My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
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ON NOVEMBER 21st OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES THE ENTRANCE OF OUR MOST PURE, MOST BLESSED LADY, THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY, INTO THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD
When the Most Pure and Divine Maiden, the Most Blessed Ever-Virgin Mary the Theotokos, reached the age of three her holy and righteous parents, Joachim and Anna, remembered the vow they had made when they prayed to be delivered from childlessness, promising to offer their offspring as a gift of God. Therefore, as all the ancient holy Fathers testify they called together their relatives living in Nazareth, person of royal and high-priestly lineage, for the righteous Joachim was of royal stock and his spouse Anna was of the high-priestly line. They also assembled a choir of virgins, for whom they had prepared a large number of candles and arrayed the Most Pure Virgin Mary with the splendor befitting a queen. Thus Saint James, the Archbishop of Jerusalem, says on behalf of Joachim, "Summon the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, that they may take in hand burning candles"; and Saint Germanos, Patriarch of Constantinople, has the righteous Anna speak these words: "To the Lord 'will I pay my vows which my lips pronounced and which my mouth had spoken in mine affliction' (Psalm 65). For this reason I have assembled a choir of virgins bearing candles, called for the priests and for my kindred, and said to them, 'Rejoice with me, the mother of a daughter betrothed not to an earthly king but unto God, the King of Heaven."
Concerning the royal magnificence with which the Divine Maiden was adorned, Saint Theophylactos, Archbishop of Bulgaria, writes, "It was necessary that the Most Divine Maiden should enter the temple in a manner befitting her. It would not have been suitable for the brilliant and costly pearl to be clad in a pauper's rags; rather, royal vesture, which would serve to magnify and adorn her, was meet for the occasion."
When everything necessary had been prepared for the honorable and glorious entrance, the Virgin and those with her departed. Arriving in the city of Jerusalem after a journey of three days, Joachim and Anna proceeded to the Temple and led into it the Living Temple of God, the three-year old Maiden, the Most Pure Virgin Mary. She was preceded by the choir of virgins carrying lighted candles. Saint Tarasios, the Archbishop of Constantinople, relates that Saint Anna said at that moment, "Begin the procession, O candle-bearing virgins, and go before me and the Divine Maiden!"
The parents of the Holy Virgin, one on each side, took the daughter given them by God and gently led her forward with reverence. The multitude followed, candles in hand, surrounding the Most Holy Virgin like stars around a brilliant moon, to the amazement of all Jerusalem. Of this, Saint Theophylactos writes, "The daughter forgets her father's house and is led unto the King, Who greatly desires her beauty. She is brought forth in majesty, with splendor and honor, from her father's house as the people clap their hands, and her kindred and neighbors, bound to her parents by ties of affection, follow.
Joining with the visible choir of pure virgins, the unseen choir of bodiless intellects invisibly accompanied the Most Pure Virgin Mary to the Holy Place, by the Lord's command encompassing her who is God's chosen vessel. Saint George, Archbishop of Nicomedia, writes: "As the Virgin's parents led her to the door of the Temple, she was surrounded by Angels, and all the Heavenly Hosts rejoiced...
"...Thus the All-undefiled Maiden was accompanied not only by men but also by Angels into the Temple of the Lord. And this was truly fitting; for if the ark of the Old Covenant (Testament), in which manna was placed, being a mere type of the Most Pure Virgin, was accompanied by all the people of Israel when it was carried into the Tabernacle of the Lord, it was surely proper that the Living Ark, the Most Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, who carried within the Manna that is Christ, be escorted by both men and Angels...
"...Saint Jerome writes that there were fifteen steps at the entrance of the Temple, one for each of the hymns of ascent (Psalms 119-133). When the priests and Levites climbed the steps to perform their service, they chanted a Psalm on each one. The Most blameless Maiden was placed on the first step by her righteous parents and made haste to climb the other steps herself, without anyone leading or supporting her. Reaching the uppermost step, she stopped and remained standing there, upheld by God's unseen might, for even at such a tender age, the Lord's power was at work in her, clearly indicating how great would be the grace revealed in her when she reached womanhood...
"...Saint Germanos also writes that when Zacharias took the Maiden by the hand and joyfully led her into the Holy Place, he said to her, "Come, O performance of my prophecy; come, fulfillment of the Lord's pledges; come, O Seal of His covenant; come, accomplished of His mysteries, mirror of all the Prophets! Come, renewal of what has been promised; come, O Light of those who lie in darkness, most divine and newest of gifts, and enter into the Temple of your Lord! Now the Sanctuary here below is opened to men, and soon that above, which before could not be entered."
Rejoicing greatly, the Maiden entered the house of the Lord as though it were a bridal chamber. Although she was very young, only three years of age, she was perfect in the grace of God, for He had foreseen before the creation of the world that she was to become His mother and had foreordained her to bear Him.
Then the High Priest Zacharias did a strange thing which caused all to marvel: he led the Maiden into the inner sanctuary known as the Holy of Holies, beyond the second veil, in which were the "Ark of the Covenant, overlaid round about with gold, and the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat" (Hebrews, Chapter 9). Not only women but even priests were forbidden to enter the inner sanctuary. Only the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies, and that but once a year, yet Zacharias led the Most Pure Virgin directly into the Sacred Tabernacle and permitted her to make use of it as a place of prayer. According to Saints Cyril of Alexandria and Gregory of Nyssa, the other maidens living in the Temple were permitted to pray in the place between the Temple and the altar, where Zacharias was later slain. None of the other virgins were permitted to enter the altar, this having been strictly forbidden them by the chief priests, but from the time of her entry, the Most Pure Virgin was allowed to pray wherever she wished beyond the second veil in the innermost altar...
"...Maidens older than the Most Pure Virgin Mary, acquainted with letters and handiwork, were appointed as her teachers, so that from childhood the Divine Maiden might become familiar with these things. She was frequently visited by her holy parents, Joachim and Anna, and especially visited by her mother Anna, who often came to see and instruct her Most Blessed daughter. Soon the Maiden came to know the Hebrew Scripture well, according to Saint Ambrose and the historian George Kendrinus, and mastered the handiwork taught her...
"As the Virgin grew and her spirit daily increased in strength, her love of labor and prayer grew stronger as well, and she passed from strength to strength until the power of the Most High overshadowed her. The High Priest Zacharias saw with his own eyes how the Angel appeared, bringing her food, as Saint George of Nicomedia relates: "Day by day, as she grew, the gifts of the Holy Spirit grew in her also, and Angels kept company with her...
"...While dwelling in the Holy of Holies, the Most Pure Virgin resolved to live in Angelic purity and to remain ever a virgin. According to the testimony of the holy teachers Gregory of Nyssa, Jerome, and others, she was the first maiden to dedicate her virginity to God, for under the Old Testament it was not the custom to remain unmarried, since wedlock was held in greater esteem than virginity. The Most Pure Virgin was the first in the world to regard virginity as loftier than marriage and to betroth herself to God, Whom she served day and night in chastity. Therefore, by the goodwill of God the Father, the Most Holy Spirit prepared a dwelling-place in her for God the Logos/Word. Unto the Most Holy Trinity, one in essence and indivisible, be Glory and thanksgiving and unto Our Most Pure Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, be honor and praise from every generation unto the ages. Amen. (Source: The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints)
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DIVINE LITURGY ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21st: 10:00 a.m.
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"-- Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servants of God
+Fr. George