years of his righteous and pious life. According to legend, he was one of 72 Jewish interpreters who translated the Holy Scriptures into Greek under the king Ptolemy II Philadelphus(285-247 BC). When Simeon translated the words of the prophet Isaiah, Se Devaya in the womb she will give birth to a Son”, he decided that this was a mistake, and instead wanted to virgins write " young woman". At the same moment, the Angel of the Lord appeared and held his hand. Simeon was promised that he would not die until the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

And now, many years later, the meeting of the Old and New Testaments came. Simeon took the Lord, a 40-day-old baby, in his arms and joyfully exclaimed:

N 7e you let your servant go, just, according to your stupidity with 8 peace; ћkw vi1deste џchi my2 salvation is yours, є4їє3с2 ўўвал0въ before the face of everything< людeй; свётъ во tкровeніе kзhкомъ и3 слaву людeй твои1хъ ї}лz.

This prayer is now read at every divine service at the end of Vespers. After inspired words addressed to the Lord, Simeon greeted the Mother of God and Joseph. Then, turning to the Mother of God, the elder said:

This lies on the fall and on the uprising of many in Israel and in the subject of controversy. And to You Yourself the weapon will pierce the soul (Luke 2:34-35).

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord reminds us of the coming soon and - the time of remembrance of the sufferings on the Cross and the death of the Lord. It was then that the prophetic words of Simeon were fulfilled, because the Most Holy Theotokos suffered in soul along with her Son. got to know the Lord and Anna the prophetess- an 84-year-old widow who lived at the temple and served God with fasting and prayer day and night, as the Evangelist Luke says about her. Anna prophesied about Christ and spoke about him to all the people who, with faith and hope, were waiting for His coming. Probably, the veneration of the Magi, which is remembered on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, took place after the events of the Presentation of the Lord. After all, after this, the holy family fled to Egypt. Only after the death of Herod did they return to Galilee, to the city of Nazareth.

Simeon the God-bearer died, according to legend, at the age of 360 of his life. He was not afraid of death, because the promise given to him and to all people was fulfilled. Simeon held the Messiah in his arms! And now he departed with his soul to eternity to tell all the righteous of the Old Testament that the Lord became incarnate, came to earth to save mankind from sin and death.

The Old Testament custom of a 40-day cleansing after the birth of a child is preserved in Orthodoxy. Usually on the 40th day or later, the mother and child come to the temple. Priest recites prayers fortieth day”, after which the woman can touch the shrine and pray in the temple. Before that, she is supposed to stand in the porch. The priest also brings the baby into the temple, the boy also brings it into the Altar. This rite can also be performed earlier, on the day of baptism, if it is performed before the 40th day.

Meeting of the Lord. history of the holiday

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord- one of the most ancient. Already in the 4th century, it was solemnly celebrated in the Jerusalem Church, completing the 40-day festive series from, also called Epiphany. This is mentioned Etheria, a pilgrim from modern Europe who traveled to the Holy Land at the end of the 4th century:

The fortieth day from Epiphany is celebrated here with great honor. On this day there is a procession to Anastasis, and everyone is marching, and everything is done in order with the greatest triumph, as if on Easter. All the presbyters preach, and then the bishop, always talking about that place in the Gospel where on the fortieth day Joseph and Mary brought the Lord to the Temple, and Simeon and Anna the prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, saw Him, and about their words, which they said, having seen the Lord, and about the offering that the parents brought. And after that, having sent everything in the usual order, they celebrate the Liturgy, and then there is a dismissal.

Then the holiday spread to all local Churches, it began to be celebrated in Constantinople and Rome. But, despite its ancient origin, it was not among the solemn and great. To twelfth holidays he was numbered only in 544.

In the VI century, during the reign of the emperor Justinian(527–565), Byzantium suffered many disasters. First there was an earthquake in Antioch, accompanied by numerous victims. Then a pestilence appeared - an epidemic of smallpox brought from Africa. Tradition says that in difficult days, when the whole people experienced terrible troubles and illnesses, a pious Christian had a vision: the feast of the Meeting of the Lord should be celebrated more solemnly. On this day, a solemn service was performed with an all-night vigil and a procession.

There are references to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the sermons of the holy martyr Methodius of Patara(c. 260–312), saint Cyril of Jerusalem(315–386), saint (329–389), saint Amphilochia of Iconium(about 340 - after 394), saint Gregory of Nyssa(c. 335–394), saint (c. 347–407).

Liturgy of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

The Presentation of the Lord is an unusual holiday. He is both Lordly and Mother of God. Reading troparion holiday, believers turn to the Most Holy Theotokos:

R aduisz bradovannaz btsde dv7o, and 3z8 you are blessed with a righteous sun xrt0s bg ours, enlightening the dark. merry 1sz and 3 you are the elder of the righteous, taking into the hands of the liberators of our dsh7sm, who gives us resurrection.

Troparion to the holiday, Russian text:

Rejoice, Virgin Mary, who received joy from the Lord, because the Sun of righteousness has shone from You, Christ our God, who enlightens those who are in ignorance. Rejoice, you, righteous old man, who has taken into your arms the Liberator of our souls, who gives us resurrection..

AT kondaké we turn to the Lord:

And $ ўt0bu dv7chyu њs ™ i1v rzhctv0m si2, and 3 rutse simeNni blzlol1v, how appropriately preliminarily, and 3 nhne saved є3si2 us xrte b9e. but ўmiri2 in the battles of our life, and 3 ўrepi2 tsRS, є3go2 loved 1l є3si2, є3di1 not chlkolu1bche.

Holiday kontakion. Russian text:

Jesus Christ, who consecrated the Maiden's womb with His Birth and blessed Simeon's arms, as it was due; who hastened to save us, and has now saved us, O Christ God. Give peace to society in the midst of battles and strengthen the people you love, O One Lover of Humanity.

Likewise, the magnification of the holiday, addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ, glorifies the Mother of God at the same time:

We honor TS, life-giving heh7, and 3 honor8 your most precious world2. є3yu1zhe, according to the law, nhne brought in the 8th church of the city.

Festive stichera were written by famous church hymnographers - Anatoly, patriarch of Constantinograd (5th century); Andrew of Crete(VII century); Kosma Maiumsky, John of Damascus, Patriarch of Constantinople German(VIII century); Joseph Studit(IX century) and many others. They not only tell us about the events of the holiday, but also explain their meaning.

Vespers verses, written by Patriarch German, say that the Infant, who is held in the hands of an old man, is God, who took on flesh for the salvation of people:

Gli, simeNne, whom2 noses on the hand2 in 8 cRkvi rejoice; whom you call and 3 cry, nn7e svobod1khusz, vi1deh bo sp7sa myw2; this є4st t dv7y birthz. this is the 4st t bga bg word, incarnate 1 outz for us, and save chlka. tomy bow1msz.

« In these days, I dreamed of money"- the believers sing the words of church hymns and marvel at the humility of God. The Mother of God brings the Lord, who gave the Law to people, to the temple of God in order to fulfill the established: “... according to the law, I will law the creator, the law and the full sz, in the 8th krkv brings the…»

Here is the verse of Andrew of Crete explains to us what the two young doves sacrificed on the day of the Presentation of the Lord mean: “... ћkw supru1g the garland of the unsavory church, and 3 t kzhk n0vyz people. dove, but two chicks, to the head of the old and the 3 new…»

Holiday canon written Kosma Maiumsky, has a boundary: " The old man joyfully embraces Christ". This is the main idea of the canon. In the original Greek text, the first letters of each verse formed this phrase. Each verse of the canon not only tells some detail of the festive event, but also explains its meaning, symbol. At the same time, prophecies are also recalled, for example, Isaiah, to whom a seraphim gave a burning coal to cleanse his mouth.

N cleans and 3caiz t seraphim the old man v9іzashe b9іi m™ri, you2 ћkw with ticks, you enlighten MS with your hands. having given mi2 є3g0zhe n0sishi, the light is not evening,(i.e. non-extinguishing) i3 world(i.e. dominating).

As a rule, the ninth ode of the festive canon has a refrain - a brief laudatory appeal to Christ or the Mother of God, depending on the holiday. The choir repeats it before each verse. The Canon of the Presentation differs from the others in this too: it has not one refrain for all the verses, but 14 different ones! This allows the worshipers to better understand and feel the events of two thousand years ago. " B Gon0se simeHne, with 3di2 rise 3mi2 xrtA, є3g0zhe give 2 dv7a chtcaz mRjz. N beats the hand of the old man Simenn, co-worker, I will law, and 3 the vlku of all. Do not the old man hold me, but I hold 2 є3go2. your bo t less».

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In proverbs: in the 1st proverb (from the books " Exodus" and " Leviticus”) recalls the Old Testament law to consecrate the firstborn to God; in the 2nd proverb (Isaiah I, 1-12) the vision of St. Isaiah is described, who saw the God of Hosts, sitting on the Throne and surrounded by Angels; in the Third Paremia (Isaiah XIX, 1, 3-5, 12, 16, 19-21) contains a prophecy about the flight into Egypt, about the fall of the Egyptian idols before the Lord and the conversion of the Egyptians to God. The events foretold in this prophecy are not described in the gospel. An ancient legend tells that during the stay of the Savior in Egypt, in the city of Iliopolis, the pagan gods of this city fell before Jesus Christ and broke into dust.

The Apostle (Heb. VII, 7-17) speaks of the superiority of the high priesthood of Christ and the sacrifices He offered before the Old Testament sacrifices and of the abolition of the Old Testament with the coming of the Savior. The Gospel (Luke II, 23-40) tells of the bringing of Christ as a child into the temple.

Thus, people who pray not only for the Liturgy, but also for the evening service, have the opportunity to learn not only the description, the history of the event of the holiday, but also to understand its meaning and significance for each person.

Meeting of the Lord. Folk traditions and customs

The Presentation of the Lord is perhaps the only holiday that is celebrated differently by Old Believers and New Believers. The fact is that sometimes Candlemas coincides with the first day of Lent. In the ancient liturgical Rules, according to which divine services are still performed among the Old Believers, such a case is provided. The festive service is combined with the Lenten. And in this case, the New Believers postpone the holiday one day earlier, on Forgiveness Sunday. In the Old Believer periodicals of the beginning of the 20th century, this is described in great detail.

Another difference is that the New Believers in the 17th century borrowed from Catholics the custom of consecrating church candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This rite is contained in the Metropolitan's consumer order. Petra Mogila, it is copied from the Roman breviary. The fact is that in the West this holiday is called " light mass”, during the mass, everyone holds lit candles in their hands. Probably, this custom comes from the ancient Jerusalem Church, where in the middle of the 5th century a procession was made and during the Liturgy the worshipers held burning candles in their hands. In Byzantium, this custom no longer existed, therefore, since the time of the Baptism of Russia, our ancestors prayed " with candles”only during polyeleos. And at present, in the Old Believer Church, on the eve of the Twelfth Feasts, in the middle of the evening service, while singing the magnification (polyeleos), the worshipers pick up burning candles and hold them almost until the very end of the evening service.

As for folk traditions, in the peasant environment, the Meeting of the Lord was not considered a big holiday. Very often, peasants, especially illiterate ones, did not even know what event the Church was remembering on that day, and the very name of the holiday - “Meeting” - was explained in such a way that on this day winter meets summer, i.e., the frosts begin to weaken and the approach of spring is felt in the air. Attributing to the Meeting only the meaning of a calendar milestone, the peasants connected many agricultural signs with this day: “ On Candlemas Day snowball - in the spring dozhzhok", they said, wondering about future rains. Drops on this day portend the harvest of wheat, and the wind - fertility of fruit trees, why gardeners, having come from matins, " shake the trees with their hands so that they bear fruit". If it is quiet and red on the Candlemas Day, then in the summer flax and so on will be good. According to the weather of that day, they also judged the harvest of grasses, for which they threw a stick across the road and observed: if the snow swept it, then the livestock feed would “sweep”, that is, the grasses would be expensive. Finally, on Candlemas Day, the housewives began to intensively feed the chickens so that there were socks.

As for the religious customs associated with this day, they almost did not exist throughout Great Russia, only in some places (for example, in the Vologda province) peasants went around their houses with the icon of the Presentation of the Lord or the Savior, moreover, when the icon was brought back to the house , then the whole family, with the householder at the head, fell on their faces with an exclamation: "Lord our God, come in to us and bless us."

Icons of the Presentation of the Lord

One of the most ancient and unusual in artistic design image of the Presentation of the Lord, dating from 432-440, found in the mosaics of a Roman basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. The features of the composition indicate that the tradition of depicting the Feast of the Presentation is still being formed.

Meeting. Fragment of the mosaic of the triumphal arch of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, 432-440s.

Gradually, over the course of several centuries, a symmetrical compositional scheme was developed in Byzantine art, which depicts the Mother of God, Simeon, Joseph the Betrothed and Anna the prophetess. Between the central figures is placed the image of the temple throne. The Divine Infant can be depicted both in the hands of the Virgin and in the hands of Simeon.

Pietro Cavallini. Mosaic of the apse of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. 1291 Rome, Italy Epistyly icon. 2nd half of the 12th century Monastery of St. Catherine, Sinai, Egypt. Fragment

Among the Russian icon-painting monuments of the Presentation, one of the most ancient is the fresco of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, XII century.

Fresco of the Presentation. Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, 1199

It is no coincidence that icon painters introduce an altar with ciborium into the composition. Indeed, with its help, the highest meaning of the meeting of the Divine Infant and Simeon is conveyed.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord from the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. Around 1497 Icon of the Presentation of the Lord. Workshop of Andrei Rublev, 1408. From the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir

After the end of the period of iconoclasm, a new asymmetrical iconographic scheme for the image of the Candlemas appears: the Mother of God, the righteous Joseph and the prophetess Anna approach the doors of the Temple, on the steps of which Simeon stands.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord. Novgorod. End of the 15th century

On some Russian icons, frescoes and mosaics, the Jerusalem temple has been replaced by a church with Russian domes.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord. Early 19th century Palekh. State Museum of Palekh Art Circle workshop icon of Gury Nikitin. 1680s Kostroma. Yaroslavl Art Museum

Temples of the Presentation of the Lord

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord known to our ancestors since the adoption of Christianity. For some unknown reason, there were very few temples dedicated to this holiday. Of the ancient, pre-schismatic, a refectory has been preserved Sretensky Church of the Antoniev Monastery in Veliky Novgorod. It was built in 1533-36, originally without an altar ledge. The upper part of the facades had inset crosses traditional for Novgorod. The temple was rebuilt in the XVIII-XIX centuries. This is one of the first pillarless Novgorod churches.

Church of the Presentation of the Lord, Veliky Novgorod. Built in the 16th century, rebuilt in the 18th-19th centuries.

In honor of the Presentation of the Lord of the Assumption Monastery, a temple was consecrated in the city of Aleksandrov, Vladimir Region. The church was built approximately in 1601. The appearance of the church, simple and concise, is designed in the Pskov architectural traditions. In terms of the plan, the temple is divided into two equal parts: a quadrangle, including a rectangular altar, and a northern vestibule. The main volume of the temple, flanked by shoulder blades, is slightly raised, covered with a hipped roof and crowned with a blind drum with a cupola and a cross. Above the porch there is a small belfry. The stone western vestibule of the church with a figured kokoshnik above the entrance has not been preserved. Later, the architectural appearance of the temple was subject to changes. In 1923, the Sretenskaya Church, along with other churches, was closed. By 1931, the church was occupied by the storage of museum funds, and the local history department was located in the almshouse. In 1993, the temple and a small part of the cells were transferred to the revived Assumption Monastery.

Sretensky Church of the Assumption Monastery in Alexandrov, Vladimir Region

In honor of the Meeting of the Lord, the church of the Trinity Monastery in Astrakhan was consecrated. The temple was built between 1606 and 1620. Subsequently, it was rebuilt several times. In 1918, in connection with the battles between the Red Army and the White Cossacks in Astrakhan, the temple was closed by the decision of the military revolutionary authorities. In 1920, the Trinity Cathedral was captured by the renovationists. Divine services were rarely performed in it due to the small number of the Renovationist cathedral community. In 1928, the Soviet authorities finally took the temple. It was plundered, the iconostasis was broken and burned. In the 1970s, restoration work began on the territory of the Trinity Monastery.

Vvedenskaya and Sretenskaya churches of the Trinity Monastery in Astrakhan

In honor of the Meeting of the Lord, the chapel of the church of St. Nicholas from Usokhi in Pskov was consecrated. For the first time the church was built in 1371, in 1536, after a fire, it was rebuilt. A large, single-domed, three-apse stone temple with a northern pillarless chapel in the name of the Presentation of the Lord; on the south side, perhaps, there was a warm chapel in the name of John the Theologian; both aisles had porches. The vestibules - the main, western, and side - northern and southern - were connected by a gallery. However, alterations of the XVII-XIX centuries. significantly distorted the appearance of the temple.

Church of St. Nicholas from Usokhi in Pskov

In honor of the Meeting of the Lord, the chapel of the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery in Vologda was consecrated. The Spassky Cathedral of the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery, built in 1537-42, is the first stone church not only in the monastery itself, but in the whole of Vologda. Until 1537, on the site of the current Spassky Cathedral, there was a wooden cathedral of the same name. A wooden temple in the name of the All-Merciful Savior and the feast of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross was erected on the site chosen by him for the construction of the monastery, still the Monk Demetrius of Prilutsky. When the wooden cathedral burned down, a stone one was built. During the Soviet years, the monastery was plundered. In the 1930s, the monastery was a transit prison for the dispossessed, who were transported to the northern camps of the Gulag, in the 1950s-70s, the territory of the former monastery was occupied by military warehouses. Only in 1975-79 the central group of monuments with the adjacent territory, after the restoration started in 1954, became a branch of the Vologda State Museum-Reserve. Thanks to the scientific restoration carried out in 1954-1975, monuments of the 16th-17th centuries. the intended original appearance was returned. Currently, the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery is active.

Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery in Vologda

In honor of the Presentation of the Lord, a chapel of the Annunciation Cathedral in the city of Solvychegodsk, Arkhangelsk Region, was consecrated. The inscription is reinforced on the building: "... built by the diligence and dependence of the eminent people of the Stroganovs in 1560." This date is the beginning of the construction of the cathedral. It was completed twenty-four years later. The construction is a large two-pillar five-domed temple on a high basement. The base of the cathedral is surrounded by a gallery, which was originally open. A special charm to the facades of the cathedral is given by a wide ribbon - a frieze of figuratively laid bricks in the upper part of the wall under the zakomars. However, today the cathedral is largely different from the original. Parts of the building have been significantly rebuilt.

Cathedral of the Annunciation in Solvychegodsk

Currently, only one Old Believer church is consecrated in the name of the Presentation of the Lord - this is the temple of the Russian Old Orthodox Church. Congratulations on the patronal holiday!