Malkov P.Yu.

Place of holiday within the borders of the Orthodox Laug-Year Year

The problem of a clear definition of the status of the feast of the action entails some difficulties. Of course, the reference is the two-month holiday. However, it remains not entirely clear: what kind of holidays actually he can be attributed to the Lord or a Virgin one? - Since a number of features inherent in its liturgical charter says that he is the Lord, and a number of others, on the contrary, that he is a Virgin. Apparently, after some Orthodox liturgists, this holiday is preferable to call the Lord-Virgin.

The Presentation of the Lord is celebrated on a fortieth day after the Nativity of Christ.

Communication of the holiday with the events of the Holy History of the Old and New Testament

The word "statement" itself translated from the Church-Slavic language means "meeting." On the feast of the reference of the Lord, Orthodox Christians recall the day when the Godsladetsman Jesus Christ was brought to the Jerusalem Temple - in the execution of the ancient customs of the Old Testament law of Moses (see the book Levit 12: 1-8). In accordance with this law, women after childbirth for a fortieth or thirtieth day (depending on who was born - a boy or a girl) had to come to the temple to bring a ritual cleansing victim.

Visits the temple for the sake of bringing such a victim, and the Virgin. She is brought two pigeon chicks - the victim, according to the law, permissible only for the poor. Probably, after bringing such a victim, the priest took the baby from the hands of the mother, and, by contacting the altar, highly raised the child, as if handing it to God. At the same time, he performed two prayers over him: one - on the topic of the law on the redemption, the other - with thanksgiving for the birth of the firstborn.

The baby Christ was met at the entrance to the temple with a pious and righteous elder Simeon (according to the legend of the Church - one of the translators of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament to Greek), who was once promised to God's Spirit, that he would not die until he saw his eyes to Earth Savior world. Simeon was already very old and exceeded all the imaginable limits of the duration of human life; But death did not come to him, for according to the divine promise, he had to see the born Christ. And so, the day came when this ancient elder finally took in the Jerusalem temple on his hands the baby Jesus, saying those wonderful words in their strength, which and today sounds in Christian churches for every evening worship. Translated into Russian, they sound like this: "Now you let go of your slave, Vladyko, according to your word, with the world; for you saw my salvation from my salvation (i.e., brought to us to you), which you prepared before the face of all nations, light to Enlightening the pagans and the fame of the people of your Israel. " Now, having lived before the birthday of Christ, in other words, to the meeting with God, who was pretended - in his love for people - a true person, the old man Simeon could die calmly: "Considering", finally, took place.

It also pronounces others (also very important) - Privorny words. Turning to the Mother of God, Simeon prophesies about her son: "CE, this falls on the fall and on the uprising of many in Israel and in the subject of the stocks, ... Yes, the criticism of many hearts will open," and, moreover, adds, speaking about the fate of the most Mary: "And the soul itself will pass the weapon." The elder says here that the born Christ will bring division into the world. From now on, it will not be possible to stay in a calm, "comfortable" indifference to the issues of faith, indifferently refusing to follow the truth: from this day, humanity should be divided as if "two camps" on the principle - "for Christ and God" or "against Christ And outside God. " The words about "weapons", that is, about the sword that the heart of the Virgin Mary will be pierced is the prophecy of those suffering that she still has to experience that day when she will witness the torment and death on the cross of his own son.

Here in the temple was also a woman who had reached a deep old age who possessed a prophetic gift - Anna, who, together with the righteous Simeon, began to glorify the Lord.

After the execution of all prescribed rites, the Holy Family returned home - to the city of Nazareth (see Gospel from Luke 2: 22-39).

Spiritual sense of the holiday

The meaning of the festival of consultation is in the long-awaited and saving meeting of the whole human race - face to face - with the original source of all kind and genuine good, truth and beauty: with the living God of Christian revelation. It is here, according to the conviction of Christians, and the border is held in the history of all believers: two epochs met on the day of the countertility, marked by two covenants of God and Human - Old and New.

As a rule, the sermons of Christian theologians and eczegeets, dedicated to the reference, are distinguished by special enthusiasm and elevation, being literally filled with joy and babysitis. For example, in preaching to the respection attributed to St. Cyril Jerusalem (IV century), it says: "So, come ... Christophums and Bogolyubtsi, to the statement of the Lord and Lord, with joy and cleanly inquiries: not a lawful rite, but spiritually: No woven by sweets working, but playing the spirit ... All now, and always celebrate with roping songs ... Syone will be able to consecrate with the temple, with the virgin magnitude, I will rejoice, with Joseph bring, Aki two hinders (like two pigeon chicks) soul And the body, with Simeon Christ in the arms of the expectation, and I confess, yes, in the enjoyment of the heavenly good, the grace of the Lord, and God and the Savior of our Jesus Christ. "

In fact, the whole life of mankind before the coming of the Savior is a long and all-time waiting for the joy of this meeting, the referee of the Lord.

Even at the dawn of the history of the human race there is a terrible and disastrous event in their consequences for people: their parting, separation from God. Adam and Eve are the first people - the fruit of the forbidden Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thereby breaking the only one imposed on them while the Creator.

Having disappeared from the Divine Truth, violating this commandment, Adam and Eve themselves erected among themselves and God the strong wall of the alienation from him. And from the same time - for a long time, but unsuccessful - people were looking for people of a new meeting, new unity with their creator, wandering in the dark, stumbling, confusing from the way, joining the deadly lands of dark pagan cultures.

But all this time and God himself continued to look for the love of him who distinguished him and betrayed his love. Already on the very day of the fall, the Lord is looking for the Lord among the Holy Gardens of the Ancient Paradise-Eden His fallen creation - Adam, calling for him: "Where are you?".

Of course, such a call does not mean that God did not know that day, where "Physically" is Adam, or could not discover his seat. Just the genuine unity of two personalities is, above all, the unity of mutual understanding and love. And so such a feeling of living and effective unity, feelings of joyful, gullible love and could not find the Lord in the heart of Adam. Adam's "fallen" was no longer the foregoing in the oldest of his openness and sacrifice of full obedience: he tried to hide him from him in the shadow of paradise trees; After all, with a violation of the will of God, with the fall - to replace the former love for God in the soul of Adam, the feeling of fear and alienation from him was included.

And yet it came that day, when the old, Simeon, who was also a weak old man, took the Bog's History of Christ, entitling his Creator to this world. From now on, humanity is already in the face of Simeon - it was clearly recognized and firmly confess that after many millennia of their unauthorized excommunication from God, it was finally met his creator. After all, Simeon held on his hands of the one who, in his mysterious realization, pumping the limits of eternity and omnipotence, "silent" to the state of a helpless baby, held - God himself.

History History

Sources suggest that the feast of the action arose and existed in the Jerusalem Church with IV-V. - as a celebration that completed a forty-day cyclification cycle devoted to the memory of a number of gospel events. That is why at that time he was not considered as a separate, independent holiday.

At the end of V c. - In Rome, and in the middle of the VI century. - In Constantinople (at the time of the emperor of Justinian), the referee becomes an independent gentleman's holiday.

And in the east and in the West, the date of the holiday was linked to the Day of the Nativity of Christ: the statement was observed on a fortieth day after Christmas. From the middle of the 6th century, the day of the Christmas celebration, which means that the reference, in the West and the East, is already almost everywhere (with the exception of Armenia) coincide. The dissemination of the feast of the referee, as well as the suburban church reverence of this event of the Holy History, was very promoted by its active activities to St. Emperor Justinian.

The characteristic features of festive worship in various historical periods. Authors of liturgical texts

The liturgical texts of the holiday are composed of the most prominent tree-carcasses. Thus, part of the stimulyr on the "Ceing" and the Canon of the holiday was written by Rev. Maumi (VII-VIII century), part of the "Lord of Lord" and the stimir in Lithium - Holy Patriarch by German Konstantinople (VIII century); The text of the service also includes the stimiters belonging to the Holy Andrei Crytsky (VII-VIII century) and John Damascus (VIII century), - on the same stimulus on lithium.

Already from the moment of the occurrence of the fee of the decision, it would seem, throughout its nature, is clearly the Lord. However, in the West, it was usually considered more like a Virgin. Over time, both in the east, he also gradually transformed towards the Virgin Festival, although in his cyan surrender, he was still fixed in the form of a "mixed" holiday, which encloses certain features of both the Lord and a Virgin Celebration.

The Exaltation Holiday - it would seem, one of many in a number of celebrations of the Ecumenical Orthodox Church, and, moreover, by no means directly related to the Savior's Earth's Earthly Savior's time - nevertheless, it is very important for every Christian. So what does this celebration mean, what is remembered by Orthodox people on the day of the glorification of the Holy Cross?

Since ancient times in the Roman Empire, a cross - as an instrument of execution - was a sign, a symbol of shame: the crucifixion on the cross was considered the most humiliating form of the "highest penalties". Throughout the crucifixion was performed by sentences over the most contemptible criminals: killers, rinkers and other squads of society. And so, the image of this is the very very instrument of humiliation and cropping, the sign of terrible and once shameful death - wears every Christian on my chest today: the ancient symbol of the cruelty of the Roman executioners honors the entire Orthodox Church. Everyone, who considers himself a follower of the Savior, ready, following the Holy Apostle Pavlom, - "Board ... The Cross of the Lord of Our Jesus Christ" (Message to Galatians 6:14), is ready to approve holiness, saving and, moreover, the special life-quality of this extremely Sophisticated tool of human murder. The evangelical "Word of the Cross" helps to understand this veneration of the Holy Cross, which, according to the expression of the Apostle Paul, "there is anonymious, and for us, saved, - the power of God" (First Message to Corinthians 1:18), - that word, That from Apostolic Times, gives hope for the salvation of every follower of the Godrifer of Christ.

The Son of God who came to the world was here not in the power and the glory of his deity, not like the mighty ruler and the model of the universe. He embodied among us in "The Image (" Zrake ") of the slave" - \u200b\u200bas a "ordinary" man who has grown and educated in the family of a simple carpenter, who preached on the roads and bare hills of Judea and Galilee, not adopted by his people and executed in Jerusalem. "The crude is the same as a truly harder life path of Jesus, the cross is the deadly tree, to which his Roman warriors begged.

According to the word ancient Christian writer Meliton of the Sardian (II century), the event of the crucifixion, the critical death of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is distinguished by truly cosmic, universal paradoxicality and inexplicity. For: "The hijacked ground is suspended. The sky attached to the sky - tied. Approving the Universe - approved on the tree. God killed ...".

It is appropriate to recall here about the most important Christian concept that, perhaps, concludes the entire essence of the Savior's sacrificial fell - about the concept of "redemption". It is through the atonement - through the godfather of God who became a man - the human race and receives a forgiveness for the ancient "refusal" from his Creator, for being a violation of this, the commandment, who made the first person - Adam. God becomes one of the people, passes the human earthly life path, dies, and finally, this death tramples and defeats the death itself, pulling out of her "hugs" - in his own resurrection. Before the sin - in the Divine, he won the victory over the hell; Equal to people in everything - in Humanity, he and for them there is a way from death and decline - to eternal life. Often compared with Adam, and called the Church of New - Heavenly - Adam, he, as it were, "elapses" from the "Book of Life" of our world "Accessive entry" about the fault of the Rodnodarchik of all mankind, who sinned once in his own pride.

This is the feat of the atonement and is made by the Savior on the Cross. It is here - on the cross tree - and the limit of human humiliation is achieved and, at the same time, the glory of Christ.

So, with the resurrection of Christ, the "man sinned" is transformed into a "person forgiven". And because from the moment of the uprising of the Savior from the dead, all the damaged by human sin, the universe jumpers together with us, the presentation of the soon liberation from those who connected him - in human fault - the sin. Everything around begins to change, fill in a deep and festive meaning, the joy of gogoplexism. At the time, from now on, over all the universe, it agrees - as the symbol of the celebration of the Godheads over death, as a sign of the Savior's victory over sin and Satan - then the "weapon" or even "weapon", with which this victory was obsessed: the cross of Christ. Being at first a human humiliance, he suddenly appeals to the sign of the long-awaited reconciliation and the spiritual Union of "Earth" and "Heaven." Death seen before, the cross is made from the true embodiment of the life-affirming truth: the Lord is relentless among people who are forgiven.

In one of the messages of the Apostle Paul, there are strange and, at first glance, not quite understandable words calling for us, "rooted and approved in love could comprehend ... that (there is) latitude and longitude, and depth and height , and urgently superior to the wise of the love of Christ "(Message to Ephesians 3: 18-19). The essence of them is that from now on, the cross, along the apostle, permeates, permeates the whole universe; Thus, he truly has its "latitude and longitude, and depth and height." Everything that exists in our earthly world, it turns out to be "covered", "embraced" by two - stretched in infinity of the "space" by the "cosmos" - horizontal branches of the cross; The vertical of him, going down, pierces - like a duction - the depths of hell, and, at the same time, asking the other end of the end, it reaches the limits of heavenly paradise, the foot of the Divine throne. As writes about such a value of the crisp of the Tree of the Sacred Martyr Ippolit Roman (III century), "the tree of this is given to me for the eternal salvation. It nourishes me, restores the strength, I rely on his roots, I am located under his branches, I am glad to breathe with his smells, as if we substitute the face to the wind. Under the seven, I put my tent, hiding from excessive heat, I have a holiday, full of coolness. I flourish with his flowers, the fruits give me a misconception joy, I collect them, for they are cooked for me from the beginning of the world. I find an exquisite food for the thickening of hunger, under it a fountain for quenching thirst, I take the clothes with him in order to cover your nudity, the leaves of it - this is the spirit of the life-giving. Away from me from now on the leaves of the fig tree (here they mean those leaves of the fig tree, with which Adam and Eve, feeling shame after their fall, covered their own nudity)! If there is a fear of the Lord in me, then here the Tree has my shelter, in dangers it will strengthen me, in battles - will serve as a shield, in the victory - trophy. Here is a small trail, here is my narrow way! Here is an Iakl carrier, where the angels go bend and descended, and on top of her the Lord stands. The tree stretches further the sky, rises from the ground to heaven. Being immortal, it grows from the center of the sky and the Earth, it is a solid support of the universe, the connection of all things, the basis of the entire dwelling land, the cosmic plexus containing any variety of human nature. The spirit nailed by invisible nails, in order not to fluctuate in a hard agreement with the Will of God, touching the sky, and the lands of his legs, all the space between the Earth and the sky filled it (crucified on the Cross Tree of Christ) immense hands. "

What is the spiritual meaning of the feast of consideration? Why did the meeting of the elder of Simeon with the Boggladden Jesus become a great Christian holiday? Yours faithfully,

Responsible by Jeromona Job (Gmer):

The event, which gave the beginning of the two-month holiday, in spiritual terms multidimensional. Russian word a meeting does not transmit the main importance of the church-Slavic concept candlemas. There are usually equal. "And here, - as Metropolitan Veniamina (Fedchenkov) noted, - more appropriate the Slavic word" Considering ", for it says to extending less to meet more, people who meet God" (letters about the two-month holidays. M., 2004. P. 170 -171). The event in the Jerusalem temple has special significance. The divine legislator itself born before all creatures (Count 1: 15) and how firstborn Virgin (MF. 1: 25) is brought to God to God. This symbolic act is as it were for the beginning of the ministry, which on Earth ends with a great event: the embodied son of God brings all his father to the atonement of mankind, with whom she had previously met in the face of Holy Righteous Simeon. For you have seen the eyes of my salvation yours, which you took the forefront of all nations, the light to educate the pagans and the fame of the people of your Israel (Lux. 2: 30-32). This thankful song on thoughts and expressions goes back to some places of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: And it will be on that day: to the root of the Jesseev, who will be like a banner for peoples, will be taught, - and peace will be fame (Is. 11: 10). Jesse was the father of King David. therefore round Jesseev - Expected by people of Messiah-Christ , Son of david (See: MF. 1: 1) , K.sober, as the two-thousand-year history showed, will the banner is interrupted. it the Omen We will divide people on believers and unbelievers who love the light and choose the darkness. "What is this during the interrupted sign? - The sign of the cross, which is confessed by the Church as a saving for the universe "(St. John Zlatoust). The meeting of God and the man who happened for the first time in the Jerusalem temple should be for every person his personal event. The path of salvation for everyone should begin with the meeting by Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. While such a meeting did not happen, a person remains sitting in the darkness ... and the shadows of death (See: MF. 4: 16).

On a fortieth day, at Christmas, a marsoblast occurred another meeting - the Church of the Old Testament and the Church of the New Testament. All gospel narration is imbued with the motive of accurate execution of the law of Moses: a forty-day term cleansingPrescribed by Levit Book (see: 12: 2-4), dedication of the original son of God (see: 3: 13), the symbolic redemption of it (Ex. 13: 13). However, it is easy to see that the spiritual center of the described event is completely transferred to the New Testament history. Now (Luch. 2: 29) means that the time of arrival came expected by many generations came. Saint Righteous Simeon speaks about the outcome of this world (verb released In Greek and Slavic texts, stands in the present time). The inspired speech of the elder Simeon is full of praise and thanksgiving to God for the fact that the promise periods were fulfilled. According to the patristic legend, the Holy Prophet Zechariah, the father of St. John the Forerunner, the most preching the virgin who came under the law for the execution of the rite, did not put on the site of wives coming to purification, but on the place of the maiden (wives having husbands to become not allowed there). And when the scribes and the Pharisees began to express indignation, Zechariah announced that this Mother and Christmas remains a Virgin and clean: "By Some and I, I didn't remove from the place appointed for the girls, because it is above all the virgins.

The third meeting has a purely personal character. For the elder Simeon, the day came, which he expected unusually long. He was promised to see the Savior of the World Born by the Notene Mary. Righteous Simeon, distinguished by an outstanding scholarship, as a man's wise and well-known divine Scripture, worked together with 72 translators on Faros Island in Alexandria, translated in the 80s of the III century to R.Kh. With Jewish at the Greek Books of the Old Testament. Translating the book of the Prophet Isaiah, he reached the words ce Deva in the womb ... Son will come (Is. 7: 14). Reading them, he doubted, thinking that it was impossible that the wife, who had no husband could give birth. Simeon took already a knife and wanted to clean these words in the book scroll and change the word "Virgo" to the word "wife." But at that time, the angel of the Lord appeared on him and, holding his hand, said: "I have faith written in words, and you will see the fulfillment of them, for you will not see death before you don't seem to be born from the clean virgin of Christ of the Lord." Having believed in the angel words, the old man Simeon was looking forward to coming to the world of Christ, conducting a righteous and immaculate life. According to legend, the old man Simeon has made a blessed death on the 360th year of his life. His holy relics were transferred under the emperor of Justine Junior (565-578) to Constantinople and laid at the Chalcopraritian temple at the limit of the Holy Apostle Jacob.

Prayer of St. Simeon God Drum ( now let your slave, Vladyko) Soon (on holidays) or read (during daily worship) at every evening, so that the outgoing day reminded each believer about the evening of his life, which will end out of this time life. It is necessary to live life in the world with God and the fulfillment of the Gospel Commandments to, as the Holy Older Simeon, happily to meet an endless bright day in the kingdom of heaven.

Speech at the PMMC teachers

Spiritual and moral meaning of Orthodox holidays

One of the problems of modern education is that the historical continuity of generations is not respected in the process of education. Children are deprived of the opportunity to take an example from people who lived in the past, do not know how people solved their problems, which became with those who went against higher values, and with those who were able to change their lives, feeding us a bright example. Currently, we need to direct efforts to revive the former culture, morality and education. All these areas excellently combines the tradition of Christian education.

The CPK program contains the section "Orthodox Holidays", which provides for a practical acquaintance with the liturgical year, which over time should go to extracurricular work. The CPK program recommends paying attention to the form of the holiday. A great place is given to acquaintance with Orthodox holidays at training activities. In 5-9 classes, the volume of time allocated to the study of holidays should be significantly reduced. It provides for the participation of schoolchildren in celebrations and cultural events devoted to a particular church holiday or event. In the 10-11 classes, the Orthodox Holidays section are studied independently, also provides for the participation of mass events.

Orthodox holidays return us to the origins of the existence and spiritual self-consciousness of the Russian people, introduce the domestic and moral bases of life. As if the past of Russia would come to life, the present and future is unthinkable. The Holy Russian Orthodox Church celebrates many commemorative days a year. Every day in the church calendar dedicated to the memory of the saints. That is, in this calendar "Red" days - holidays. What is a holiday? The explanatory dictionary gives several explanations of this word:

non-working day (from the word "idleness" - nothing nonsense);

the day of joy and celebrations established in honor of any outstanding event. Indeed, in our consciousness next to the word "holiday" most often worth the word "joy." Orthodox Christians understand the word "holiday" day, especially celebrated by the Church.

"A wonderful holiday is to abolish from sin," said I.Kronstadsky, All Russia Miracle. The main moral meaning of Orthodox holidays is revealed here. Many children (and this comes from the family) believe that the holidays are given for rest and idleness, justifying that"On holidays to work sin." The Lord straight said:"Day of the seventh ... give up to the Lord to your God" (Ex., 20.10). This means, give it to affairs, god plenty, and not on your affairs, everydays. They live at least one day a week in God, fight for the Lord God, who said:"Since you made it one of the sizes of my smaller, I made me" (MF, 20.40) What you will do for the neighbor of love for him for God, and not for the sake of the korear, the benefits, it is like the very gentleman of God did. - That's what the great mercy of God to us! You want the Lord myself to please God, to him, merciful. Enforget - all your neighbor.

The cycle of occupying "Orthodox ppradnikov" is to meet children with the history of Orthodox holidays, the traditions of domestic culture, with how they meet Orthodox holidays in Russia, help in the preparation and holding of calendar holidays with the participation of children and parents, reveal their life meaning.

O. Pavel Florensky called the Orthodox worship "Synthesis of Arts" - this phrase characterizes the Orthodox culture as a whole and the Orthodox holidays in particular. Orthodoxy has accumulated a colossal aesthetic potential, so deprivation of a modern person is the opportunity to master it - it means it is incomprehensible to drop it. Orthodox holidays are introduced a child to the spiritual, social and cultural life of their people. Orthodox holidays can be divided into two groups:

1. Holidays related to historical events; Such holidays make a great contribution to patriotic education, which is an integral part of the upbringing of moral;

2. Holidays, accompanied by folk rituals; Such holidays, showing the connection of holidays with a folk life, art and creativity, carry a huge moral potential.

Of great importance for the disclosure of the spiritual and moral meaning of Orthodox holidays has preparatory work to celebrate the event of a church calendar. The participation of children in musical, theater, dance studios introduces schoolchildren with the cultural life of the Russian people. In the Orthodox workshop, children are engaged in the manufacture of souvenirs to please close; The exhibitions of creative works are timed to the holiday. A fantasy, creativity, skill manifests itself in such activities. Everyone become participants in the action. It enriches comprehensively children, they learn tolerance, obedience, Orthodox ethics.

"The state cannot lead the people to heaven, but it must do everything to keep people from falling into hell," wrote Russian philosopher Vl. Solovyov. It is gratifying to note that the state consciously turns out to explore the consecrated Orthodox traditions, reunites the broken threads of our great spiritual heritage, resurrecting forgotten, but the instructive pages of the Russian state. We need the need to fill the spiritual vacuum by those values \u200b\u200bthat grow from our original identity. Holidays are coming to us, based on deep national and cultural traditions as an expression of basic value values \u200b\u200bof our people. We are talking about holidays:

All-Russian Day of Family, Love and Loyalty (July 8). Peter and Fevronia, Muroms, their lives appeared an example of the highest morality and the spiritual power of family feasures;

The Day of National Unity is timed to two holidays: state and church. This holiday is a sample in the field of social ministry of mercy and charity, passes under the motto: "Create good!";

The celebration of the birthday of Seraphim Sarovsky, all of Russia, the wonderworker, the life of which helps us understand what the point of our appearance in this world, how to find the path to the truth and worthy to go through it.

What value in the life of children is familiarizing them with the moral meaning of the Orthodox holidays, K. Shushinsky said well:

"Let everyone remember their childhood, and he will see that the holiday for the child is not at all what is for us that it is really an event in annual children's life and that the child considers his days from the holiday to the holiday, as we consider our years from one An important event of our life to another. The church with its solemn rites, nature with their annual changes and family with their festive traditions are the three elements entrusing every holiday of my childhood in my memory. " And further: "For a child, a bright holiday and spring, Christmas and winter, saved and ripe fruits, trinity and green birings merge into one mighty impression, fresh and full of life ... The first acquaintance with the evangelical events is more convenient to combine with an explanation of the upcoming holidays: here and The church service, and the story of the mother, and the festive feeling of the child - everything connects to revitalize that or another event. "

XXI The age, according to scientists, is predicted as a human age, where spirituality is recognized as a higher value. Only moral education, having thousand-year experience and examples of true devotees, the heroes of the Fatherland, can contribute to the reincarnation and improvement of a person.

Work in this direction will enable modern children, in addition to acquiring knowledge, become truly widely educated people, enrich their inner world, know spiritual and moral laws and learn how to build their lives based on these laws.

Hello, our dear visitors! The feast of the referee of the Lord (the frank February 15) has already passed. But still, we once again we offer you to plunge into this solemn day and understand your entire deep meaning.

"The event that gave the beginning of the two-month holiday, in spiritual terms multidimensionally," the Hieromona of Job (Gmer). - Russian word Meeting does not convey the main importance of the church-Slavic concept of consideration. There are usually equal.

"And here, - as Metropolitan Veniamina (Fedchenkov) noted, - more appropriate the Slavic word" Personalization ", for it speaks of the exhaustment of smaller to meet more, people who meet God" (letters about the two-month holidays. M., 2004. S. 170 -171). The event in the Jerusalem temple has special significance. The divine legislator itself is both born before all the creatures (count. 1: 15) and as the firstborn of the Virgin (Matt. 1: 25) is brought to God. This symbolic act is as it were for the beginning of the ministry, which on Earth ends with a great event: the embodied son of God brings all his father to the atonement of mankind, with whom she had previously met in the face of Holy Righteous Simeon. For you have seen the eyes of my salvation yours, which you prepared before the scenario of all nations, the light to the enlightenment of the pagans and the fame of the people of your Israel (Luke 2: 30-32). This thankful song on thoughts and expressions goes back to some places of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: And it will be on that day: to the root of Jesseev, who will be as a banner for peoples, pagans will be taught - and it will be fame (Is. 11: 10). Jesse was the father of King David. Therefore, the root of the Jesseev is the Mesia-Christ expected by people, the son of Davidov (see: MF. 1: 1), to the siff, as the two-thousandth history showed, will become the banner in the interruption. This sign will divide people on believers and unbelievers who loved the light and chosen to darkness. "What kind of sign broken? - The sign of the cross, which is confessed by the Church as a saving for the universe "(St. John Zlatoust). The meeting of God and the man who happened for the first time in the Jerusalem temple should be for every person his personal event. The path of salvation for everyone should begin with the meeting by Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. While such a meeting did not occur, a person remains sitting in the darkness ... and the shadows of the mortal (see: MF. 4: 16).

On a fortieth day, at Christmas, a marsoblast occurred another meeting - the Church of the Old Testament and the Church of the New Testament. All gospel narrative is imbued with the motive of accurate execution of the Law of Moses: a forty-day cleansing period, prescribed by Levite book (see: 12: 2-4), the initiation of the original son to God (see: 3: 13), the symbolic redemption of it (Ex. 13 : 13). However, it is easy to see that the spiritual center of the described event is completely transferred to the New Testament history. Now (Luch. 2: 29) means that the period expected by many generations came the Messiah. Saint Righteous Simeon speaks about the outcome of this world (the verb of letters in Greek and Slavic texts is worth in the present time). The inspired speech of the elder Simeon is full of praise and thanksgiving to God for the fact that the promise periods were fulfilled. According to the patristic legend, the Holy Prophet Zechariah, the father of St. John the Forerunner, the most preching the virgin who came under the law for the execution of the rite, did not put on the site of wives coming to purification, but on the place of the maiden (wives having husbands to become not allowed there). And when the scribes and the Pharisees began to express indignation, Zechariah announced that this Mother and Christmas remains a Virgin and clean: "By Some and I, I didn't remove from the place appointed for the girls, because it is above all the virgins.

The third meeting has a purely personal character. For the elder Simeon, the day came, which he expected unusually long. He was promised to see the Savior of the World Born by the Notene Mary. Righteous Simeon, distinguished by an outstanding scholarship, as a man's wise and well-known divine Scripture, worked together with 72 translators on Faros Island in Alexandria, translated in the 80s of the III century to R.Kh. With Jewish at the Greek Books of the Old Testament. Translated by the book of the Prophet Isaiah, he reached the words of Ce Virgo in the womb (IS. 7: 14). Reading them, he doubted, thinking that it was impossible that the wife, who had no husband could give birth. Simeon took already a knife and wanted to clean these words in the book scroll and change the word "Virgo" to the word "wife." But at that time, the angel of the Lord appeared on him and, holding his hand, said: "I have faith written in words, and you will see the fulfillment of them, for you will not see death before you don't seem to be born from the clean virgin of Christ of the Lord." Having believed in the angel words, the old man Simeon was looking forward to coming to the world of Christ, conducting a righteous and immaculate life. According to legend, the old man Simeon has made a blessed death on the 360th year of his life. His holy relics were transferred under the emperor of Justine Junior (565-578) to Constantinople and laid at the Chalcopraritian temple at the limit of the Holy Apostle Jacob.

The prayer of St. Simeon's God Drum (now let your slave, Vladyko) comes on (on holidays) or read (during daily worship) at every evening, so that the outgoing day reminded every believer about the evening of his life, which will end out of this time life. It is necessary to live life in the world with God and the fulfillment of the Gospel Commandments to, as the Holy Older Simeon, happily to meet an endless bright day in the kingdom of heaven.