The feast of the Lord’s Presentation to the Temple is the patronal feast at the Sergiyevsky skete of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery. One of the side chapels of the Church of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh is dedicated to today’s feast.

On the occasion of the feast, Lesser Vespers with the akathist, Vigil, prayer canon to the Most Holy Mother of God with the blessing of water prayer service, and the Divine Liturgy were served there. Following the liturgy, the clergy and sisters walked in the cross procession around the church.

Hegumenia Sergiya (Konkova), the abbess of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery, prayerfully attended today’s festive services.

Revealing the meaning of today’s feast, the holy hierarch St, Theophan the Recluse said: “On the one hand, the Lord is surrounded on this feast with righteousness seeking salvation but not of himself, that is Simeon, and with the chaste life of fasting and prayer made alive with faith, that is Anna. On the other hand, there is essential, all-encompassing, and unshaken purity, the Ever-Virgin Mother of God, with humble, silent obedience and devotion to the will of God, that is Joseph the Betrothed. Establish all these spiritual attitudes in your heart and you will meet the Lord Who comes to you, Whom you accept in the embrace of your heart to sing a hymn that will pierce the heaven and make glad all the angels and saints.”

As he accepted Christ the Child in his hands, Righteous Simeon rejoiced in spirit and said wondrous words: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” According to tradition, the righteous elder lived three hundred and sixty years. He was foretold he wouldn’t die until he saw Christ the Savior. The long-awaited meeting had happened, the eyes of the elder saw the arrival of salvation to the world, so he was comforted and at peace. Righteous Simeon was vouchsafed to be the God-Receiver not only because he held the God Child in his hands, but mostly because he had Christ, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in his heart.