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Receiving the Baby Jesus (Presentation) Ocala. 2/5/06 "Holy Mother of God, the hope of all Christians; give shelter, guard and protect those, who hope in You." This poetic prayer was chanted in all the Orthodox Churches around the world, on the occasion of the Great Holy Day, celebrated always on February 2nd. It is the Day the newborn Jesus was presented by His Holy Mother to Symeon, at the Temple of Jerusalem. The Judaic Law stated, that the first born in a family should be brought to be dedicated in the Temple, after the purification on the 40th day. The Lord did not constitute the exception to this tradition. We learned this later from His teachings, when He emphasized, that He did not come into the world to substitute the Law and the Prophets, but to complete the Law. Thus, He participated in the Traditions, to exemplify His respect and submission to the Judaic Law as an important part of His life. The receiving and the blessing of the Lord on His 40th Day as an infant is unique, and cannot be compared to any other Event. The scene is in the Temple of Jerusalem where two blessed persons, Symeon the Prophet, as well as Anna the Prophetess had been praying incessantly, that they would be preserved on this earth, until their eyes would see the New Born King. The Holy Spirit did reveal to them, that their wish would be granted, even though they both were past their 80th year. The Holy Mother, with her protector Joseph, arrive at the Temple on the 40th Day. At the entrance of the Temple, they are approached by the Prophet Symeon, who with outstretched arms received the Holy Child. The Prophet, illumined by God, and with profound emotion, which could not control his tears of gratitude and joy, he received the Infant Jesus. Clutching Him warmly in his arms, he brings Him into the Temple. Raising Him before the Holy Altar he offers this prayer: "Now, O Lord my God, let your servant depart this life in peace according to Your word; because mine eyes have seen Your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. This is the Light, that will be revealed to all the Nations, and surely is the glory of Your people of Israel" (Luke 2:29-32) What an ineffable, glorious moment, my beloved! What spiritual grandeur! What a supreme spiritual height any person can attain, if one truly dedicates himself or herself to the will of God! What a fulfillment every human being can achieve, by this type of dedication and submission to the will of God! What a lofty feeling it must be, to be spiritually prepared to return to God, expressing parallel words of the Prophet Symeon: "Lord, now I am ready to depart from this world, with a peaceful heart and soul!" I must tell you, that over my 6 and almost one half decades in serving our Holy Church, I have heard this resignation to God from only too few souls, breathing their last. But, if we seriously think of it, isn't this the real mission 'and destiny of a true Christian? That is, to live one's life in perfect harmony first with self, and of course in relationship with our fellow humans, so that with great conviction, we could sense deeply within our hearts, the words of St. Symeon: "Now, let Your servant depart this life in peace. Our Holy Orthodox Church, from the Apostolic days, is indeed unique, in establishing and preserving Ecclesiastical tradition. The Church did this with the sole purpose, of having her faithful revolve within the sphere of our Lord. That is, to imitate and perpetuate Services, in which our Lord took part, such as the blessing of the 5 loaves, as He did in the desert, and also His being brought to the Temple for a blessing on the 40th Day after His Birth, known as Hypapante, or Presentation, to be received by the Prophet Symeon. We are the only Church of Christendom continuing the practice of the 40th Day presentation, in imitation of the Infant Jesus . having been brought to be dedicated in the Temple. Every mother imitates the Holy Mother St. Mary, when she brings her child, and offers it to God on the 40th day! The Priest, who assumes the role of the Prophet Symeon, offers specific prayers for the mother and the child in the Narthex, praying that God will bless, increase, sanctify and illumine the newborn, and that the mother, after the cleansing period may be deemed worthy to participate in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Offering the closing prayer at the Narthex, the Priest receives the infant in his arms, and followed by the parents, proceeds down the middle aisle toward the Holy Altar repeating the words: "The servant of God is Churched in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" Approaching the Holy Altar he continues: "I shall enter the House of the Lord, and I shall worship in Your Holy Temple." Standing before the Holy Altar, he raises the infant, and repeats St. Symeon's words: "Now, let Your servant depart in peace, etc." The male infants are taken into the Holy Sanctuary and circled around the Holy Altar, only because, if God proposes, one day they may return as Priests to serve God within the Sanctuary. Whereas the female infants are simply raised under the Royal Gates with the same prayer being heard. This concludes the special Service and the Parents firstly reverence and kiss the Holy Icon on the Altar Screen and then receive their child, after hearing a short admonition by the Priest. Continuing, and preserving our old age traditions, it behooves all Orthodox Christians, to "Stand steadfastly and hold the traditions, which they have been taught," as St. Paul states in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians. 2 Thess. 2:15. What a supreme privilege we have, my beloved, when we participate fully in a religious experience, which took place almost 2000 years ago! That is, to offer to God, our most precious possession, which He alone has entrusted to our care. I wonder sometimes, how deeply this Ceremony is felt in the hearts of those, who traditionally come for the 40 day Churching? Of course, like all things in life, this also is a two edged sword. We either reap the supreme and complete benefits by the sharpness of truly participating in God's glory, or, we go through the motions of a tradition, which we have routinely inherited. A question, which can be heard very often from a new mother to her doctor, usually runs something like this: "Doctor, when do I start training my child, etc?" The answer is usually standard: "Immediately." This is what the Church also tells us. We dedicate our children on the 40th day, and this dedication really, should never cease. If Christians would only live their life in the realm of this dedication, and have their sights always aimed toward God, they surely would be inhabiting a totally different world! The miseries and tragedies of this world, are simply the result of man's inhumanity to man. These horrendous situations arise, simply because people have distanced themselves from God. They have drawn away from the radiant light and warmth, and are fumbling in the darkness and frigid zones. The ills of this world will never be remedied by war, or through the treaties at the conference tables. We have lived to witness this reality, and are still living under threatening clouds, unfortunately. Today, my beloved, more than ever, the need is so very evident for a return to God, from Whom we have drifted. Our ultimate goal should be, to live our life in such a fashion, that we may be deemed worthy to repeat St. Symeon's words: "Now, let Your servant depart from this world in peace, for mine eyes have seen and lived in the realm Your glory." When we think of it, the 40 day Churching did not happen only for the 40th day. It is repeated, and will continue to be repeated throughout our life, because our Lord, as the Divine Symeon, awaits us always with open arms before the Heavenly Altar, exhorting us to walk in the path of salvation. Amen. + Fr. George Papadeas
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