Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple. History of the holiday: Entry of the Blessed Virgin into the Temple Day of Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In the Orthodox tradition, the holiday is celebrated on the fourth of December. Refers to the twelve (twelve main dates of Orthodoxy), is immutable. The full title is the Entry into the Temple of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. Based on the religious legend of the introduction of three-year-old Mary, the future Mother of God, into the temple of Jerusalem. Established at an early stage in the development of Christianity. It became widespread among the Orthodox in the ninth century. Popular name - Introduction. The peasants in Rus', believing that with his arrival winter would begin, said: “The introduction came, and brought winter.”

history of the holiday

The righteous Joachim and Anna, residents of Jerusalem, had no children. Praying to the Lord to send them a child, they promised to dedicate him to God. After some time, their daughter was born. They named her Maria. Three years later the time came to fulfill the vow. The parents brought the baby to the walls of the temple. She easily climbed the fifteen steep steps without looking back at her father and mother standing below. Everyone was surprised by the child's behavior. At the top, the high priest Zechariah was waiting for her to bless her.

The pious Mary stayed in the temple until she came of age, devoting her time to prayers. Saint Zechariah watched as the Archangel Gabriel brought her food and drink. The Mother of God made a vow to remain a virgin, deciding to devote herself to serving the Lord. But according to Jewish traditions she had to get married. At the direction of the angel, the high priest chose a groom for her; he turned out to be the widower Joseph. He formally became Mary's husband, being her guardian.

The Church has been celebrating this day since ancient times, considering it important. Thanks to her introduction into the temple, Mary set out on the path of serving the Lord. Subsequently, the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the salvation of people who believe in him became possible. Christians give praise to the Ever-Virgin, asking for intercession before the Lord.

[Greek Εἴσοδος τῆς ῾Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου ἐν τῷ Ναῷ; lat. Praesentatio S. Mariae in templo], one of the great church holidays, established in honor of the event of the bringing of the Most Holy. Mother of God by Her parents to the Jerusalem temple for dedication to God.

The event of V. is not mentioned in the canonical Gospels and is known from later apocryphal Greek. “Proto-Gospel of James” (ch. 7. 2-3) (2nd half of the 2nd century) and lat. The Gospels of Pseudo-Matthew (IX century), which reflect oral tradition, but in accordance with the traditions of lit. genre are supplemented with details from biblical books that have educational significance (1 Chron. 15 and Ps. 44), as well as from the gospel story of the Presentation (Lk. 2. 22-38).

According to the mentioned sources, the parents of Rev. The Mother of God Joachim and Anna, when their Daughter reached the age of 3, decided to fulfill the vow they had previously made to dedicate Her to God and headed to the Jerusalem temple. Near the entrance to the temple stood young virgins called by Joachim with lit lamps, so that young Mary would love the temple with all her heart. Rev. The Virgin, despite Her age, easily overcame the steep steps of the temple and was met and blessed by the high priest, according to legend Zechariah, b. father of John the Baptist. By a special revelation, She, as an animated ark of God (cf.: 1 Chronicles 15), was introduced into the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest had the right to enter once a year (see: Exodus 30.10; Heb. 9.7) - this was how Her was revealed special role in the fate of humanity. V.'s event marked the beginning of a new stage in the life of the Immaculate Virgin - a stay at the Jerusalem temple, which lasted until She was 12 years old. Living at the temple, Mary devoted herself to prayer and the study of the Holy Scriptures. Scriptures and handicrafts. As time passed, She, having decided to maintain her virginity and be ignorant to God, was, according to the law of the fathers, entrusted to the care of the elderly Joseph, her Betrothed.

Establishment of the holiday V.

Currently V.'s time is one of the twelve holidays, but it was established in the Church later than others from this number. Perhaps its appearance is connected with the activities of the imp. Justinian I, who in 543 built a huge church dedicated to the Most Holy on the ruins of the Jerusalem temple. Theotokos and called New by him to distinguish it from the previous one, located near the Sheep font, opposite the temple (Procop. De aedif. 5. 6).

In the 8th century The holiday was celebrated in certain months. Their restrained instructions apparently indicate that initially the service in the East was performed without much solemnity. Patriarch Herman I of K-Poland (8th century) is credited with 2 homilies on V. (PG. Vol. 98. Col. 292-309, 309-320), which may indicate the celebration of V. in K-pol of that time. From the 9th century the holiday became widespread in the East (Skaballanovich. Typikon. Issue 1. P. 110).

The status of the V. holiday gradually changed, in the Orthodox Church. Of the church, it finally became one of the twelve holidays only after the XIV century - Theodore Prodromus (XII century) and Nicephorus Callist (XIV century) (Niceph. Callist. Hist. eccl. 2.3) did not yet include it in this number ( Sergius (Spassky). Monthsword. T. 1. P. 401), but, according to the Studite and Jerusalem Typicons of the 11th-14th centuries, it is celebrated almost as solemnly as other twelfth holidays. Nevertheless, even in printed Typicons of the 17th century. Certain features of the V. service indicate that the status of this holiday is several. inferior to the status of other twelfths.

November 21 is almost universally accepted as a holiday date, with the only exception being Copts. months, in which V. is celebrated on November 29. ( Sergius (Spassky). Monthsword. T. 1. P. 395), and the practice of certain areas of the Roman Church, where V. was a mobile holiday and was celebrated on Sunday after November 11.

Patristic sermons in V.

Patristic lectionaries (for example, Hieros. Patr. 8, 11th century; 133, 1582; ​​135, 14th century; Hieros. Crucis. 7, 12th century, etc.) usually include one (or both) from 2 words of St. George of Nicomedia: “Καλὰς ἡμῖν ὑποθέσεων ἀρχὰς ἡ παροῦσα πανήγυρις” (Good foundations - current triumph - PG 10. 0. Col. 1420) and "Αἱ τῶν θείων πανηγύρεων ἐλλάμψεις" (Radiances of divine celebrations - Combefis F. Novum Auctarium Graeco-Latinae Bibliothecae Patrum. P., 1648. T. 2. P. 1069; the words of St. George are also indicated by all Studian Typicons), and sometimes the word of St. Herman I of K-Polish “᾿Ιδοὺ καὶ πάλιν ἕτερα πανήγυρις” (Here comes another celebration again - PG. 98. Col. 309-320). Less common are the words of St. Tarasius of K-Polsky “Θαιδρὰ καὶ παράδοξος ἡ παροῦσα πανήγυρις” (The present celebration is bright and wonderful - PG. 98. Col. 1481-1500; this is the word indicated in the Moscow the first printed Typicon of 1610) and John Le Havre “῾Ο νῦν ἐν λόγοις "(Now in words - Boissonade J. F. Anecdota graeca. P., 1831. Vol. 3. P. 71-111).

Feast of V., according to the Typikon of the Great Church (IX-X centuries)

In the early manuscript of this Typikon (Patm. gr. 266, IX-X centuries) there are no special instructions regarding the order of the service in the East, only the memory of the event is noted (Dmitrievsky. Description. T. 1. P. 26; the same in monthly Greek Gospel Sinait. 150, X-XI centuries - Ibid. 203). According to 2 manuscripts of the 10th-11th centuries, the service in the East was sung in the Church of the Most Holy. Our Lady of Chalcopratia (a common place along with the Blachernae Church for services on Mother of God holidays), where on the morning of the holiday a litany with the participation of the Patriarch went from the Church of St. Sophia. At Matins (on Ps 50) and the small entrance of the liturgy, they sang the troparion in the 4th tone “Σήμερον τῆς εὐδοκίας Θεοῦ τὸ προοίμιον” ( ); readings at the liturgy: prokeimenon 3rd tone (Luke 1.46a-47), Heb 9.1-7, alleluia (4th plagal, i.e. 8th tone), Luke 1.39-50, 56; involved - Ps 115.4 (Mateos. Typicon. T. 1. P. 110).

In studio Typicons

used in Byzantium until the beginning. XIII century, and in Rus' until the beginning. XV century, the holiday cycle of V. already consists of 3 or 4 days: the pre-festival on November 20, the holiday itself on November 21, the after-celebration on November 22 (or 22-23). Different editions of the Studite Charter - Studian-Alexievsky 1034 (reflects the K-Polish practice of the 1st half of the 11th century), Evergetidsky (reflects the practice of the K-Polish monasticism of the late 11th century), George Mtatsmindeli (reflects the practice of Athonite monasticism in the middle . Dmitrievsky. Description. T. 1. S. 319-323; Liturgical monuments. P. 58-61).

In the earlier Studiysko-Alexievsky, as well as South Italian. Messinian and Nikolo-Kazolian Typicons and Studite Minaions of the 11th-12th centuries. (Yagich. Service Menaions. pp. 431-436) the after-feast is 1 day; in the Evergetid and Georgiy Mtatsmindeli Typicons - 2. Late Southern Italian. The typicon of the Grottaferrata monastery (Crypt. A. II. 7, 1300) extends the after-feast for 3 days ( Sergius (Spassky). Monthsword. T. 2. P. 365). The day of the holiday of V. is not highlighted in the studio Typicons.

On the day of the forefeast, November 20. a service is performed with “God is the Lord,” V.’s following is combined with the following of the saints of that day. Studiysko-Aleksievsky Typikon on November 20. does not mention the memory of saints, however, when describing the service, the connection of V.’s following with the following of the “day saint” is noted. Other Typicons indicate the memory of St. Gregory Decapolite and St. Proclus, but V.’s service is connected only with the following of St. Gregory (the same in the Studite Menaions of the 11th-12th centuries). Only in the Evergetid Typikon is a combination of the sequences of V. and both saints given and the hymns of Octoechos are not indicated (probably due to the excess of sequences).

On V. day, festive vespers (with entrance and 3 paremias) and matins are performed; at Matins after kathisma or festive antiphons - the 1st power antiphon of the 4th tone (), the prokeimenon and the Gospel of the Virgin Mary; at the liturgy - the service of the Mother of God. Only holiday songs are sung.

On the days of the after-feast, the following of the V. is combined with the following of the “day saint”, the canon of Matins is the same as on the day of the holiday, some of the stichera are borrowed from the following of November 21, some are special (after-feasts). The distribution of stichera, sedals and canons by day and on the days of the holiday cycle is noted in different studio Typikons, although they are all based on the same corpus of chants.

On each of the 3 days of the holiday (November 20-22), the Studios-Alexievsky Typikon gives a special troparion: November 20. troparion of the 1st tone “To the righteous man the fruit of Joachim and Anna should be offered to God” (currently on November 21); November 21 - the same troparion as in the Typicon of the Great Church, and in later liturgical books; November 22 - troparion of the 4th tone “Revere in the Church in the Holy of Holies” (not used in modern books). According to the Evergetid and Messinian Typicons, on the days of the post-feast the same troparion is sung as on the 1st day of the holiday.

Various Studio Typicons set out the features of the V. service in different ways, which is mainly due to the peculiarities of one or another edition of the Studio Charter: 1) according to the Studio-Alexievsky Typikon, at Vespers on the eve of the holiday, the 1st glory of the 1st Kathisma “Blessed is the Man” is sung, according to Evergetid and Messina, evening poetry is abolished; 2) according to the Evergetid Typikon, after Vespers, pannikhis is performed (παννυχίς - a special night service), at which the canons of the day and the holiday are sung (4th tone, creation of Joseph; this canon in other Studi Typikons is indicated at Matins on November 20); 3) kathismas at Matins according to Messina and St. George Mtatsmindeli Typikons are replaced, as on other holidays, by 3 festive antiphons; The Evergetid Typikon, after the kathisma and sedalni, indicates the verse of the 6th kathisma (Ps 37-45; the verse was appointed, perhaps, in order to sound Ps 44, which is usually interpreted as prophesying about the Mother of God), and then the polyeleos; 4) since, according to the Studiysko-Alexievsky Typikon, Matins ends with a great doxology in the cathedral edition only on Holy Saturday, on V. Matins has stichera on the stichera; according to other studio Typicons, the end of Matins with the singing of the Great Doxology in the cathedral edition; 5) at the liturgy according to the Messinian and St. George Mtatsmindeli Typikons, the antiphons “ ”, according to the Studios-Alexievsky and Evergetidsky - pictorial; The Euergetic Typikon indicates the entrance verse (Ps 45:15b).

In the Evergetian Typikon, in addition to the usual order of service, instructions are given on the coincidence of the days of the introduced cycle with Sunday - brief ones for November 20, 22 and 23. (only about the liturgy), detailed for November 21. (at Matins there is no polyeleos, the sedate antiphons of the voice, the prokeimenon and the Sunday Gospel are sung, the Gospel of the holiday is canceled; at the liturgy the entrance verse is canceled).

According to the Jerusalem Charter

in the XII-XIII centuries. passed to Greek, in the 14th century - South Slav. Churches, in con. XIV - beginning XV century - Russian Church, the celebration of V. forms a 6-day cycle: the forefeast is still 1 day (November 20), when 3 successions are sung: forefeasts, St. Gregory and St. Procla; the after-feast was increased to 4 days, including the celebration of the holiday on the last day (November 22-25). In the description of V.'s service, the editions of the Jerusalem Charter differ slightly.

The service of the forefeast as a whole corresponds to the sixfold one (see Art. Signs of the holidays of the month); the succession contains the original troparion and several. Samoglasnov. In old printed Russian Typiconakh (M., 1610, 1633, 1641) the day of the forefeast has a sixfold sign; in the Typikon currently adopted by the Russian Orthodox Church there is no sign, although the statutory instructions are almost no different from the instructions in early printed books. The troparion of the pre-celebration is different from that in the Studio Typicons. The hymns of Octoechos are not used at services, which is recorded both in old printed books and in modern ones. Typicons; in the latter, the hymns of the Octoechos on the forefeast are regularly abolished, and in the old printed Typicons the Octoechos are not sung due to the need to combine 3 menaine sequences at once. At the evening verse, instead of the stichera of Octoechos, the stichera of St. Prokla, not sung on “Lord, I cried” (where the stichera of the forefeast and St. Gregory were sung). Matins ends according to the everyday rite, figurative antiphons are sung at the liturgy, songs of the 3rd and 6th canons of the forefeast are sung at the blessed, readings at the liturgy are ordinary and St. Prokla. The theme of V. appears in the service long before the holiday - already on November 8th. the stichera is indicated on the lithium " ».

Holiday 21 November It is celebrated with an all-night vigil, although the possibility of performing a polyeleos service is also stipulated. Until 2nd half. XVII century Vigils were served only in churches dedicated to V.; there were no vigils in others (see, for example: Golubtsov A.P. Officials of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral and the exits of Patriarch Nikon. M., 1908. P. 21, 216). Divine services in the East consist 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 twelve feasts of the Theotokos (Nativity of the Virgin Mary and Dormition). Only holiday songs are sung. At Matins according to Psalm 50, “”, “” - special choruses ( ). After each song of the Matins canon, the irmos of the 1st canon of the Nativity of Christ are used as a katavasia; from the day of V. the Christmas chaos begins, and from this time on, in the services of certain days of November. and Dec. features of the pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ appear. On the 9th song of the canon, instead of the song of the Most Rev. Theotokos and rights. Zechariah - special refrains of magnification; in modern liturgical books indicate a total of 10 choruses (7 for the 1st canon, 1 for the 2nd and one each instead of “ ”, “ ”); 1st chorus of the 4th voice (“Aggeli vhod...”) was written out already in the Annunciation kontakhar of the 12th century; in later manuscripts there are extensive cycles of refrains and magnifications (see: Dmitrievsky. Description. T. 1. P. 756-757); in old printed Russian The Typikon and Menaion indicate only 2 choruses (1 for each canon). Feature of Russian old printed Typicons, which are absent in modern times, - after the chaos of the 9th canon, the irmos of the 1st canon of V. is additionally sung (and a prostration is performed). At the liturgy, as on other Mother of God feasts, figurative antiphons are performed, at the blessed - the 3rd and 6th songs of the canon of the holiday (3rd song from the 1st canon, 6th from the 2nd).

The charter of post-feast services does not differ significantly from the post-celebration services of other holidays. Chants are sung both from the 1st day of the holiday (alternately, by day, one of the 2 canons; samoglasny), and their own chants of the days after the feast. 23 Nov the observance of the holiday can be combined with the observance of the blgv. book Alexander Nevsky, charter of service in modern times. Typicone is missing; this charter was written out in the old printed Typicons (M., 1610. L. 421-423; M., 1633. L. 269-271).

On the day of the dedication of the feast of V., November 25, the following of V. is combined with the following of the holy martyrs Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria, which amounts to distinctive feature V.'s giving in comparison with others, since usually on such days the successions of the “day saints” are not sung. Otherwise, the service of giving does not differ from others: the chants of the holiday are repeated from the 1st day, only there is no entrance at Vespers with paremias and polyeleos at Matins. At the end of Matins a great doxology is sung.

Markov chapters

Typikon adopted at present. time in the Russian Church, for the V. cycle has several. stamp chapters describing the connection with the Sunday service of the forefeast (Typikon. [Vol. 1.] pp. 270-272), the holiday (Ibid. pp. 275-276), afterfeast (Ibid. pp. 276-278) and giving (Ibid. pp. 287-288). If a post-celebration or dedication coincides with a Sunday, the service of one of the saints is abandoned (November 20 - St. Proclus, November 25 - St. Peter). Dr. 2 chapters have generally the same content as similar chapters for other holidays.

Modern Greek parish Typikon

Protopsalt George Violakis (Βιολάκης . Τυπικὸν. Σ. 99-103) prescribes the performance of the polyeleos service without litia (there is no all-night vigil). The order of the festive service remains approximately the same as in modern times. rus. Typicone. Differences: at “Lord, I cried” the stichera are sung at 6, at the end of Vespers the troparion of the holiday is sung three times, after the polyeleos at Matins the chosen psalm “” is sung (it is used on all the twelve feasts of the Theotokos). At the liturgy, festive antiphons are sung, at the entrance - “... ...”. The Typikon contains 2 chapters - about connecting the following holiday with the Sunday service and about the Sunday after the holiday (with the after-feast). If 21 Nov. falls on Sunday, the choruses of the 9th song and antiphons at the liturgy are still sung.

V. holiday in the West

In South Italy, where many Orthodox Christians lived. Greeks, V. was celebrated from the 9th century. The Normans, who captured these lands in the 11th century, transferred the custom of celebrating Easter to England: for example, the Calendar from Winchester (1100) mentions Oblatio S. Mariae in templo Domini cum esset trium annorum (Radò P. Enchiridion Liturgicum. R ., 1966. Vol. 2. P. 1357). However, the holiday became widespread only in the 2nd half. XIV century In 1340 the French. nobleman-crusader Philippe de Maizières († 1405), chancellor of the titular cor. Jerusalem Peter I of Lusignan, who also owned Cyprus, turned to Pope Gregory XI with a proposal, following the example of the Greeks, to officially establish the celebration of V. in Catholicism. Churches (Epistola de solemnitate Praesentationis beatae Mariae). The Pope allowed V.'s service to be performed only as a votive service (service at will or by vow). Since 1371 it was regularly served in Avignon, in the Franciscan church.

In the 15th century efforts to spread the holiday in France. lands attached cor. Charles V, who ordered V.'s service to be performed in his court chapel in Paris. In 1472, Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) included V.'s service in the Breviary (as a holiday “optional” for certain places). Afterwards Pope Pius V (1566-1572) excluded the service of V., but Pope Sixtus V in 1585 made the feast of V. obligatory for the Roman Catholic Church. During this time, 7 different V. services appeared in the West, including Philippe de Maizières and Pope Gregory XI.

Currently time holiday V. in Catholic. The church is considered small, lasts 1 day, and the service is performed without much solemnity.

A. A. Lukashevich

Hymnography

A significant part of the chants of the V. holiday in modern times. The Menaiam dates back to the period of the dominance of the Studite Rule. The sequence of the forefeast includes the troparion of the 4th tone: “”; kontakion of the 4th voice: “”; canon of the 4th tone, the creation of Joseph, with an alphabetical acrostic in the 1st-7th cantos, a special alphabetical acrostic in the 8th canto (each of the 6 troparions of the song is divided into 4 parts, the 1st letter of each part is the letter of the acrostic - then also in the canon of November 21) and the name “Joseph” in the 9th, irmos: “᾿Ανοίξω τὸ στόμα μου” (), beginning: “῾Αγίων εἰς ̀λδβλθυοτεΑγ ια, ἡ Παναγία καὶ ἄμωμος, οἰκῆσαι προέρχεται" (); 3 samoglas (1st of them “ » sung 8 Nov. on lithium) and 2 groups of similar ones, both similar to the 1st voice of the “Heavenly ranks”.

On the day of the holiday, the troparion of the 4th tone is sung, composed similar to the troparion of the Annunciation: “ "(for an indication of the similarity, see the sequence of the holiday according to the Evergetid Typikon - Dmitrievsky. Description. T. 1. P. 322); kontakion of the 4th voice: “ "; 2 canons. 1st canon 4th tone, creation of St. George of Nicomedia, with an acrostic in the 1st-7th cantos “Σὺ τὴ[ν χάρι]ν, Δέσποινα, τῷ λόγῳ δίδου” (You are grace, Lady, give the word) - the gap in the acrostic indicates the original presence in the canon of the 2nd song , not included in modern publications; in the 8th and 9th cantos the acrostic is alphabetical (in the 8th canto in forward order, in the 9th in reverse order), compiled according to the same principle as in the canon of the forefeast (and imitating the 8th and 9th th songs of the canon of the Annunciation); irmos: “᾿Ανοίξω τὸ στόμα μου” (), beginning: “Σοφίας πανάχραντε, σὲ θησαυρὸν ἐπιστάμ ενοι" ( ). 2nd canon of the 1st tone, creation of Basil, with the name of the author in the Mother of God (“Βσιλείου” - the omission of the 2nd letter of the acrostic indicates that the canon originally had a 2nd canto) irmos: “᾿Ωδὴν ἐπινίκιον, εν πάντες Θεῷ" (), beginning: "Συνδράμωμεν σήμερον, τῇ Θεοτόκῳ, τιμῶντες ἐν ᾄσμασι" (); 8 self-accords (including the works of St. George of Nicomedia, Leontes Master (i.e. Leo Bardalis, hymnographer of the 1st half of the 14th century - see: Filaret (Gumilevsky). Song singers. pp. 360-361), Sergius Hagiopolitus), most of them are also used in the sequences before and after the feast. The paroemic readings at Vespers on the eve of the feast are general Theotokos readings, as are the New Testament readings of Matins and Liturgy.

According to Greek manuscripts also know other canons of the holiday: 1st tone, with an alphabetic acrostic and the name “Joseph” in the 9th canto, with the 2nd canto, irmos: “Χριστὸς γεννᾶται, δοξάσατε” (), beginning: “᾿Αγ άλλου, γῆ, καὶ οὐράνια" (Rejoice, earth and heaven); 3rd tone, with the name “George” in the Mother of God, with the 2nd song, irmos: “Θαυμαστὸς ἐνδόξως” (), beginning: “῾Η λαμπρὰ ἐπέστη ἰδοὺ πανήγυρις τῆς Θεοτόκου” (Here is the bright feast of the Mother of God); 4th tone, with the name “George” in the 9th canto, with the 2nd canto, with the acrostic “̀ρδβλθυοτεΑνομῖν τὰς πύλας σου, παρθένε. Γεωργίῳ" (May Thy doors be opened to us, O Virgin. George), irmos: "Θαλάσσης τὸ ᾿Ερυθραῖον πέλαγος" (), beginning: "᾿Ανοίγο νται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις σήμερον" (Opened to people today) (Ταμεῖον. Σ. 100-101) ; canon of the forefeast of the 1st tone, with the acrostic “Πύλας ἀνοίγει τῇ Θεοῦ ναὸς πύλῃ χαίρων” (The door opens the Divine temple of the door of grace), irmos: “Σοῦ ἡ τροπαιοῦχος δεξιὰ" ( ), beginning: “Πύλας καὶ εἰσόδους ὁ ναὸς” (Door and entrance to the temple) (AHG. T. 3. P. 466-477).

Judging by the clause in the Evergetid Typikon “The verb and the irmos instead of the “Tree”” (“The tree” is the irmos of the Sunday troparions on the beatitudes of the 2nd tone), there once existed a cycle of holiday beatitudes for V.

In the end IX or early X century in Bulgaria, in the circle of the closest disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius, as part of the creation of glory. The Festal Menaion was written with the canon V. of the 4th tone (beginning: “Receive, O Lady, the offering of the hymn”) with an anonymous acrostic according to the initial letters of the troparions and theotokos: “Receive the hymn of Thy offering.” In order to accommodate the entire acrostic, the author of the canon provided the 8th canto with an additional troparion, and the 9th canto with 2 troparions (with 3 troparions in cantos 1-7). In a number of lists, scribes considered these troparia redundant and equated the last songs in size with the rest. The canon has survived in a significant number of copies (at least 20), mainly as part of the Festive Menaion of the 13th-15th centuries. (the eldest of them are in the Skopsk and Draganova Menaions of the late 13th century). With the spread of the Jerusalem Charter, it fell out of use (Kozhukharov S. Preslav Canon for the Introduction of the Theotokos (Kam problem “acrostics - reconstruction on the joint”) // Paleobulgarica. 1991. XV. N 4. P. 28-38).

Lit.: Skaballanovich M. Introduction to the Church of St. Mother of God. K., 1916. (Christian holidays; 3); Goubert P. Influence des évangiles apocryphes sur l "iconographie Mariale (de Castelseprio à la Cappadoce) // Acta Congr. Mariologici-Mariani. Lourdes, 1958. Vol. 15. P. 147-164; Cothenet E. Marie dans les Apocryphes // Maria: Études sur la Sainte Vierge. 1961. Vol. 6. P. 71-56; Are the 'Ascension of Isaiah' and the 'Odes of Solomon' Witnesses to an Early Cult of Mary? Mariani. Fatima, 1967. Vol. 371-399; Les Ecrits Apocryphes et la Vierge Marie // P. 233-252; d"impiego di alcune citazioni bibliche nel "Protovangelo di Giacomo" // Ibid. P. 274-293; Roschini G. M. I Fondamenti dogmatici del culto mariano nel “Protovangelo di Giacomo” // Ibid. P. 253-271; Peretto E. Apocrifi e pietà popolare mariana // Riv. Liturgica. 1998. N 2/3. P. 333-350.

A. A. Lukashevich, A. A. Turilov

Iconography

According to the research of J. Lafontaine-Dozogne, the image of the composition “The Presentation of the Virgin Mary into the Temple” was originally known as part of the cycle of the life of the Virgin Mary. Found in monumental paintings from the 9th century. (chapels of Joachim and Anna in Kyzylchukur, 9th century, the Virgin Mary and Saints John the Baptist and George in Goreme, early or 1st half of the 10th century (Cappadocia); St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, 1037-1345; c. Dormition of the Virgin in Daphne, ca. 1100; Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration in Pskov, 40s of the 12th century; church of the Mother of God in Ohrid (Macedonia), 1295; (Macedonia), late 13th century; Church of the Savior in the Zicha Monastery (Serbia), 1309-1316; St. George in Staro Nagorichino (Macedonia), 1317-1318; church of the Assumption of the Virgin of the Gracanica monastery (Serbia, Kosovo and Metohija), ca. 1320; cathedral of the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos, 1320-1321; Kahrie-jami) in K-pol, 1316-1321). This composition in the cycle of the life of the Virgin Mary can be located in the altar (St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the Gracanica monastery), in the naos (the Church of Our Lady Periveleptus in Ohrid, the Kraleva Church in the Studenica monastery), in the paraclis (Church of the Savior in the Zhicha Monastery, Church of the Great Martyr George in Staro-Nagorichino), in the west. compartment under the choir (Mirozh Monastery Cathedral), in the narthex (Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Daphne, Chora Monastery).

As a separate event, liturgically remembered and celebrated by the Church, the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple is depicted in a miniature from the Minology of Basil II (Vat. gr. 1613), on icons as part of the festive row of the iconostasis (fragment of the epistyle, 12th century, Vatopedi monastery; fragment epistyle, late 12th century, monastery of Catherine on Sinai; icon of the early 14th century, monastery of Kirillo-Belozersky, 1497, KBIAMZ), as well as in monumental paintings. the composition is presented as an independent plot. " 2nd stichera on litia, tone 4). The composition represents a procession heading towards the temple in the form of a ciborium on thin columns, located inside a low fence. In the open (sometimes closed) doors of the fence, which resemble the royal doors of the iconostasis, the high priest Zechariah bows towards the Mother of God, behind him the church throne is visible. The image of open or closed gates correlates with the chants of the service, in which the Mother of God is called the “Door of the Lord” (for example, “The Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Painting of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. 1642–1643.

Introduction to the Church of St. Mother of God. Painting of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. 1642–1643

In monuments of the 9th-13th centuries. at the head of the procession, following the Mother of God, Her parents are depicted, who present her to the priest as a gift promised to God; Behind the righteous Joachim and Anna are virgins holding burning candles in their hands. This compositional structure corresponds to the theme of glorifying the Mother of God as a pure sacrifice to God (“ " - 6th troparion of the 8th song of the 2nd canon). This sacrifice is understood as preparation, a prototype of the sacrifice that the Lord Himself will offer. It is no coincidence that in the system of temple painting the compositions “Introduction into the Temple” and “The Presentation of the Lord” are often compared. In c. Spas on Nereditsa near Novgorod, 1199, these scenes are presented side by side in the north. wall, in the center St. Nicholas on Lipno Island (Novgorod), 1299, - opposite each other, to the north. and south the walls of the vima. The large compositions “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” and “Introduction into the Temple”, occupying the most important places in the system of temple decoration, line up in one semantic row with the scenes “Nativity of Christ” and “Candlemas” (Church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi (Macedonia), 1164; church of St. Ahillius, Bishop of Larissa (Serbia), 1296; Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in Snetogorsk Monastery, 1313), as well as with passionate scenes (Church of St. Theodore Stratelates on the Stream in Novgorod, 80- 90s of the 14th century - the composition “Introduction to the Temple” is located under the Crucifixion on the east wall of the cross.

In the Palaiologan era, in the iconography of the composition “Introduction to the Temple,” the emphasis shifted towards the Eucharistic understanding of the event. The righteous Joachim and Anna are depicted bringing up the rear of the procession (Kraleva Church in the Studenica Monastery), virgins with candles surround the Mother of God, who is also sometimes depicted with a candle in her hand. In the scene of the feeding of the Mother of God, sitting on the steps of the Holy of Holies, with an angel flying to Her from heaven, the Eucharistic significance of the episode is emphasized by the size of the loaf and the clear image of the cross on it (Hilandar). This theme is also dictated by the chants of V.’s service: “” (3rd stichera on praise, tone 1). In the painting of the narthex of the Boyana Church (Bulgaria), 1259, the Mother of God in the scene of feeding with heavenly bread is represented standing next to the angel behind the throne in the Holy of Holies. In the painting of the altar vault of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, 1642-1643, the composition is depicted in the interior of the five-domed temple, and the Old Testament Holy of Holies is presented as the altar of the New Testament temple, above the throne of which the Mother of God sits on the steps, an angel flies to Her with a censer in her hand .

In general, the composition of the “Introduction to the Temple”, which has changed little over the centuries, can sometimes be marked by certain features. Thus, on a Novgorod icon of the 14th century. (GRM) it is shown in the interior of the 3-domed temple; lamps with burning candles hang under its arches. The figurine of the Mother of God is depicted against the background of a high black arched doorway. Behind the Mother of God on the right in positions of prayer are the righteous Joachim and Anna, virgins, on the left behind the right. Zechariah stands Joseph, St. Betrothed. The appearance of the image of rights. Joseph on the Novgorod icon, according to Lafontaine-Dozogne, may be due to the influence of the composition “Betrothal of Mary”. For example, on the epistyle of the 12th century. (Vatopedi Monastery) the “Introduction to the Temple” and “Betrothal of Mary” scenes are located in a row. The tented form of the temple and the hanging lamps reveal similarities with the tented ciborium, decorated with lamps in the scene of the “Introduction into the Temple” in the painting of c. Panagia Arakos near Lagoudera (Cyprus), 1192. In c. Dormition on Volotovo Field in Novgorod, 60s. XIV century, traditional the scheme of the composition is so inscribed in the space allotted to it that the group of maidens with candles turns out to be separated from the rest of the composition by a window opening. The expression of the images is emphasized by the pose of the child of Mary ascending the steps of the temple. This motif corresponds to the story of the Proto-Gospel of James that, to the surprise of those present, the Mother of God independently climbed the 15 high steps of the Jerusalem temple.

The miniatures of 2 manuscripts of the Words of Jacob Kokkinovath, 1st half, are distinguished by special details in the depiction of the introduction and stay of the Mother of God in the temple, accompanied by a host of angels. XII century (Paris. gr. 1208; Vat. gr. 1162).

Lit.: Barsov E. On the impact of apocrypha on ritual and iconography // ZhMNP. 1885. Dec. pp. 96-115 (The same: Christian poetry and art in connection with the New Testament apocrypha // Philosophy of Russian religious art. M., 1993. pp. 123-139); Porfiryev I. I . Apocryphal tales about New Testament persons and events. St. Petersburg, 1890; Skaballanovich M. Introduction to the Temple Holy Mother of God. K., 1916. 1995r ( Christian holidays); Lafontaine-Dosogne J. Iconographie de l"enfance de la Vierge dans l"Empire byzantin et en Occident. Brux., 1964. Vol. 1. P. 136-167; LCI. Bd. 3. Sp. 213-216; Smirnova E. WITH . Painting of Great Novgorod: Ser. XIII - beginning XV century M., 1976. S. 208-213.

N. V. Kvlividze

Introduction to the Temple Holy Mother of God- the third great holiday of the church year, which follows the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and brings us to the greatest holiday after Easter - the Nativity of Christ. Like all great holidays, it can be perceived both as the revelation of one of the stages of the path of God’s Economy, and as a stage in its comprehension by the human soul. Its internal connection with the previous feasts of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and the Exaltation is also revealed to us. If we consider the holiday as one of the links in the chain of Divine revelations, then it directly adjoins its previous link - the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And if we approach it as one of the stages of ascent to Divine life, then we will discover its internal connection with the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, as well as with the preceding feasts of the Renewal of the Church of the Resurrection and the Council of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Powers.

“The Eternal Council of the Eternal God is coming for its fulfillment,” we read in the canon for the pre-celebration of the Introduction. We celebrated the beginning of the fulfillment of the eternal Council for the salvation of mankind on the day of the Nativity of the Mother of God, when the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Old Testament righteous began and the barrenness of human nature was resolved and She was born in the flesh who was to give Her most pure flesh to the coming Son of God into the world. By the ineffable Providence of God, all the best and most beautiful things that are characteristic of a human being were united in Her. From the day of Her birth She was God’s chosen one, a mystery and a house of Divine grace, “in which lie the treasures of God’s ineffable structure.” From childhood She carried within Her all the possibility of human salvation and the inexhaustible wealth of grace that had not yet been revealed to the world. And only the righteous Joachim and Anna, for whom the birth of the Blessed Virgin was associated with the fulfillment of their innermost aspirations and fervent prayers, foresaw the significance of the New Born for the salvation of mankind.

But the carnal birth of the Blessed Virgin was not enough to become the Mother of God, for the Queen standing before the King of heaven and earth, “exalted above all creatures of heaven and earth, was a daughter of man, a daughter of Adam co-natural with all of us” (Dimitri, Archbishop of Kherson, 1806-1883) . To become the Mother of the Son of God, She had to freely open Her heart to grace, voluntarily leave the world of sin and death, renounce earthly attachments and voluntarily choose for Herself the path of ever-virginity, alien to the consciousness of Old Testament humanity, and with all her heart follow the voice of God, which called Her through the mouth of the prophet David : “Hear, O Daughters, and see, and incline Your ear, and forget Your people and Your father’s house,” and only then “will the King desire Your kindness” (). The beauty of the Ever-Virgin, which became coveted by the King of heaven and earth, is the beauty of Her virtues, for Her very birth of the Son of God could not bring Her any benefit “just because She gave birth to Him and nourished Him with her breasts, if She did not have all the other virtues.” "(Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, XI-XII centuries).

This is, as it were, the second spiritual birth of the Mother of God and at the same time Her appearance to the world, similar to the appearance after baptism to the people of Jesus Christ, and is celebrated by the Holy Church on the day of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The parents of the Mother of God, and Her closest relatives, who came with Her to Jerusalem, as well as the servants of the Old Testament temple, and among them the high priest Zechariah, take part in the celebration. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he, contrary to all regulations and laws Old Testament, introduced the Virgin Child brought into the temple into the Holy of Holies. The introduction of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple was, as it were, a silent sermon to the people about the imminent coming of Christ and the implementation of God's vision for the salvation of people. Even more than the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, it prepares and brings us closer to the Nativity of Christ. The troparion for the holiday speaks about this, as much dedicated to the holiday itself as to the Nativity of Christ that follows it: “On the day of God’s favor, the transfiguration and salvation of men is preached: in the temple of God the Virgin clearly appears and announces Christ to everyone.”

Being the day of the appearance of the Mother of God to the world, the Feast of the Entry is also the day of the separation of the God-chosen Virgin from the world - the day on which Her exodus from the world began, which continued throughout Her earthly life and ended with Her “heavenly” Dormition.

And if at the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos the flesh was prepared, from the pure blood of which the Son of God was to be born, then from the day of Her introduction into the temple begins the upbringing and preparation of Her soul for that great day when She will say to the archangel who appeared to Her: “Be with me according to the word yours" ().

If in the parimia read on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God is compared with a heavenly ladder, along the steps of which the King of Glory, Jesus Christ, descends from heaven to earth, then the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Entry into the Temple are, as it were, two successive steps along which this Divine descent takes place. “Before conception, Pure One, you were sanctified to God and, having been born on earth, you were now offered a gift to Him, fulfilling your fatherly promise. In the Divine Temple, as there is a Divine Temple... you appeared as a friend of the unapproachable and Divine Light.”

It is the voluntary giving of Oneself to God, to a greater extent than carnal birth, that makes it possible to feel and realize the universal significance of the Mother of God. The Church glorifies Her with the following words: “You are the preaching of the prophets, the glory of the apostles and the praise of the martyrs, and the renewal of all earth-born, Virgin Mother of God: through You we are reconciled to God.” In this stichera we glorify the Mother of God with words similar to those with which we glorify Christ: “Glory to Thee, Christ God, praise to the apostles, joy to the martyrs, their preaching is the Trinity of One Essence” (the troparion sung during the celebration of the sacraments of Marriage and Priesthood). Glorifying the Mother of God with words usually referred to Christ, and affirming that through Her we have been reconciled with God (“By You we have been reconciled to God”), we testify to Her immediate participation in the redemption of the human race and its reconciliation with God. In the Old Testament, such reconciliation was accomplished educationally through sacrifices made in the temple, and in the New Testament the Mother of God appeared to them. Of all earthly beings, She, who gave birth to Christ the Savior, most of all served our salvation, and, as Her Divine Son, is the subject of preaching for the prophets, the glory of the apostles and the praise of the martyrs.

The holidays of the Nativity and the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary are holidays in which the Old Testament ends and its meaning is revealed as a guide to Christ. In the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the aspirations of many generations of Old Testament righteous people are fulfilled, in anticipation of the coming Messiah they walked the path of their earthly pilgrimage with patience, humility and faith. The Virgin Mary is born, and in Her birth the infertility of human nature damaged by sin is resolved. The Feast of the Entry into the Temple is addressed to the other side of the Old Testament: to the Old Testament Divine service and the temple, which was the focus of the spiritual life of both the individual sons of Israel and the entire people of God as a whole.

The center of the liturgical life of the Jewish people was the tabernacle, created at the command of God by Moses and subsequently replaced by the Jerusalem Temple, built by Solomon and renewed after the Babylonian captivity by Zerubbabel. The Tabernacle, and later the Temple, was the only place where the Jews could perform their Divine services and make sacrifices to God. Therefore, the soul and heart of every pious Jew, no matter where he was, was always directed towards God’s dwelling place - the Jerusalem Temple ().

The most important ritual action of Jewish worship was the offering of sacrifices to God. Sacrificial animals were offered on the altar, located in the center of the temple courtyard, where the praying people stood. In the second part of the temple, the sanctuary, the showbread laid on the table, oil burned in the seven-branched lamp, and incense burned on the incense altar were sacrificed to God. But the greatest shrine of the Old Testament, which constantly reminded the Jews of their mission as God’s chosen people, was the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, kept in the third part of the temple, called the Holy of Holies. This part of the temple was separated from the sanctuary by a second curtain. Here, under the shadow of two golden cherubim, stood the ark in which the tablets of the Testament were kept. On pain of death, none of the people and even the priests could enter here. “Only the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins of ignorance of the people” (). The greatest shrine of the temple, the Ark of the Covenant, was thus associated with the most important ritual action of Jewish worship - the offering of a sacrifice for sin. And although the sacrifice itself was offered in the courtyard of the temple, the high priest entering the Holy of Holies brought with him the blood of the sacrifice to sprinkle it on the Ark of the Covenant as a sign of cleansing from sin.

Here the Lord appeared to Moses and spoke to him face to face; here rested the cloud of the glory of God - a sign of the presence of God and His favor towards the chosen people. After the destruction of the first Jerusalem temple, the prophet Jeremiah, “according to a Divine revelation that came to him... found a dwelling in a cave and brought there the tabernacle and the ark and the altar of incense, and blocked the entrance. When some of those accompanying him later came to notice the entrance, they could not find When Jeremiah learned about this, he reproached them and said that this place will remain unknown until God, having mercy, gathers a crowd of people" ().

Thus, according to the special Providence of God, in the second temple, built 515 years before the birth of Christ, the greatest shrine of the Old Testament religion - the Ark of the Covenant - was no longer there. In its place was placed a stone from the first temple, on which the high priest placed a censer with incense on the day of cleansing.

It was here, embraced by the spirit of God, that the High Priest Zacharias brought the Virgin Mary, called by the Church the animated God's Icon, in which not the stone tablets of the Testament were kept, but the Head and Finisher of the Faith and the Bishop of the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ himself. The introduction of the animate Divine Icon into the Old Testament temple of the Temple of Existence and into the Holy of Holies ended the Old Testament with its Divine services and sacrifices, and testified to the approach of the New Testament and the coming of a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, the Bishop of future blessings, Jesus Christ.

The theme of the completion of the Old Testament and the cessation of Old Testament worship and sacrifices is given a significant place in the service of the Feast of the Entry into the Temple. First of all, it is revealed in the Old Testament and apostolic readings, laid down by the Charter for this day. The first parimia of the holiday tells about the construction of the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant by Moses and their consecration. The second is dedicated to the consecration of Solomon's Temple and the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant into its Holy of Holies. The central place in its significance in both parimages is occupied by the image of the Ark of the Covenant and the image of its bringing into the Holy of Holies. These Old Testament readings correspond to the meaning and significance of the holiday, since we see in them a prototype of the great event that is celebrated on the day of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple. But the third parimia is of greatest importance - the prophecy of the prophet Ezekiel about the new temple, containing a direct reference to the birth of the Savior from the Virgin. The idea that the entire Old Testament Divine service was only a shadow and image of future blessings is revealed with even greater completeness in the Apostle read at the liturgy (). The Apostle Paul consistently lists everything that was related to the Divine Service and the earthly sanctuary of the first Testament: the lamp, the table with the showbread, the golden censer, the Ark of the Covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, the vessel with manna and the blossoming rod of Aaron, that is, objects in which the Holy One The Church sees prototypes of the Mother of God, who, with Her entry into the Holy of Holies, completed and abolished the Old Testament Divine service.

These thoughts are also revealed in many hymns for the holiday. One of the stichera says: “Today the Holy Temple, the Mother of God, is brought into the temple of the Lord, and Zechariah receives this; today the Holy of Holies rejoices, and the face of the angels mysteriously triumphs.” Here a number of thoughts related to Old Testament prototypes are revealed in the most general form. The Mother of God is called the Divinely Containable Temple; mention is made of Her being received by the priest Zechariah and of the joy of the Old Testament sanctuary receiving the Icon of the New Testament.

In other hymns, the idea of ​​the fulfillment of prophecies and prototypes of the Old Testament in the person of the Mother of God is revealed more specifically. Thus, in the Troparion of the Theotokos of the third canon of Canon 2, all the Old Testament prototypes that received their fulfillment in the Mother of God are listed: “The prophets preached the ark, the Pure One, the holy things, the golden censer, and the candlestick, and the meal; and we, like the Tabernacle that contains God, sing praises to Thee.” . And finally, in the service of the holiday, the idea that with the entrance to the Old Testament temple of the animated Icon of the New Testament the Old Testament Divine service ends and loses its meaning is carried out with complete certainty.

The spiritual and moral significance of the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, revealing new aspects of the path of renewal of the temple of the human soul and the bearing of the cross, which the Holy Church has outlined for us in the Divine Service of the Great Feasts, is directly adjacent to the preceding holidays of the Renewal of the Temple and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.

In the minain legend about the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, it is said that the Most Pure Virgin, when Her introduction into the Temple of the Lord, was preceded by the faces of virgins with lighted lamps, like a certain circle of stars shining simultaneously with the moon in the sky. The image of the virgins accompanying the Virgin Mary occupies a significant place in the Divine Service on the Feast of the Entry into the Temple.

The virgins with lamps, following the Mother of God and striving to enter the palace of the King and God, resemble another image - the Gospel parable of ten virgins who, with lit lamps, await the coming of the Bridegroom coming to the wedding feast. And there the virgins with lamps stand at the threshold of the sanctuary to joyfully enter the temple of the Kings, because “the introduction of the Young Mother of God into the temple was only a sign of the ascension of all believers before the Face of God, the foundation and beginning of which was laid and the very path there was paved by the Lord Savior through His humanity. He entered, as the apostle writes, into “heaven itself, to appear now for us in the face of God” () After this, all believers have the boldness to enter “into the inner veil, where Jesus entered as the forerunner for us” (). , to enter the “new and living way, which He... opened to us through the veil, that is, His flesh” ()” (bishop, 1815-1894).

The Mother of God, being a pure sacrifice to God, is a great example for those who follow this path, as well as a quick Helper and Prayer Book for them. Only prayer to the Mother of God, Her help and intercession can save everyone walking along this path from temptations and falls.

She is called Hodegetria, that is, the Guide. On the day of the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple, magnifying Her as “the most honorable and most glorious Virgin of the hosts on high, the Most Pure Mother of God,” we, ending the canon of the holiday, turn to Her with the prayer: “Under Your mercy, those who faithfully resort and worship piously Your Son, the Virgin Mother of God “As God and the Lord of the world, pray to deliver from aphids and troubles, and all kinds of temptations.”

Divine service in the Orthodox Church. Part VI.
The annual circle of church holidays.

Entry into the Temple of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, fragment; 15th century icon from the collection of the Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve

Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple ( December 4) is dedicated to a completely non-canonical event: a three-year-old girl entered the Holy of Holies of the temple, where the high priest himself could enter only once a year.

The icon of the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple reflects both the chronicle of the event of the holiday (as Church Tradition conveys it) and its meaning.

In the center of the icon is the three-year-old Virgin Mary, who was brought to the temple by Her parents, Joachim and Anna. For a long time They were childless and made a vow: if the Lord gives them parental happiness, then they will dedicate the Baby to God. It was a sacrifice to give away my only, long-awaited child.

The icon shows the fulfillment of a promise: Joachim and Anna bring little Mary to the temple, where the family is met by a Jerusalem priest. According to Church Tradition, he was the righteous Zechariah, the future father of John the Baptist, therefore on the icon his head is surrounded by a halo.

Behind the priest is the gate of the Holy of Holies - a special place in the Jerusalem temple, where the main shrines of the Jewish people were kept in the ark.

Even the high priest entered the Holy of Holies only once a year. For a Jew, being in the Holy of Holies meant almost the same thing as seeing God and talking with Him, being in maximum proximity to God.

But when Mary was brought to the temple, the priest did something that no one had ever done before that day: by special inspiration, he opened the door of the Holy of Holies for a three-year-old girl.

Holy of Holies - a prototype of the altar Orthodox church. In Orthodoxy, the Mother of God, who gave birth to Christ, began to be called “an animated temple that contained the incontainable God.”

In order to meet and accommodate God, the Virgin Mary had to prepare. Likewise, each of us sometimes needs a place where we can stay in silence, come to our senses and remember that besides the affairs and worries of this world, there is something more important.

And it is not for nothing that it is on the feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple that the Christmas canon is sung for the first time at the service, reminiscent of “Christ is born, glorify!”

The Holy of Holies is also a prototype of the human heart: only in its final depths can a person meet God.

Titian, Presentation of Mary into the Temple, 1534-1538

Prot. Vsevolod Shpiller: “The Mother of God was brought to the temple as a child. And this holiday in the Orthodox Church is celebrated as a holiday of children, not only of the purity of virginity, but also of the purity of childhood. It is rare for anyone in life to preserve the virginity of the body. But at least we must strive to preserve the child’s soul, the purity of the child’s soul within ourselves.

Today's holiday calls us to this. And the Most Pure Virgin Mary smiles at us with her amazing, not only ever-virgin, but childlike smile of purity, such childlike clarity! And blessed is the one who managed to preserve this childlike purity, clarity and simplicity throughout his life.

“Be like children!” Today’s holiday reminds us of this.”

Giotto, Presentation of Mary into the Temple, 1305

Despite her infant age, the Blessed Virgin is dressed in maforiya - clothing that married Palestinian women wore. This seemingly insignificant detail emphasizes the exceptional, special character of the Holy Virgin in the history of the world.

On the head of the priest there is a turban - the headdress of the priesthood of the Jerusalem temple. A gold tablet with the inscription: “Holiness to God” was attached to the mitre.

Giovanni Dalhorto; Presentation of Mary into the Temple, 17th century

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple. Fresco of the Protata Cathedral in Kareia, Mount Athos, 13th century. Icon painter Manuel Panselin

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple. Mosaic. Monastery of Chora in Constantinople (Kahrie Jami). Fragment, 14 in

Introduction to the Temple; Giotto, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, 1303

Sano di Pietro; Presentation of Mary into the Temple, 1450

Bartolo di Fredi; Presentation of Mary into the Temple, 1360

Illustrations: Alexander Ivanov

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 climbed the steep steps of the 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 lips 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. Then She served the Lord, fulfilling her apostolic assignment and establishing the 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)

Old Testament God's temple accepted into himself the seed of a new life - the Mother of God, in which 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 in that old age, into which Joachim and Anna then entered - parents would lose 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.