The Meeting of the Lord.
In fulfilment of this law, the
Mother of God with Joseph brought the infant Jesus to
the Temple
in Jerusalem and brought for the sacrifice two fledgling
doves.
At this time in
Jerusalem, there lived an old man by the name of
Simeon. He was a righteous, pious man, and he awaited the
coming of the Messiah. It was foretold to him by the Holy
Spirit that he would not have died before he had seen
Christ the Lord. Simeon waited for the fulfilment of the
promise of God for a long time. According to tradition, he
lived about 300 years. Then, one day, by the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, he went to the Temple.
When Mary with Joseph brought the infant Jesus, Simeon met
the Child, took Him in his arms, and glorifying God said,
"Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O
Master, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all
peoples, a light of revelation for the Gentiles, and the
glory of Thy people Israel."
Simeon called the newborn Lord
as "a light to enlighten the Gentiles"
(that is, all the tribes and nations) and "the
glory of Thy people," — that is,
"Israel." There are two Israels:
in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. In the Old
Testament, it was the chosen Hebrew people or Israelites,
and in the New Testament — the whole Orthodox
Christian world.
Joseph and the Mother of God
marvelled at the words of Simeon. Simeon blessed them; and
turning to the Mother of God, he prophesied to
Her about the Child:
"Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising
again of many in Israel;
yea, a sword shall pass through Thy own soul, also."
The meaning is that She Herself would endure profound
grief over Her Son when He would suffer.
There was, in the
Temple, the pious widow Anna, a
prophetess, an eighty-four year
old widow, who served God with fasting and prayers night
and day. She recognized the Saviour and, coming in that
instant, glorified the Lord and spoke of Him to all of
those in Jerusalem who awaited the coming to earth of Christ
the Saviour.
When they had performed all
things according to the Law of the Lord, the Mother of God
with the Child and Joseph returned home.
This event, in which Saints
Simeon and Anna met in the Temple the infant Christ
presented by the Mother of God and Joseph and glorified
Him, is called the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord
and is celebrated in the Holy Orthodox Church as one of
the great feast days on the 2nd of
February (February 15th
NS).
The righteous Simeon is called
the God-receiver, that is, he who received in his hands
God the Saviour.
Note:
See the Gospel of Luke,
2:22-39.
Troparion of the
Feast.
Rejoice, Thou Who art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, for from Thee hath risen the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, enlightening those in darkness. Rejoice, thou also, O righteous Elder, as thou receivest in thine arms the Redeemer of our souls, Who also granteth unto us the Resurrection.
