Forefeast of the Presentation of our Lord
Categories: hymns, parish-life, feast-days
Date: 01 February 2009 02:56:27
Last night's demonstration of making Lebanese Sweet Cheese [Halawet El-Jibn] was a great deal of fun -- and rather delicious in the eating. I foolishly forgot to take some paper; the recipe will be flying through cyberspace soon, so once I get it I'll post it up for any interested. Looking forward to the next demonstration at the end of this month already -- Date Fingers are to be made.
Today in the Orthodox Church is the Forefeast of the Presentation of our Lord. Each of the Twelve Great Feasts in the Orthodox Church has what is known as an Afterfeast, a number of days of continued celebration of the Feast. Some Great Feasts also have a Forefeast, days before the celebration of a Great Feast where the hymns refer to the coming feast. Information of Afterfeasts and Forefeasts can be read here.
In the Orthodox Church, it is as the services of Vespers and Matins where you experience the hymnody of the Feast, and in fact each Sunday in the Church Year. Excluding a few hymns, and the Epistle and Gospel Readings, the Divine Liturgy is rather static, though I add no less beautiful, in its format. It is at Vespers and Matins that I learn more about the Feast through the various hymns of the Church. Here are some from the Forefeast of the Presentation of our Lord.
Today Simeon receives in his arms the Lord of glory whom Moses saw of old on Sinai when in the cloud and darkness he was given the tables of the law. This is he who has spoken through the prophets! He is the creator of the law! This is he whom David foretold: he is fearful to all, yet shows us great mercy!
The holy Virgin brings the sacred Child to the holy man in the holy place. Stretching out his arms, Simeon receives Him with joy and cries aloud, “Now let your servant depart in peace, O Master according to Your Word, O Lord."
The heavenly choir of angels has come down to the earth to behold the first-born of creation born from an unwedded mother brought to the temple as an infant, as the angels join us in our expectant song.
He who is enthroned with the Father has come to earth and was born of the Virgin. The Infinite, the Timeless One, becomes a newborn Child. Simeon, filled with joy, received Him in his arms and said to Him, "Now You shall dismiss Your servant in joy, O merciful Lord!
Open wide, O gates of Heaven: for Christ is carried as an infant by His Mother, the spotless Virgin, to the divine Father in the Temple.
A blessed Forefeast to all, and a blessed Feast of the Presentation of our Lord to all for tomorrow.