S’prazdnikom!Â
Blessed Feast!
February 15/2
When Jesus was forty days old, the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph the Betrothed brought Christ to the temple (St. Luke 2: 22-40), in order to fulfill the law of Moses and dedicate Him to God.
The Orthodox Christian tradition of Churching a Mother on her first return to church with her child for a blessing – comes from the Jewish rite observed in this feast.
The celebration of The Meeting (Presentation) of the Lord in the church is not merely a historical commemoration. Inspired by the same Holy Spirit as Simeon, and led by the same Spirit into the Church of the Messiah, the members of the Church also can claim their own “meeting” with the Lord, and so also can witness that they too can “depart in peace” since their eyes have seen the salvation of God in the person of his Christ. ~ www.oca.org
On today’s Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, when the heavens meet the earth, God meets man, history meets eternity, when – as our people beautifully say – spring and winter meet, may we also open our hearts for an encounter with the Lord… Open your hearts, listen to the depths of your thoughts, desires, feelings, anticipations, nostalgias, yearnings, the pursuits of your hearts. For our hearts are created in the image of God and they yearn for God; the truth is often buried in passions, desires, appetites, ambitions, prejudices. Let us free ourselves of them and meet the Lord, for He always comes to meet us. He is the One who came, who is with us, Who always comes to be with us. ~ Bishop Atanasije (Homily on the Meeting of our Lord, Orthodox Christianity website)
Since 450 A.D. today’s bright and beautiful feast church candles have been blessed on this day, as we remember Christ is our salvation, the Sun of Righteousness, and the Light of the World.
Our lighted candles are a sign of the divine splendour of the One who comes to expel the dark shadows of evil and to make the whole universe radiant with the brilliance of His eternal light. Our candles also show how bright our souls should be when we go to meet Christ... We too should carry a light for all to see and reflect the radiance of the true light as we hasten to meet Him. The Light has come and has shone upon a world enveloped in shadows; the Dayspring from on high has visited us and given light to those who lived in darkness. This, then, is our feast, and we join in procession with lighted candles to reveal the light that has shone upon us and the glory that is yet to come to us through Him. So let us hasten all together to meet our God. The true Light has come, the light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Let all of us, my brethren, be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let all of us share in its splendour, and be so filled with it that no one remains in the darkness. Let us be shining ourselves as we go together to meet and to receive with the aged Simeon the Light whose brilliance is eternal... ~ St. Sophronius of Jerusalem (638 AD)
The Snowdrop flower is also associated with today’s celebration! Some of their Old English names are Christ’s Flowers, Purification Flowers, Candlemas Bells, and Fair Maids of February. They are named as such in honour of their blooming for this ancient feast of The Meeting of the Lord in the Temple!
As we stand before God in prayer, may we – as newly lit spiritual candles, also hasten to meet Him – within the temple of our souls, and radiantly reflect Christ’s Gladsome Light!Â
One of the many beautiful hymns
written by the 9th Century female saint St. Kassiani
“How can I hold Thee as a Child,
Thou, who holdest everything together?
How do I bring Thee to the temple,
Thou, who art beyond goodness?
How do I deliver Thee into the arms of the elder,
Thou, who sitteth in the bosom of the Father?
How dost Thou endure purification,
Thou, who purifieth the whole corrupt nature?”
So sayeth the Virgin, the temple, who containeth God –
Marvelling at Thy great condescension, O Christ.