On December 4, Orthodox believers celebrate one of the main church holidays – the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Hegumen Varnava, the abbot of the Dimitrievsky monastery in Orenburg, told Izvestia about the history and peculiarities of the holiday.
According to the clergyman, the Feast of the Introduction of the Mother of God into the Temple is an amazing event in the history of all mankind, because it is the history of God’s revelation.
“There is such a people of God – the Jewish people, who at one time received a revelation from God through Moses about who the true God is and how one should obey him. The commandments about worship and the church were received, and suddenly an amazing girl appeared, born of an infertile couple, who no longer hoped to wait for children according to her age – a child was miraculously born, ”said Abbot Barnabas.
At the age of three, the girl, who turned out to be the mother of Jesus Christ Mary, was brought from Nazareth to the Jerusalem temple, and she, climbing the steps, entered the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest was allowed to enter with the cleansing sacrificial blood.
According to the surviving testimonies of the ancient holy fathers of the church, the procession from Nazareth to Jerusalem lasted three days with small stops.
“And all the high priests of the Jewish people who stood nearby froze in amazement: what is this happening? The child enters where not even the high priests are allowed to enter, only once a year after the sacrifice. But all of them were embraced by God’s admonition – that this comes from the Lord, ”added the priest.
Mary’s parents Joachim and Anna left their daughter in the temple and returned home. Maria remained there until adolescence. In the temple, she was brought up in the society of pious virgins, read the Holy Scriptures, did handicrafts and prayed constantly.
“This amazing event is celebrated today by the Holy Church. In awe we stand before this great mystery – how amazingly the Lord accomplishes our salvation, ”concluded Abbot Barnabas.
On September 21, the Orthodox celebrated the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. As Abbot Barnabas explained then, the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos from almost sterile parents is an image of suffering mankind, which awaits the coming of the Savior to this earth, without losing faith and hope.
On this day, believers try to be in church, confess and receive communion.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
