Candles blessed on feast

On Tuesday, the Orthodox Church commemorates an important event in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2:22-40). Forty days after His birth the God-Infant was taken to the Jerusalem temple, the center of the nation’s religious life.

According to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12:2-8), a woman who gave birth to a male child was forbidden to enter the Temple of God for 40 days. At the end of this time, the mother came to the temple with the child, to offer a young lamb or pigeon to the Lord as a purification sacrifice. The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, had no need of purification, since she had given birth to the source of purity and sanctity without defilement. However, she humbly fulfilled the requirements of the law.

At this time the righteous Elder Simeon was living in Jerusalem. It had been revealed to him that he would not die until he should behold the promised Messiah. By inspiration from above, St. Simeon went to the temple at the very moment when the Most Holy Virgin and St. Joseph had brought the Infant Jesus to fulfill the law.

St. Simeon took the divine child in his arms, and giving thanks to God, he spoke the words repeated in the Orthodox Church each evening at the vespers service: “Lord now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32).

St. Simeon said to the Most Holy Virgin: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).

Also at the temple was the 84-year-old widow Anna the Prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, “who did not leave the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. She arrived just when St Simeon met the divine Child. She also gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:37-38).

In the icon of the feast she holds a scroll that reads: “This Child has established Heaven and earth.”

Before Christ was born, righteous men and women lived by faith in the promised Messiah, and awaited His coming. St. Simeon and the Prophetess Anna, the last righteous people of the Old Testament, were deemed worthy to meet the Savior in the temple.

The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is among the most-ancient feasts of the Christian Church. We have sermons on the feast by the holy bishops Methodius of Patara, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory the Theologian, Amphilocius of Iconium, Gregory of Nyssa and John Chrysostom. Despite its early origin, this feast was not celebrated so splendidly until the sixth century.

In 528, during the reign of Justinian, an earthquake killed many people in Antioch. Other misfortunes followed this one. In 541, a plague broke out in Constantinople, killing several thousand people each day. During this time of widespread suffering, a solemn prayer service (Litia) for deliverance from evils was celebrated on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, and the plague ceased. In thanksgiving to God, the Church established a more solemn celebration of this feast.

Church hymnographers have adorned this feast with their hymns: St. Andrew of Crete in the seventh century; St. Cosmas Bishop of Maium, St. John of Damascus and St. Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople in the eighth century; and St. Joseph, Archbishop of Thessalonica in the ninth century.

In the Orthodox tradition, this Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is marked by the blessing of candles. This blessing is done to commemorate the words of St. Simeon who was permitted by God to recognize the Savior and to proclaim Him to the world as “a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of Thy people Israel.”

Hymn (Troparion) of the Feast: “Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Full of Grace! From you shone the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, enlightening those who sat in darkness. Rejoice and be glad, O righteous Elder, you accepted in your arms the Redeemer of our souls, who grants us the Resurrection!”

The Rev. Andrew D. Nelko is pastor of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Campbell.