ON THE 2ND OF FEBRUARY THE FEAST DAY OF THE MEETING OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

ON THE 2ND OF FEBRUARY THE FEAST DAY OF THE
MEETING OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. First Tone

REJOICE, thou who art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, for from
thee hath risen the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, enlight-
ening those in darkness. Rejoice, thou also, O righteous Elder,
as thou receivest in thine arms the Redeemer of our souls, Who
also granteth unto us the Resurrection.

Kontakion Hymn. First Tone

THOU Who didst sanctify the Virgin’s womb by Thy birth, and didst
bless Symeon’s hands as was meet, by anticipation hast even now
saved us, O Christ God. But grant peace in the midst of wars unto
Thy commonwealth and strengthen the hierarchs whom Thou hast
loved, O only Friend of man.
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When the Most Pure Mother the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary’s FORTY DAYS OF PURIFICATION had been fulfilled, she too her first-born Son to Jerusalem on this, the FORTIETH DAY AFTER HIS BIRTH, that she might present Him in the Temple according to the Law of Moses, which teaches that every first-born male child be dedicated to God, and also that she might offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons, as required by the Law [Luke 2:22-24; Exodus, 13:2; Leviticus 12:6-8]. On this same day, a Righteous and devout man, the greatly aed Symeon, was also present in the Temple, being guided by the Holy Spirit. For a long time, this man had been awaiting THE SALVATION OF GOD, AND HE HAD BEEN INFORMED B DIVINE REVELATION THAT HE WOULD NOT DIE UNTIL HE BEHELD THE LORD’S CHRIST. Thus, when he beheld Him at that time and took Him up into his aged arms, he gave glory to God, singing: "NOW LETTEST THOU THY SERVANT DEPART IN PEACE, O MASTER, ACCORDING TO THY WORD; FOR MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THY SALVATION, WHICH THOU DIDST PREPARE BEFORE THE FACE OF ALL THE PEOPLES, A LIGHT FOR REVELATION TO THE NATIONS AND THE GLORY OF THY PEOPLE ISRAEL." [Luke 2:29-32]. This feast day is called ‘Hypapante’ in Greek.

The Orthodox Church appointed this Great Feast of the Lord and the Mother of God to be celebrated on the 2nd of February, because it is the FORTIETH DAY after the 25th of December, when the Nativity (Birth) of Christ in the flesh is celebrated. In this way the year is divided by the turning points in the Divine Economy and blesses them. At the same time it makes it possible for man to be INITIATED into the Great Mystery of the INCARNATION of the Son and Logos/Word of God.

God Himself, that is to say the Unincarnate Logos/Word of God, gave the Commandment of purification on the 40th day to Moses and it has been established for all the Israelites. This Commandment was given to Moses even before the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, before they crossed the Red Sea.

In the Book of Leviticus (Old Testament) we see that God gives more details about the ceremony of CONSECRATION AND THANKSGIVING. The woman who bears a MALE CHILD is to CIRCUMCISE HIM on the 8th day and offer him to the Temple on the 40 day. And with the offering of the child "she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a year-old lamb as burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a burnt offering" [Leviticus 12:1-6].

Since the Logos/Word of God Himself gave the Law to Moses, when He assumed human flesh He had to keep the Law, so as not to be a law-breaker. Saint Cyril of Alexandria says that when anyone sees Christ keeping the Law, he should NOT be shocked, nor should he regard as a servant Him Who is free, but he should have a better understanding of "THE DEPTH OF THE ECONOMY." This keeping of the Law of the offering in the Temple is part of the Mystery of the Divine Kenosis of the Son and Logos/Word of God.

Likewise, according to Saint Gregory Palamas, Christ HAD NO NEED OF PURIFICATION, but since ritual purification was LEGISLATED in the Old Testament for both the parents and the children, He did it IN ORDER TO OBEY THE LAW WHICH HE HIMSELF HAD GIVEN. Christ had NO need of ritual purification, because He WAS CONCEIVED WITHOUT SEED AND GIVEN BIRTH WITHOUT LOSS OF VIRGINITY. "There was certainly no ned for purification, but IT WAS AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE." This obedience had the meaning of obedience to the Law of God, but also OF OBEDIENCE OF THE NEW ADAM (CHRIST), in contrast to the DISOBEDIENCE OF THE OLD ADAM. And if the disobedience of the First Adam resulted IN THE FALL AND CORRUPTION, THE OBEDIENCE OF THE NEW ADAM, CHRIST, BROUGHT DISOBEDIENT HUMAN NATURE BACK TO GOD AND CURED MAN OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DISOBEDIENCE.

After mentioning that what was done in the Old Testament was a type of the Nativity of Christ. Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite says that Christ alone opened the virgin’s womb "in a way worthy of God and beyond comprehension, for having opened her in being born, He LEFT HER CLOSED AGAIN, JUST AS SHE WAS BEFORE THE CONCEPTION AND BIRTH."

Christ is the FIRST-BORN and is characterized as such in Holy Scripture. This characterization certainly DOES NOT MEAN that there is also a second-born and a third-born, but that He AS BORN FIRST, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE WAS A SECOND OR THIRD. The term "FIRST-BORN" MUST BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE "ONLY-BEGOTTEN," AS CHRIST IS ALSO CHARACTERIZED in Holy Scripture.

The term "first-born" also refers to the TWO BIRTHS OF CHRIST, that is to say, TO THE PRE-ETERNAL BIRTH FROM A Virgin Father, without a mother, and the BIRTH IN TIME FROM A Virgin Mother, without a father (Saint Gregory Palamas).

Christ is called First-Born in three ways. First, because He was born of the Father before all ages. The Apostle Paul says: "He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born over all creation" [Colossians 1:15). And as we saw before, the "first-born" identified with the "only-begotten." Secondly, He is called first-born in His human birth, and regardless of whether another was born of the All-Holy (Panagia). "And she brought forth her first-born son" (Luke 2:7). And thirdly, He is called first-born from the dead because He was THE FIRST TO RISE FROM THE DEAD, thus making it possible FOR EVERYONE TO BE RAISED AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. The Resurrection is also characterized as a "BIRTH," because RESURRECTION IS REGARDED AS A BIRTH. The holy Apostle Paul says, "HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE FIRST-BORN FROM AMONG THE DEAD" [Colossians 1:18). The FIRST meaning of the first-born IS CONNECTED WITH THE INCARNATION OF THE LOGOS/WORD and refer to the economy.

Although Christ was an infant, at the same time He WAS "GOD BEFORE THE AGES," and therefore He was wiser than anyone else. We know that human nature in the womb of the Theotokos (Mother of God) was deified by the UNION OF DIVINE AND HUMAN NATURE IN THE PERSON OF THE LOGOS/WORD, AND THEREFORE CHRIST;S SOUL WAS ENRICHED WITH THE FULNESS OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE. Yet, this wisdom was expressed in accordance with His age, because if it had been otherwise, He would have appeared to be a freak (Saint John of Damascus). Anyway, although Christ was an infant, nevertheless He was God, having all the fulness of Divinity bodily and all the human wisdom and knowledge by virtue of the hypostatic union of His Divine and Human Natures. [Source: The Twelve feasts of the Lord by Metropolitan Hierotheos)

(To be continued)

_____________
+Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George