THE FEAST OF THE MEETING OF THE LORD IN THE TEMPLE AT THE JERUSALEM PATRIARCHATE
The Jerusalem Patriarchate – 20/2/18
The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple was celebrated by the Patriarchate on Thursday February 2/15, 2018, at the Holy Church of the Meeting of the Lord in the Holy Monastery of Panagia Sayda Naya at the Christian Quarter near the Patriarchate.
On this Feast the Church commemorates the event that forty days after the Lord’s Nativity in the flesh, He was brought to the Temple by His parents with a pair of turtles and two doves, in order to fulfill the Law. He was then received by Simeon the Righteous who took Him in his arms and recognized Him as the Christ of God and then exclaimed “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).
For this Feast, Vespers was held in the evening and the Divine Liturgy in the morning of the Feast, led by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, with co-celebrants the Hegoumen of Fhes in Jordan Archimandrite Ieronymos, the Dean Priest Nectarios, visiting Priests from Russia and Romania, and Hierodeacon Sophrony. In the choir were the choir leader of the All-holy Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos, Mr. George Alvanos, Church choir singers from Greece and the Patriarchal School students in Greek, and Mr. Rimon Kamar in Arabic. The services were attended by a large congregation.
H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos came for veneration during the Divine Liturgy, escorted by Hagiotaphite Fathers.
After the Divine Liturgy, the renovator of the Monastery Abbess Seraphima offered a rich reception at the hegoumeneion.
