Orthodox Christians celebrate the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the history of the holiday. The meaning of the feast of the introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple
In Orthodox Christianity there are holidays that include twelve such days as the main events. December 4 - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple - one of them. You can learn more about the holiday and traditions on this day from this article.
What holiday is this, what can’t you do on December 4th and what can you eat?
This day is the twelfth Christian holiday. What does "twelfth" mean? This is the name given to those directly related to the Mother of God (theotokos) and the life on earth of Jesus Christ (the Lord’s). According to their number, the name is twelfths (“twelves” - twelve). This is a big holiday for believers - December 4, the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary. What not to do: Do heavy work, laundry, sewing, cleaning and other household chores. And it’s better not to lend on this day. You can go visit or invite friends over. December 4th falls on Filippov, so you can eat fish.
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple on December 4. What does this holiday mean?
Here are the events of this day. Mary was only three years old, her parents - Anna and Joachim - decided that it was time to fulfill what they had promised to God. After all, when the still childless Joachim and Anna prayed to the Lord for a child, they promised to devote the child to serving the King of Heaven. On the appointed day, they dressed Maria in the most beautiful clothes and gathered all her relatives. After singing, Maria's parents lit candles and with all their relatives they went up the high and steep steps (there were fifteen of them), which the little girl climbed with amazing ease. She was met at the door by the high priest Zechariah, the future father of John, who baptized Jesus. He blessed Mary, as he did with everyone who was dedicated to God.
How Mary was received in the temple
On the day when the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple took place, December 4, there was a Divine revelation to the high priest. Zechariah led Mary to the most sacred place of the temple, where only he himself was allowed to enter once a year. This surprised everyone again. From the moment of entering the temple, Mary, the only one of all the girls, Zechariah, at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, allowed her to pray not between the church and the altar, but in the inner altar. The Mother of God remained to be raised in the temple, and her parents returned to their home. This is how the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple took place on December 4, and her long, earthly, glorious journey began.
What happened to the Mother of God after she came of age?
Mary grew up very pious, modest, hardworking and submissive to the Lord. The Mother of God spent time in the temple with other virgins reading the Bible, prayer, fasting and handicrafts until she came of age. At that time, it occurred at the age of fifteen. The Most Holy Theotokos decided to devote her entire life to serving the Heavenly Father. The priests turned to Mary with advice to get married, since all Israelis and Israeli women were supposed to be married, as the rabbis taught. But the Mother of God said that she had made a vow to the Lord to remain a virgin forever. This was strange for the clergy. The High Priest Zechariah found a way out of this situation. Mary was given in marriage to her relative, an elderly widower, the righteous Joseph. The marriage was formal, since Joseph became the guardian of the young virgin Mary, so that she would fulfill her vow.
How and when did they begin to celebrate the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple?
The church has solemnly celebrated this significant day for all Christians since ancient times. Indeed, thanks to her introduction into the temple, the Virgin Mary set out on the path of serving the Lord. It became possible, subsequently, for the incarnation of the son of the Lord God, Jesus Christ, and the salvation of all people who believed in him. Even in the first centuries after the birth of the Savior, a temple was built in honor of this holiday, under the leadership of Queen Helena (who lived from 250 to 330), who was canonized, that is, became a saint. It is customary to celebrate the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 4th. The prayer said on this day by all believers gives praise to the Ever-Virgin Mary and asks for the intercession of the Mother of God before the Lord for everyone who prays.
Icons dedicated to the introduction
Of course, such a great event could not fail to be reflected in icon painting. The icons depict the Virgin Mary in the very center. On one side of her stand the parents of the Virgin, on the other side the High Priest Zechariah is depicted meeting the girl. Also on the icon you can find an image of the Jerusalem Temple and fifteen steps, the same ones that little Mary climbed without outside help.
Folk traditions on this day
It is celebrated on November 21 according to the old style, on December 4 according to the new style. The introduction of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple was popularly called simply - Introduction, Gates of Winter, or the Feast of the Young Family, or the Entry. There are folk sayings relating to the beginning of winter and freezing: “The introduction has come, winter has come”; "For Introduction - thick ice cream." On this day, fun, noisy and crowded fairs were held everywhere, sleigh rides down hills and on three horses. After the festive service in the churches, the godparents treated the godchildren with sweets, gave gifts, and sleighs. On the day of Introduction, peasants switched from summer transport (carts) to winter transport (sleighs). They made a test run, laying a sled track. The newlyweds, who had their wedding the day before, in the fall, dressed up their sleighs and went out to people to, as they said, “show off the young woman.” It was during the Introduction that broken cherry branches were placed in the water behind the icon and looked at on the eve of the New Year to see if they had blossomed or withered. Twigs with leaves promised good things in the new year, while dried ones promised bad things.
December 4 - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple. Signs
If snow fell before this day, they waited for it to melt. We listened to the ringing of bells: clear - for frost, dull - for snow. It was noted that the snow cover that covered the earth after the Introduction would not melt until spring. We looked to see if the weather was frosty that day. It was believed that in case of frost, everyone would be frosty, and vice versa - warm, which means warm celebrations in winter are expected. If from this day on deep winter set in, a good grain harvest was expected.
The earthly life of the Mother of God from birth to death is shrouded in mystery and holiness. Her introduction into the temple to dedicate to God became the starting point for the possibility of saving human souls through Jesus, born of the Mother of God. That is why December 4 - the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple - is a great holiday for believers, when there is hope to become at least a little closer to the Lord. The Most Pure Virgin Mary connected people and the abode of the Heavenly Father with an invisible thread. She still helps everyone in need with prayers. The Mother of God is the intercessor of children and her mercy knows no bounds. It is impossible to imagine a more revered saint in Christianity. Pray, and she will certainly hear and help.
The Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is a holiday that came to us from Church Tradition. On this day, Christians remember how Saints Joachim and Anna brought the three-year-old Virgin Mary to the Jerusalem Temple. Thus, the parents of the Mother of God fulfilled their vow - the promise to dedicate their long-awaited daughter to God. We will tell you about the history, features and traditions of the holiday.
What is the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple?
The Entry into the Temple of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is the full name of the holiday that the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on December 4 (new style). This is the second twelfth feast of the Mother of God of the church year. The twelfths are holidays that are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God).
On this day, Orthodox Christians remember how the holy righteous Joachim and Anna brought their three-year-old daughter, the Most Holy Theotokos, to the Jerusalem Temple. They did this to fulfill their vow before the Lord - to dedicate their daughter to His service. From that day on, the Virgin Mary lived at the Jerusalem Temple - until the very moment she was betrothed to the righteous Joseph.
We will not find mention of the events of this holiday in the canonical Gospels, but Church Tradition (which is revered on a par with Holy Scripture) tells us about it. Namely - “The History of Jacob about the Birth of Mary”, or “Proto-Gospel of Jacob” (II century), and “The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew” (the Latin version of the childhood of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, which developed by the 9th-10th centuries, but based on earlier “ Gospels of Childhood").
Events of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple
When the Virgin Mary was three years old, her righteous parents Joachim and Anna realized that the time had come to fulfill the vow they had made to God. Namely, to dedicate the daughter to His service. They brought Mary to the walls of the Jerusalem Temple. As the Holy Tradition says, the Mother of God easily climbed the steep steps, despite the fact that she was just a baby. The high priest was already waiting for her upstairs to bless her. According to some sources, this was Saint Zechariah, the future father of the prophet John the Baptist.
Zechariah had a revelation from the Lord, and he led Mary into the Holy of Holies - a place where only the high priest was allowed to enter, and even then only once a year. From this moment, unusual for contemporaries, the long, glorious and difficult road of the Mother of God began.
Years passed, the Mother of God lived and served at the Temple. She spent her days in prayer, studying the Holy Scriptures - right up to the moment when she was betrothed to the righteous Joseph.
When is the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple celebrated?
The Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated on December 4 according to the new style (November 21 according to the old style). This is an impermanent holiday, that is, its date is unchanged.
What can you eat at the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
The holiday falls on the Nativity Fast (also called Philipp Fast). On this day you are allowed to eat fish.
History of the celebration of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary
As Church Tradition says, the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary was known already in the first centuries of Christianity. Empress Helen Equal to the Apostles (years of life: 250-330) built a temple in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. And in the 4th century, St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote about the holiday.
The Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary became widespread only in the 9th century. George of Nicomedia and Joseph of Songwriting wrote two canons for the service of this day.
Iconography of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple
On the icons dedicated to the events of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Mother of God herself is depicted in the center of the composition. She is wearing a maforiya, the traditional clothing of married women. Standing nearby are the holy righteous Joachim and Anna - the parents who brought her to the Jerusalem Temple.
The temple itself is most often depicted as a ciborium (a tent, a canopy over the throne). The priest Zechariah, the future father of the prophet John the Baptist, meets the Virgin Mary. Also on the icon we see a staircase of fifteen steps - according to Tradition, the three-year-old Mother of God climbed them on her own, without the help of adults.
Divine service of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On the day of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple, the festive service consists of small vespers, all-night vigil (with litia), hours and liturgy. The charter of the service is practically no different from the charter of the other twelve celebrations of the Mother of God (Nativity of the Virgin Mary and Assumption). Only holiday songs are sung. The clergy wear white and/or blue vestments.
Prayer for the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Troparion of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary
voice 4
Today is the day of God's favor, the transfiguration and the preaching of the salvation of men: in the temple of God the Virgin clearly appears and announces Christ to everyone. To that we too will loudly cry out: Rejoice, fulfillment of the Creator’s vision.
Translation:
Now is the forerunner of God’s favor and the foretelling of the salvation of people: the Virgin solemnly appears in the temple of God and announces Christ to everyone; To her we too will loudly exclaim: “Rejoice, fulfilling the Creator’s providence for us.”
Kontakion of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple
voice 4
The most pure temple of the Savior, the valuable palace and the Virgin, the sacred treasure of the glory of God, is today introduced into the house of the Lord, the grace of the Divine Spirit, even as the Angels of God sing: This is the village of Heaven.
Translation:
The purest temple of the Savior, the valuable palace and the Virgin, the sacred treasure of the glory of God, is now being introduced into the house of the Lord, bringing with Him the grace of the Divine Spirit; The Angels of God sing about her: “She is a heavenly dwelling.”
The Majesty of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary
We magnify you, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor your entry into the temple of the Lord.
Translation:
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor Your entrance into the temple of the Lord.
Saint Gregory Palamas. Sermon on the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple
If “A tree is known by its fruit”, And “A good tree produces good fruit”(Matt. 7 :17; OK. 6 :44), then how could the Mother of Goodness Itself and the Parent of Eternal Beauty not be incomparably more excellent than any good found in the natural and supernatural world? For the Coeternal and Immutable Image of the goodness of the Most High Father, the Eternal, Pre-existing and Most Good Word, out of indescribable love for mankind and compassion for us, desired to take upon Himself our image, in order to recall our nature to Himself from the lowest hell, in order to renew this decayed nature and elevate it to heavenly heights - for all this he finds the kindest Servant, the Ever-Virgin, Whom we glorify and whose miraculous Entry into the temple - into the Holy of Holies we now celebrate. God predestined her before the ages for the salvation and proclamation of our race: She is chosen from among those chosen from the ages and glorious both in their piety and prudence, and in God-pleasing words and deeds.
Once the culprit of evil, the serpent rose above us and drew us into his abyss. Many reasons prompted him to rebel against us and enslave our nature: envy, rivalry, hatred, injustice, deceit, cunning and, in addition to all this, the deadly force in him, which he himself generated for himself, as the first apostate from true life . The culprit of evil envied Adam, seeing him rushing from earth to heaven, from where, in justice, he himself was overthrown and, envious, attacked Adam with terrible rage, even wanted to clothe him with death. After all, envy is the parent not only of hatred, but also of the murder that this truly misanthrope committed over us, cunningly coming to us, for he extremely unjustly wanted to be the ruler over earthly creatures for the destruction of a creature created in the image and likeness of God. And since he did not have enough courage to attack himself personally, he resorted to cunning and cunning and, taking the form of a sensual serpent, turning to the earth-born as a friend and useful adviser, this truly terrible enemy and attacker, imperceptibly moves on to action and with his Godless advice, he pours his own deadly force, like poison, into a person.
If Adam had perhaps held fast to the Divine commandment, he would have been victorious over his enemy and would have risen above deadly defilement; but since, on the one hand, having voluntarily succumbed to sin, he was defeated and became a sinner, and on the other hand, being the root of our race, he gave birth to us as deadly offspring, then in order for us to destroy the deadly poison of soul and body and again acquire eternal life for ourselves, it was absolutely necessary for our race to have a new root. We needed to have a new Adam, who would not only be sinless and completely invincible, but would be able to forgive sins and deliver from punishment those subject to it - and would not only have life, but also the ability to give life, in order to make participants in the lives of those who were subject to it. who cleave to Him and belong to His family, and not only the representatives of the generation following Him, but also those who have already died before Him. Therefore Saint Paul, that great trumpet of the Holy Spirit, exclaims: “I was the first man... I live in my soul”, and the second person "the Spirit gives life"(1 Cor. 15 :45).
But, besides God, no one is sinless, does not give life and cannot forgive sins. Therefore, the new Adam had to be not only Man, but also God, so that He in Himself would be life, and wisdom, and truth, and love, and mercy, and in general every good thing in order to bring the old Adam into renewal and revival by mercy , wisdom, truth, by the opposite means of which the author of evil caused us death.
Thus, just as this primordial murderer exalted himself over us with envy and hatred, so the Author of life was raised up for us by His immeasurable love for mankind and His goodness. Truly, He strongly desired the salvation of His creation, which salvation consisted in subduing it again to Himself, just as the author of evil wanted the destruction of God’s creation, which consisted in putting man under his power, and tyrannizing himself over him. And just as he brought victory to himself and man’s fall through injustice, treachery, deception, and his cunning, so the Liberator secured for Himself the defeat of the author of evil and renewed His creation with truth, wisdom, and truth.
It was a matter of perfect justice that our nature, which was voluntarily enslaved and defeated, itself again entered into the struggle for victory and overthrew voluntary slavery from itself. That is why God was pleased to take upon Himself our nature from us, miraculously uniting with it Hypostasis. But the union of the Highest Nature, the purity of which is incomprehensible to our minds, with the sinful nature was impossible before it purified itself. Therefore, for the conception and birth of the Giver of purity, a completely Immaculate and Most Pure Virgin was necessary.
Now we celebrate the memory of what once contributed to this incarnation. For He who is from God, God of the Word and Son, Co-original and Co-eternal to the Most High Father, is made the Son of Man, the son of the Ever-Virgin. “Jesus Christ yesterday and today, the same and forever”(Heb. 13 :8), unchangeable in Divinity and immaculate in humanity, He is alone, as the prophet Isaiah foretold about Him, “ You shall not commit iniquity; flattery will be found in his mouth.”(Isa. 53 :9), - He alone was not conceived in iniquities, and His birth was not in sins, contrary to what the prophet David testifies about himself and about every other person (Ps. 50 :7). He alone was completely pure and did not even need purification for Himself: for our sake He took upon Himself suffering, death and resurrection.
God is born from the Immaculate and Holy Virgin, or, better, from the All-Pure and All-Holy. This Virgin is not only above all carnal defilement, but even above all unclean thoughts, and Her conception was not determined by the lust of the flesh, but by the overshadowing of the Most Holy Spirit. When the Virgin lived completely away from people and was in a prayerful mood and spiritual joy, She said to the Angel who announced the gospel: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be unto me according to thy command.”(OK. 1 :38) and, having conceived, gave birth. So, in order to prove a Virgin worthy for this highest goal, God, before the ages, intends and from among those chosen from the beginning of the century chooses this Ever-Virgin, now praised by us. Pay attention also to where this election began. Of the sons of Adam, God chose the wonderful Seth, who, by the decency of his morals, by the splendor of his feelings, by the height of his virtues, revealed himself to be animated by heaven, which is why he was awarded the election, from which the Virgin - the Divine chariot of the Most Heavenly God - was to be born and call earth-born to heavenly adoption. For this reason, the entire family of Seth was called “the sons of God”: for from this generation the Son of God was born, since the name Seth means an uprising or resurrection (from the dead), which, in fact, is the Lord, who promises and gives immortal life believers in His Name. And what strict accuracy of this prototype! Seth was born by Eve, as she herself said, instead of Abel, whom Cain killed out of envy (Gen. 4 :25), and the Son of the Virgin, Christ, was born for us in place of Adam, whom the author and patron of evil killed out of envy. But Seth did not resurrect Abel: for he served only as a prototype of the resurrection, and our Lord Jesus Christ resurrected Adam, since He is Life and Resurrection for the earthly, for which the descendants of Seth, according to hope, were honored with Divine adoption, being called children of God. And that as a result of this hope they were called sons of God, this is shown by the first so-called and successor son of Seth, Enos, who, according to the testimony of Moses, was the first to hope to be called by the name of the Lord (Gen. 4 :26).
Thus, the election of the future Mother of God, starting from the very sons of Adam and passing through all generations of time, according to the foreknowledge of God, reaches the king and prophet David and the successors of his kingdom and family. When the time of election came, God chose Joachim and Anna from the house and fatherland of David. Although they were childless, in their virtuous life and good morals they were better than anyone who came from the tribe of David. And when in prayer they asked God for permission for childlessness and promised to dedicate what was born, from His very childhood, to God, the Mother of God was announced to them and given from God as a Child - so that from such many virtuous people the Most Virtuous and Most Pure Virgin would be conceived, so that, thus, and chastity, combined with prayer, was fertilized, and the Most Pure One became the Mother of virginity, giving birth incorruptibly in the flesh to Him who, according to Divinity, was born before the ages from God the Father. And so, when the righteous Joachim and Anna saw that they were honored with their desire and God’s promise to them was realized in practice, then they, as true lovers of God, for their part, hastened to fulfill their vow given to God: they now brought this to the temple of God, truly, the Holy and Divine Child of the Virgin Mary, as soon as She stopped feeding on milk. And She, despite such a small age, was full of Divine gifts and understood more than others what was happening to Her, and with all Her qualities she showed that they were not bringing Her into the temple, but that She Herself, of her own urge, came to serve God, as if on self-born wings, striving for sacred and Divine love, being convinced that Her introduction into the temple - into the Holy of Holies and staying in it is a thing desired by Her. That is why the high priest, seeing that Divine grace abided on the Maiden above all others, wished to infuse Her into the Holy of Holies and convinced everyone to willingly agree with this. And God assisted the Virgin and sent Her through His Angel mysterious food, thanks to which She strengthened by nature and became purer than the angels, while having Heavenly spirits in her service. And not only once was She introduced into the Holy of Holies, but was accepted by God to stay with Him for many years: for through Her in due time the Heavenly Mansions were opened and given for eternal residence to those who believed in Her miraculous Birth. This, then, is why the Chosen One from the beginning of the century among the elect turned out to be the Holy of Holies. Having Her body purer than the spirits themselves purified by virtue, so that it could receive the very Hypostatic Word of the Eternal Father, the Ever-Virgin Mary, as the Treasure of God, according to her heritage was now placed in the Holy of Holies, so that in due time, as it was, she could serve for enrichment and to a premium decoration. Therefore, Christ God glorifies His Mother, both before birth and after birth.
We, thinking about the salvation accomplished for us through the Most Holy Virgin, will give Her all our strength thanks and praise. And truly, if the grateful wife (about whom the Gospel tells us), having heard a few saving words of the Lord, gave thanks to His Mother, raising her voice from the crowd and saying to Christ: “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts that nourished Thee”(OK. 11 :27), then all the more we, Christians, who have inscribed in our hearts the words of eternal life and not only words, but also miracles and suffering, and through them the restoration of our nature from the dead, and the ascension from earth to heaven, and the immortality promised to us life, and immutable salvation, all the more so after all this we cannot help but glorify and tirelessly please the Mother of the Chief of Salvation and the Giver of Life, celebrating Her conception and birth and now Her Entry into the Temple - into the Holy of Holies. Let us move ourselves, brothers, from the earth of grief, let us be transferred from the flesh to the spirit, let us prefer the desire for the permanent rather than the temporary. Let us give due contempt to carnal pleasures, which serve as bait against the soul and soon pass away. Let us desire spiritual gifts as incorruptible. Let us divert our minds and our attention from worldly concerns and raise it into the heavenly depths - into that Holy of Holies, where the Mother of God now dwells. For in this way, our hymns and prayers with God-pleasing boldness and benefit will reach Her, and thanks to Her intercession, we, along with present blessings, will become heirs of future, endless blessings, by grace and love for us for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, born of Her, to Him glory, power, honor and worship are due with His Originless Father and with His Eternal and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
At the beginning of the Nativity Fast, we reverently celebrate the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple. The temple is God's destiny, it is a place that belongs inseparably to God, a place where no thoughts, no feelings, no will can be other than the will of God. And so the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God in her young, infant years is brought to the temple of the Lord, enters that region where there is nothing but God and His ways. She is immersed in prayer, She stands before the Living God, She devotes herself to women’s holy work, which can be an expression - if only a person’s heart is sensitive and pure - of love and care. And immersed in this element of Divine presence and human adoration, She grows, from year to year, to the full measure of Her maturity. And when the great Archangel of the Annunciation appears before Her and announces to Her that, mysteriously and incomprehensibly, the Lord will be born of Her, She surrenders to Him unconditionally, in awe and humble obedience: Behold, the servant of the Lord, may it be done to me according to His will...
Over these years of complete immersion in the mystery of God, in the mystery of love, She became capable of becoming the One through whom the saving, transforming, sacrificial and cross-like love of God will enter the world. Saint Gregory Palamas tells us that the incarnation of the Son of God would have been just as impossible without the permission of His earthly Mother as without the will of the Heavenly Father. Having gone entirely into God's will, into the mystery of love for Him, and in Him for all creation, She was able to pronounce the name of God, the holy, mysterious name, which coincides with His personality, with all Her thoughts, with all Her heart, with all Her will and everything. His body, and this Word became flesh, and therefore we reverently contemplate this unique, unique holiness of the Mother of God.
But it is not in vain that this holiday is set as the threshold of our procession towards the Nativity of Christ, the embodiment of the Word of God. And we must prepare in this way, go so deep, so purify our hearts, sanctify our thoughts, renew our wills, sanctify our flesh, so that the eternal life revealed in Christ can be born in us, so that we, immersed in His death, those who rose by His Resurrection on the day of our baptism could really grow together with Him, so be one with Him, just as the members of the body are one with each other, just as the whole body is one with the head.
The Mother of God gave birth to the world the creative Word and incarnate Love; and we have been given through prayer, fidelity to the gospel path, love for God and our neighbor, renunciation of ourselves, giving of ourselves without reserve to both God and our neighbor - and we have been given to unite with God so mysteriously that we too will be resurrected with Christ and in Christ. The path lies before us now; let us walk this path not just in anticipation of a miracle at the end of this path, but by becoming living, creative participants in this path, so that the Lord will be born and so that with Him a new, jubilant, all-conquering love and life will be born in us eternal. Amen.
Vvedenskoe Cemetery
There are many toponyms associated with the Feast of the Entry of the Virgin Mary in Russia. One of the most famous is the Vvedenskoye Cemetery.
Vvedenskoye Cemetery (also known as German or Vvedensky Mountains) was founded in 1771 during the plague epidemic. It is located in the east of Moscow, in the Lefortovo district. In the 18th-19th centuries it was called the German Cemetery, since mainly Catholics and Lutherans were buried there.
The cemetery got its name because of the Vvedensky Mountains (aka Lefortovo Hill). This is a hill on the left bank of the Yauza (one of the “seven hills” of Moscow). The mountains, in turn, received their name from the village of Vvedenskoye that was once here, and it, in turn, from the wooden Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary into the Temple, built on the hills in 1643 by order of Tsarina Evdokia Lukyanovna, the second wife of Tsar Mikhail Romanov.
The wall and cemetery buildings were built at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. In the 1960s, the territory was expanded and a columbarium wall was built.
Many famous people are buried in the cemetery, and some of the monuments and tombstones created by famous architects and sculptures are recognized as cultural heritage sites.
Traditions of the celebration of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In Rus', noisy and cheerful introduction fairs were held in all cities and villages. The most famous was the wide Moskovskaya. Fish auctions took place here, and peddlers offered customers to try piping hot buns, pretzels, gingerbread cookies, pancakes, and pies. We washed everything down with a hot honey drink - sbiten.
On the screensaver is a fragment of the painting Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary(Titian, 1534-1538)
The church celebrates the twelfth Orthodox holiday of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple on November 21/December 4, has 1 day of pre-celebration and 4 days of post-celebration.
An ancient legend has preserved for us the following details about the Entry of the Most Pure Virgin into the Temple:
Introduction to the temple, with the life of the Mother of God, Joachim and Anna, Tretyakov Gallery, 16th century. icon
When Mary reached the age of three, Saints Joachim and Anna decided to fulfill their vow, for which they went to Jerusalem. According to the established ritual, the Virgin Mary was accompanied by several pure virgins who carried lighted candles and sang psalms.
All of Jerusalem came out to meet the Most Pure Lady. Before the gates of the temple, the priests met the Mother of God, and when the parents of the Holy Virgin placed her on the first of the fifteen steps of the temple porch, the young woman, without anyone else’s help, quickly and cheerfully ascended to the very top of the temple platform.
Here the High Priest Zechariah himself met Mary. Instead of, according to the existing custom, leading the Virgin into the sanctuary - that was the name of that part of the temple where all the people had access, Zechariah, by a special revelation of God, introduced the Most Pure Virgin into the Holy of Holies, into the most sacred place of the temple, where only the high priest had entry, and then once a year with cleansing blood for himself and for the sins of the people, and where entry for others was prohibited by law, under pain of death.
... and Maria patted her feet with joy
This act of the high priest amazed not only people, but also angels: “The angels saw the entry of the Most Pure Ones, marveling at how the Virgin entered the Holy of Holies”.
Mary and other virgins also settled in one of the buildings erected near the walls of the Jerusalem temple for the housing of employees. Widows who dedicated themselves to serving the Lord (such as Anna the Prophetess) (Luke 2:37) and Nazarenes also lived there, and travelers and strangers were also received for a time, all of them fed on the income of the church, being at its disposal and service.
Stay in the temple
She studied willingly, often read and thought about the Holy Scriptures, spun wool and flax, and embroidered with silks. Maria especially loved to sew clothes that the priests wore during services, and in general she was engaged in such needlework, from which she could subsequently earn an honest living.
Francisco de Zurbaran "The Boyhood of Our Lady"
Her prudence surprised everyone. The Blessed Virgin prayed from early morning until three o'clock in the afternoon, and from three to nine o'clock she did needlework or read. Then, from the ninth hour, she began to pray again, and ate food only after finishing her evening prayer.
Mary often retired to the Holy of Holies to pray. Here, in sacred solitude, she talked with the angels who, by the will of God, visited her. One day, the priest Zechariah, while performing his ministry in the sanctuary, saw an angel bring food to the holy Maiden and talk with her.
This is how the Immaculate Virgin prepared for her high assignment: to serve as the mother of King Christ.
Israeli girls, after finishing their upbringing at the temple, usually entered into marriage. But the Blessed Virgin Mary, having reached the age of fourteen, announced to the high priest that she could not marry, because her parents dedicated her to God, and she herself vowed to remain a virgin forever.
Betrothal of Joseph to Mary Kahrie Jami, Chora Monastery Approx. 1316–1321
When she became a bride, the bishop, by order of the angels, calls all the single men and orders everyone to bring with them a rod, on which God will reveal which of them will marry Mary. A lily blossoms from Joseph's rod, and a dove flies out of it.
Thus, by the advice and consent of the entire sacred council, the Blessed Virgin was entrusted and betrothed to a relative, the 84-year-old elder Joseph, who also came from the royal family, from the house of David and Solomon, who took the name of her husband with the responsibility of the guardian and guardian of her chastity. Leaving her refuge at the temple, she moved to Joseph’s house, to Nazareth of Galilee.
According to the testimony of Jerome, Gregory of Nyssa and other teachers of the church, the Most Holy Virgin was the first to betroth her virginity to God: this virtue, later praised by the Gospel and the apostolic teaching, was not so respected by the Jews at that time. But God inspired his chosen one with a holy desire for virginity, unlike the feelings and customs of the people, so that the scripture would come true: “Behold the virgin shall receive with child.”
The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary to Joseph - detail, Raphael
Righteous parents of St. Mary reached a ripe old age. Joachim died several years after introducing his Most Blessed daughter into the temple at the age of 80. Anna, who remained a widow and moved from Nazareth to Jerusalem, having lived there for two more years next to Mary, died at the age of 79.
In commemoration of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, the church established the twelfth holiday on November 21 (December 4), which became known back in the 4th century, which can be seen from the traditions of Palestinian Christians, which point to the former ancient times Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, attributing its construction to Queen Helena.
In the 8th century, it is spoken of in the teachings of Herman and Tarasius, the Patriarchs of Constantinople, and others. But in some places it was established much later, such as in France, where they began to honor it in 1372, and in Germany around 1460.
In the church songs that are sung during the service on this holiday, all the circumstances of the introduction of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple and her stay there are recalled, and the greatness of her and the Lord the Savior, who will be born from her, is glorified. Believers are called to glorify the Virgin Mary.
In the kontakion, the holy church, glorifying the Most Pure Virgin, calls her a most pure temple, a sacred palace, a valuable palace, a sacred treasure of the glory of God.
On this holiday, just like on the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, together with the Virgin Mary, St. The church also remembers her parents, who dedicated their only child to God. Calls on Christian parents to imitate the righteous Joachim and Anna, at least by raising their children in the fear of God, to instill in the hearts of their children love for the Savior and his holy church, which will forever remain with them and make them true Christians and honest, good citizens.
From the day of the Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, the Orthodox Church begins to sing the irmos of the canon for the Nativity of Christ: “By Christ is born, glorify,” and so on. This establishment was made because in the introduction of the Mother of God into the temple, the church sees a foreshadowing of the birth of Christ and therefore begins to prepare believers in advance for a worthy meeting of the feast of the Nativity of Christ.
Introduction of the Virgin Mary - folk traditions
The Nativity Fast continues, but food with vegetable oil and fish are allowed on the holiday. In the popular imagination, this day is a kind of introduction to winter, an introduction to the Nativity Fast, an introduction to the pre-holiday, pre-Christmas days. It is on this holiday that for the first time the Christmas carols “Christ is born, glorify...” are heard as an echo of the future holiday for which we are all preparing - the Nativity of Christ.
Several Russian sayings for this day, which, like many others, play on the consonance of words, indicate that the rivers are being established at this time, with the exception of one Tula and one Moscow sign, according to which frosts at this time are still unreliable, and one can even expect a break-in ice, in the event of the onset of warm weather, although such a phenomenon should, it would seem, be considered more or less exceptional
- Introduction came and brought winter.
- Introduction came - winter brought into the hut.
- Thick ice for the Introduction (Ryazan lips)
- Introduction put a thick layer of ice on the water.
- The Vvedensky frosts put mittens on the man, set the cold, brought winter to mind.
- Introduction breaks the ice (Tula lips).
- Vvedensky frosts do not cause winter (Moscow province).
The “Vvedensky thaws” observed in some provinces should be considered an unfavorable phenomenon, judging by the sign promising a good harvest if deep winter begins with the Vvedeniya:
- If deep winter begins with Vvedenya, prepare deep bins: there will be a rich harvest of grain.
In the old years, Introduction was the first day of winter trading, the beginning of winter skating and festivities. On this day, a huge number of sleighs were brought to Lubyanka Square - products of the bast and wood chip industry, justifying its name.
Goryushkin-Sorokopudov. Market day in the old town. 1910
The sleigh trade was brisk. By evening, almost half of Moscow was riding on new, skillfully and brightly painted sleighs. According to tradition, the newlyweds went for a ride. In some places, the departure of the young people took place on November 24/December 7 on Catherine’s Day, its popular name is Katerina Sannitsa.
Yuon Konstantin Fedorovich 1911 View of the Lavra from Vokzalnaya Street
- Winter for the frosts, man for the holidays
In Little Russia, horseradish and carrots were sacred on Vvedenye. Local healers and healers believed in their miraculous power and healing properties against night blindness.
Literature:
Archpriest John Yakhontov, St. Petersburg, 1864
Magazine "Mirsky Herald" St. Petersburg, 1865
G. Lavrentyev, Twelfth holidays of the Orthodox Church. St. Petersburg, 1862
Barsov E. V., 1885
Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) about the literal and figurative meaning of the holiday.
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple. Painting of the Kralje Church (Saints Joachim and Anna) in the Studenica Monastery. circa 1314
The origin of the holiday
On December 4, the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Entry into the Temple of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
This is one of the twelve holidays (the twelve are holidays that are dedicated to the life of our Lord Jesus Christ or the Blessed Virgin Mary). Its date remains the same from year to year.
This holiday came to us from Holy Tradition - It is reflected in church hymns and is revered by the Church on a par with Holy Scripture.
What does the Church remember?
The holy righteous Joachim and Anna brought their only three-year-old daughter Mary to the temple to fulfill their vow to God. They prayed to Him for a long time and asked to give them a child, and if a miracle happened, they promised to give the child to serve God.
And now, having almost lost hope, Joachim and Anna received what they asked for. Being in old age, righteous Anna gave birth to a daughter, who was named Mary.
At the age of three, the girl was brought to the Jerusalem Temple, where she would remain to live until her betrothal to the righteous Joseph.
Tradition tells us that little Mary, having climbed all the steep steps on her own, easily climbed up to the temple.
A priest was waiting for her at the top, according to one version, the high priest Zechariah, the future father of the holy prophet John the Baptist.
Zechariah led Mary into the Holy of Holies, although this was forbidden: only the high priest could enter there once a year in order to cleanse the sins of God’s chosen people with sacrificial blood. But Zechariah did this because he had a revelation from the Lord.
From this solemn moment the service of the Mother of God to the Lord began. She spent all her time in the temple in prayer and labor.
History of the holiday approval
We find references to the fact of the introduction of three-year-old Mary into the temple in the Antiochian bishop Euodius (1st century), Blessed Jerome (4th century), Gregory of Nyssa (4th century), and Herman and Tarasius, patriarchs of Constantinople (7th century).
The Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple is inextricably linked with the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The exact date of the first one is unknown, but if we take into account that the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was established in the 4th century, then the church celebration of the Entry into the Temple took hold a little later.
In the East, the holiday became widespread in the 8th–9th centuries.
In Byzantium in the 12th century, it was recognized as the twelfth at the state level - on this day all work was prohibited.
Festive service
The festive service on the day of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos consists of little vespers, all-night vigil (with litia), hours and Liturgy.
The Charter of the service is slightly different from the Charter of the other twelve Marian services: the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Special holiday chants are sung. In Orthodox churches the words solemnly sound: “The angels beheld the entry of the Most Pure One, and were amazed at how the Virgin enters the Holy of Holies.”
The clergy on this day wear white or blue vestments.
The sacred meaning of the holiday
The Holy of Holies of the new Jerusalem Temple, where the high priest led Mary, was empty after the Babylonian captivity; there was no longer the main shrine of Israel - the Ark of the Covenant with all its accessories: no tablets with the Ten Commandments, no vessel with manna, no rod of Aaron. And this eloquently testified that the times of the Old Testament were coming to an end and the New Testament, about which the prophets spoke, should soon begin.
After the entry into the Holy of Holies of the Virgin Mary, She Who is called to become the living temple of God Himself, a fateful turn of history took place. The long-awaited meeting of the Old and New Testaments took place, announcing the abolition of the Old and the establishment of the New, opening the path of eternal salvation to humanity.
Why is this holiday special?
Everyone's salvation depends on his diligence in the fight against personal sin.
All life is an ongoing struggle, first of all with ourselves, with the old man rooted in us. It is not for nothing that Entry into the Temple is the first holiday of the Nativity Fast, which is providentially established at the beginning of Lent and tells us about the importance of fasting in the matter of salvation.
“If you want to have a right mind and comfortably conquer all your passions,” instructs St. Demetrius of Rostov, “always fast and abstain.”
But one post is not enough for a real fight. The fight against sin is impossible without self-esteem, awareness of one’s own shortcomings and self-organization.
Fasting is a time of deep attention to ourselves, special concentration; it helps us to comprehend our lives, see our real state, and regroup. Self-knowledge is unthinkable without a special spiritual attitude, self-control and constant internal work on oneself.
Serve honestly, don't worry about anything
The Virgin Mary was sent by her parents in infancy to serve God, which consisted of alienation from everything evil and unclean. She prayed for a long time, worked, listened to herself, and read holy books.
We Christians are also appointed to serve God. Our task is to lead a righteous life, stay away from all evil, keep the commandments, avoid lies, chatter, lusts, passions... We must break all the shackles of lawlessness that we were bound by before realizing that we are Christians, that is, soldiers of Christ. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers,” says the Gospel. “For what fellowship has righteousness with iniquity? What does light have in common with darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14).
If everyone feels themselves in the service of God, then they will perceive working on themselves, through developing the necessary qualities, striving for virtues, displacing the evil that destroys the personality, as the main task of their life.
Honest service is simple: a straight road opens in front of a person and there are clear signs warning of unexpected turns, dead ends, ascents and descents.
The main thing is to realize that you are serving God and obey Him in everything. “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
What is important to do on this day?
Try to be more disciplined and responsible on this day. Try not to be late for work or an appointment, do what you promise, be more attentive to your words and actions, do not take rash steps, carefully read the words of the prayer.
Self-organization, which fasting promotes, is needed in order to overcome the entire steepness of our life’s path, which turns into infinity, just as the little girl Maria overcame the steep steps to the temple in order to fulfill what was commanded.
Recorded by Natalya Goroshkova
Having reached the age of 3, they decided to fulfill the vow they had previously made, dedicate Her to God, and headed to the Jerusalem Temple. Near the entrance to the temple stood young virgins called by Joachim with lit lamps, so that young Mary would love the temple with all her heart. The Blessed Virgin, despite Her age, easily overcame the steep steps of the temple and was met and blessed by the high priest, according to legend, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. By special revelation, She, as an animated ark of God (cf. 1 Chron. 15), was introduced into the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest had the right to enter once a year (see: Ex. 30. 10; Heb. 9. 7) - by this Her special role in the fate of humanity was revealed. The Event of the Introduction marked the beginning of a new stage in the life of the Immaculate Virgin - a stay at the Jerusalem Temple, which lasted until She was 12 years old. Living at the temple, Mary devoted herself to prayer, study of the Holy Scriptures and handicrafts. As time passed, She, who decided to preserve her virginity and be ignorant of God, was, in order not to violate her father’s traditions, entrusted to the care of Joseph the Betrothed.
Establishment of the Feast of the Introduction
The Feast of the Entry is currently one of the twelve, but it was established in the Church later than others of this number. Perhaps its appearance is connected with the activities of Emperor Justinian I, who built a huge church on the ruins of the Jerusalem Temple in the city, dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos and called New by him to distinguish it from the previous one, located near the Sheep Font, opposite the temple.
The status of the holiday gradually changed, in the Orthodox Church the Introduction finally became one of the twelfths only after the 14th century - Theodore Prodromus (12th century) and Nicephorus Callistus (14th century) did not yet include it in this number - but according to the Studite and Jerusalem Typicons –XIV centuries it is celebrated almost as solemnly as other twelve holidays. Nevertheless, even in printed Typicons of the 17th century. Certain features of the service of the Introduction indicate that the status of this holiday is somewhat inferior to that of the Twelve.
The date of the holiday is almost universally accepted as the day November 21, with the exception of the Coptic monthbooks, in which the Introduction is celebrated on November 29 (Sergius (Spassky). Monthlies. T. 1. P. 395), and the practices of certain areas of the Roman Church, where the Introduction was a mobile holiday and was celebrated on Sunday after November 11.
Patristic Sermons on Introduction
Patristic lectionaries usually give for reading at the service of the Introduction one (or both) of the 2 words of St. George of Nicomedia: “Good foundations are the first fruits - the present triumph” and “The radiance of the Divine triumphs”, and sometimes the word of St. Herman I of Constantinople “Here comes another triumph again.” Less common are the words of St. Tarasius of Constantinople “The present celebration is bright and wonderful” (this is the word indicated in the first printed Moscow Typikon of 1610) and John Gavra “Now in words”.
Liturgical regulations
Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary according to the Typikon of the Great Church (IX–X centuries)
In the early manuscript of this Typikon there are no special instructions regarding the order of the service for the Introduction, only the memory of the event is noted, the same was found in the Canonar. According to 2 manuscripts - centuries, the service for the Entry was sung in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Chalkopratia (the usual place, along with the Blachernae Church, for services on the feasts of the Mother of God), where on the morning of the day of the holiday a lithium was sent from the Church of St. Sophia with the participation of the Patriarch. At Matins (on Ps. 50), and at the small entrance of the liturgy, they sang the troparion of the 4th tone, “On the day of God’s favor, the transfiguration”; readings at the liturgy: prokeimenon 3rd tone (Luke 1.46a–47), Heb. 9. 1–7, alleluia (4th plagal, i.e. 8th, tone), Lk 1. 39–50, 56; involved - Ps. 115.4.
IN studio Typicons, used in Byzantium until the beginning. XIII century, and in Rus' until the beginning. c., the holiday cycle of the Introduction already consists of 3 or 4 days: the pre-celebration on November 20, the holiday itself on November 21, the post-celebration on November 22 (or 22–23). Various editions of the Studite Charter - Studite-Alexievsky 1034 (reflects the Constantinople practice of the 1st half of the century), Evergetid (the practice of Constantinople monasticism in the late century), George Mtatsmindeli (the practice of Athonite monasticism in the middle century), Messinian 1131 . (South Italian (Calabro-Sicilian) practice of the 12th century) Typicons set out the order of services of the introduced cycle with some differences.
In the earlier Studian-Alexievsky, as well as the southern Italian Messinian and Nikolo-Kazolian Typikons and Studian Menaions - XII centuries. afterfeast is 1 day; in the Evergetid and George Mtatsmindeli Typikons – 2. Typikon of the Grottaferrata Monastery, late southern Italian. The Studio Typikon extends the after-feast for 3 days. The day of the Feast of Introduction is not highlighted in the studio Typicons.
On the day of the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, November 25, the sequence of the Introduction is combined with the sequences of the schmch. Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria, which is a distinctive feature of giving the Introduction in comparison with others, because Usually on such days the “day saints” are not sung. Otherwise, the service of giving does not differ from others: the chants of the holiday are repeated from the 1st day, only there is no entrance at Vespers with paremias and polyeleos at Matins. At the end of Matins a great doxology is sung.
Markov chapters
The Typikon, currently accepted in the Russian Church, within the cycle of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, has several Mark chapters describing the connection with the Sunday service of the forefeast, feast, afterfeast and dedication. If a post-celebration or dedication coincides with a Sunday, the service of one of the saints is abandoned (November 20 - St. Proclus, November 25 - Saint Peter). The other 2 chapters have generally the same content as similar chapters for other holidays.
Modern Greek parish Typikon Protopsalt George Violakis prescribes the performance of the polyeleos service without lithium (there is no all-night vigil). The order of the festive service remains approximately the same as in the modern Russian Typikon. Differences: at “Lord, I cried” the stichera are sung at 6, at the end of Vespers the troparion of the holiday is sung three times, after the polyeleos at Matins the chosen psalm “I will vomit out my heart the good word” is sung (it is used on all the twelve feasts of the Theotokos). At the liturgy there are festive antiphons, at the entrance “Come, let us worship... in the saints, this wondrous thing...” is sung. The Typikon contains 2 chapters - about the connection with the Sunday service following the holiday and about the Sunday after the holiday (with the after-feast). If November 21st happens to be a Sunday, the choruses for the 9th canto and the antiphons at the liturgy are still sung.
Iconography of the Feast of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple
According to the research of J. Lafontaine-Dozogne, the image of the Introduction was originally known as part of the cycle of the life of the Virgin Mary. In monumental paintings it is found with c. (chapels of Joachim and Anna in Kyzylchukur, between the 7th century, the Virgin Mary and Saints John the Baptist and George in Goreme, early or 1st half century and (Cappadocia); Hagia Sophia in Kiev, 1037–1345; church Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Daphni, ca.; Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozh Monastery in Pskov, 40s of the 12th century; Church of Our Lady Periveleptus in Ohrid (Macedonia),; Church of Our Lady in the village of Susica near Skopje (Macedonia), late. XIII century; Church of the Savior in the Žića monastery (Serbia), -; Church of Kraljevo (Saints Joachim and Anna) in the Studenica monastery (Serbia),; Church of the Martyr George in Staro Nagorichino (Macedonia), -; Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary monastery Gračanica (Kosovo and Metohija), ca.; cathedral of the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos, -; Chora monastery (Kahrie-jami) in Constantinople, -).
The introduction as part of the cycle of the life of the Virgin Mary can be located in the altar (St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the Gracanica monastery), in the naos (Church of Our Lady Perivlepta in Ohrid, Kraleva Church in the Studenica monastery), in the paraclis (Church of the Savior in the Žiča monastery, Church of the Great Martyr George in Staro-Nagorichino), in the western compartment under the choir (Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery), in the narthex (Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Daphne, Chora Monastery).
As a separate event, liturgically remembered and celebrated by the Church, the Introduction is depicted in the miniature Minology of Vasily II, on the icons as part of the festive row of the iconostasis (fragment of the epistile, 12th century, Vatopedi monastery; fragment of the epistyle, late 12th century, monastery of the Great Martyr Catherine on Sinai; icon of the early 14th century, Hilandar monastery; icon from the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, KBIAMZ), as well as in monumental paintings, where the composition is presented as an independent plot.
The iconography of the Introduction and the principles of the arrangement of this composition in the system of temple painting, its relationship with other scenes of the Mother of God and scenes of the earthly life of Christ correspond to the main themes of the chants of the holiday service. The most important of them is the theme of the Mother of God as an animated temple that contains the inconceivable God (“Today, the inconceivable temple, the Mother of God, is brought into the temple of the Lord.” 2nd stichera on the litia, tone 4). The composition represents a procession heading towards the temple in the form of a ciborium on thin columns, located inside a low fence. In the open (sometimes closed) doors of the fence, which resemble the royal doors of the iconostasis, the high priest Zechariah is bending towards the Mother of God, behind whom the church throne is visible. The image of open or closed gates correlates with the hymns of the service, which call the Mother of God “The Door of the Lord” (for example, “at the same time Zechariah cried out in wonder: To the Door of the Lord, I open the doors of the temple to You.” 1st stichera on the verse (Great Vespers) voice 5- y). This epithet of the Mother of God is based on the vision of the prophet. Ezekiel of the mysterious temple, through the closed doors of which the Lord enters and leaves (Ezek. 43. 1–7, 44. 1–4). This prophecy, which is read as parimia at the service of the Introduction, is a prototype of the ever-virginity of the Mother of God.
In general, the composition of the “Introduction to the Temple,” which has changed little over the centuries, could sometimes be noted for some peculiarities. So, on the Novgorod icon
