The history of the holiday of the introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple. About the feast of the introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple: the history of the holiday

It is one of the main twelve (twelves) Orthodox holidays, which is based on a church tradition about how, at the age of three, parents solemnly introduced Mary, the future Mother of God, into the Jerusalem Temple.

The holiday was established at the dawn of Christianity, and became widespread in Orthodoxy in the ninth century.

Tradition

The parents of the Virgin Mary, righteous Joachim and Anna, were childless until old age. Praying for the birth of a child, they made a vow, if a child was born, to dedicate it to God. They had a daughter, who, according to the direction of the Angel of God, was given the name Mary, which means in Hebrew “lady, hope.”

When she was three years old, Joachim and Anna, having gathered relatives and friends, sang sacred songs and with lighted candles they led their daughter to the Jerusalem Temple.

According to surviving evidence, the procession from Nazareth to Jerusalem lasted three days with short stops for rest.

When the procession reached the Jerusalem Temple, priests led by the high priest Zechariah came out to meet it singing. Righteous Anna led her daughter to the very entrance to the Jerusalem Temple.

A staircase of fifteen high steps led to the temple. Little Mary, as soon as she was placed on the first step, quickly climbed the remaining steps and ascended to the top one, where the high priest was waiting for her.

By inspiration from above, he introduced the Blessed Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where, of all people, only once a year the high priest entered with cleansing sacrificial blood, this revealed her special role in the fate of humanity.

The righteous Joachim and Anna, leaving their daughter in the temple, returned home. And Mary remained in the temple until she was fifteen years old, after which she was married to the elderly widower carpenter Joseph.

Earthly life is shrouded in deep mystery Holy Mother of God from infancy to ascension to heaven. Her life in the Jerusalem Temple was also secret.

Church tradition preserves information that during the stay of the Most Pure Virgin in the Jerusalem Temple, she was brought up in the company of pious virgins, diligently read the Holy Scriptures, did handicrafts, and constantly prayed.

Holiday

The Holy Church has been holding a solemn celebration in connection with the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple of Jerusalem since ancient times, although the time of establishment of the holiday in honor of this event is unknown with certainty.

The fact that the holiday was celebrated in the first centuries of Christianity is evidenced by the traditions of Palestinian Christians, which say that the holy Queen Helen built a temple in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.

In the 4th century, Saint Gregory of Nyssa mentioned this holiday, and in the 7th century, sermons on the day of the Entry were delivered by Saints Germanus and Tarasius, the Patriarchs of Constantinople.

In the East, the holiday became widespread already in the 13th century. In the ninth century, George, Metropolitan of Nicomedia, compiled the canon of the holiday ("I will open my mouth") and a series of stichera, and in the 10th century, Basil Pagariot, Archbishop of Caesarea, compiled the second canon of the holiday ("Song of Victory"). These stichera and canons are still sung by the Church today.

The Day of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple is the day of the appearance to the world of God’s chosen one, the purest of all who lived on earth, who did not have even a shadow of a sinful thought.

The essence

The Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a sign of the Nativity of Christ and God’s favor towards the human race.

The Virgin Mary, who gave birth to Christ the Savior, served more than anyone else for the salvation of humanity. Christmas and the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos are holidays in which the Old Testament ends and its meaning is revealed as a guide to Christ.

This holiday, associated with the Old Testament temple, marks the beginning of the replacement of the Old Testament worship with its bloody sacrifices as the annual Jewish tradition of cleansing from sins - with the New Testament of the Divine Redeemer, shedding His Blood to atone for the sins of all mankind.

Reproduction of the icon "Crucifixion"

Beginning with the festive service for the Introduction, Christmas carols are heard in the church. Therefore, on this day it is very important to deviate from vain earthly affairs and give your strength to prayer, thoughts about the gracious mercy of God.

Traditions

On the day of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, a festive service is held in all Orthodox churches in the morning. Only holiday songs are sung. The clergy wear white and/or blue vestments.

The holiday falls on the Nativity fast. On this day you are allowed to eat fish.

In Rus', in Introduction, it was customary to visit each other. Another sign was associated with this tradition - the one who visits the house first will bring good luck or misfortune.

If a man, then good - the whole year will be happy and joyful, if a woman, then vice versa - the year will pass in unhappiness and the owners will be haunted by failures.

And on the tables you could see not only buns and bagels bought at the fair, but also dumplings with berries. Moreover, a coin was necessarily placed in one of them, or maybe two. Whoever gets it will spend the whole year in joy and happiness.

Signs

People believed that after the Introduction the earth was resting, and therefore, in order not to disturb its peace, they did not dig until the Annunciation (April 7). Otherwise, the harvest will be meager.

The frost on the Introduction said that all winter holidays will be frosty, if, on the contrary, it is warm, then, accordingly, further celebrations will not be cold.

They also believed that if snow falls before the holiday, it will not last long and will soon melt, and the winter itself will not be harsh. If this happens after the Introduction, then the snow will last until February.

The material was prepared based on open sources

The introduction into the temple of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is one of the 12 main church (twelfth) holidays. Orthodox believers celebrate it (November 21, old style).

The holiday is based on the church tradition of the introduction of the Virgin Mary into the Jerusalem Temple for dedication to God.

According to this legend, the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos, righteous Joachim and Anna, were childless until old age. Praying for the birth of a child, they made a vow, if a child was born, to dedicate it to God. Until the age of three, Mary lived with her parents in Nazareth. When she was three years old, Joachim and Anna, having gathered relatives and acquaintances, singing sacred songs and lighting candles, took their daughter to the Jerusalem Temple.

According to the surviving testimonies of the ancient holy fathers of the church, the procession from Nazareth to Jerusalem lasted three days with short stops for rest.

At the front of the procession walked young maidens with lighted candles, followed by Joachim and Anna, who led their daughter by the hand as she walked between her parents. Relatives and friends brought up the rear of the procession. When the procession reached the Jerusalem Temple, priests led by Bishop Zacharias came out singing. Righteous Anna led her daughter to the very entrance to the Jerusalem Temple. The entrance to the temple was a platform, to which 15 steps led from the ground, according to the number of 15 psalms sung here by the priests and Levites. Joachim and Anna placed Mary on the first step. Despite her young age, the Blessed Virgin climbed the remaining 14 steps without any outside help and stood at the top of the church platform, which surprised everyone present.

The priests of the temple and the high priest himself, who, according to legend, was Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, came out to meet the Virgin Mary. By inspiration from above, he led the Blessed Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where of all people only once a year the high priest entered with cleansing sacrificial blood and there he showed her the place of prayer. Usually the virgins brought to the service of God in the temple prayed between the church and the altar, and only Mary, from the time of her introduction, was allowed by Zechariah to enter the inner altar to pray.

The righteous Joachim and Anna, leaving their Daughter in the temple, returned home. Mary, according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures and the historian Josephus, remained in the room for virgins, located at the temple. Around the temple there were many living quarters in which those dedicated to serving God lived.

When the Blessed Virgin Mary turned 15 years old, the high priest and priests began to advise her to leave the temple and, as was customary then, to get married. To this she told them about her vow to remain a virgin forever, which surprised them a lot - according to the teachings of the rabbis, every Israeli woman and every Israeli man should get married. Then the priest Zechariah invited her relative, the elderly Joseph, to become Mary’s guardian. To fulfill the law, he had to be formally betrothed to her, but in fact become the guardian of her vow. After the betrothal, Righteous Joseph went with the Blessed Virgin to Galilee, to his city of Nazareth.

In commemoration of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple of Jerusalem, the church has established a solemn celebration since ancient times. Indications of the celebration of the holiday in the first centuries of Christianity are found in the traditions of Palestinian Christians, which say that the holy Queen Helen built a temple in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. In the 4th century, Saint Gregory of Nyssa mentioned this holiday. In the 8th century, sermons on the day of the Entry were delivered by Saints Herman and Tarasius, the Patriarchs of Constantinople.
Since the 9th century, the holiday has become widespread in the Christian East.

December 4 is the great twelfth feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple of Jerusalem.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

When the Virgin Mary was three years old, her parents Joachim and Anna decided to fulfill the vow they had made to dedicate their Daughter to God and headed to the Jerusalem Temple. Near its entrance stood young virgins called by the Father of the Young Lady with lit lamps, so that Mary would love the temple with all her fiery heart.

The Blessed Virgin, despite Her age, easily overcame steep steps temple. She was met and blessed by the high priest - according to legend, it was Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.

By special revelation of God, Zechariah led Mary into the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest had the right to enter once a year. This was a prophecy that the Young Lady herself would become an animated temple of God.

About the Feast of Introduction

Saint Philaret of Moscow

How does such an apparently private incident - the introduction into the temple and dedication of a three-year-old virgin to God - become the subject of general celebration in the Church?

This adventure of the infant Bride of God is a certain beginning of Her betrothal to the Holy Spirit. And therefore, in some way, the first guarantee of the betrothal of all humanity to the Divine.

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt

How did the blessed Virgin spend her time in the temple? Taught by the Holy Spirit Himself through the virgins in Hebrew writing and prayer, She spent time in prayer, reading the word of God, as you see in the icon of the Annunciation, in contemplation of God and handicrafts.

Her love for conversation with God and for reading the word of God was so great that she forgot about food and drink, and the archangel, at the command of God, brought Her heavenly food, as the Church sings in its stichera for this holiday.

Angel brings food to the Virgin Mary

Since the Most Holy Virgin was brought into the temple to be educated by the Lord, then Let us now remember the benefits and necessity of visiting the temple of God, as the house of God, and the place of our education for the Heavenly Fatherland.

We are called Christians and we are all called by Jesus Christ to the Heavenly Fatherland to be heavenly citizens, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. Our rank is very high, our duties are also very important; We must have an exalted, holy, meek, humble spirit.

Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov)

Now the Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the day of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin into the Temple of Jerusalem by Her parents, since they made a vow to dedicate Her to God.

What could Her service consist of? First in glorifying God, who always receives praise from the mouth of a child. Then the Blessed Virgin acquired grace from the Lord through obedience and her humility, which she proved by accepting the great and terrible responsibilities of the Mother of God.

All her life She served God as a true servant of the Lord, sometimes raising the Divine Youth, fearing for His life, protecting Him from enemies; sometimes suffering in anticipation of His glorification on earth, when the people did not recognize Him as the Messiah, and then the apostles did not yet have a firm faith; then, invisibly for everyone, She carried her cross - poverty and took care of the needs of those tested by Christ Himself.

She shuddered at the sight of the increasing hostility against Jesus every day, and finally, a weapon pierced Her maternal heart during the trial of Christ, when She saw Her Son, tormented, bloodied and crucified on the Cross, given to humanity for salvation.

Then She suffered from the inconsolable grief of loneliness, remaining on earth after the Ascension of the Savior. She then served the Lord, fulfilling her apostolic assignment and establishing Christian Church in pagan lands.

Then, finally, languishing until old age on earth, awaiting her relocation to the Heavenly Kingdom of Her Son and Savior, She still serves God and people as a Representative, Intercessor, and Prayer Book. for the sins of humanity, as the Deliverer from troubles and deserved punishments, as the Comforter of the sorrowful. This greatest service will be performed and continue until the Second Coming of Christ.

Archimandrite John (Peasant)

Why did the holiday become the twelfth? Yes, because, my dears, the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin into the Temple became a necessary link in God’s saving providence for the world.

This event put an end to the centuries-long alienation of man from God and his stay under slavery to sin.

The sanctuary of the Jerusalem Temple, where God lived and where He showed His presence, inaccessible to anyone except the high priest and then once a year, is revealed by God's grace to God's chosen Maiden - the Daughter of Man. And the Most Holy Virgin is introduced into the Holy of Holies, invisible to the world, carrying within Her a great sacrifice, a new living sacrifice - Christ - God and Man.

Titian, Introduction to the Temple (1538)

The Old Testament temple of God received the seed of new life - the Virgin Mary, in whom the New, saving Covenant of humanity with God will spiritually vegetate and sprout. With the entry of God's Chosen Young Lady into the temple, the time has come when God's favor returns to people, and they will approach God as their Heavenly Father.

Mary, nourished by God's grace, having lost in last years During her life at the temple, her only attachment to the earth - her righteous parents - made a vow to God - to maintain virginity until the end of her life and remain a servant of the Lord, serving Him alone and surrendering in everything and always to His Holy will.

Archpriest Valerian Krechetov

The elderly couple Joachim and Anna received a gift from God - the long-awaited Child, the future Mother of God. And this child, begged for by many tears, three-year-old girl, that is, a three-year-old little girl, they take her to the temple of God and, according to the vow they previously made, dedicate her to God. It was a feat of complete self-sacrifice and devotion to the will of God.

Joachim and Anna

Anyone who has children knows how difficult it is.- especially at the advanced age that Joachim and Anna then entered - parents would be deprived of the consolation of seeing, raising, educating their only child.

In life, however, it often happens that parents have to be separated from their children. Parents die, sometimes a child dies. And if a person becomes rich not in God, but in himself, that is, if he thinks only about himself, about his joys, then for him this is a tragedy.

And Saints Joachim and Anna voluntarily gave up the Child, depriving themselves of parental consolation for the sake of God. And the Lord rewarded them a hundredfold for this, because later they accepted their Daughter as the Queen of Heaven, as the Mother of God. It’s impossible to even imagine what kind of reward they received.

The Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is a holiday that came to us from Church Tradition. On this day, Christians remember how Saints Joachim and Anna brought the three-year-old Virgin Mary to the Jerusalem Temple. Thus, the parents of the Mother of God fulfilled their vow - the promise to dedicate their long-awaited daughter to God. We will tell you about the history, features and traditions of the holiday.

What is the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple?

The Entry into the Temple of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is the full name of the holiday that the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on December 4 (new style). This is the second twelfth feast of the Mother of God of the church year. The twelfths are holidays that are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God).

On this day, Orthodox Christians remember how the holy righteous Joachim and Anna brought their three-year-old daughter, the Most Holy Theotokos, to the Jerusalem Temple. They did this to fulfill their vow before the Lord - to dedicate their daughter to His service. From that day on, the Virgin Mary lived at the Jerusalem Temple - until the very moment she was betrothed to the righteous Joseph.

We will not find mention of the events of this holiday in the canonical Gospels, but Church Tradition (which is revered on a par with Holy Scripture) tells us about it. Namely - “The History of Jacob about the Birth of Mary”, or “Proto-Gospel of Jacob” (II century), and “The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew” (the Latin version of the childhood of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, which developed by the 9th-10th centuries, but based on earlier “ Gospels of Childhood").

Events of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

When the Virgin Mary was three years old, her righteous parents Joachim and Anna realized that the time had come to fulfill the vow they had made to God. Namely, to dedicate the daughter to His service. They brought Mary to the walls of the Jerusalem Temple. As the Holy Tradition says, the Mother of God easily climbed the steep steps, despite the fact that she was just a baby. The high priest was already waiting for her upstairs to bless her. According to some sources, this was Saint Zechariah, the future father of the prophet John the Baptist.

Zechariah had a revelation from the Lord, and he led Mary into the Holy of Holies - a place where only the high priest was allowed to enter, and even then only once a year. From this moment, unusual for contemporaries, the long, glorious and difficult road of the Mother of God began.

Years passed, the Mother of God lived and served at the Temple. She spent her days in prayer, studying the Holy Scriptures - right up to the moment when she was betrothed to the righteous Joseph.

When is the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple celebrated?

The Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated on December 4 according to the new style (November 21 according to the old style). This is an impermanent holiday, that is, its date is unchanged.

What can you eat at the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

The holiday falls on the Nativity Fast (also called Philipp Fast). On this day you are allowed to eat fish.

History of the celebration of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

As Church Tradition says, the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary was known already in the first centuries of Christianity. Empress Helen Equal to the Apostles (years of life: 250-330) built a temple in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. And in the 4th century, St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote about the holiday.

The Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary became widespread only in the 9th century. George of Nicomedia and Joseph of Songs wrote two canons for the service of this day.

Iconography of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

On the icons dedicated to the events of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Mother of God herself is depicted in the center of the composition. She is wearing a maforiya, the traditional clothing of married women. Standing nearby are the holy righteous Joachim and Anna - the parents who brought her to the Jerusalem Temple.

The temple itself is most often depicted as a ciborium (a tent, a canopy over the throne). The priest Zechariah, the future father of the prophet John the Baptist, meets the Virgin Mary. Also on the icon we see a staircase of fifteen steps - according to Tradition, the three-year-old Mother of God climbed them on her own, without the help of adults.

Divine service of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On the day of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, the festive service consists of Little Vespers, all-night vigil(with lithium), hours and liturgy. The charter of the service is practically no different from the charter of the other twelfth celebrations of the Mother of God (Nativity of the Virgin Mary and Assumption). Only holiday songs are sung. The clergy wear white and/or blue vestments.

Prayer for the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Troparion of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

voice 4
Today is the day of God's favor, the transfiguration and the preaching of the salvation of men: in the temple of God the Virgin clearly appears and announces Christ to everyone. To that we too will loudly cry out: Rejoice, fulfillment of the Creator’s vision.

Translation:

Now is the forerunner of God’s favor and the foretelling of the salvation of people: the Virgin solemnly appears in the temple of God and announces Christ to everyone; To her we too will loudly exclaim: “Rejoice, fulfilling the Creator’s providence for us.”

Kontakion of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

voice 4
The most pure temple of the Savior, the valuable palace and the Virgin, the sacred treasure of the glory of God, is today introduced into the house of the Lord, the grace of the Divine Spirit, even as the Angels of God sing: This is the village of Heaven.

Translation:

The purest temple of the Savior, the valuable palace and the Virgin, the sacred treasure of the glory of God, is now being introduced into the house of the Lord, bringing with Him the grace of the Divine Spirit; The Angels of God sing about her: “She is a heavenly dwelling.”

The Majesty of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

We magnify you, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor your entry into the temple of the Lord.

Translation:

We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor Your entrance into the temple of the Lord.

Saint Gregory Palamas. Sermon on the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple

If “A tree is known by its fruit”, And “A good tree produces good fruit”(Matt. 7 :17; OK. 6 :44), then how could the Mother of Goodness Itself and the Parent of Eternal Beauty not be incomparably more excellent than any good found in the natural and supernatural world? For the Coeternal and Immutable Image of the goodness of the Most High Father, the Eternal, Pre-existing and Most Good Word, out of indescribable love for mankind and compassion for us, desired to take upon Himself our image, in order to recall our nature to Himself from the lowest hell, in order to renew this decayed nature and elevate it to heavenly heights - for all this he finds the kindest Servant, the Ever-Virgin, Whom we glorify and whose miraculous Entry into the temple - into the Holy of Holies we now celebrate. God predestined her before the ages for the salvation and proclamation of our race: She is chosen from among those chosen from the ages and glorious both in their piety and prudence, and in God-pleasing words and deeds.

Once the culprit of evil, the serpent rose above us and drew us into his abyss. Many reasons prompted him to rebel against us and enslave our nature: envy, rivalry, hatred, injustice, deceit, cunning and, in addition to all this, the deadly force in him, which he himself generated for himself, as the first apostate from true life . The culprit of evil envied Adam, seeing him rushing from earth to heaven, from where, in justice, he himself was overthrown and, envious, attacked Adam with terrible rage, even wanted to clothe him with death. After all, envy is the parent not only of hatred, but also of the murder that this truly misanthrope committed over us, cunningly coming to us, for he extremely unjustly wanted to be the ruler over earthly creatures for the destruction of a creature created in the image and likeness of God. And since he did not have enough courage to attack himself personally, he resorted to cunning and cunning and, taking the form of a sensual serpent, turning to the earth-born as a friend and useful adviser, this truly terrible enemy and attacker, imperceptibly moves on to action and with his Godless advice, he pours his own deadly force, like poison, into a person.

If Adam had perhaps held fast to the Divine commandment, he would have been victorious over his enemy and would have risen above deadly defilement; but since, on the one hand, having voluntarily succumbed to sin, he was defeated and became a sinner, and on the other hand, being the root of our race, he gave birth to us as deadly offspring, then in order for us to destroy the deadly poison of soul and body and again acquire eternal life for ourselves, it was absolutely necessary for our race to have a new root. We needed to have a new Adam, who would not only be sinless and completely invincible, but would be able to forgive sins and deliver from punishment those subject to it - and would not only have life, but also the ability to give life, in order to make participants in the lives of those who were subject to it. who cleave to Him and belong to His family, and not only the representatives of the generation following Him, but also those who have already died before Him. Therefore Saint Paul, that great trumpet of the Holy Spirit, exclaims: “I was the first man... I live in my soul”, and the second person "the Spirit gives life"(1 Cor. 15 :45).

But, besides God, no one is sinless, does not give life and cannot forgive sins. Therefore, the new Adam had to be not only Man, but also God, so that He in Himself would be life, and wisdom, and truth, and love, and mercy, and in general every good thing in order to bring the old Adam into renewal and revival by mercy , wisdom, truth, by the opposite means of which the author of evil caused us death.

Thus, just as this primordial murderer exalted himself over us with envy and hatred, so the Author of life was raised up for us by His immeasurable love for mankind and His goodness. Truly, He strongly desired the salvation of His creation, which salvation consisted in subduing it again to Himself, just as the author of evil wanted the destruction of God’s creation, which consisted in putting man under his power, and tyrannizing himself over him. And just as he brought victory to himself and man’s fall through injustice, treachery, deception, and his cunning, so the Liberator secured for Himself the defeat of the author of evil and renewed His creation with truth, wisdom, and truth.

It was a matter of perfect justice that our nature, which was voluntarily enslaved and defeated, itself again entered into the struggle for victory and overthrew voluntary slavery from itself. That is why God was pleased to take upon Himself our nature from us, miraculously uniting with it Hypostasis. But the union of the Highest Nature, the purity of which is incomprehensible to our minds, with the sinful nature was impossible before it purified itself. Therefore, for the conception and birth of the Giver of purity, a completely Immaculate and Most Pure Virgin was necessary.

Now we celebrate the memory of what once contributed to this incarnation. For He who is from God, God of the Word and Son, Co-original and Co-eternal to the Most High Father, is made the Son of Man, the son of the Ever-Virgin. “Jesus Christ yesterday and today, the same and forever”(Heb. 13 :8), unchangeable in Divinity and immaculate in humanity, He is alone, as the prophet Isaiah foretold about Him, “ You shall not commit iniquity; flattery will be found in his mouth.”(Isa. 53 :9), - He alone was not conceived in iniquities, and His birth was not in sins, contrary to what the prophet David testifies about himself and about every other person (Ps. 50 :7). He alone was completely pure and did not even need purification for Himself: for our sake He took upon Himself suffering, death and resurrection.

God is born from the Immaculate and Holy Virgin, or, better, from the All-Pure and All-Holy. This Virgin is not only above all carnal defilement, but even above all unclean thoughts, and Her conception was not determined by the lust of the flesh, but by the overshadowing of the Most Holy Spirit. When the Virgin lived completely away from people and was in a prayerful mood and spiritual joy, She said to the Angel who announced the gospel: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be unto me according to thy command.”(OK. 1 :38) and, having conceived, gave birth. So, in order to prove a Virgin worthy for this highest goal, God, before the ages, intends and from among those chosen from the beginning of the century chooses this Ever-Virgin, now praised by us. Pay attention also to where this election began. Of the sons of Adam, God chose the wonderful Seth, who, by the decency of his morals, by the splendor of his feelings, by the height of his virtues, revealed himself to be animated by heaven, which is why he was awarded the election, from which the Virgin - the Divine chariot of the Most Heavenly God - was to be born and call earth-born to heavenly adoption. For this reason, the entire family of Seth was called “the sons of God”: for from this generation the Son of God was born, since the name Seth means an uprising or resurrection (from the dead), which, in fact, is the Lord, who promises and gives immortal life believers in His Name. And what strict accuracy of this prototype! Seth was born by Eve, as she herself said, instead of Abel, whom Cain killed out of envy (Gen. 4 :25), and the Son of the Virgin, Christ, was born for us in place of Adam, whom the author and patron of evil killed out of envy. But Seth did not resurrect Abel: for he served only as a prototype of the resurrection, and our Lord Jesus Christ resurrected Adam, since He is Life and Resurrection for the earthly, for which the descendants of Seth, according to hope, were honored with Divine adoption, being called children of God. And that as a result of this hope they were called sons of God, this is shown by the first so-called and successor son of Seth, Enos, who, according to the testimony of Moses, was the first to hope to be called by the name of the Lord (Gen. 4 :26).

Thus, the election of the future Mother of God, starting from the very sons of Adam and passing through all generations of time, according to the foreknowledge of God, reaches the king and prophet David and the successors of his kingdom and family. When the time of election came, God chose Joachim and Anna from the house and fatherland of David. Although they were childless, in their virtuous life and good morals they were better than anyone who came from the tribe of David. And when in prayer they asked God for permission for childlessness and promised to dedicate what was born, from His very childhood, to God, the Mother of God was announced to them and given from God as a Child - so that from such many virtuous people the Most Virtuous and Most Pure Virgin would be conceived, so that, thus, and chastity, combined with prayer, was fertilized, and the Most Pure One became the Mother of virginity, giving birth incorruptibly in the flesh to Him who, according to Divinity, was born before the ages from God the Father. And so, when the righteous Joachim and Anna saw that they were honored with their desire and God’s promise to them was realized in practice, then they, as true lovers of God, for their part, hastened to fulfill their vow given to God: they now brought this to the temple of God, truly, the Holy and Divine Child of the Virgin Mary, as soon as She stopped feeding on milk. And She, despite such a small age, was full of Divine gifts and understood more than others what was happening to Her, and with all Her qualities she showed that they were not bringing Her into the temple, but that She Herself, of her own urge, came to serve God, as if on self-born wings, striving for sacred and Divine love, being convinced that Her introduction into the temple - into the Holy of Holies and staying in it is a thing desired by Her. That is why the high priest, seeing that Divine grace abided on the Maiden above all others, wished to infuse Her into the Holy of Holies and convinced everyone to willingly agree with this. And God assisted the Virgin and sent Her through His Angel mysterious food, thanks to which She strengthened by nature and became purer than the angels, while having Heavenly spirits in her service. And not only once was She introduced into the Holy of Holies, but was accepted by God to stay with Him for many years: for through Her in due time the Heavenly Mansions were opened and given for eternal residence to those who believed in Her miraculous Birth. This, then, is why the Chosen One from the beginning of the century among the elect turned out to be the Holy of Holies. Having Her body purer than the spirits themselves purified by virtue, so that it could receive the very Hypostatic Word of the Eternal Father, the Ever-Virgin Mary, as the Treasure of God, according to her heritage was now placed in the Holy of Holies, so that in due time, as it was, she could serve for enrichment and to a premium decoration. Therefore, Christ God glorifies His Mother, both before birth and after birth.

We, thinking about the salvation accomplished for us through the Most Holy Virgin, will give Her all our strength thanks and praise. And truly, if the grateful wife (about whom the Gospel tells us), having heard a few saving words of the Lord, gave thanks to His Mother, raising her voice from the crowd and saying to Christ: “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts that nourished Thee”(OK. 11 :27), then all the more we, Christians, who have inscribed in our hearts the words of eternal life and not only words, but also miracles and suffering, and through them the restoration of our nature from the dead, and the ascension from earth to heaven, and the immortality promised to us life, and immutable salvation, all the more so after all this we cannot help but glorify and tirelessly please the Mother of the Chief of Salvation and the Giver of Life, celebrating Her conception and birth and now Her Entry into the Temple - into the Holy of Holies. Let us move ourselves, brothers, from the earth of grief, let us be transferred from the flesh to the spirit, let us prefer the desire for the permanent rather than the temporary. Let us give due contempt to carnal pleasures, which serve as bait against the soul and soon pass away. Let us desire spiritual gifts as incorruptible. Let us divert our minds and our attention from worldly concerns and raise it into the heavenly depths - into that Holy of Holies, where the Mother of God now dwells. For in this way, our hymns and prayers with God-pleasing boldness and benefit will reach Her, and thanks to Her intercession, we, along with present blessings, will become heirs of future, endless blessings, by grace and love for us for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, born of Her, to Him glory, power, honor and worship are due with His Originless Father and with His Eternal and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

At the beginning of the Nativity Fast, we reverently celebrate the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple. The temple is God's destiny, it is a place that belongs inseparably to God, a place where no thoughts, no feelings, no will can be other than the will of God. And so the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God in her young, infant years is brought to the temple of the Lord, enters that region where there is nothing but God and His ways. She is immersed in prayer, She stands before the Living God, She devotes herself to women’s holy work, which can be an expression - if only a person’s heart is sensitive and pure - of love and care. And immersed in this element of Divine presence and human adoration, She grows, from year to year, to the full measure of Her maturity. And when the great Archangel of the Annunciation appears before Her and announces to Her that, mysteriously and incomprehensibly, the Lord will be born of Her, She surrenders to Him unconditionally, in awe and humble obedience: Behold, the servant of the Lord, may it be done to me according to His will...

Over these years of complete immersion in the mystery of God, in the mystery of love, She became capable of becoming the One through whom the saving, transforming, sacrificial and cross-like love of God will enter the world. Saint Gregory Palamas tells us that the incarnation of the Son of God would have been just as impossible without the permission of His earthly Mother as without the will of the Heavenly Father. Having gone entirely into God's will, into the mystery of love for Him, and in Him for all creation, She was able to pronounce the name of God, the holy, mysterious name, which coincides with His personality, with all Her thoughts, with all Her heart, with all Her will and everything. His body, and this Word became flesh, and therefore we reverently contemplate this unique, unique holiness of the Mother of God.

But it is not in vain that this holiday is set as the threshold of our procession towards the Nativity of Christ, the embodiment of the Word of God. And we must prepare in this way, go so deep, so purify our hearts, sanctify our thoughts, renew our wills, sanctify our flesh, so that the eternal life revealed in Christ can be born in us, so that we, immersed in His death, those who rose by His Resurrection on the day of our baptism could really grow together with Him, so be one with Him, just as the members of the body are one with each other, just as the whole body is one with the head.

The Mother of God gave birth to the world the creative Word and incarnate Love; and we have been given through prayer, fidelity to the gospel path, love for God and our neighbor, renunciation of ourselves, giving of ourselves without reserve to both God and our neighbor - and we have been given to unite with God so mysteriously that we too will be resurrected with Christ and in Christ. The path lies before us now; let us walk this path not just in anticipation of a miracle at the end of this path, but by becoming living, creative participants in this path, so that the Lord will be born and so that with Him a new, jubilant, all-conquering love and life will be born in us eternal. Amen.

Vvedenskoe Cemetery

There are many toponyms associated with the Feast of the Entry of the Virgin Mary in Russia. One of the most famous is the Vvedenskoye Cemetery.

Vvedenskoye Cemetery (also known as German or Vvedensky Mountains) was founded in 1771 during the plague epidemic. It is located in the east of Moscow, in the Lefortovo area. In the 18th-19th centuries it was called the German Cemetery, since mainly Catholics and Lutherans were buried there.

The cemetery got its name because of the Vvedensky Mountains (aka Lefortovo Hill). This is a hill on the left bank of the Yauza (one of the “seven hills” of Moscow). The mountains, in turn, received their name from the village of Vvedenskoye that was once here, and it, in turn, from the wooden Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary into the Temple, built on the hills in 1643 by order of Tsarina Evdokia Lukyanovna, the second wife of Tsar Mikhail Romanov.

The wall and cemetery buildings were built in late XIX- beginning of the 20th century. In the 1960s, the territory was expanded and a columbarium wall was built.

Many famous people are buried in the cemetery, and some of the monuments and tombstones created by famous architects and sculptures are recognized as cultural heritage sites.

Traditions of the celebration of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In Rus', noisy and cheerful introduction fairs were held in all cities and villages. The most famous was the wide Moskovskaya. Fish auctions took place here, and peddlers offered customers to try piping hot buns, pretzels, gingerbread cookies, pancakes, and pies. We washed everything down with a hot honey drink - sbiten.

On the screensaver is a fragment of the painting Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary(Titian, 1534-1538)

Feast of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple, relating to Orthodox Church to the category of the twelfth, established in honor of the event of the bringing of the Most Holy Theotokos by Her parents to the Jerusalem Temple for dedication to God.

There is an ancient tradition of the Church about how the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos Joachim and Anna brought the little girl Mary to the temple of God. They did not have children for a long time. And with their prayers, tears of hope in the Lord, and hopes, they receive a blessed gift - a desired child. Joachim and Anna promised God to dedicate this child to Him, to give Him the most valuable thing they had - their child.

When the Blessed Virgin was three years old, the holy parents decided to fulfill their promise. Having gathered relatives and friends, dressing the Most Pure Mary in her best clothes, singing sacred songs, with lighted candles in her hands, they brought her to the Jerusalem Temple, located three days’ journey from Nazareth.

After entering the city and seven days of purification by fasting and prayer, the righteous Joachim and Anna with all those accompanying them approached the temple, leading their three-year-old daughter. The priests, led by the high priest Zechariah, came out of the temple to meet them.

The porch leading to the temple consisted of 15 high steps, according to the number of sedate psalms that the priests and Levites sang on each step upon entering the temple. Baby Mary, it seemed, could not climb this ladder herself.

Joachim and Anna placed their daughter on the first step, strengthened by the power of God. She quickly overcame the remaining steps and ascended to the top. Then the high priest, by inspiration from above, led the Most Holy Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where, of all people, only once a year did the high priest enter with cleansing sacrificial blood. Everyone present in the temple marveled at the extraordinary event.

The righteous Joachim and Anna, having entrusted the Child to the will of the Heavenly Father, returned home. The Most Blessed Mary remained in the room for virgins located at the temple. Around the temple, according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures and the historian Josephus, there were many living quarters in which those dedicated to serving God lived.

The earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos from infancy to her ascension to heaven is shrouded in deep mystery. Her life in the Jerusalem Temple was also hidden. “If someone asked me,” said Blessed Jerome, “how the Blessed Virgin spent her youth, I would answer: that is known to God Himself and the Archangel Gabriel, Her constant guardian.”

But Church tradition preserves information that during the stay of the Most Pure Virgin in the Jerusalem Temple, she was brought up in the company of pious virgins, diligently read the Holy Scriptures, was engaged in needlework, I prayed constantly and grew in love for God. In memory of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple of Jerusalem, the Holy Church has established a solemn celebration since ancient times. Indications of the celebration of the holiday in the first centuries of Christianity are found in the traditions of Palestinian Christians, which say that the holy Queen Helen built a temple in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.
In the 4th century, Saint Gregory of Nyssa mentioned this holiday. In the 8th century, sermons on the day of the Entry were delivered by Saints Herman and Tarasius, the Patriarchs of Constantinople.

The Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is a foreshadowing of God's favor towards the human race, a preaching of salvation, a promise of Christ's coming.

Situated at the very beginning of the Nativity Fast, the Introduction opens up the Christmas theme: at the festive morning, the irmos of the first canon of the Nativity of Christ are used as a catavasia, and from that time on, in the worship of some days of the Nativity Fast, features of the forefeast of the Nativity appear.

Mary entered the house of God
With a soul like an Angel, she is bright.
The Creator's limitless power
She was led up the steps.

Leaving the earthly abode,
Your tender parents,
I came so that the Lord Almighty
There was Her Son and the Eternal Bridegroom!

I came to raise you from the fall
A race of sinful, unhappy people.
I came to give them salvation,
Covering them with His love.

“Come, my dear Daughter,
To the One who sent You to me.
Come, dragging the dove,
To the One who gave you life!”

The priest introduces the Most Pure One
In the Holy of Holies and the Creator
He descends with his grace,
Putting a crown on Her head!
PRAYER TO THE MOTHER OF GOD

Mira Intercessor, Mother All-Singing!
I am before You with a prayer:
Poor sinner, dressed in darkness,
Cover with grace! If trials befall me,
Sorrows, losses, enemies -
In a difficult hour of life, in a moment of suffering,
Please help me!
Yu. Zhadovskaya

Prayer before the icon of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Oh, Most Holy Virgin, Queen of Heaven and Earth, before the ages the chosen Bride of God, who in recent times came to the lawful temple to betrothal to the Heavenly Bridegroom! You left Your people and Your father’s house in order to offer Yourself a pure and immaculate sacrifice to God, and You were the first to take a vow of perpetual virginity. Grant us also to keep ourselves in chastity and purity and in the fear of God all the days of our lives, so that we may be temples of the Holy Spirit, especially help everyone, in imitation of Thy, who live in the monasteries and who have betrothed themselves to the service of God in the purity of virginity to lead their lives from youth to bear the good and light yoke of Christ, holyly keeping one’s vows. You, O All-Pure One, spent all the days of Your youth in the temple of the Lord, far from the temptations of this world, in ever-watching prayer and in all mental and physical abstinence, help us to repel all the temptations of the enemy from the flesh, the world and the devil that come upon us from our youth ours, and overcome them with prayer and fasting. You are in the temple of the Lord with the abiding angels, you have been adorned with all the virtues, especially with humility, purity and love, and you have been brought up worthily, so that you will be ready to contain in your flesh the Incontainable Word of God. Grant us, too, possessed by pride, intemperance and laziness, to be clothed in all spiritual perfection, so that each of us, with Your help, may prepare from us the wedding robe of our souls and the oil of good deeds, so that, without naz or prepare, we may appear to meet our Immortal Bridegroom and Your Son. , Christ the Savior and our God, but may he receive us with the wise virgins in the abode of paradise, where, with all the saints, grant us to glorify and glorify the all-holy name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and Your merciful intercession always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages . Amen.

Prayer on the Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

To whom shall I cry, O Lady, to whom shall I resort in my sorrow, if not to You, the Queen of Heaven? Who will hear my cry and accept my sighs, if not You, the Immaculate One, the Hope of Christians and the Refuge for us sinners? Who will protect You more in misfortunes? Hear my groaning and incline Your ear to me, the Lady and Mother of my God! Do not despise the one who seeks Your help and do not reject me, a sinner, Queen of Heaven! Teach me to do the will of Your Son and grant me the desire to always follow His holy commandments. For my grumbling in illness, labor and misfortune, do not retreat from me, but remain the Mother and Patroness of the faint-hearted me. To my Most Offering Queen, Zealous Intercessor! With your intercession, cover my sins, protect from visible and invisible enemies, soften the hearts of those who are hostile against me and warm them with Christ’s love. Grant to me, who is weak, Your all-powerful help to overcome my sinful habits, so that, purified by repentance and subsequent virtuous life, I may spend the remaining days of my earthly journey in communion with the Holy Church. Appear to me, Hope of all Christians, at the hour of my death and strengthen my faith in the difficult hour of death. Offer up for me, who has sinned many times in this life, Your all-powerful prayers after my departure, that the Lord will justify me and make me a partaker of His endless joys. Amen.

Orthodox churches consecrated in honor of the Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple are called Vvedensky.

Material prepared by Vladlena Dementieva