Due to the fact that our readers have recently often been interested in the question of what the Presentation of the Lord means, when this holiday is, and what traditions and prohibitions of this day you need to know, we have prepared comprehensive information on this matter.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord* what does it mean?

Answering the question when is the Presentation of the Lord, we answer: Meeting is celebrated on February 15. The history of the Presentation of the Lord goes back to ancient times. In another way, this holiday is also called the Bringing to the Temple. This is one of the most important twelve most significant for believers Orthodox holidays. at Postu. February 15 - Presentation of the Lord, an event when on the 40th day after the birth of Jesus his parents, the Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph, brought the baby to the Jerusalem Temple. Thus, the baby was dedicated to God, and at the same time two doves were sacrificed. In the Temple, the Family was met by Elder Simeon, who had been waiting for the appearance of this baby for more than 300 years.

Taking Jesus in his arms, Simeon the God-Receiver declared that this baby would become the Savior of the human race. Thus, the Presentation, or Bringing into the Temple, is considered a significant meeting of the Old and New Testaments and the introduction of humanity to the new Messiah.

Signs for the Presentation of the Lord

On this holiday there are signs for the Presentation of the Lord, which have long been customary to notice and obey.

• What is the weather on Candlemas, so is spring
• If it gets warmer on Candlemas and the snow melts, spring will be warm and early; if snow falls, spring will be slushy and rainy.
• Strong wind and snow on Candlemas promise a cold and late spring
• Snow falling early in the morning means a good grain harvest; if it falls late in the evening, the harvest will also be late.

Icon of the Presentation of the Lord

For those who are interested in the icon of the Presentation of the Lord, we will answer that the iconography of the Presentation is dedicated to the main plot: the Virgin Mary passes the Child of God into the arms of Elder Simeon. Joseph the Betrothed is depicted behind the back of the Mother of God; he carries two pigeons in his hands or in a cage. Behind righteous Simeon write Anna the prophetess.

As for the traditions of the Presentation of the Lord, the church fathers used an already existing analogy - the holiday of the meeting of Winter and Spring, celebrated in the same period as the Presentation of the Lord. The Church of the Presentation of the Lord considers the main rite to be the blessing of candles for the Presentation. The point is that during the festive service in the church, candles are blessed and then distributed to parishioners. Such candles were highly valued and were always brought home and stored for a year.

Day of the Presentation of the Lord: what not to do on the Presentation of the Lord

Orthodoxy Presentation of the Lord, like others Religious holidays, has its prohibitions. So, what not to do on Candlemas:

• you cannot miss a solemn service in church, and if you cannot attend it in its entirety, you should go in and at least light a candle and pray;
• you can't swear;
• you cannot clean the house, do laundry, or generally do heavy physical work;
• you cannot leave the temple without a candle - the consecrated Sretensky “loud” candle is carefully carried home and stored whole year;
• should not go to long journey- it can end unexpectedly and badly.

Known since the 5th century. (mosaic of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome); a century later - in the first quarter of the 6th century, under Emperor Justin I, the solemn celebration of the Presentation of the Lord was established in the Church on the second day of February. The multi-figure composition in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore contains characters that were not subsequently included in the iconographic scheme of the Presentation: the Virgin Mary is accompanied by angels, and next to Simeon the God-Receiver the priests of the Jerusalem Temple are depicted.

There are icons of the Presentation, where the righteous Joseph is represented without making a sacrifice.

In the developed iconographic scheme of the Presentation, in addition to the Mother of God, the Infant Christ - Christ Emmanuel, the elder Simeon and the righteous Joseph, there are also the prophetess Anna - the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher, who reached a very old age, having lived with her husband for seven years from her virginity, a widow of eighty-four years old, who she left the temple, serving God day and night with fasting and prayer (Luke 2:36, 37).

Please note that Anna - the only woman, called a prophetess in the New Testament, unlike Simeon the God-Receiver, did not come to the Temple specifically to meet the Son of God, but was there constantly: there was a special rank of widows who had ministry at the Jerusalem Temple. Therefore, on the icons of the Presentation, the prophetess Anna often stands under the arches of the Temple.

The peculiarities of the image of the Divine Infant Christ on the icons of the Presentation include the fact that He is depicted as Christ Emmanuel blessing the elder Simeon.

He is not depicted in shrouds, as in the icons of the Nativity of Christ: usually He is dressed in a short shirt that does not cover His bare legs. According to the law of Moses, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him before the Lord, as prescribed in the law of the Lord, so that every male child who opens the womb should be dedicated to the Lord (Luke 2:22-23). But Simeon is holding in his arms not just a male child - this is the Lawgiver whom the prophet Moses saw (gave his sight in the darkness) at Sinai. He became a Child, obeying the Law, incarnate for our salvation (see 2nd stichera on “Lord, I cried”). The God-child - Christ Emmanuel is offered to Himself as God (4th stichera on “Lord, I have cried”).

Let us pay attention to how the Presentation is depicted on the icons Holy Mother of God: She is in prayerful presence before the Beginningless Word of the Father. Voluntarily brought by Her to the Temple as a forty-day-old Baby, this is the Lord who came into the world for the salvation of the human race (on “Lord, I cried” glory:).

This prayerful presence is also visible when the Mother of God is depicted with the Child, when She offered, but did not yet hand over to Simeon the God-Receiver, who established the Law on Mount Sinai and obeyed the command of the Law (2nd stichera on the stichera).

The gaze of both the Most Pure Virgin and Her Son are directed to the Temple - or directly to Elder Simeon - the saint and righteous man. Taking the Child into his arms, Simeon rejoiced, crying out: This God is, co-essential with the Father, and the Deliverer of our souls (2nd stichera on the stichera).

The meeting of Simeon the God-Receiver took place in the Jerusalem Temple (Luke 2:27). On the icons of the Presentation, the meeting place is reminded of by such details as the vaults of the building, the walls, the red curtain that separated the entrance to the Holy of Holies, and the steps - they usually depict Elder Simeon. Most icons of the Presentation also depict the Throne.

This is the future Etymasia - the prepared Throne; there are no instruments of passions on it yet, but this is the Throne of God: Thy throne is ready from thenceforth, thou art from everlasting (Ps. 92:2).

Sometimes the Throne is placed in the background, but it seems more expressive to place it between Holy Virgin and Simeon the God-Receiver. She has already given Her Only Begotten Son for future suffering;

She heard and fully understood the words of Simeon: Behold, this One is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for the subject of controversy, and a weapon will pierce your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:34-35) How appropriate is the crimson color of the Throne here! The Only Begotten Son of God, delivering the earthly begotten from eternal destruction, will even descend to hell and give liberation to all captives (canon, canto 7).

The theme of the Throne of God - namely, the forty-day-old Christ Emmanuel ascends to it - is reflected in such an essential detail as the hands of the God-Receiver covered with the hem of his robe: it is no longer the old man who holds the Infant Christ, but He holds Simeon asking for absolution (cf. choruses of the 9th song of the canon) . The hands of the elder, humbly covered with the hem of his robe, form a throne, which is prepared for the Savior of the world: Strengthen, hands of Simeon, weakened by old age; hasten, weary feet of the old man, to meet Christ! (canon, canto 1). Having lived to a ripe old age, righteous Simeon waited for the fulfillment of his aspiration: he accepted into his arms the First-Born Infant of the Immaculate Virgin, who extended the hand of salvation to Adam (canon, canto 3).

And now the Baby is already a Baby - and not a Baby at all, but a forty-day King sitting on the throne. This is what Isaiah saw: figuratively on the throne of the exalted God, brought from the angels of glory, ruling over the never-ending light and the world (irmos of the 5th song of the canon).

Sometimes the icon depicts Simeon the God-Receiver, who has not yet received the Infant Christ from His Mother. The Divine Elder, seeing the Word carried by the hands of the Mother, understood the glory revealed in ancient times to the prophet (Isaiah), and calls out: Rejoice, O Pure One! As you hold the throne of God! (cf. canon, canto 5).

Old Russian icons of the Presentation of the Lord sometimes display different iconographic compositions - but how expressive and full of deep spiritual meaning each of the masterpieces that have reached our time is!

Bishop Nikolai of Balashikha

Source of material: magazine “Moscow Diocesan Gazette”, No. 1, 2015.

Presentation of the Lord- This permanent a holiday that is celebrated annually February, 15(February 2, old style) and was established in memory of the bringing of Christ the Savior to the Cathedral on the 40th day after birth to perform the established sacrifice. " Now do You release Your servant, O Master..." Church Slavonic word " Candlemas" can be translated into Russian with the word " meeting" Meeting Old Testament with the New, the meeting of Simeon the God-Receiver 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 the lesser with the greater, of man with God.

Meeting of the Lord. Holiday event

Event details Presentation of the Lord Believers learn from the Gospel of Luke. According to the Old Testament law of Moses, the firstborn, i.e. the eldest son was 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 firstborn of Egypt, children and animals, leaving the Jewish houses unharmed, in which the doorpost 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 to the temple in Jerusalem. Also, a woman who gave birth to a son was required to undergo 40 days of purification, after which she had to offer a sacrifice - a one-year-old lamb and a young dove or turtle dove. If the family was poor, then a pair of doves was brought to the temple (Lev. 12:6-8).

According to legend, afterwards 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 headed to Jerusalem to fulfill the commands of the Law. I met them at the temple Elder 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 Holy Bible on Greek language under King Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285 - 247 BC) When Simeon translated the words of the prophet Isaiah “Behold Virgo in her womb she will bear a Son…”, he decided that this was a mistake and wanted to write “young woman.” At that same moment, an Angel of the Lord appeared and held his hand. Simeon was promised that he would not die until Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled.

And then came the meeting, the meeting of the Old and New Testaments: Simeon took the Lord, a 40-day-old baby, into his arms. With joy the elder exclaimed:

Nn7e thou shalt let thy servant go out into the world according to thy word; ћkw vid1deste џchi my2 salvation is yours, є4zhe є3si2 ўprepared in front of everything< людeй; свётъ во tкровeніе kзhкомъ и3 слaву людeй твои1хъ ї}лz.

This prayer is now read at every Orthodox 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 for the fall and rebellion of many in Israel and for the subject of controversy. And a weapon will pierce your own soul (Luke 2:34-35).

Thus, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord reminds us of what is coming soon and Holy Week- the time of remembering the sufferings on the cross and the death of the Lord. It was then that Simeon’s prophetic words were fulfilled, because the Most Holy Theotokos suffered in soul along with her Son.

I recognized 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 Evangelist Luke says about her. Anna prophesied about Christ and spoke about him to all the people who were awaiting His coming with faith and hope.

Probably, the worship of the Magi, which is remembered on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, occurred 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-Receiver died, according to legend, in the 360th year of his life. He was not afraid of death, because the promise given to him and all people was fulfilled. Simeon held the Messiah in his arms! And now he went to tell all the righteous of the Old Testament that the Lord had become incarnate and came to earth to save humanity from sin and death.

The Old Testament custom of 40 days of 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. The prayers of the “fortieth day” are read out to the woman, after which she can already touch the shrine and pray in the temple (before that she is supposed to stand in the vestibule). The priest also brings the baby into the temple, and the boy also into the Altar. This rite can 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 holiday sequence from, also called Epiphany. This is mentioned by Etheria, a pilgrim from modern Europe who traveled to the Holy Land at the end of the 4th century:

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

Then the holiday spread to all local Churches and began to be celebrated in Constantinople and Rome. But, despite its ancient origin, he was not one of the solemn and great. TO twelve holidays he was counted in 544.

In the 6th century, during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527–565), Byzantium suffered many disasters. First there was an earthquake in Antioch, accompanied by numerous casualties. Then a pestilence appeared - an epidemic of smallpox brought from Africa. Tradition says that in difficult days, when the entire people were experiencing terrible troubles and illnesses, a pious Christian had a vision: the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord should be celebrated more solemnly. On this day, a solemn service was held with an all-night vigil and procession of the cross.

The feast of the Presentation of the Lord is mentioned in sermons martyrMethodius of Patara(approx. 260 - 312), saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315 - 386), Saint Gregory the Theologian(329 - 389),Saint Amphilochius of Iconium(about 340 - after 394), saint Gregory of Nyssa(c. 335 - 394), saint John Chrysostom(c. 347 - 407).

Divine service for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

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

R aduisz њradovannaz btsde dv7o, and 3з8 to you the righteous sun хрт0съ bG our, enlighten the dark. cheerful1sz and3 you2 are older than the righteous, receiving in the handsY freedom1s of ours, giving us the resurrection.

Troparion for the holiday. Russian text

Rejoice, you who have received joy (from the Lord), Virgin Mother of God, for from You has arisen the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, who enlightens those in ignorance. Rejoice also, O righteous elder, who has accepted into your arms the Liberator of our souls, who gives us resurrection.

IN kontakion we turn to the Lord:

AND $zhe ўtr0bu dv7chyu њс™i1в ржктв0м SI2, и3 рузе зініні злізівівъ, ћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћ ћћћћћ ћћћћ befitting pred1v1v њћ, и3 ўнне єзпалъ є3сі2 зрте b9е. but peace our life in battle, and strengthen our hearts, and love it more than others.

Kontakion for the holiday. Russian text

Jesus Christ, who sanctified the Virgin’s womb with His Birth and blessed Simeon’s embrace, as it should be; hastened (to save us), and has now saved us, O Christ our God. Give peace to society in the midst of wars and strengthen the people You love, O One Lover of Mankind.

Also, the magnification of the holiday, addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ, simultaneously glorifies the Mother of God:

We honor you, life-giving he7, and3 we honor8 your most precious death2. є3yu1 already according to the law nhne brought z to the 8th church of gDnyu.

Festive stichera were written by famous church hymnographers - Anatoly,Patriarch of Constantinegrad(V century); Andrew of Crete (VII century); Kosma Maiumsky, John of Damascus, patriarch Constantinople Hermann (8th century); Joseph Studite(IX century) and many others. They not only tell us about the events of the holiday, but also explain their meaning.

The verses for Vespers, written by Patriarch Herman, say that the Baby, who is held in the arms of the elder, is God who took on flesh to save people:

G li, simeHne, whom2 noseS on handu2 in8 tsRkvi radueshisz; to whom you call and3 cry, nn7e freedom1хъсz, vid1ехъ bо з7са мегв2; this є4st t dv7y was born. this є4 is t bGa bGb word, incarnate1 for our sake, and3 save a person. tomY bow1msz.

« In these days, having lived in the flesh...,” the believers sing the words of church hymns and are amazed at the humility of God. The Lord, who gave people the Law, is brought by the Mother of God to the temple of God to fulfill what has been established: “... according to the law the creator is the law, the law is complete, in the 8th order it comes…»

Here is the stichera of Andrew of Crete explaining to us what the two young doves sacrificed on the day of the Presentation of the Lord mean: “... ћкw spouse of the unclean church, and 3 t kзhкъ n0vyz people. dove, two chicks, to the old boss and the new one…»

The festive canon, written by Cosma Maiumsky, has the following line: “ 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 and symbol. At the same time, we also recall prophecies, for example, of Isaiah, to whom the seraphim gave a burning coal to cleanse his lips.

N is cleaned and 3сaіz t Seraphim ќgl reception. the old man speaks to the world, you use pincers, your hands enlighten ms. having given mi2 є3g0zhe n0sishi, light of the evening,(i.e. non-extinguishing) and3 mi1rom њpossessing(i.e. dominant).

As a rule, the ninth hymn of the holiday canon has a chorus - a short 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 chorus for all verses, but 14 different ones! This allows worshipers to better understand and experience the events of two thousand years ago. "... B Gon0se simeHne, prii3di2 pod i3mi2 xrtA, є3g0zhe rod2 dv7a chtcaz mRjz. N beat the hands of the elder Simeon, the father of the law, and for the love of all. It is not the elder who holds me, but I hold him. t0y bo t menE tpuschenіz p0sit.…»

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In the proverbs: in the 1st proverb (from the books “Exodus” and “Leviticus”) the Old Testament law is recalled to dedicate 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; The Third Proverbs (Isaiah XIX, 1, 3-5, 12, 16, 19-21) contains a prophecy about the flight to Egypt, the fall of Egyptian idols before the Lord and the conversion of the Egyptians to God. The events predicted in this prophecy are not described in the Gospel. An ancient legend tells that during the Savior’s stay in Egypt, in the city of Iliopolis, pagan gods these cities fell before Jesus Christ and were crushed to dust.

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

Thus, people who pray not only during the Liturgy, but also who come for the evening service, have the opportunity to learn not only the description and history of the holiday event, but 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 Charters, according to which services are still performed among the Old Believers, such a case is provided for. Holiday service combined with “lenten”. And in this case, the New Believers move the holiday one day earlier, to Forgiveness Sunday. In the Old Believer periodicals of the early 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 consumer book of Metropolitan Peter Mogila; it was copied from the Roman breviary. The fact is that in the West this holiday is called “Bright Mass”; during the mass everyone holds lighted candles in their hands. This custom probably comes from the ancient Jerusalem Church, where in the middle of the 5th century it was celebrated procession and during the Liturgy, worshipers held burning candles in their hands. In Byzantium, such a custom no longer existed, therefore, from the time of the Baptism of Rus', our ancestors prayed “with candles” only during polyeleos. And now in the Old Believer Church, on the eve of the Twelve Feasts, in the middle of the evening service, while singing the magnification (polyeleos), the worshipers take burning candles in their hands and hold them almost until the very end of the evening service.

Concerning folk traditions, then among the peasants the Presentation 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 this day, and the very name of the holiday - “Candlemas” - was explained in such a way that on this day winter meets summer, that is, the frosts begin to weaken and the approach of spring is felt in the air. Attributing to Candlemas only the significance of a calendar milestone, the peasants associated many agricultural signs with this day: “ On Candlemas Day there is snow - in the spring there is light rain“, they said, wondering about future rains. Drops on this day foreshadow the wheat harvest, and the wind - the fertility of fruit trees, why the gardeners, having come from matins, “ shake the trees with their hands so that they bear fruit" If Candlemas Day is calm and red, then in the summer the flax and so on will be good. The weather of that day was also used to judge the herb harvest, for which they threw a stick across the road and observed: if the snow sweeps it away, then the livestock feed will also be “swept away,” i.e., the herbs will be expensive. Finally, on Candlemas Day, housewives began to feed the chickens intensively so that they would have socks.

Concerning 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 walked around their houses with an icon of the Presentation of the Lord or the Savior, and when the icon was brought back to the house, the whole family , with the householder at the head, fell on her face with the exclamation: “Lord our God, come 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, we find it in the mosaics of the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Features of the composition indicate that the tradition of depiction feast of the Presentation still just being formed.

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

Among the Russian iconographic monuments of the Presentation, one of the most ancient is the fresco of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, 12th century.

It is no accident that icon painters include a throne with a ciborium in the composition. After all, with its help, the highest meaning of the meeting of the Infant God and Simeon is conveyed.

After the end of the period of iconoclasm, a new asymmetrical iconographic scheme for the presentation of the Presentation appears: the Virgin Mary, righteous Joseph and the prophetess Anna approach the doors of the Temple, on the steps of which stands Simeon.

In some Russian icons, frescoes and mosaics, the Jerusalem Temple is replaced by a church with Russian domes.

Churches 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. From the ancient, pre-schism, the refectory has been preserved Sretenskaya Church of the Anthony Monastery in Veliky Novgorod. It was built in 1533-36 and initially did not have an altar projection. Top part the facades had inset crosses, traditional for Novgorod. The temple was rebuilt in the 18th–19th centuries. This is one of the first pillarless Novgorod churches.

Currently, only one Old Believer church is consecrated in the name of the Presentation of the Lord - in the village of Cherkesskaya Slava, Tulchinsky district (Romania). Congratulations to the parishioners on their patronal feast day!

We find the first images of Christ being brought to the temple in the 5th century. What the symbols of the holiday icon mean is explained in an article by the famous theologian Vladimir Lossky (published in abbreviation).

Just like the Circumcision of the Lord, the feast of the bringing of the Infant Christ to the temple shows us that the Creator of the Law, fulfilling the law, is brought to the temple (vespers, stichera, tone 1), for the Lord said to Moses: Sanctify to Me every firstborn, who opens all falsehoods between the children of Israel, from man to beast, (because) they are Mine (Ex. 13:2), and about the sacrifice of purification of a mother after the birth of a male child: At the end of the days of her purification for a son or for a daughter, she must offer a one-year-old lamb in burnt offering and a young dove or turtledove for a sin offering, at the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting to the priest (Lev. 12:6). The liturgical texts and iconography of the Presentation are based on the Gospel narrative about this event (Luke 2:22-39).

We find the first known images of the bringing of the Infant Christ to the temple in the mosaic of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (5th century) and on an enamel cross-reliquary (a hollow cross inside which the relics of a saint are kept) of the late 5th - early 6th century from the Lutheran Museum. The iconography of the Feast of the Presentation finally took shape in the period from the 9th to the 10th centuries and has remained almost unchanged since then. Sometimes we see the Child Christ in the arms of the Mother or the moment when She hands Him over to Saint Simeon, but most often Simeon himself holds the Savior in his arms. The Child Christ is never depicted in swaddling clothes: He is usually dressed in a short shirt that does not cover His bare legs. Sitting on Simeon's outstretched arms, He blesses him, as depicted in our icon. This is the iconographic type of Christ Emmanuel: “Having seen Thee as a child, the wondrous Simeon cried out: Of the Eternal Word, born of the Father, I am afraid and afraid to embrace with my hands, O Master, but in peace seek Thy servant, now let go, as the Merciful” (vespers, stichera on “ Lord, I cried."

“Today, in ancient times, the law was given to Moses in Sinai, the lawful one obeys the commandment, for our sake, as the Merciful One, was for us. Now the Pure One, God, like the Holy Child, opens the Pure One falsely, He offers Himself, like God, lawful vows, freeing and enlightening our souls” (vespers, 2nd stichera at the litia).

“The Ancient Days, having been infancy in the flesh, is brought into the church by the Virgin Matter, fulfilling His law with a promise, which Simeon received with the verb: now dost thou dismiss thy servant in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, O Holy One” (vespers, stichera at litia, Chapter 1). As in the Gospel narrative, the theme of the purification of the Mother of God seems to have been forgotten: the focus of the holiday is the Presentation of the Messiah: the meeting of the Old and New Testaments.

In our icon, the Meeting takes place in front of the throne, above which rises the ciborium (canopy). A cross, a book or a scroll is sometimes depicted on the throne. On the left side of the throne stands the Mother of God, on the right is righteous Simeon. The Mother of God sacrificially stretches out her hands covered with maforium. She had just handed over Her Son to righteous Simeon. The holy elder, leaning forward, holds the Child in both hands, also covered with a robe as a sign of reverence. The Mother of God is accompanied by Joseph, carrying in the folds of his cloak the sacrifice of poor parents: two turtle doves or two young pigeons (Lev. 12:8). These birds are considered symbols of the Church of Israel and the Church of the Gentiles, as well as symbols of the two Testaments, the one head of which is Christ. The holy prophetess Anna, daughter of Phanuel... a widow of eighty-four years old (Luke 2:36), stands behind Simeon in the background, like the righteous Joseph. Turning away slightly, she raises her head, covered with a scarf; her face reflects prophetic inspiration.

The personality of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver has special significance. His prophecy, one of the three “songs of the New Testament,” is sung at every vespers throughout the liturgical year. They wanted to see the holy elder, who took the Infant Christ into his arms, as a temple priest. Some claimed that he was a teacher of the law, the son of Hillel and the father of Gamaliel, the mentor of the Apostle Paul. Others said that he was one of the Seventy Interpreters, a translator of the Bible, and that God preserved his life until the coming of the Messiah for 350 years. Liturgical texts glorify righteous Simeon as the greatest prophet. Simeon is more worthy than Moses to bear the title of “Seer of God.” After all, the Lord appeared to Moses shrouded in darkness, and “Simeon in his arms carried the Primordial Word of the Father incarnate and with his tongue revealed the Light, the Cross and the Resurrection” (vespers, 7th stichera at the litia). The cross in this stichera indicates the weapon that will pierce the soul of Mary. “Now you let go” acquires new meaning. The prophet asks the Lord's permission to proclaim the good news of the incarnation in the underworld. To Adam, “who lives in hell, I go, if I want to tell him, and to bring the gospel to Eve” (7th hymn of the canon).

On our icon nothing indicates the sacred rank of Simeon; a long, flowing robe covers his bare feet to the ankle. As befits a Nazarite, his head is uncovered and long hair. “The Child Christ sits in the hands of an old man like on a throne.” One of the choruses on the 9th song of the canon says: “It is not the elder who holds Me, but I who hold him: he is asking for forgiveness from Me.”

Candlemas. Mosaic from the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. 5th century Here, as in many other scenes of the mosaic decoration of this basilica, the Mother of God is depicted in royal robes, surrounded by angelic guards.

View of the pre-altar arch of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The composition “Candlemas” is located on the right in the upper register of the mosaics.

Candlemas. Fresco of the church of Santa Maria foris portas (“beyond the gates”) in Castelseprio (Italy, Lombardy). End of the 7th century (?)


Meeting of the Lord. Miniature menology of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II - the oldest surviving illustrated collection of the lives of saints. This manuscript, presumably from the first quarter of the 11th century, is in the Vatican collection (Vat. gr. 1612)

Meeting of the Lord. Mosaic of the katholikon (cathedral church) of the monastery of Hosios Loukas (St. Luke of Greece) in Phokis (Greece). Around 1022.

Miniature from the manuscript of the Gospel readings in the collection of the Dionysiatus Monastery on St. Mount Athos. (cod. 587) Third quarter of the 11th century.

Meeting of the Lord. Fresco of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov. 40s of the 12th century

Meeting of the Lord. Fresco of the Church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi (now Macedonia). 1164

The Virgin and Child from the Presentation. Fresco of the Church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi.

Candlemas. Fragment of the epistyle of the templon from the collection of the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai. Second half of the 12th century.

Candlemas. A poorly preserved composition on the pre-altar pillars of the Cyril (St. Cyril of Alexandria) Church in Kyiv. Late 12th century

General form on the altar of the St. Cyril Church in Kyiv. The fact that the “Candlemas”, spread over two pillars, is located in the place where the “Annunciation” is traditionally placed is a unique feature of the iconographic program of the Kirillov paintings. (The figures of the Archangel and the Mother of God from the Annunciation above belong to the brush of M. Vrubel). And one more point - as can be seen from previous monuments, in the iconography of the holiday that developed in the Middle Byzantine period, the figures of Mary, Joseph, Simeon the God-Receiver and the prophetess Anna are separated, as a rule in pairs, by a throne with a ciborium above it, which hints at the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple, while at the same time, it already looks figuratively like the throne itself Christian Church. In the space of the Cyril Church, this throne turns out to be a throne that actually stands in the altar.

St. Simeon the God-Receiver with the Infant Christ. Fresco from the Church of Panagia tou Arakou in Lagoudera (Cyprus). Around 1192.

Meeting of the Lord. Fragment of the so-called Suzdal "Golden Gate" - the gate of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Suzdal. XII-XIII centuries Collection of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve.

Meeting of the Lord. Fresco of the Church of St. Trinity Monastery Sopocany (Serbia). 1260s

Mosaic by Pietro Cavallini in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome. End of the 13th century.

Meeting of the Lord. Fresco by Manuel Panselin in the Cathedral of Protata on St. Mount Athos. 1290.

Fresco of the Protata Cathedral. Fragment.

Meeting of the Lord. Fresco of the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady of the Gracanica Monastery (Serbia, Kosovo). Around 1321.

Meeting of the Lord. Fragment of an icon from the festive series of Sofia of Novgorod. Collection of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve.

Meeting of the Lord. Fresco of the Church of the Savior Monastery of Decani (Serbia, Kosovo). Mid-14th century.

Meeting of the Lord. Fresco of the Church of St. Demetrius Markov Monastery (now Macedonia). Third quarter of the 14th century.

Fresco of the Church of St. Demetrius Markov Monastery. Fragment.

Meeting of the Lord. Fresco of the Church of the Assumption on Volotovo Field near Novgorod. End of the 14th century. Pre-revolutionary photo.

Fresco of the Church of the Assumption on Volotovo Field near Novgorod. Fragment.

Meeting of the Lord. Icon from the festive rite of the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir. Around 1408. Andrey Rublev and the workshop. State Meeting Russian Museum.

Meeting of the Lord. Icon-“tablet” from the series of obverse calendars of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Second quarter of the 15th century. Collection of the Sergiev Posad Museum-Reserve / sacristy of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Meeting of the Lord. Icon from the festive rite of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Tver. Mid-15th century. State Meeting Russian Museum.

Meeting of the Lord. XV century. Icon from the collection of the Athonite monastery of Pantokrator.

Meeting of the Lord. Icon-“tablet” from the series of obverse calendars of St. Sophia of Novgorod. End of the 15th century. Collection of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve.

Meeting of the Lord. Icon from the festive row of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. Around 1397. Collection of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve.

Meeting of the Lord. Icon from the festive row of the cathedral of the Stavronikita monastery on Athos. Mid-16th century. Master Theophan of Crete.

Meeting of the Lord. First half of the 17th century. Collection of the Yaroslavl Art Museum. Similar complicated iconography appears in Russian art, probably at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries. Below left is the prophet Isaiah writing his prophecies. Below on the right is the 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 will receive with child.” An angel predicted to Simeon that he would not die until he “sees the Christ of the Lord.” In the upper left corner, an angel with a cross in his hands informs the Mother of God about the fate of Her Son. At the top in the center is the Trinity in the “Fatherland” iconography. At the top right is the overthrow of idols, which is an illustration of the sixth ikos of the Akathist to the Mother of God, which tells about the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt (“idols for it (i.e. Egypt), Savior, not tolerating Your fortress, fallen..."). Below you can see the mouth of hell with the righteous rising from it and the overthrown sinners and the devil, which corresponds to the words of Simeon’s prophecy: “Behold, this one is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel...”.

Meeting of the Lord. 17th century Icon from the collection of the Pskov Museum-Reserve.

Meeting of the Lord. XIX century. From the Epiphany Cathedral of the Epiphany Anastasia Monastery in Kostroma.

Meeting of the Lord. Palekh icon of the 19th century.

Meeting of the Lord. Chromolithography of the printing house E.I. Fesenko in Odessa. 90s of the XIX century.

Modern Greek icon.

"Candlemas".

Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

And then Andrei will write “Candlemas”. This holiday was known already in the 4th century. In Rome, in the Church of Mary the Great, the oldest surviving image, dating back to the 5th century, has survived to this day. The meaning of the Meeting is closely related to Christmas. It was celebrated on the fortieth day after the Christmas celebrations. In Rus' in the first days of February, according to the old folk superstition, after windy, snowy days the frost intensified. It was deep winter. Preparations for spring field and other work did not begin. The days are still short. A quiet time conducive to reflection. The holiday itself is strict, and the mood of repentance grows in its chants. Rublev’s “Meeting” turned out to be complex, deep in meaning and at the same time so complete and integral that at first glance it could seem very simple. Yes, this is the mature fruit of high creativity, that apparent simplicity behind which stands so much thought, knowledge, and labor. Anyone who looks at the icon will get the first impression that it depicts a ritual filled with solemnity and significance. Mary and Joseph bring the forty-day-old Jesus to the temple. Here, at the temple, the prophetess Anna lives. She predicts an extraordinary fate for the newborn. In the temple itself they are met, hence the name of the event “meeting” - meeting, by Elder Simeon, to whom the promise had long been given that he would not taste death until he saw and accepted in his arms the Savior of the world born on earth. And now he knows, clearly feels that this moment has come...

In the icon, walking steadily towards Simeon, at the same distance from each other, a mother with a baby in her arms, Anna, followed by a betrothed.

Rublev depicted their tall, slender figures in such a way that they appear connected, flowing into one another.

Their measured movement, solemn, steady and irrevocable, as if indicating its significance, is echoed by the easily curving wall that depicts the vestibule of the temple.

And the old servant of the Old Testament temple stretches out his hands, reverently covered with robes, towards the baby in a deep, humble bow. Now he is accepting... his own death. His work on earth is over: “Now you are releasing your servant, O lord, in peace, according to your command...” In place of the old, the old comes a new world, a different covenant. And he, this new one - such is the universal and comprehensive law of life - will have to take root in the world only through sacrifice. The young “adolescent” will face shame, reproach, and torture on the cross. In a restrained mood, in faces as if shrouded in a haze of sadness, Rublev expressed this future, sacrificial, mortal. And the artist experienced this with particular force when he painted the face of the Mother of God. For Andrei - and here he did not diverge from tradition - it was clear that Mary knew about the fate of her son, she also saw her own suffering, a “weapon” that “will pierce her heart.” This reverent maternal feeling is clearly visible, but is given with a rare and noble measure of restraint. Everything that is destined to happen is needed for people, for the whole world.

The icon’s impeccable color construction, strong, courageous and firmly correlated combinations are harmonized by the artist, softened by the precise and subtle rhythm of their location on the icon plane. The language in which Rublev speaks to the viewer here is restrained, but very capacious. The artist is in no hurry to open up, to amaze with external movement, an explosion of feelings. You need to get used to it, peer slowly and thoughtfully at this icon, comprehend, discover, delve into its “images and meanings” shimmering with colors.

Valery Sergeev. "Rublev". ZhZL series No. 618.