Encounter of Our Lord With Simeon and Anna

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This feast marks the end of the forty days of Christmas. Known as the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, in the Slavic tradition it is called The Encounter of Christ, emphasizing the meeting of the Infant Savior with His people, who are exemplified in the anawim, the prophets St. Symeon and St. Anna. The Vespers describes Symeon’s joy at being allowed to cradle in his arms the Savior of the world.

The hymns of this feast emphasize the Encounter theme. Here Christ is meeting His people for the first time, in the Temple where God Himself dwelled behind the veil of the Holy of Holies, and the Temple to which He would give Himself at the age of twelve. He Who gave the Law to Moses on Sinai, now submits to the Law in all humility. Now He is recognized by Simeon and Anna, the anawim, the holy little ones of Israel. God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit prompts him to go to this little family in the midst of the teeming crowds in the temple courtyard. Deeply moved, Symeon utters his marvelous prayer, the Nunc Dimittis, or Now You Shall Dismiss Your Servant. This wonderful prayer is sung at every Vespers service:

Now you shall dismiss Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word in truth, for my eyes have seen the salvation which You prepared, before the face of all peoples. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people, Israel.

Anna also had been promised this gift, and Luke’s Gospel tells us that she told everyone who would listen to her about this marvelous child.

Candles are traditionally blessed on this day, as Jesus is the light of the world. In this ritual, the priest and people sing the Troparion, and then the priest blesses the candles with holy water, imploring Jesus’ blessing with His grace so that “the light of the candles dispel all darkness and shadow, so let the invisible flame of the Holy Spirit illuminate our hearts.” After this, Saint John Damascene’s Stikhera “Adorn your chamber O Sion” is sung and the Dismissal of the feast is given.