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Glory to Jesus Christ!
We heard today a passage from the Gospel of Luke, which tells what happened when a baby Jesus was brought to the temple (Luke, II :22-40). How did it happen? Righteous Simeon met Him at the temple. Who was Simeon? He was one of the old prophets who were rewriting old books. When he read in one of the sacred books, that a Virgin would conceive by the Holy Spirit, She would give birth and still would be Virgin, but he did not understand. How is it -by the Holy Spirit? How is it - not by a man? And he wanted to fix these things. And he wanted to delete them out, and write others, that would conceive by a man, not by the Holy Spirit. But it was the Divine Will that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit and gave birth to our Savior - Jesus Christ. And at this moment Archangel Gabriel appeared to Simeon and said: "Because you have doubted in the words of God, you will become blind and you will be blind so long, until the Virgin appears on the earth, who will conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Son of God. Then you will begin to see."
So it happened and he became blind. He was living near the temple of Jerusalem, and was waiting every day, from day to day, when the boy was brought on circumcision to the temple, as dedication to God, the boy, who will rule all the nations - the Savior of the world. Years passed - one hundred years, two hundred years. And he was waiting up to being two hundred sixty-five for the boy - the Savior of the world, as transfers of the church say.
When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple of God, Simeon immediately received his sight and so he was able to see. He ran into the house, took Jesus in his arms and said, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel."So that Jesus came to save all people in the glory of the people of Israel.
Then he turned to Mary and said, giving her Jesus "And a sword will pierce your own soul too." This meant that she would suffer a lot because of him. Suffering is particularly severe, when the mother sees the Son crucified, slandered -this is a big pain for the mother. "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against." Because of Jesus there will be many disputes in the world. Many will fall and many will rise in the glory of God. You see, he was born for the fall of the haughty and for the rise of the humble and the patient - for many.
Today we celebrate the holiday - Presentation of the Lord. This holiday also teaches us that we have to baptize our children on the fortieth day, bring them to church for spiritual circumcision, that is - to baptize. Jesus was circumcised physically, from the bottom of the flesh that means that a person is dedicated to God and is cut off from sin. We accept circumcision made without hands, when the person is baptized. And so it is necessary to baptize the child on the fortieth day so that he could have his own Guardian Angel. It will let the Guardian Angel guard the child from all evil, from all energy attacks, teach him wisdom and lead him to God.
For this we baptize on the fortieth day, but not on the thirtieth year of life. Because up to the thirtieth year such demons could go into a person that no baptism could help, neither with water, nor with the Holy Spirit. The child must be protected from evil from the very childhood, to develop well, to sleep well, then the mother is not worried that the child could grow downtrodden. So you must legalize the Guardian Angel near the child, and for this the child is brought into the temple and is dedicated to serving God, as Christ. That is he accepts baptism to let the God live in him, not the devil. To save his life and to receive the eternal life.
Also, at the same time, we need to pay attention to the fact that the Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. While some people have been trying to slander her up to this day. This slander takes new forms. They try even to make a popular scientific interpretation, but this is pure slander. Because, as we can see, the holiday is celebrated and remembered: when the righteous Simeon doubted at conception by the Holy Spirit and wanted to delete the words, to rewrite the Holy Bible, the Book of the Prophets, Angel appeared immediately to him and said, "As you doubted in the Holy Word, you will be blind. And you will be able to see when your eyes see the Savior of the world, born of the Virgin, who gave birth to Him being Virgin, and will be Virgin after that." Therefore, he became able to see, when the prophecy was fulfilled, as he testified about it. And so we have a holiday today, during which the words of Simeon are often repeated: "as you have promised... For my eyes have seen your salvation, - he said, holding Jesus on his hands - which you have prepared in the sight of all nations." And "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace." He has hardly waited for his time, because he was tired being blind, he was living at the temple for hundreds of years?" Now, Lord, You let Your servant go out of the land,as my eyes have seen the Savior (or salvation), that You have prepared for this world."
May our eyes also see salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. To let us inherit the eternal life as well and say to the Lord, that now, Lord, You let Your servant go. I know that You will accept us, You will not refuse us.
May God bless all of you!
Glory to Jesus Christ!
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Apostle (Hebrews, 7:7-17):
7
7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the
superior.
8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in
the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes,
paid tithes through Abraham,
10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when
Melchizedek met him.
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the
Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what
further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the
order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?
12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is
necessarily a change in the law as well.
13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to
another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar
14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah,
and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises
in the likeness of Melchizedek,
16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal
requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an
indestructible life.
17 For it is witnessed of him, "You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek."
Gospel (Luke, 2:22-40):
2
22 And when the time came for their purification according to
the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the
Lord
23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who
first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord")
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the
Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon,
and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of
Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he
would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the
parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom
of the Law,
28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to
your people Israel."
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said
about him.
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is opposed
35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so
that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her
husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not
depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks
to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of
Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed everything according to the
Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.
And the favor of God was upon him.
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