Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord > Four Evangelists Orthodox Church, Bel Air, Maryland

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

On 02 February, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Meeting of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Temple. One of the twelve Great Feasts on the liturgical calendar, this day commemorates the presentation of Jesus by Mary and Joseph to the Temple on the fortieth day after His birth, being received into the arms of the righteous Simeon. (Gospel of St. Luke 2:22-38)

Please join us on Wednesday, 01 February 2023, at 6pm, as we celebrate the service of Vespers for the Feast.

Also on this day, due to its association with light (cf. Luke 2:32), it is customary to bless candles that will be used for the following year. If you have candles that you would like to be blessed, please bring them with you to church.

Icon of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple by iconographer Philip Davydov

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of grace! / From you shone the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God. / Enlightening those who sat in darkness! / Rejoice, and be glad, O righteous elder; / You accepted in your arms the Redeemer of our souls, / Who grants us the Resurrection.

Please join us at 9:00AM on Saturday, February 2, as we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple. The blessing of candles will follow.

The Feast of Presentation of Out Lord (also commonly called the Meeting of Our Lord) is one of the 12 Great Feasts of the Church. Commemorated is the presentation of Jesus into the Temple by Mary and Joseph 40 days after Our Lord’s Nativity.

In the Gospel of St. Luke 2:22-35, Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. There he was received by the elder Simeon, who held Jesus and prayed, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” At this Mary and Joseph marveled.

The celebration of the Meeting of the Lord in the church is not merely a historical commemoration. Inspired by the same Holy Spirit as Simeon, and led by the same Spirit into the Church of the Messiah, the members of the Church also can claim their own “meeting” with the Lord, and so also can witness that they too can “depart in peace” since their eyes have seen the salvation of God in the person of his Christ. (Fr. Thomas Hopko, The Orthodox Faith – Vol. 2)

The Feast of the Presentation is the last feast of the Nativity cycle. It has a forefeast of one day and an afterfeast of seven days. This feast is also unique among the feasts of the Church in that is simultaneously a feast of Our Lord and the Theotokos. Also customary in both Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions is to bless candles on this day, hence the name Candlemas.

Visit the Meeting of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Temple article from the Orthodox Church in America website to learn more about this Feast Day.