Great Feast
Meeting of the Lord
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
When: February 2 (Old Calendar: 13 days later on the civil calendar).
Forty days after His birth, Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple, following the Law of Moses (Luke 2:22–40). There the aged Simeon, who had been promised he would not die before seeing the Messiah, took Him in his arms.
Simeon’s prayer, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”, is sung at every Vespers. The prophetess Anna also gave thanks and spoke of the Child to all who awaited redemption.
The feast is called the “Meeting” because in Christ the Old Covenant, represented by Simeon and Anna, meets the New. Candles are often blessed on this day.
Written for this app in our own words from the Gospels and long-standing Church tradition. All Great Feasts & Holy Week · Calendar