The Meeting of the Lord: What Can and Cannot Be Done on February 15, 2024 0 12

What does the word “Meeting” mean?

From Church Slavonic, “сърѣтение” translates as “meeting.” The Day of the Meeting symbolizes the moment when the Old and New Testaments met, as well as the ancient world and Christianity.

What does this holiday represent?

The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is one of the oldest in the Christian Church. The earliest and historically reliable evidence of the celebration of the Meeting in the Christian East is found in the “Pilgrimage to the Holy Places,” written by the pilgrim Etheria (Silvia) in the late 4th century. In the 6th century, the feast became a state holiday for Byzantium, and then the tradition of its solemn celebration spread throughout the Christian world.

What is remembered on the day of the Meeting?

As reported by the magazine “Foma,” there were two traditions among the Jews of that time related to the birth of a child. First, a woman could not appear in the Jerusalem Temple for forty days after giving birth (if a girl was born — then eighty days). After this period, the mother was to bring a purifying sacrifice to the Temple, which included a burnt offering — a year-old lamb, as well as a sin offering — a dove. Secondly, if the firstborn was a boy, the parents would come to the Temple with the newborn on the fortieth day for the ceremony of dedication to God. Thus, Mary and Joseph arrived from Bethlehem in Jerusalem with the God-Child in their arms. Since the family was not wealthy, they offered two doves as a sacrifice. The Blessed Virgin chose this sacrifice out of humility and respect for the Jewish law, despite the fact that Jesus was born of immaculate conception.

After performing the rite, the Holy Family was already heading towards the exit of the Temple when an ancient elder named Simeon approached them. In ancient Hebrew, “שמעון” means “hearing.” The righteous man took the Child in his arms and joyfully exclaimed: “Now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, O Lord, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.” According to tradition, at the time of the meeting with Christ, Simeon was over 300 years old. On this day, the elder was in the Temple not by chance — the Holy Spirit led him there. Many years ago, Simeon was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah and stumbled upon the mysterious words: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son.” The scholar doubted how a virgin could give birth and wanted to change “Virgin” to “Woman.” However, an Angel appeared to him, forbidding him to change the word and informing him that Simeon would not die until he saw that the prophecy was true.

On the day of the Meeting, there was another encounter in the Jerusalem Temple. An 84-year-old widow, “the daughter of Phanuel,” known as Anna the Prophetess for her inspired speeches about God, approached the Mother of God. She had lived and served at the Temple for many years, as the evangelist Luke writes, “serving God with fasting and prayer night and day.” Anna the Prophetess bowed to the newborn Christ and left the Temple to inform the townspeople about the coming of the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel. The Holy Family returned to Nazareth, having fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of Moses.

What should be done on February 15, 2024?

In Orthodox churches on the day of the Meeting, a festive liturgy takes place, which should be attended. One of the oldest traditions is the blessing of candles. A prayer is said over the candles, then they are sprinkled with holy water and distributed to the faithful. The candles should be taken home, kept, and lit during prayer throughout the year.
It is important to spend this day with family and loved ones.

It is also necessary to forgive grievances and reconcile with relatives.

What is forbidden to do on the Meeting?

It is forbidden to engage in household chores and work around the house.
It is forbidden to sweep dirt out of the house.
It is forbidden to go on long trips.
It is forbidden to abuse alcohol.
It is forbidden to quarrel and use foul language.