🇬🇧
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
🌞💙💛
Today is the Feast of the Candlemas, the Meeting of the Lord, the only one of the 12 largest, dedicated both to Christ and to the Mother of God. Accordingly, the Gospel was read today with a story about the event
The event took place on the 40th day after the birth of Jesus, which is why it is celebrated according to the calendar in this way, completing the Christmas cycle of holidays. Today also caroling is finished.
As the days of purification passed
– that is, for a woman who gave birth to a boy and to the boy himself, it was 40 days, after which they could enter the temple. Jesus does not needed the purification, similarly the Immaculate Virgin was sanctified by the birth of Jesus, She did not need purification, but She fulfilled the Law. For all of us, this is an example that there is nothing in vain in God's will.
It was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he should see the promised Messiah (Christ)
– according to the famous Tradition, Simeon was one of the 72 translators who performed the first translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek – the so-called Translation of the Seventy (Seventy-Two), in Greek – the Septuagint. The translation was recognized as divinely inspired no less than the original, it was widely used by the Jews in the dispersion, in particular, at the time of the birth of Jesus. This translation took place in the 3rd century. to the Christmas of Christ, therefore, Simeon himself was about 300 years old at the time of the event of today's celebration – a unique example of longevity from the time of the most ancient people. The same Tradition clarifies that he was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah, and when he came to the place where it is said: Behold, a Virgin will conceive in the womb and give birth to a Son…
, then he doubted how a virgin could conceive while remaining a virgin, wanted to correct the young woman
, and suddenly an Angel appeared to Simeon and announced that the Scripture is correct, not mistaken, and he will really see the fulfillment of these words himself, before he dies. You can see from this how long he waited, and with what joy he met the Lord and the Holy Family in the Lord's temple.
Simeon's song was included in the service, and is sung before the beginning of the morning service (which is served the evening before).
Simeon's prophecy is the first testimony about the future suffering of Jesus (and with Him, also spiritually, His Mother) and the life of the Church in the New Testament. In fact, in his words we meet the whole truth about Christ, and we see with what humility, without doubts, disputes or unbelief, the Immaculate Virgin accepts the heralded Revelation. This place is important in order to see Her long-suffering as well – She is greater than the ancient Job the Long-suffering, who said in his suffering: Here I have received good from God, now I must be patient, accepting suffering, may the Lord's name be blessed!
.
Corroboration from Anna is also important, since the Law required that testimony be corroborated in court preferably by two or three witnesses.
Jesus grew in wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him
— that is, He grew gradually, did not become a mature human instantly. This is important in view of the fact that the Lord came to save people – what He accepts, that is what He saves, including growing up and development (although these are processes, but it is meant that He is with us in all these states and events).
From the Apostle of the Feast, a place was read where Paul speaks of the prophecy You are a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek
, and every detail of the story of Abraham's meeting with Melchizedek (and the feast of the Meeting, that is, the Meeting!) acquires a spiritual meaning in it. In particular, the fact that nothing is said about the origin of Melchizedek, Paul acquires the significance of a prototype of the eternal existence of the Son of God. An important point is that the prototype is not only in the events and persons themselves, but also in the details that the Scripture provides in the description of history. It can be different, the prototype can be less detailed, but the more details are corresponding to the fulfillment of it – that one which (and for which) it is all about – the better it is. (Edited 07:05 PM EET 2023-02-15)
With a change in the priesthood, a change in the Law is necessary
– an explanation of why the New Testament is necessarily different from the Old, although it is its implementation. The Law (including the Priesthood Law) forms a coherent single system.
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!