This proverb tells of Jacob's vision of the Ladder.

. Jacob left the oath store and went to Harran.

"Treasury of Oaths"[Bathsheba], where Jacob's journey described here began, was in the south of the Philistine land. Abraham settled here after the Sodom pogrom, and Isaac lived here. Name "oath well" came from the fact that under him Abraham entered into an alliance with the Philistine king Abimelech to protect his safety from his subjects, and this alliance was confirmed by the oath of the allies (). Harran, where Jacob gathered, was a Mesopotamian city, from where Abraham, after the death of his father Terah, went out at the command of God to the Canaanite country. His brother Nahor lived in this city after him, and there a bride was found for Isaac, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor. Jacob's journey from Beersheba to Haran, to his relatives, soon followed the blessing he received from his father. This journey was undertaken by Jacob on the advice of his mother due to the anger of his brother Esau, who threatened to kill him for the blessing he had anticipated. Another purpose of Jacob's journey was to marry in the tribe from which his mother Rebekah was taken. Rebekah, who suffered great grief from the wives of Esau, taken from the Canaanite tribe, revealed to Isaac that she would be extremely sad if her other son, Jacob, married a Canaanite woman. Isaac himself was dissatisfied with Esau’s wives and therefore sent Jacob to Haran with orders to take a wife from Laban’s daughters here, sibling Rebecca, and with the blessing with which he confirmed what was given to him before (). Jacob's parents, as rich people, could, sending him to a distant place, equip a caravan for him, as Abraham did, sending his servant Eliezer to Harran to pick up a bride for Isaac (). But partly out of hope that God, who had chosen Jacob as the heir of his promises, would not abandon him with his help on the long journey, partly out of a desire to hide Jacob’s journey from Esau, they let him go - alone, without servants, on foot, with a rod in his hand () and with a travel bag (in which, by the way, the oil was stored. ()) on his shoulders.

. And you found a place, and succeeded there, for the sun went down, and took from the stone of the place [that], and put it at the head, and slept in the place dumbly.

The place where Jacob spent the night was near the Canaanite city of Luza () and he called it Bethel, i.e. the house of God, in memory of the Epiphany, which, as we will now see, he was honored with in this place. Subsequently, when Luza was conquered by the Jews, it, next to the place of this Epiphany, was renamed by them to Bethel (). Bethel lies north of Jerusalem, 15 versts from it, and 60 versts from Bathsheba. Jacob could make such a significant day's journey only by getting up early in the morning, which was probably done so as not to be noticed by Esau. Jacob, caught in the field at night, did not go to look for accommodation for the night in the neighboring city, either because, out of distrust of the Canaanites, he did not deign to commit himself to their hospitality, or rather, because he wanted to remain under the protection of God alone, his Protector and Patron. Spending the night in the middle of the field, he could be afraid of attacks from robbers and wild animals; but his hope for this Almighty Protector did not leave him. Tired of the long march and the heat of the day, he calmly fell asleep on a stone, which he placed at his head. The night dew, abundant in a hot country, wetted his outer clothing and members, but did not bother him, but only refreshed him.

. And I saw a dream: and behold, a Ladder was established on the earth, its head reaching to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended along it. The Lord established himself on it and said: I am your father Abraham and the God of Isaac, do not be afraid: the land where you write on it, I will give it to you and to your seed.

Jacob himself, upon awakening from sleep, recognized the vision he had in a dream as a Divine revelation (). The revelation in a dream strengthened him in the hope in God that he had in the waking state. The ladder that connected heaven with earth, with its upper end reaching the vault of heaven, and its lower end resting on the ground near Jacob’s overnight stay, signified the uninterrupted communication of the spiritual world with God’s chosen ones on earth. The appearance of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, angels and men, at the top of the Ladder, showed that God Himself from His holy height looks down on the earth and with His omnipotent cover overshadows people, like Jacob, who trust in Him and are devoted to Him. The ascent and descent of the angels along the Ladder revealed in them the servants of God, sent to earth to serve those who will inherit salvation (): some of the angels descend to people to fulfill God’s commandments regarding them, others ascend from earth to God with a report on the fulfillment of these commandments and for accepting new ones. Thus, the vision of the Ladder, at the top of which stood God and along which angels ascended and descended, was supposed to strengthen in Jacob the conviction that he was under the special protection of God and under the protection of the Heavenly Powers. In addition, in the Ladder seen by Jacob, the mystery of redemption is foreshadowed. Sin dissolved the close union of man with God and with His faithful servants - the angels. Through the incarnation of the Son of God and all His redemptive actions, as if through the Ladder, heaven was again united with earth, God with people, peace with God was again established on earth and the way to heaven was opened for wanderers on earth. It is in this sense that the Lord taught us to understand Jacob’s vision when, in a conversation with Nathanael, he promised him that with the eyes of faith “he will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending[On sky] and those who descend to the Son of Man" and in His face to all redeemed people (). – “I am your father Abraham and the God of Isaac, do not be afraid.”. With these words, explaining the vision of the Ladder, the Lord strengthens Jacob to courageously endure the further difficulties of travel and long-term stay away from his homeland, instilling in him that he will be as close and merciful to him as he was close and merciful to his grandfather Abraham, and as hitherto close and merciful to his father Isaac. – “The land you write on it, I will give it to you and to your seed.”. This promise, given to Abraham and Isaac, and now repeated to Jacob, was very gratifying to him in his situation. He was now only a stranger in the land of Canaan, did not have any property in it, and even when he returned to it after 20 years, he would live in it as a stranger; but the Lord promises him that all this land will be in the possession of his descendants, that his descendants will be the sovereign masters of that country in which there is now no safe haven for him. The hope of the fulfillment of this promise in the offspring is no less pleasant for the ancestor than if he himself had lived to see the time of this fulfillment.

. And your seed will be like the sand of the earth, and will spread over the sea.[n][to the west], and [n][to the south], and the north, and to the east, and all the tribes of the earth will be blessed because of you and because of your seed.

The words of this promise, as well as the promise in the previous verse about the inheritance of the land of Canaan, constitute a repetition of the same promises to Abraham (). The fleshly descendants of Jacob will be numerous, but his spiritual descendants will be even more numerous, that is, those who believe in Christ, one of his descendants according to the flesh. The Israelis will occupy a considerable space during the flourishing time of their civil life - under David and Solomon; but the boundaries of the Church of Christ will be incomparably wider, having to spread to all ends of the universe, to the extreme points of the north and south, east and west. For, says the Lord to Jacob, "about you and about your seed", that is, through you, and through your great descendant, Christ himself, the Son of God, “all the tribes of the earth will be blessed”, - an abundance of spiritual benefits will be brought down to all nations.

. And behold, I am with you, they preserved you on every path, and even if you go, I will return you to this land: for the imam will not leave you until I can create all that is great in your words.

The Lord promises Jacob to continually stay with him and protect him not only during his entire journey to Haran and back, but until other promises are fulfilled that relate not to him personally, but to his descendants and the Church. This means that the Lord will remain with Jacob forever in the person of his descendants, fleshly and spiritual. Christ gave a similar promise to the apostles: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age”(). The apostles lived and died, but the apostolic will exist forever and the grace of Christ will never depart from it.

. And Jacob arose from his sleep and said: For the Lord is in this place, but I did not know.

“I didn’t know.” Jacob, without a doubt, believed in the omnipresence of God, and believed that the Lord could reveal His presence in a special way in every place; but in his sleepy state it did not occur to Jacob that the vision that he had in his dream was given to him open field, during the journey, far from his native home: he was then convinced that he was continuing to live at home. Only upon awakening did he become convinced that he was not at home, that the Lord appeared to him on the way to a foreign direction, in the very place where he had spent the night.

. And he was afraid and said: How terrible is this place: this is not, but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

"And I was afraid." I felt fear due to the conviction that the vision in the dream was not dreamy, but sent from God. “And he said: this place is terrible”, - that is, here is another place that the Lord sanctified with His appearance, where He showed special closeness to me, and which therefore, like all other places marked by the Lord’s appearances to Abraham and Isaac, is worthy of special reverence. “This is not [this is not something else], but the house of God”: from now on it is not a simple place, but the house of God, like a palace, where the Lord, the King of heaven and earth, deigned to temporarily establish His throne. "This is the gate of heaven": here the Lord Himself appeared among the host of His servants, the heavenly Powers, and spoke His merciful word to me, just as earthly rulers appear among the people’s assembly, usually at the city gates, and here they announce their commands and sentences. Why is the paremia about Jacob’s vision of the Ladder supposed to be read on the feasts of the Mother of God? Because the content of the proverb has something to do with the Mother of God. Thus, the Ladder, seen by Jacob, formed, as we noted, the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, through which heaven, the entrance to which was closed by human sin, was united with the earth. But the Most Holy Virgin served this incomprehensible mystery in that from Her most pure blood the Son of God was incarnate, and therefore the Ladder represented not only the incarnate Son of God, through Whom we have access to the Father (), but also His earthly Mother, who has maternal boldness towards Him and By intercession with Him, making this access easier for us. That is why in church hymns the Mother of God is called “the ladder that raised everyone from the earth with grace, the bridge that leads from death to life, from earth to heaven” (acath. can. p. 4. ikos 2), or is directly called Jacob’s ladder: “Rejoice The ladder is high, to the south of Jacob's appearance." - “The ladder of ancient times Jacob formed in form and speech: this is the degree of God” (acath. Bogorod. stichera 1 and March 25 canon. Bogorod., paragraph 9).

The proverbs that are read during the all-night vigil are most often understood with some difficulty by the majority of those present. Unfortunately, in church you will hardly hear explanations of them or sermons that would clarify the connection between what was a prototype in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New. Here it is not enough to just pay attention to what you read and you need to know not only why this or that passage from the books was read Old Testament, but also what preceded it in order to understand the logical connection between what was read in the proverbs and the service as a whole. Without understanding what and why they read in the proverbs, it is difficult to understand the inspiration with which the troparia, stichera, and canons were written.

Let's try to analyze the proverbs that are read at all-night vigils on the eve of the feasts of the Mother of God. The following passage is read first.

Genesis (XXVIII, 1-17)

Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran, and came to a certain place, and stayed there to spend the night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place, and put it at his head, and lay down in that place. And I saw in a dream: behold, a ladder stands on the ground, and its top touches the sky; and behold, the angels of God ascend and descend on it. And behold, the Lord stands on it and says: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; (don't be afraid). The land on which you lie will I give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants will be like the sand of the earth; and you will spread to the sea, and to the east, and to the north, and to the noonday; and in you and in your seed all families of the earth will be blessed; and behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go; and I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you. Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: Truly the Lord is present in this place; I didn’t know! And he was afraid and said: How terrible is this place! this is nothing other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven.

From the book of Genesis in the first proverb we hear familiar words about Jacob's dream in which he saw a ladder. What do you need to know in order to imagine the setting of this vision and deeply delve into the meaning of this prototype of the Mother of God?

Jacob, fearing his brother's revenge, got up very early, almost at night. He quietly left the house so that no one would notice him. The place where he spent the night was 15 versts north of Jerusalem. Staying in an open field at night was, of course, dangerous - robbers could attack, but Jacob preferred danger, not trusting the Canaanites inhabiting these places. The mentioned “student (well) oath” was located in the south of the Philistine land. There, even under Abraham, an alliance was concluded (that is, they swore allegiance to the agreement) with the Philistine king Abimelech about the non-aggression of Abimelech’s subjects against Abraham and all his relatives.

Harran is a Mesopotamian city where Jacob's parents advised him to go to choose a wife from a related tribe.

Why did Jacob’s dream, which he accepted as a Divine revelation, become a symbol or prototype of the Mother of God?

1. “Jacob’s Ladder” as an image of ascension reminds us of spiritual law life, which is already contained in the very possibilities communion with God, in man’s ability to “rise” to God. The example of the Mother of God tells us that She fulfilled this law more than others.

2. “Jacob’s Ladder” as a path to God indicates that this path is already indicated(through fulfilling the commandments of God), already determined, already Dan, and there is no need for everyone to search individually. Moreover, there is no need to build Tower of Babel so that we ourselves, without God, can rise “above the stars of heaven.” This is the path of humility, and as an example of the highest humility we have the Most Blessed Lady. Having read and listened many times to the words spoken by the Mother of God after the annunciation of her future birth of the Savior, do we understand the degree of Her humility? Can we imagine what it meant for a young woman to be in Her position at that time? She didn’t know how Joseph would behave. He could have exposed Her to human judgment, and according to the law, She would have been stoned to death as an adulteress. And even if, being righteous, he would simply let Her go, where would She go and how would she live further? The Mother of God knew all this, and yet she said: “Behold Thy servant, let it be done to me according to Thy word.”

3. Jacob's Ladder is shown to teach the law of sedateness. Any staircase consists of steps designed for gradual ascent. And on the spiritual path, ups are unreliable. In the example of the Mother of God we see the adherence to the same law. Her ascent began from the foundation - with prayer in the temple, with constant attention and hard work.

4. Jacob's Ladder is based on the earth. This is both law and joy for the whole earth. If we turn to the image of the Mother of God, then She is also from the earth, from the human race. She did not neglect anything earthly: she did not disdain work, did not consider sorrow unnecessary for herself, did not avoid communication, and was not burdened by solitude.

5. “Jacob’s Ladder” is full of Angels rising from the earth and descending to the earth. They bring to God the prayers of everyone, and to people from God - gifts of His love. The memory of this can encourage everyone, especially when it seems lonely and sad in a world that has long suffered from the “impoverishment of the saints.” For believers, this deficiency is filled by the Angels and the mercy of the Queen of Angels - the Most Holy Theotokos.

6. “Jacob’s Ladder” is not only established on earth, but also reaches to heaven. With this example, the Lord calls everyone to rise and strive upward, towards God. The Most Holy Theotokos, who achieved the highest of gifts - communion with God in the most perfect image, can be a bright and inspiring living example, and not just an image, for everyone. She will be a Helper and Intercessor to all the faithful if the desire for God becomes the meaning of all quests in life.

7. Finally, “Jacob’s ladder” is the connection between heaven and earth, man and God. Her unique and perfect example is the Most Pure Virgin. She herself became the ladder that leads to God.

When you take into account all these explanations, it becomes clear why this passage from the Book of Genesis is read on all-night vigil on the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (XLIII, 27;XLIV, 1 - 4).

At the end of these days, on the eighth day and beyond, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and thanksgiving offerings on the altar; and I will be merciful to you, says the Lord God. And he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, facing east, and it was shut. And the Lord said to me, “This gate will be shut, and it will not be opened, and no man will enter through it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it, and it will be shut.” As for the prince, he, like a prince, will sit in them to eat bread before the Lord; He will enter by the porch of this gate, and will come out the same way. Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the face of the temple, and I saw, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

The second proverb promises, through the prophet Ezekiel, the liberation of the captives and even the restoration of the temple. He, the prophet, speaks about the structure of the future temple and its consecration. The future temple will be consecrated for seven days, and on the eighth day the priests must make a sacrifice, but not to consecrate the temple, but to appease the Lord and as a sign of gratitude to Him and an expression of devotion. The prophet saw the entire temple in a vision, then he was again shown the eastern gates of the sanctuary. They were closed. It was said about them that the Lord passed through them, and no one should not only pass through them, but even see them open. There is no exception in this case for either the king or the high priest. Even to partake of the sacrifice, the high priest will be allowed to approach through the porch to the gate in order to feel as if he were in the face of God.

From the eastern gate the prophet was led to the northern, from where a majestic spectacle of the glory of God was revealed to him.

Blessed Theodoret, whose opinion was accepted by the Fathers of the Church, considers the eastern gate through which the Lord once entered to be a symbol of the Mother of God. It was as if she had opened the door for the Lord to human world. The Lord became a Man, like all of us. The Mother of God served the one and only sacrament of the Incarnation of the Lord. Therefore, on the feasts of the Mother of God this proverb is read.

Book of Proverbs (IX, 1-11)

Wisdom built herself a house, hewed out its seven pillars, slaughtered a sacrifice, dissolved her wine and prepared a meal for herself; sent her servants to proclaim from the heights of the city: “Whoever is foolish, turn here!” And she said to the weak-minded: “Come, eat my bread and drink the wine that I have dissolved; leave foolishness, and wait, and walk in the way of understanding.” He who teaches a blasphemer will gain dishonor for himself, and he who reproaches the wicked will gain his own stain. Do not reprove the blasphemer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you; give instruction to a wise man, and he will be even wiser; teach the truthful, and he will increase knowledge. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding; because through me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.

The third proverb is dedicated to Wisdom. Under Wisdom, Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, Saint Ambrose of Milan, Blessed Augustine and other fathers see the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Gospel (Matthew XXVIII, 20), the Church is considered to be the House of Wisdom. Fathers have different opinions on what to consider as seven pillars. Some believe that this is an indication of seven Ecumenical Councils, others that for the seven sacraments, others for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isa. IXI, 12). The meal, especially with the mention of bread and wine dissolved in the cup, of course, symbolizes the Eucharist, but you can also include here all the blessings of the Church, among which is the word of God (Matthew IV, 4 and 1 Cor. I, 4-5) .

Whom did Wisdom send to invite to her meal? This is a speech about preachers of the Gospel who are commanded announce the whole world (“come, teach all languages”; Matt. XXVIII, 19). Who's name is it? The insane, that is, those who are not satisfied with the wisdom of this age, who seek justification by the blood of the Lamb, which in the Church is possible in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Those invited are invited to part with madness, that is, with doubt, disbelief, delusions and conquer the mind to faith. Not everyone will follow the call of God, and therefore the Lord with the words “Punish (i.e., calling, setting an example, convincing) the evil, will receive dishonor for yourself” and further warns against close communication with the evil. You can’t correct them if they don’t want it themselves, but you will only irritate them and harm yourself. Moreover, by bringing danger upon yourself, you will hinder the work of God. This should be a warning to those who are called to be God's messenger to save the wise, that is, those who are able to heed instructions. In this way the word of the Gospel will be fulfilled: “whatever one has, more will be given to him, and he will have an abundance” (Matthew XIII, 12). Turning to the fear of God (to the fear of somehow violating the will of God, and not to the fear of punishment) as the beginning of wisdom will make everyone who loves wisdom and truth equal, humble and experienced. From the advice of the saints such a person will only become richer in intelligence. If you take care of this, then your temporary life will be calmer (and therefore longer), and your eternal life will be more reliable.

What does this have to do with Our Lady?

The Church calls Her the “Most Pure Temple of the Savior”, “The Chamber of All the King” and other comparisons that indicate that She is the living temple of God and the words about the house of Wisdom can be attributed to Her. If every soul can become a temple to God, then even more so His Most Pure Mother, who was simply physically the receptacle of the incarnate God.

Icon - Sophia the Wisdom of God (Kiev rite)

On the eve of the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, we are completing our acquaintance with the interpretation of the proverbial readings of the Feasts of the Theotokos. Today we read with Orthodox exegetes and holy fathers an explanation for the third paremia of the feasts in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos - the reading of the Proverbs.

Book of Proverbs of King Solomon. Chapter 9: 1-11

“Wisdom built herself a house and hewed out its seven pillars,”
Synodal translation:
Wisdom built herself a house, hewed out its seven pillars,

St. John Chrysostom:
“The Son of God, who became Man, prepared for Himself a House from the flesh of the Virgin, the House is the Virgin, the Church, the soul of the faithful, the Kingdom of Christ; The seven pillars are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments, the seven councils.”

St. John of Shanghai:
“In ancient times, the forefather Jacob saw in a dream a ladder established on the earth, the top of which reached to heaven, prefiguring the One through which the Son of God descended to earth. The psalmist King David sings of Her as the Queen who appeared at the right hand of the King, clothed in gold and adorned, all whose glory is within Her. And the wise Solomon speaks of Her in the book of Proverbs as the House of Wisdom: “Wisdom built for herself a house and established seven pillars” (Proverbs 9:1). The house in which the Eternal Wisdom lived during the incarnation was where the Most Pure Virgin Mary appeared. The pillars of this House are Her virtues. The number seven among the ancient eastern peoples signified perfection, and the seven pillars of the House signify perfection in the goodness of the Mother of God. Therefore, the icons depict the Wisdom of God, the Son of God, on the throne, as if in a building on seven pillars, denoting His Most Pure Mother. At the top are seven archangels, on both sides are seven prophets with scrolls inscribed with predictions about the Virgin Mary, and below are the names of the seven virtues. A septenary number repeated many times means spiritual perfection Holy Virgin».

“She slaughtered the sacrifice, dissolved her wine and prepared a meal for herself;”
Synodal translation:
she slaughtered the sacrifice, dissolved her wine and prepared a meal for herself;

St. Theophan the Recluse:
“[In the house-Church] “I prepared... a meal,” - the word of God and St. sacraments, especially the sacrament of the Body and Blood."

“the servants sent their ambassadors, calling them to the cup with a high sermon, saying:”
Synodal translation:
sent her servants to proclaim from the heights of the city:

St. Theophan the Recluse:
“And “she sent her servants,” St. the apostles and their successors, to invite everyone to their supper.
Much has already been convened, but the calling continues, so that the whole house may be filled. And the supper goes on non-stop. Glory to the Lord, so merciful to us! Let's go, everyone! Let's go inside, no one stays outside the door. During these days of Lent, the calling and the supper are abundant. But it is all the more unforgivable to lose supper. Write down in your memory the following words of Wisdom: “Whoever sins against Me harms his soul” (Prov. 8:36), and have pity on yourself.”

Sophia, Wisdom of God (Novgorod rite)

“Whoever is foolish, let him turn away from me”
Synodal translation:
whoever is foolish, turn here!" And to the foolish one she said:

St. Theophan the Recluse:
“It is remarkable that Wisdom calls the foolish to her: “If anyone is foolish, turn here” (Proverbs 9:4).
Therefore, wise men have no entry into the House of Wisdom or into St. Church. All cleverness must be put aside at the very entrance to this house. On the other hand, if all wisdom and knowledge are only in the house of Wisdom, then outside this house, outside the Holy. Churches, only madness, ignorance and blindness. God's wondrous institution! When entering the Church, leave your mind and become truly intelligent; give up your amateur activities and you will become a true worker; renounce all of yourself, and you will become a real master over yourself. Oh, if only the world would understand this wisdom! But this is hidden from him. Not understanding the wisdom of God, he cries out against it, and continues to keep the foolish wise men in his blindness.”

“And to those who require wisdom I say: come, eat my bread and drink the wine I have dissolved for you:”
Synodal translation:
Come, eat my bread and drink the wine I have mixed;

St. John Chrysostom:
« Demanding- those who have not yet received the power of the Holy Spirit, who have just begun, and are not perfect. Come- find out the true and straight path, and drink wine - and receive the Holy Spirit like wine. Eat- strengthen yourself with My words and Sacraments » .

“Leave madness and live and reign forever: and seek reason, so that you may live and correct your reason in knowledge.”
Synodal translation:
leave foolishness and live and walk in the way of reason

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
« Wisdom, inviting the ignorant to Her meal, commands them to abandon foolishness, i.e. disbelief, doubts and delusions regarding what she inspires them, and enter the path of understanding, i.e. to conquer the mind into obedience to faith, to seek in it enlightenment and guidance to salvation. This is difficult for a natural person who is inclined to judge ignorantly. They will start talking to him about being born again, like necessary condition to enter the Kingdom of God; and he will hasten to make an inappropriate objection: how can a person be born, old? Can food take the second into its mother’s womb and be born (John 3:4)? Before him they will depict the bliss of communion with Christ through partaking of His Body and Blood; and he will understand this in a rough sense and will say the same thing that those who listened to His conversation on this subject once said to Jesus Christ Himself: “What strange words! Who can listen to this” (John 6:60)? Before him they will start talking about the redemption of sinful man through the sufferings on the cross and the death of the God-man; but the word of the cross cannot fit into the carnal mind: for the Jews it is a temptation, for the Greeks it is foolishness (1 Cor. 1:23). The Apostles themselves, until they were enlightened by the Holy Spirit, did not accept this word, which destroyed their carnal dreams of the Kingdom of the Messiah (Matthew 17:23). But no matter how difficult it is, it is necessary to abandon the carnal way of thinking about the objects of faith, so that it does not hinder us from entering the path of faith. What is needed to remove this obstacle? You need to feel the spiritual needs in yourself as strongly and deeply as possible, the needs of revival, renewal and sanctification of the spiritual nature. As these needs intensify in us, as the feeling of our spiritual weakness in the fight against sin, the poverty of our natural strengths for true enlightenment and sanctification, the feeling of need for the grace of God, takes root and grows in us, To the extent of all this, the carnal way of thinking will naturally fall in us regarding what faith offers us for salvation. So, for example, preaching about the cross of Christ will no longer seem like madness to someone who decides to impartially evaluate his moral state before the court of conscience and the law of God, and then weigh the full weight of the sinner’s guilt before God, all the greatness of his responsibility before the infinite justice of God; he will then understand that in order to reconcile a sinner with God, who has endlessly offended Him, an infinitely great satisfaction, an infinitely great sacrifice is required, and that, consequently, there is nothing to be surprised if, in order to make such a sacrifice, the Son of God Himself had to humble Himself to death on the cross. And having understood all this, a person will joyfully embark on the path of faith in the Son of God Crucified for us, for only in it alone will he find peace for his conscience troubled by sins and enlightenment for his mind, wandering in the darkness of ignorance and doubt.
To those who enter the path of true understanding, that is, the path of faith and enlighten their minds with the knowledge of truth, Wisdom promises to grant life and reign forever. And you will live: of course, a prosperous life here on earth and a blessed life in eternity. - May you reign forever: by reigning forever we mean participation in the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven » .

“He who punishes the wicked will receive dishonor for himself, but he who reproaches the wicked will create wickedness for himself (reprove the wicked for wounds to him)”
Synodal translation:
He who teaches a blasphemer will gain dishonor for himself, and he who reproaches the wicked will bring a stain to himself

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
« In the next four verses, Wisdom, interrupting her speech to the ignorant, turns to her servants or heralds of her will with instructions on how they should use the power given to them to reprove and admonish. He who punishes (instructs) the evil will receive dishonor for himself; If he reproves the wicked, he will create wickedness for himself (he will taint himself). Reproofs for the wicked are wounds to him.
With these words, Wisdom warns her servants against close communication with people who clearly persist against the truth and mock it. An attempt to admonish such people, to guide them on the path of truth, will not only be unsuccessful, but will also expose the admonisher to dishonor or reproach on their part; they cannot forgive the accusers, for reproofs are wounds for the wicked, i.e. irritate him, as if he had been seriously wounded by the bitter truth from his accusers. And if jealousy carries away the teacher of wisdom to the point of arguing with the wicked, to the point of sharply exposing their errors, then with this passion he himself will put on himself the stain or imprint of false wisdom, which loves to argue with words. » .

“Do not reprove the evil, lest they hate you; reprove the wise, and he will love you.”
Synodal translation:
Do not reprove the blasphemer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
« The Servants of Wisdom should not openly and sharply rebuke people who clearly persist against the truth, also because with this reproof they can incur not only the contempt and ridicule of these people, but also their hatred and malice, and through this they can endanger their freedom and life. Without giving free rein to their zeal in dealing with the enemies of the truth, the heralds of it will through this very thing save them from the sin of violence and preserve themselves for further exploits of preaching the truth. The instruction not to enter into close relations with obvious enemies of the truth was repeated by Jesus Christ: you shall not give the holy thing to a dog, nor sing your pearls before swine, lest you trample them under your feet and be torn apart as you turn (Matthew 7:6). It should be noted, however, that both instructions do not instill an unconditional prohibition, but only caution in dealing with detractors of the truth. Love obliges us to spread goodness everywhere and strive for the salvation of everyone, following the example of God Himself. Who wants everyone to be saved and accept the truth into the mind. Meanwhile, prudence requires famous people in some cases it is better to remain silent than to speak the truth, when, that is, it is clearly clear in advance that well-intentioned suggestions will be rejected with contempt. The Savior Himself was guided by this rule. Before the trial of Annas (John 18:20-21), Caiaphas (Matthew 26:63) and the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:67), He said almost nothing in reproof to His enemies. Zeal for the salvation of the erring and the desire to warn others from their errors prompted the Savior to pronounce strong denunciations against the Pharisees in general; but on rare occasions He directed these denunciations against someone personally. He even spared Judas the traitor. He often covered his accusations with parables.
Reprove the wise one, and he will love you. Instead of wasting time and labor unprofitably on admonishing the enemies of the truth, the servant of Wisdom will act much more prudently if he deals only with wise people, that is, capable of accepting instructions. Only they can appreciate these instructions and listen with love even to reproofs. » .

“Give wine to the wise, and the wisest will: tell the righteous, and he will take it.”
Synodal translation:
give [instruction] to a wise man, and he will be even wiser; teach the truthful, and he will increase knowledge

St. John Chrysostom:
« Give wine to the wise. Guilt (ἀφορμή) is reproof, a saving and useful deed, or speaks (about guilt) through words, because this way it will rise to the height of teaching (ἀναγωγῆς). Tell the righteous, that is, the well-minded, to show the ways of righteousness, and he will add instead: he will love you, correcting sins from inattention as a result of reproof. » .

“The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the counsel of saints is understanding: for you understand the law and think what is good.”
Synodal translation:
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding;

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
“So this is why those who sincerely love wisdom and truth are not offended by reproof and willingly accept the lessons of truth and righteousness: this is because the basis of their aspirations for wisdom, the main subject of their study, is the fear of God, or training themselves in piety, and that which is dearer to them than all knowledge in the world, success in faith and piety. But whoever is guided by the fear of God and constantly has the Lord in his thoughts will not be proud of his merits, lest such pride offend Him, before Whom he feels like dust and ashes; he will always be impartial and strict with himself and therefore will not consider it humiliating to listen to yourself and from others pointing out your shortcomings and advice. It is not hard for him to hear the advice of holy people. In these councils he finds the source of reason, the right understanding of the law of the Lord. For understand the law of thought is good. Who else, if not the saints who have succeeded in pleasing God, is characterized by good thoughts? And consequently, who better than them to learn the knowledge of God’s law? Knowing it, they are ready to share their knowledge with others.”

“In this way you will live much time, and the years of your life will be added to you”
Synodal translation:
because through me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
“In the remaining verse of the parimia, Wisdom resumes Her speech to the ignorant, interrupted by remarks about the rules of prudence in reproof and admonition. Wisdom continues to reveal what was said at the end of her previous speech to the ignorant. There she promised them life for obedience to her lessons: “and you will live,” and here she confirms this promise. She says:
In this way, you will live a lot of time and the years of your life will be added to you.
The promise of long life for fulfilling the lessons of wisdom is found more than once in the book of Proverbs (comp. Proverbs 3:2, 16, 21; Proverbs 4:10, 15). There is no doubt that such a promise relates mainly to real life, like many other promises of the same kind as a reward for fulfilling the law of God, the table is common in the books of the Old Testament (Deut. 8:1; Deut. 30:20). Longevity is, one might say, a natural consequence of a life consistent with the rules of wisdom and piety. Those who live such a life usually avoid excesses that are detrimental to health and prematurely shorten life, and therefore live happily to a ripe old age. The promise of God promotes even more what should be according to the natural order of things. But does Wisdom have only temporary life in mind when she promises long life to her disciples who obey her? No, this one award would not be enough for them. The righteous live forever (Wis. 5:15), according to the word of another sage. Piety, says the holy Apostle, is useful for everything; for to him belongs the promise of the present and future life"(1 Tim. 4:8). One must think that the longevity promised by Wisdom to her disciples is not limited to present life and serves only as a precursor to a blessed life in eternity.

Part of the considered parimia (chapter 9, 1-11) is read on the feasts of the Mother of God. This is because by the Wisdom we are talking about here we must mean the Son of God, the Hypostatic Wisdom. But the Hypostatic Wisdom is depicted here not in Her eternal existence, but in a state of incarnation: She establishes the Church on earth and at Her table offers people Her most pure Body for food, the same body that was formed by the influx of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Ever-Virgin Mary. Therefore, although the parimia does not directly speak of the Mother of God, since She served as the instrument of the incarnation of the Son of God, it is very natural to mean Her where the incarnation of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity is spoken of. If so, then it is clear why on the feasts of the Mother of God it is necessary to read the parimia, which, if it does not name the Mother of God, then at least clearly reminds the believer of Her. Let us add: under the house of Wisdom, as we have explained, is of course the Church itself, founded by Christ and inhabited by Him. But just as in ordinary houses there are several chambers and rooms, so the vast house of Wisdom contains many abodes, that is, believers in Jesus Christ, for He dwells in each of them as in His dwelling, indwelling it with His most pure Body and Blood. . But among these abodes of Christ in His vast house, in the Church, the first place is occupied by His Most Pure Mother, who is therefore called in church songs the chamber and throne of the King, the most pure temple of the Savior, as having contained the God-man in Her womb. Thus, one can think that the concept of the Mother of God as the chamber of the King-Christ, the house of the Hypostatic Wisdom, could serve as a new basis for the church custom on the feasts of the Mother of God to read a parimia containing an image of the house of Wisdom, in which the first place belongs to the Mother of God - the chamber of Christ the King .- The same part of the parimia is read on the Feast of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ on September 13, also during the consecration of each Orthodox church. This is because every Orthodox Christian church is a place in which the gifts of Hypostatic Wisdom, prepared by Her for the members of the Kingdom of God established by Her on earth or the Church, are primarily distributed to the believers: in the temple of God, abundant nourishment is offered by the word of God and the grace of the sacraments, especially the sacrament of the Eucharist, in which, under the guise of bread and wine, believers eat the Body and Blood of Christ. - The same part of the parimia is read on the feast of Midsummer. On this holiday, Jesus Christ invited the Jews: let him who is thirsty come to me and drink (Jn. 7:37). This invitation is similar to inviting Wisdom to your meal."

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Troparion, tone 4:
Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, is a joy to proclaim to the whole universe: from Thee has arisen the Sun of Truth - Christ our God, and having destroyed the oath, He has given a blessing, and, having abolished death, He has given us eternal life.

Kontakion, tone 4:
Joachim and Anna are the reproach of childlessness, and Adam and Eve are freed from mortal aphids, O Most Pure One, in Thy holy Nativity. Then Thy people also celebrate, having been freed from the guilt of sins, always calling upon Thy: barrenness gives birth to the Mother of God and the Nourisher of our life.

Magnification:
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, and honor Your holy parents and glorify Your Nativity with all glory.

ORIGIN OF THE HOLIDAY, ITS MEANING AND IMPORTANCE.

The holiday in memory of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established by the Church in ancient times. There is an indication of it already in the 4th century. According to ancient legend, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helen at the beginning of the 4th century built a temple in Palestine in honor and memory of the Birth Mother of God. Saints John Chrysostom and Epiphanius of Cyprus, as well as blessed Augustine and Jerome, narrate this event. In honor of the holiday by the holy songwriters (in the 5th century - Anthony, Archbishop of Constantinople, in the 6th century - Stephen of Svyatograd; in the 7th century - Saint Andrew of Crete; in the 8th century - Saints John of Damascus and Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople; in 9th century - Joseph the Studite) composed many hymns that are still sung during services on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus, since ancient times, “every Orthodox language praises and blesses and glorifies the Most Pure Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Bride of God.”

For His incarnation “in fulfillment of the Divine providence (economy),” the Son of God chooses the Pure and Immaculate Virgin, who, through His father Joachim, descended from the royal family of David, and through his mother Anna, from the high priestly family of Aaron. “Named from the ancient generations” and “pre-chosen from all generations into the dwelling of all the King and Creator of Christ God,” the Most Holy Virgin Mary was the daughter of chaste and righteous parents, the fruit of ardent faith and prayer asked of God by the elderly and childless Joachim and Anna.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the words of the church song, was a joy for the whole world, for the entire universe - “Angels and men”, for from Her the “Sun of Truth - Christ our God” shone for everyone. “This is the Day of the Lord,” “The beginning of our salvation,” the beginning of the appearance on earth of the incarnate economy of God, for already with the Birth of the Mother of God the Incarnation of God begins. "The predetermined tabernacle of our reconciliation with God now begins to be, having to give birth to us the Word, who appeared in the hardness ("appearing in rankness") of the flesh. The Most Holy Virgin, "named", pre-chosen from all generations, "much for the sake of Her purity and humility", served as a great the mystery of the salvation of people through the Incarnation, for She was the Mother of the Creator of all - Christ God, "the ever-essential Being, the Divine abode - God's abode", the temple of God and the animate heaven, "The Holy Throne prepared on earth", "The Nourisher of our life."

The “All-Singing Virgin” appeared “One is truly the Mother of God, the holy temple, the companion of the Divine, in whom the glorious, perfect sacrament was performed, the ineffable union of the natures that have come together in Christ.” “She is the One, the One who brings Christ into the salvation of our souls.”

Saint Andrew of Crete, in his Homily for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, says: “The present holiday is for us the beginning of the holidays. It serves as the door to grace and truth. Now the Creator of all has built an animated temple, and creation (in the person of the Virgin Mary) is being prepared for a new home for the Creator.” . According to Rev. John of Damascus, “the day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a holiday of universal joy, because through the Mother of God the entire human race was renewed and the sorrow of the foremother Eve was changed into joy.”

“Ubo (Virgin) is born, and the world is renewed with Her.” In the person of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, all creation participates in salvation as a divine-human work. She herself is the best “firstfruits” of the human race and human nature. The Most Holy Theotokos appeared as “the beginning of our salvation,” She is “the life and purification of all,” “the joys of salvation, the Intercessor,” “She who is earthly and heavenly” is united. She is “the removal of oaths, the giving of blessings,” “Adam’s deliverance, Eve’s proclamation and the incorruptible source, the change of aphids: For her sake we were deified and were delivered from death.”

Holy Church in liturgical chants The holiday glorifies the highest degree of approach of the Divine to grace-filled unity with humanity in the person of the pre-elected Virgin, born according to the promise of God “by the wave of all the Creator and Almighty.”

“Today the world joy is proclaimed, today the winds have risen, the salvation of the herald: the barrenness of our nature is resolved. Barrenness (Anna) is shown to the Virgin Mother (Matter of the Virgin Mary) (Who remains a Virgin) and after the birth of the Creator. From Her the alien (human nature) appropriates , and brings salvation to those who have gone astray in the flesh, Who (is) by nature God - Christ the Lover of Mankind and the Deliverer of our souls."

On Great Vespers after entering - reading three proverbs, which are also read on other Mother of God feasts.
The first proverb (Gen. 28:10-17) speaks of the ladder (ladder) that Patriarch Jacob saw. This ladder spiritually and symbolically symbolizes the Most Holy Virgin, through Whom the Son of God descended to earth and united with human nature.

The second proverb (Ezek. 44:2-4) speaks of the closed gates seen by the prophet Ezekiel, through which no one passed, but the Lord God of Israel will pass and “they will be shut.” These closed gates represent a prototype of the Ever-Virginity of the Virgin Mary.

The third proverb speaks of Wisdom, who created a home for herself, and clearly points to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, from whom Christ the Savior was incarnated and born.

At Matins, the magnification is sung on the polyeleos. After the magnification, the small litany and the sedalna of the feast, the first antiphon of the 4th tone is sung.

This antiphon (“From my youth”), as a rule, is sung according to the polyeleos on all the twelve feasts of the Lord and the Theotokos, which occur on weekdays. If the Twelfth Feast of the Theotokos happens on Sunday, then the sedate antiphons of the current voice are sung. On Sunday, the first antiphon of the 4th tone is sung only when it coincides with the twelve feasts of the Lord: the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, the Nativity of Christ, the Epiphany, the Transfiguration, the Week of Vai (the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem), Pentecost, as well as on the Sunday of the Apostle Thomas - a holiday with many features of the service of the twelfth feast.
On the holiday, two canons are read. The first canon is of St. John of Damascus (VIII century); the second - St. Andrew of Crete (VII century). The second canon is dedicated not only to the Nativity, but also to the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, as events that are close to each other, for the feast of the Entry refers to the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, as the Presentation of the Lord is to the Nativity of Christ. Katavasia is the irmos of the nearest great holiday of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord: “Moses drew the Cross” (based on this principle, katavasia is supposed to be sung on some other great feasts of the Theotokos and the Lord: the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, Transfiguration, Ascension of the Lord, etc.). According to the charter, the Irmos of both canons are supposed to be sung twice. On the 9th song" Most honorable Cherub"We don’t sing, but the choruses of the holiday are sung. Usually, instead of “The most honorable Cherub,” the first chorus and the irmos of the second canon are sung.
Chorus: Magnify, my soul, the glorious Nativity of God to Matera.

Irmos: Virginity is foreign to mothers, and childbearing is strange to virgins: on You, Mother of God, both are settled. Thus we continually magnify all the tribes of the earth.

Then the indicated chorus is sung to the troparions of the first canon. To the troparia of the second canon there is another refrain: Magnify, my soul, the Virgin Mary born of barrenness.

At the Liturgy, instead of “It is worthy”, the deserving person is sung - the irmos “Virginity is alien to mothers” with a chorus. We sing the same honorable person at every Liturgy during the after-feast before the celebration of the holiday. Usually, the saint of the holiday is sung at the Liturgy up to and including the celebration and on all other great feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God. On these holidays, the irmos of the 9th song of the canon, with or without a chorus, usually serves as a zadostoynik.

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary has one day of pre-celebration (September 7/20) and four days of post-celebration. It is given away on September 12/25.

The day after the holiday (September 9/22) the memory of the holy righteous Godfather Joachim and Anna is celebrated.

ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY VIRGIN

Troparion, tone 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 cry out loudly: Rejoice, fulfillment of the Creator’s vision.

Kontakion, tone 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.

Greatness
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor Your entry into the Temple of the Lord.

ORIGIN OF THE HOLIDAY, ITS MEANING AND IMPORTANCE

The exact date of the establishment of the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary is unknown. The introduction of the Blessed Virgin into the temple after She was three years old was mentioned in the first century by Bishop Evodius of Antioch, in the 4th century by Blessed Jerome, as well as by Saints Gregory of Nyssa and Patriarchs Germanus and Tarasius of Constantinople. In the East, the holiday became widespread in the 8th–9th centuries. In the 9th century, George, Metropolitan of Nicomedia, compiled a canon for the holiday ("I will open my mouth") and a series of stichera, and in the 10th century, Basil Pagariot, Archbishop of Caesarea, compiled a second canon for the holiday ("Song of Victory"). These stichera and canons are still sung by the Church today.

Predestined by the Lord by Her miraculous birth to be the dwelling place of the Son of God, the palace of the Incontainable Living God, the Most Holy Virgin from her earliest youth was preserved by Divine Providence in perfect purity, far from all sin and vice.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, filled with reverence for God, grew up in the house of her pious parents in an atmosphere of purity and holiness, tender parental love and care. In fulfillment of the vow given by her parents - to be dedicated to God, at the age of three She was taken to the Jerusalem Temple in order to “be brought up sacredly, so that the Lord of all will be the Divine Throne and<…>luminous abode."

As this event is depicted in ancient church tradition, for the celebration of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, the righteous Joachim and Anna, according to custom, called their relatives to Nazareth, where they lived, collected the faces of the virgins and prepared many candles. Arriving from Nazareth in Jerusalem, they reverently and solemnly walked to the temple of God, like the Old Testament procession with the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple of Solomon (1 Chron., ch. 15). The Blessed Virgin Mary, led into the temple, was preceded by the face of young virgins with lamps. “Around the temple,” writes Blessed Jerome, “according to the 15 psalms of degrees, there were 15 steps. On each of these steps, the priests and Levites, ascending to serve, sang one psalm. On the first of these steps, the parents placed young Mary. And when they removed her from Her traveling clothes and, according to custom, they dressed Her in the best and most splendid, the Virgin of the Lord alone, not supported or lightened by anyone’s hand, ascended all the steps as if she were at full age.” Everyone was surprised to see how the three-year-old Otrokovitsa quickly, like an adult, ascended all the steps.

The Most Pure Virgin was met by the High Priest Zechariah, the son of Varachia, the parent of the Forerunner, the prophet of God, and by the mysterious inspiration of God, foreseeing the future, he did an unusual and surprising thing for everyone: having blessed the Virgin, He introduced Her, as the “Bride of God the All-Tsar,” into the Holy of Holies, to where the ark of the Covenant was located, where, according to the law, only the high priest was allowed to enter once a year with cleansing sacrificial blood, and where entry was prohibited not only to women and virgins, but also to priests (Ex. 30:10). Even the Angels, according to the church song, “beheld the entry of the Most Pure One, marveling at how the Virgin entered the Holy of Holies.”

The Holy Church glorifies the event of this holiday in kontakion.

The Most Holy Virgin entered the Holy of Holies on the day of the Entry, and during the entire time of Her stay in the temple She entered there without any restrictions, which was forbidden even to the high priest on pain of death (Lev. 16:2).

Here, “in the sanctuary” - in the middle part of the temple, between the courtyard and the Holy of Holies, the Blessed Virgin was left in a special compartment for virgins for her upbringing. When She was brought to the temple, being a three-year-old girl, even then She was “many in spirit,” “infant in the flesh, but perfect in soul.” In the temple She was honored with the appearance of an Angel of God. According to Sacred Tradition, an Angel brought Her food that sanctified Her. The Holy Virgin, “taking heavenly food, flourished in wisdom and grace.” “Nursed in the temple with heavenly bread, (She) gave birth to the world the Bread of Life - the Word,” “all of Her,” says the church song, “dwelling inside the temple and nourished by heavenly food, was sanctified by the All-Holy Spirit.” During the stay of the Holy Virgin Mary in the temple, the Spirit of God, preparing Her for the “Divine Dwelling,” penetrated more and more into Her soul, until Her soul became capable of giving human soul To the one who will be born of Her according to the flesh - the Son of God. “As the spiritual fruit of the righteous,” “as having the beauty of spiritual purity and filled with the grace of God from heaven, the Pure Mother of God” the Virgin by spiritual feat and perfection reached such a height of holiness at which Her body became completely impervious to sin (glorified for “sinful flow”). She who was brought with candles in infancy and “given to the Divine Temple, She herself, as a truly Divine temple, appeared as the abode of the impregnable and Divine Light.”

And throughout the entire service of the feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple, the dominant motives are purity and holiness, joy and light.

The Most Holy Virgin Mary, who by grace achieved the highest purity and holiness, served the great mystery of the Incarnation, becoming the Matter of the “Saints of the Most Holy Word.” “The Chosen One and the Only Pure One,” says the chant, “turned out to be above everything earthly and intelligible.” The Prophet of God, the High Priest Zechariah, once contemplating the beauty of the soul of the Most Pure Virgin and seeing the future, exclaimed with faith: “You are deliverance, You are the joy of all. You are our appeal: through You the Incontainable will be contained for me.”

Since childhood, the Most Holy Virgin contained all the inexhaustible wealth of grace: “Like the house of the essence of grace, in it lie the treasures of God’s ineffable structure (household building).” At the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, only Her parents Joachim and Anna, due to the miraculous circumstances that accompanied this birth, could foresee the great destiny of their Daughter. Her introduction into the temple was, as it were, a manifestation of Her to the world, similar to the appearance of Christ at His Baptism. The introduction into the temple became a silent sermon to the people about the imminent coming of Christ, which showed God’s favor to people, served for them as salvation and the implementation of the entire economy of the Creator in relation to the human race. “Today (on the day of the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple) is a foreshadowing (“pre-depiction”) of God’s favor and a preliminary sermon about the salvation of people: the Virgin openly appears in the temple of God and announces Christ to everyone.”

The Most Holy Virgin Mary, by Her appearance, announced that the fulfillment of the “discipline (house-building) of the Creator” is near and “the eternal counsel of our Eternal God is coming to be fulfilled.”

From the time of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple, prophecies about our salvation began to come true: “The rays of grace have already shone with the entry into the temple of God of the Pure Virgin,” destined to be the Mother of God and the mediator of joy for the world; "before the age of the named Mother and in the last year of the appearing Mother of God."

David’s prophecy came true on the Pure Virgin (Ps. 44:15) as a pure offering of all mankind to God, who accepted this gift and sacrifice from people: “The Lord, though (wanting to show) with his tongue (to the peoples) His salvation, the Unmade (Virgin) now from man accepted (as a gift), reconciliation (as) a sign and renewal."

The Blessed Virgin Mary, "being Holy Temple Our Holy God," served as the incarnation of the King of all and God, Who deified, renewed, recreated the entire human race by His mercy. Through Her we got rid of the ancient curse, "the former incorruptibility of the community." "Let the heavens above rejoice today, and the clouds rejoice and sprinkle the very (very) glorious majesties of our God”, “for He has opened to us Heavenly Kingdom the so-called All-Tsarina. Rejoice people and be merry."

FEATURES OF THE HOLIDAY SERVICE

At Great Vespers three proverbs are read.

In the first proverb (Exod. 70, 1–5, 9–10; 16, 34–35) in the image of the Old Testament tabernacle, which during consecration was filled with the glory of the Lord, the Church contemplates the greatness of the Blessed Virgin Mary - for the Holy Spirit overshadowed the Blessed Virgin, the tabernacle of the incarnation Gentlemen.
In the second paremia (3 Kings 8, 1; 3–7, 9–11) the Church contemplates the prototype of the Blessed Virgin - the ark of the Covenant of the Lord, which, after the consecration of Solomon's Temple, the priests brought into the Holy of Holies under the shade of the Cherubim.

In the third proverb (Ezek. 43, 27; 44, 1–4), the prototype of the God-chosen Maiden is the gate seen by the prophet Ezekiel.
At the blessing of the loaves, at “God is the Lord,” and at the end of Matins, the troparion of the holiday is sung.

At Matins there is polyeleos magnification.

There are two canons. Katavasia: “Christ is born, glorify” (irmos of the nearest holiday - the Nativity of Christ). At song 9 we don’t sing “The Most Honest Cherub”, but the chorus and irmos are sung.

Chorus: The angels were amazed at the entry of the Most Pure One into the Holy of Holies.

Irmos: Like the animate ark of God, let the hand of the bad (uninitiated) never touch it; The lips of the faithful to the Mother of God are silent, the voice of the Angel is chanting, and they cry out with joy: truly you are above all, O Pure Virgin.

These same chorus and irmos are the honorific at the Liturgy. Further, the troparions of the first canon, the irmos and the troparia of the second canon are appended with their own special refrains.

At the Liturgy, as usual on the twelve feasts of the Theotokos, there is the prokeimenon, the Apostle, the Gospel and the sacrament of the holiday (on Sunday - in conjunction with the Sundays). Instead of "Worthy" the sung worthy is sung.
The twelfth feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos has one day of forefeast (November 20) and four days of afterfeast. The holiday is celebrated on November 25/December 8.

The service for giving is combined (as an exception from all the twelve feasts) with the service to the holy martyrs Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria.

From the day of the Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary (November 21/December 4) to December 31 (January 13 of the new style - the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. - Ed.) at matins on Sundays and holidays, having a vigil, polyeleos or great doxology, the katavasiya is sung: “Christ is born, glorify” (ordinary, after all the songs).

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End | All © All rights reserved Proverbs are fragments from Holy Scripture, mainly from the Old Testament, which are read for evening worship the day before

big holidays

. Proverbs set forth prophecies, types, or promises that were fulfilled in the event being celebrated.

On all the feasts of the Mother of God, including the Assumption, the following three fragments from the Old Testament are read:

Jacob left the sworn student and went to Harran. And you found a place and slept there: for the sun went down, and he was taken from the stone of that place, and set the head for himself, and slept in that place. And I saw a dream. And the ladder was established on the earth, its head reaching to heaven, and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it. The Lord established himself on it, and said: I am the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac, do not fear: the land where you write on it, I will give it to you and to your seed. And your seed shall be like the sand of the earth, and shall spread over the sea, and the valley, and the north, and to the east; and all the tribes of the earth will be blessed because of you and because of your seed. And behold, I am with you, keep you on every path, even if you go. And I will return you to this land, as I am not the imam to leave you until I create all that is great in your words. And Jacob arose from his sleep, and said: for the Lord is in this place, but I know not. And he was afraid and said: How scary is this place; not this, but the house of God and this gate of Heaven.

In Russian:

Jacob departed from the Well of the Oath and went to Haran, and came to a certain place, and lay down there to sleep, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place, and put it under his head, and fell asleep in that place. And I saw in a dream: and behold, a ladder was established on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and the angels of God ascended and descended on it. The Lord stood on it, and He said: “I am the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; don't be afraid. The land on which you sleep I will give it to you and to your seed; and your seed will be like the sand of the earth; and will spread to the sea, and to the south, and to the north, and to the east; and in you and in your seed all families of the earth will be blessed; and behold, I am with you, keeping you in every way, wherever you go; And I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have told you.” And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: “The Lord is present in this place; but I didn’t know!” And he was afraid and said: “How terrible is this place! This is nothing less than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

“Jacob’s Ladder” - the steps of ascent to God seen by the Old Testament patriarch in a dream - is used in church hymnography as a poetic image of the Mother of God. Truly, Mary became a “ladder” leading us from earth to Heaven, for She gave birth to the Savior of the world, who destroyed hell and destroyed the power of the devil over man.

2. From the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (43:27; 44:1-4):

On all the feasts of the Mother of God, including the Assumption, the following three fragments from the Old Testament are read:

Thus says the Lord: from day to day the priests will make your burnt offerings and the rest of the things on the altars, and I will accept you, says the Lord Adonai. And turn me to the path of the outer holy gates, looking to the east, and this byahu will be closed. And the Lord said to me: this gate will be shut and not open, and no one will pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel will pass through them, and they will be shut. As if the Abbot will sit in them to carry bread, he will enter along the path of the Elam gates and will leave along his path. And he led me along the path of the holy gates that are to the north, straight to the temple, and I saw, and behold, the temple of the Lord was filled with glory.

In Russian:

[Thus says the Lord:] from the eighth day onwards the priests will offer your burnt offerings and sacrifices for your salvation on the altar; and I will receive you favorably, says the Lord. And he returned me to the path to the outer gate of the sanctuary, facing east, and it was closed. And the Lord said to me: “This gate will be shut, and it will not be opened, and no one will pass through it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, will pass through it, and it will be shut. Therefore the ruler - he will sit in them to eat bread before the Lord; He will enter by the porch of this gate, and he will come out the same way.” And he brought me along the way to the gate of the sanctuary, which is on the north opposite the temple, and I saw: and behold, the house of the Lord was full of glory.

The prophecy of Ezekiel mysteriously foretells the salvation of the human race from slavery to Satan and from death through the coming into the world of the Son of God, who must become incarnate from the Virgin Mary. The Ever-Virgin is called here the “closed gate” through which only one Lord God, Jesus Christ, passed.

3. From the Book of Proverbs of Solomon (9:1-11):

On all the feasts of the Mother of God, including the Assumption, the following three fragments from the Old Testament are read:

Wisdom created for herself a house and established seven pillars. Slain Your sacrificial offering, and dissolved the wine in Your cups, and prepared Your table. He sent His servants, calling them to the cup with a high sermon, saying: Let him who is foolish turn away to Me. And to those who require intelligence, he says: Come, eat My bread, and drink the wine that I have dissolved for you. Leave madness and live, and seek reason, and live, and correct your reason in knowledge. He who punishes the wicked will receive dishonor for himself, but he who reproaches the wicked will dishonor himself: for reproof of the wicked wounds him. Do not reprove the evil, lest they hate you. Reprove the wise one, and he will love you. Give wine to the wise, and he will be wise. Tell the righteous, and he will receive it. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord and the counsel of the saints, understanding: for you understand the law of thinking what is good. In this way, you will live a lot of time, and the years of your life will be added to you.

In Russian:

Wisdom built herself a house, established seven pillars, slaughtered her sacrifices and dissolved wine in her cup and prepared her meal; sent her slaves, calling them to the cup with an exalted sermon: “Whoever is unreasonable, let him turn to me!” And she said to the weak-minded: “Come, eat my bread and drink the wine that I have poured out for you; leave foolishness and you will live, and seek reason in order to live and achieve prudence in knowledge.” He who teaches the wicked will gain disgrace for himself, and he who reproaches the wicked will disgrace himself. Do not rebuke the wicked, lest they hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you; give a reason to a wise man, and he will be even wiser; tell the righteous, and he will pay attention. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the counsel of the saints is understanding; to know the Law is a property of a good mind: after all, in this way you will live a long time and years of life will be added to your life.

This proverb reveals the theme of Wisdom. By Wisdom, many Church Fathers understand the Lord Jesus Christ. The meal, especially with the mention of bread and wine dissolved in the cup, of course, foreshadows the Eucharist - the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. The House of Wisdom here refers to the Mother of God, who placed the incarnate Word of the Savior in her womb.

Thus, the reading of the proverbs on the feasts of the Mother of God sets out three most important prophecies about the incarnation of Christ and about His earthly Mother the Virgin.

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