The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ — is a Christian holiday celebrated in Orthodoxy, Catholicism and some Protestant faiths, including Lutheranism. The Russian Orthodox Church is revered as one of the twelfth holidays. It is set in memory of the momentous event for Christians — meeting ( Slavyansk. the competition ) in the Jerusalem Temple of the Baby Jesus with the righteous elder Simeon.
When the time came for the incarnated Word of God to appear on earth, then the providence of God was prepared for some of the chosen ones from the people of — to meet His wonderful, all-saving phenomenon, and to proclaim it to the world. One of them was the elder Simeon, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, who was promised from God that he would not leave this world until he saw the Lord Christ. This is a meeting by Simeon and celebrates the Holy Orthodox Church annually on February 15 in a new style.
What does the feast of the Presentation of the Lord teach us?
First of all, the truth that God is faithful in all his words and promises. He also promised Adam and Eve, who had fallen in paradise to our ancestors, that He would send the Savior to them and the whole human race, which was fulfilled.
Secondly, the feast of the Meeting teaches us that the Lord Himself goes towards only those who do the truth or who hunger and thirst for truth, — as an old Simeon, because he came to earth for, « to fulfill all truth » ( Matt. 3, 15 ) God and us to teach us how to create the truth and deliver us from all unrighteousness, from all lawlessness and grant us repentance with the fruits of the saving.
Elder Simeon, according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, was a righteous and pious man, enlightened by the Spirit, he sought the joys of Israel according to the following revelation.
When Ptolomei, king of Egypt, founder of the glorious Alexandria library, ordered the Moisey and prophetic books to be translated from Jewish into Greek, then seventy wise were chosen among the Israelites, and as, in another language of skilled husbands — « 70 ducoks », as they are usually called. Among them was the righteous Simeon.
By translating the books of Isaiah, Simeon achieved the prophecy: « All the Virgin in the womb will conceive and give birth to the Son » ( Is. 7, 14 ), and doubted, and, stopping, reasoned with himself: how can a girl give birth to a lad? Then he took the knife and in his manuscript he wanted to smooth out this prophecy... Suddenly, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and, holding his hand, said: « Believe what is written; you yourself will see the event of the greatest mystery; for you will not see death, until you see the one who is born of the Blessed Virgin Christ of the Lord ». From that time on, Simeon with a fiery desire expected the coming of Christ: he lived righteously and immaculate, and without leaving the temple, he prayed to God.
When the born Savior after forty days was brought by God-grateful Mariah to the temple, then the saint, having known from above that this Baby is the promised Messiah and that this Mother is the Holy Virgin, on which the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, with reverence and joy he accepted his Lord in his arms and exclaimed: « We will not let go of thy servant, Vladyko, according to thy verb, in peace, As if my eyes were like your salvation » ( Luke. 2, 29 ), and, thanking God, who gave comfort to Israel, he gave his spirit, being a deep elder.