Память святого и праведного Симеона Богоприимца

According to the testimony of the Divine Gospel, Elder Simeon was a righteous and pious man, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit abided on him. He was told by God about the approaching coming into the world of the true Messiah (Luke 2:2). Ancient historians describe Simeon’s receipt of this notice as follows. By order of the Egyptian king Ptolemy, a translation of the Law of Moses and the books of the prophets from Hebrew into Greek was undertaken. For this task, seventy learned men were chosen from the entire Jewish people 1124. Among them was Simeon, as a wise man and well aware of the Divine Scripture. Translating the book of the prophet Isaiah, Simeon came to the words “behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son” (Is. 7:14). Reading them, he doubted, thinking that it was impossible for a wife without a husband to give birth. Simeon had already taken the knife and wanted to clean out these words in the book scroll and change the word “maiden” to the word “wife.” But at that time an Angel of the Lord appeared to him and, holding his hand, said: “Have faith in the written words, and you yourself will see their fulfillment, for you will not see death until you see Christ the Lord having been born of a pure Virgin.” Having believed in the angelic and prophetic words, Simeon eagerly awaited the coming of Christ into the world. He led a righteous and blameless life, avoiding all evil and remaining constantly in the church of God. There Simeon prayed to God, may He have mercy on His world and deliver people from the all-evil devil. When our Lord Jesus Christ, after forty days after His birth, was brought by the hands of His Most Pure Mother, according to legal custom (Exodus 13:2), to the church, at that time the righteous Simeon also came there, led by the Spirit of God. Having seen the Eternal Child and the Immaculate Virgin who gave birth to Him, he knew that this was the promised Messiah, and this was the Virgin, over whom Isaiah’s prophecy was to be fulfilled and was fulfilled. Seeing Her overshadowed by heavenly light and shining with Divine rays, Simeon approached Her with fear and joy, took the Divine Infant 1125 in his arms and said: “Now you are releasing Your servant, Master, according to Your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all nations, a light for the enlightenment of the pagans and the glory of Your people Israel” ( Luke 2:29–32) 1126. After this, he prophesied about the suffering of Christ and His crucifixion, as well as about the Mother of God, that Her soul would be pierced by the weapon of sadness and sorrow when She saw Her Son hanging on the Cross (Luke 2:34–35). Having reached a very old age, Simeon reposed in the Lord 1127. They write about him that he lived only three hundred and sixty years, for God was pleased to prolong the life of the holy elder, so that he could live until the longed-for year expected in all ages, when the Flightless Son was born from the Virgin, to whom be glory forever, Amen 1128. The elder today renounced the yuz, praying for this corruptible life, Christ will be accepted into the arms of the Creator and Lord. Memory of Saint Anna the Prophetess Saint Anna the prophetess, remembered in the Gospel, together with Saint Simeon the God-Receiver, having met the Lord Jesus in the church, preached about Him that He is the expected Messiah - Christ 1129. Ptolemy II, Philadelphus, son and successor of Ptolemy Lagus (285–247 BC), was one of the greatest Egyptian sovereigns. He is especially known for his enlightened love of science. Through his efforts, the Library of Alexandria was founded. Wanting to annex Syria to his possessions, he subjugated Judea, which lay on the way to Syria. After he occupied Jerusalem, many thousands of Jews from Jerusalem and its environs, as well as from Samaria, were taken captives to Egypt; but since the king treated the Jews mercifully and even gave them equal rights with the Macedonians in Alexandria, many Jews voluntarily moved to this country. Having heard that the Jewish law received its origin from God and contains the highest wisdom and the most holy commandments, the king wished to have it in a Greek translation. With this translation, he wanted to replenish his rich library in Alexandria, and perhaps he wanted to provide a service to the Jews, many of whom, from their long stay in Alexandria, began to forget their natural language. An embassy was sent to Jerusalem with rich gifts for the church. In a letter to the high priest, the king wrote that he should send him elders experienced in the knowledge of the Russian law, who could properly translate it into Greek. At this time, the high priest was Adu's grandson, Eleazar. He chose six elders from the 12 tribes of Israel and, giving them the most correct list of holy books, inscribed in gold letters on the thinnest parchment, sent them to Alexandria. Here they were received very favorably. They were given a house on the island of Pharos, where they translated every day until nine o'clock or three in the afternoon. The translation was completed in seventy days, read in the presence of the Alexandrian Jews, and approved by them. This very translation of the sacred books is called “the translation of seventy (or more precisely 72) interpreters,” or translators; it is still used in the Orthodox Eastern Church, and our “Slavic translation of the Old Testament” was made from it. That is why Saint Simeon is called the Receiver of God. The dying prayer of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver: now let Thy servant go, O Master, is repeated every day in church, at the evening service, so that the evening of each day reminds every believer of the evening of his life, i.e. having death befall him. The holy elder Simeon, freeing himself from the bonds of the flesh, joyfully passed into another world when he accepted the Divine Child, the Savior of the world, into his senile embrace. Thus, every believer in his dying moments, having sincerely received the Holy Gifts of the Body and Blood of Christ, joyfully leaves this troubled and vain world. The holy relics of Simeon the God-Receiver were transferred to Constantinople under Emperor Justin the Younger (565–578) and placed there at the Chalcopratian Church in the chapel of St. James, brother of the Lord, built by this emperor. Our Russian pilgrim of the 12th century, Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod, also saw the tomb of St. Simeon the God-Receiver here. About Saint Simeon, who accepted the Infant Jesus brought into the church in his arms and blessed Mary the Mother of God and Joseph, many think that he was a priest at the temple of Jerusalem, like Zechariah, who had previously received the infant Mary, who was to be the Mother of Jesus, being brought into the church. This is how they talk about it: Saint Athanasius the Great - in the book about the common nature of the Father and the Son; Saint Cyril of Jerusalem - in the word about the Presentation of the Lord; Saint Epiphanius - in the teaching about the fathers of the Old Testament, and others. The Gospel does not say to what rank righteous Simeon belonged, but in the hymns of St. To the church he is called a “priest,” “a saint,” “a priest,” “who offered the lawful sacrifices,” and “who cleansed the people of Israel with blood sacrifices.” The very actions of St. Simeon at the Presentation of the Lord (Luke 2:23–37) also show that he was a priest. Luke 2:36–38. – More about St. For Anna the prophetess, see The Tale of the Presentation You might be interested in: