Nativity of the virgin what a holiday. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: history, traditions and signs of the holiday. Icons of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

history of the holiday

The New Testament contains very little information about earthly life. Holy Mother of God, and, in particular, nothing is said about the birth and parents of Mary. The event in honor of which the celebration was established is known from the apocryphal Proto-Gospel of James (II century).

The Blessed Virgin Mary was born in the small Galilee city of Nazareth, located on the slope of a mountain, three days' walk from Jerusalem. There was no more unimportant town in all of Galilee. "Can anything good be from Nazareth?"- Jews scornfully spoke about him. According to the predictions of the prophets, the promised Savior of the world was to come from the royal tribe of David. But from the time of the Babylonian captivity, the descendants of this king gradually lost their rights, and when the Maccabean tribe rose, all the distinction of the royal tribe disappeared, and it became along with the common people.

The parents of the Virgin Mary were the righteous Joachim from the clan of the Prophet and King David and Anna - the youngest daughter of a priest from the tribe of Aaronic Matthan, who had three daughters: Mary, Sophia and Anna. Sophia had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was the mother of John the Baptist.

Righteous Joachim was a prosperous man, having a large number of livestock. The whole life of this righteous couple, despite their wealth, was imbued with the spirit of reverent love for God and mercy for others. However, only sorrow depressed them: they were childless, since Saint Anna was barren. According to the law supported by the Pharisees, Joachim had the right to demand a divorce for the infertility of his wife. But he, a righteous husband, loved and honored his wife for her extraordinary meekness and high virtues and did not want to be separated from her. Having reached their advanced years, Joachim and Anna did not lose hope in the mercy of God, firmly believing that everything is possible for God, and He can resolve the infertility of Anna even in her old age, as he once resolved the infertility of Sarah, the wife of the patriarch Abraham. Saints Joachim and Anna made a vow to consecrate to God for serving in the temple a child that the Lord will send them.

Joachim and Anna suffered unjust reproaches from their compatriots. Mystery was considered in Jewish people the punishment of God for sins. At that time, every Jew hoped, through his offspring, to be a participant in the kingdom of the Messiah, that is, Christ the Savior. Therefore, every Jew without children was scorned by others. It was especially difficult for Joachim, as a descendant of King David, because Christ was to be born in his family. On one of the holidays, the elder Joachim brought his sacrifice to the Jerusalem temple as a gift to God, but the high priest did not accept it, calling Joachim unworthy, because of his childlessness. Saint Joachim in deep sorrow went into the wilderness and for 40 days prayed to the Lord with tears for the gift of a child.

Upon learning of this, his wife, who was at home, greatly grieved. Once Anna went to her garden, sat down under a laurel tree, sighed and, looking at the sky with tearful eyes, noticed a nest above, on the tree, in which little chicks squeaked."Even birds have children, and we do not have such consolation in old age," - thought Anna. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to her. He said:“You will conceive and bear a daughter, blessed, above all. Through Her, the blessing of God and all the peoples of the earth will be received. Through Her, Salvation will be given to all people. Her name will be Mary. "

With the same message, an angel appeared in the wilderness to Joachim. Thanks to the whole heart of God, he happily hurried to Jerusalem, to the temple. There, as the angel told him, he saw Anna praying to God at the Golden Gate, and told her about the angel. She also told her husband about everything she had seen and heard about the birth of the Daughter. After praying to the Lord and worshiping Him in the temple, the couple returned home with firm faith in the fulfillment of the Lord's promise.

After that, Anna conceived. As the Proto Gospel says, "The months allotted to her passed, and Anna gave birth in the ninth month." According to Jewish custom, on the 15th day after her birth, Her name was given, indicated by the Angel of God, Mary, which means "Lady", "hope"... Mary, having become the Mother of the incarnated Creator, was the Mistress and Hope for all creation.

Place of Christmas

The Virgin Mary was born in the house of Joachim and Anna, which was located in the northeastern part of Jerusalem. Now it is the territory of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, near the Lion Gate. On this place, the monastery of St. Anna was built, on the ground floor there is a church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, and under the building of the monastery itself there is a cave, which, according to legend, was part of the house of Joachim and Anna.

On the Catholic dogma of the "Immaculate Conception"

Since ancient times, the Orthodox Church has celebrated the conception of the Most Holy Theotokos on the 9th day of December (Old Style), calling this conception glorious and holy. However, she does not recognize this conception as seedless and immaculate, as she teaches Catholic Church which in the XIX century proclaimed the dogma of the "Immaculate Conception". Among the Catholics, objections were expressed to such a teaching, why at the Council of Tridenum it was considered only an opinion. But in 1854, Pope Pius the 9th raised the opinion of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary to the level of dogma, having no data for that either in Holy Scripture or in the teachings of the Church Fathers.

Righteous Joachim and Anna, parents of the Most Holy Theotokos

But the Orthodox Church recognizes only the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ as immaculate, for He was born miraculously- from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary was born in a natural way and, although she was personally sinless, she nevertheless had a nature damaged by the ancestral sin, and therefore herself needed redemption. According to St. Ambrose, "Of all those born by wives, only one is completely holy: our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, in a special, new way of immaculate birth, did not experience earthly damage."

Establishing a holiday

The Nativity of the Most Holy Lady of our Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Church as a day of universal joy. On this day, the birth of the One through Whom Christ the Savior came is celebrated.

This holiday was established by the Church already in antiquity. It originally appeared, apparently, in the Greek Church and soon afterwards appeared in Rome, spreading to the daughter Churches. St. Equal to the Apostles Helen at the beginning of the 4th century built a temple in Palestine in honor and memory of the Nativity of the Virgin.

The text of the festive troparion "Thy Nativity, Virgin Mary" is also found in the Roman Catholic service, which is almost the only case of the coincidence of the liturgical chants of the two Churches. For Saint Andrew of Crete, who composed two words and a canon for the feast (about 712), the Nativity of the Virgin is a celebration of great solemnity. In the canon, he says that on this day "all creation should rejoice", "heaven rejoice and earth rejoice", "dare and play the childless and unfruitful."

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary occupies a special place in the history of Russia - many churches are dedicated to it, icons of amazing beauty have been painted, battles decisive for the fate of our Fatherland were appointed for this day. So, it was on the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God in 1380 that a historic victory was won on the Kulikovo field.

The meaning of the holiday

The Old Testament was predominantly the time of God's promises of salvation and human hopes for future salvation. The Lord chooses the people of Israel from all the nations of the earth and from all the families of Israel - the race of the Prophet and King David and the High Priest Aaron, so that from their offspring the Lord Jesus Christ would come into being in the flesh. The last link in the chain of Divine elections and the beginning of our salvation was the Nativity of the Most Holy and Most Blessed Lady of our Mother of God , which the Holy Church celebrates at the beginning of the church year.

The birth of the Most Holy Theotokos - the Mother of Jesus Christ - was not an accidental and ordinary event, for She was assigned an important role in the implementation of the Divine plan for the salvation of mankind ... The ancient tradition of the Christian church considers many Old Testament prophecies and types as an indication of the birth of the Virgin. So, in Orthodoxy, we find such instructions in the pariahs of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos:

Jacob's Ladder (Gen. 28: 10-17);
- The prophecy of Ezekiel (Ezek. 43:27, Ez. 44: 1-4);
- Words of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon (Proverbs 9: 1-11).

The Nativity of the Virgin contains the whole meaning of the Old Testament, which was nothing more than the preparation of the most pure flesh, from which Christ the Savior was to be born. The whole subsequent life of the Mother of God was first the revelation on earth of the great and terrible mystery of God's love for the world and man, and then Her service to His Divine Son, and together with Him and the human race. That's why the annual liturgical circle unfolds within the earthly life of the Mother of God: it begins with Her Nativity and ends with Her Assumption. The entire church year is to one degree or another connected with the life of the Mother of God, and there is no other way for a person to enter the life of Christ the Savior, except through reverent reverence for His Most Pure Mother and following Her path that leads to eternal life.

Prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Temple Life-giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

Documentary. "CHRISTMAS OF THE MOTHER OF GOD"

Troparion, voice 4
Thy Christmas, Virgin Mary, the joy of erecting the whole universe: from Thee the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, has risen, and having broken the oath, given the blessing, and having abolished death, has given us an eternal life.

Kontakion, voice 4
Joachim and Anna of reproach of iniquity and Adam and Eve are free from the aphids of death, Most Pure in Thy Holy Nativity. Thy people also celebrate, the guilt of sins will be freed, always call you: the Mother of God gives birth to unfruitfulness, and the nourishment of our life.

The Exaltation of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
We magnify Thee, Most Holy Virgin, and honor Thy holy parents, and glorify Thy Christmas all-glorious.

Prayer on the Day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
Oh, Most Holy and God's Chosen Virgin, our Lady Theotokos, Heaven and earth to the Queen, for the joy and consolation of the whole world from fruitless and childless parents, given by God! Born by God's providence, Thou hast allowed the barrenness of Thy birth, and now fruitfully create my barren heart by Thy intercession at the Almighty Throne, but infertile make me evil deeds, rotten words and unclean thoughts. Oh, All-Blessed One, may I appear a child of God, ever bringing fruitfulness to virtues. Thou hast quenched Thou with Thy most pure Christmas the lamentation of our foremother Eve, and Thy righteous parents delivered Thou the reproach of iniquity, and now quench the lamentation and sighs of my many-painful and sinful souls and deliver all of us from the reproach of our evil deeds and all our passions without our despicable passions. Most of all, grant us, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin, on the bright day of Your Nativity, with a pure heart, understand and remember, with great joy and thanksgiving, the barren womb of the holy righteous Anna wears You, and we will not exactly words, but especially with our heart we will take out with our heart. Ty, crying: Glory to Thy coming, Pure. Glory to Thy Christmas. Glory to Thy virginity, Mother Bezblade. Buy with Thee, grant us to ceaselessly glorify and magnify Thy All-Holy Fruit, the Word is incarnate, in Thy womb it is unopenedly carried, to Him the glory befits, honor and adoration, with His God-First Father, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving His Spirit, now and ever and in forever and ever. A min.

Nativity of the Virgin- an important church holiday related to the twelve. The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 21 (New Style or September 8 according to Old Style). The Nativity of the Virgin on September 21 is celebrated in addition to the Russian Orthodox Church, also the Jerusalem, Georgian and Serbian; September 8 is celebrated by the Catholic Church, Greece and a number of other local Orthodox churches... The Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin was established by the Church in the 4th century.

History of the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In the city of Nazareth lived a righteous and pious married couple - Joachim and Anna. Their whole life was imbued with love for God and for people. Joachim and Anna lived to a ripe old age, but did not have children, which made them very sad. Despite their old age, Joachim and Anna did not stop asking God to send them a child. At the same time, they made a vow - to dedicate the baby to serve God.

Every Jew at that time hoped that through his offspring he could become a participant in the kingdom of Christ the Savior. Therefore, every Jew who does not have children was scorned by others, since this was considered a great punishment from God for sins.

Once Joachim brought gifts to the Lord God to the Jerusalem temple, but the high priest did not want to accept these gifts, since Joachim was childless. At this time, Anna, who was at home, also heard that the high priest in the temple refused to accept their gifts. Anna also learned that her husband Joachim, grieving and weeping, had gone into the wilderness, and she herself wept.

After that, Anna went to her garden, and sat down under a laurel tree, sighed and, looking at the sky with eyes full of tears. At the top of the tree was a nest in which little chicks squeaked. Anna thought: "Even birds have children, and we do not have such consolation in old age." Suddenly the Archangel Gabriel appeared before her, saying: “You will conceive and give birth to a Blessed Daughter above all. Through Her, the blessing of God and all earthly nations will be received. Through Her, Salvation will be given to all people. Her name will be Mary. "

At the same time, the angel appeared in the wilderness to Joachim. He said, “Joachim! God has heard your prayer, and He is pleased to give you His grace. Your wife Anna will conceive and give birth to you a Daughter who will be joy for the whole world. Here is a sign for you that I am telling you the truth: go to the temple in Jerusalem, and there, at the Golden Gate, you will find your wife Anna, to whom I said the same thing. "

Shaken, Joachim hurried to Jerusalem to the temple. There Joachim saw Anna praying to God at the Golden Gate and told her about the angel. Anna also told Joachim about what she had seen and heard about the birth of her Daughter - Mary. After praying to God, the couple returned to their home.

For patience, great faith and love for God and for each other, the Lord sent Joachim and Anna great joy. After 9 months, Anna gave birth to a daughter - Maria. Heaven and earth rejoiced about the Nativity of the Mother of God. On the occasion of the birth of Mary, Joachim brought great gifts and sacrifices to God, received the blessing of the high priest, priests and all people for being rewarded with the blessing of God. Then Joachim made a big feast in his house, where everyone was merry and praising God. The Holy Church calls Joachim and Anna the Godfathers, because the Savior, Jesus Christ, was born from their Blessed daughter Mary.

Glorifying the Nativity of the Most Pure Mother of God, which resolved her parents from the infertility of her parents, we must strive to resolve the infertility of our souls, so that we not only praise the glorious Nativity of the Mother of God with our lips, but in fact try not in ourselves, but in God to grow rich, bearing the fruit of holiness and eternal life. We must pray to the Mother of God to help us get rid of spiritual infertility, from the daily sowing of spiritual death, and as She herself constantly wrote the words (Luke 2:19) of life in her heart, so she would plant the seeds of the word of God in our hearts, which, growing, gave fruit, if not a hundred, sixty, thirty times (Matt. 13: 8), then at least enough to get rid of hunger and spiritual thirst, which will torment and burn us like the flame of hell (Lk . 16:24).

Nativity of the Virgin - Video from the cycle "Summer of the Lord"

The Nativity of the Mother of God, akin to us, is celebrated now with light, and the whole world is called to this joy.

Temples of the Nativity of the Virgin in Kashin

In the city of Kashin, there were two churches in honor of the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin.

The first church of the Nativity of the Mother of God was built in 1690 and was popularly called “in the swamp”. The temple was single-domed; in the 19th century, it underwent minor changes. In 1872, the merchant Zyzykin ennobled the territory near the temple and opened a garden on the site of a swampy swamp. In 1929, the temple was destroyed, services were stopped in 1930, and in 1936 it was finally demolished.

The second church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built in 1785, popularly called "on Chistye Prudy", which, before the official renaming, were called Pogany Prudy after the name of the former Pogany settlement located here (because of the production of whitewash). The church was one-story, had a wide southern aisle. In 1929, it was also subjected to ruin, since 1935 the building has housed a boot-felting factory. In 2012, the building was transferred from an architectural status to a regular civilian structure and adapted for a 3D cinema.

Troparion of the holiday Nativity of the Virgin

Thy Christmas, Virgin Mary, joy to erect the whole universe: from Thee, the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God, has risen, and having broken the oath, gave a blessing, and abolishing death, gave us an eternal life.

Kontakion of the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin

Joachim and Anna of reproach of iniquity, / and Adam and Eve are free from the aphids of death, Most Pure One, in Thy Holy Nativity. / That is celebrated by Thy people, the guilt of sins will be saved, / Always call Ti: / Infertility gives rise to the Mother of God and the Nourishment of our life.

Sources:

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, Sermons;

Saint Thaddeus (Assumption), Word of the Shepherd for the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, 1928;

Seraphim Slobodskoy, God's Law.

"Kashin Orthodox", since 2010 A.D.

The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, which believers celebrate on September 21, is one of the most revered days of remembrance in Christianity. It is declared a holiday and is dedicated to the birthday of the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary. This day is also popularly known as Oseniny, Aspasov day, Spozhka, Pasikov day.

1771-1773 Francisco Goya. The birth of the Mother of God. Fresco

The meaning of the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos

The Blessed Virgin Mary was born at the time when the moral decline of mankind reached its lowest limits and the need to correct the faith was proclaimed more and more loudly by the best minds of mankind. As a result, the Virgin Mary was chosen by the Savior to be worthy to become the Mother of God and to embody the Son of God in the guise of human nature.

The Nativity of the Mother of God brought humanity closer to the Kingdom of God on earth, the knowledge of virtue and immortal life, and the Most Holy One herself is not only the Mother of the Lord, but also the merciful Intercessor of believers.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Chkalovsk, Russia

Nativity of the Virgin - the date of the celebration

For different directions of Christianity, the dates of the celebration are different, which is associated with the use of different calendars. Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin on September 21. Catholics and Anglicans celebrate the Mother of God on September 8. Accordingly, the day of Conception is celebrated on December 22 and 9, that is, the difference between these celebrations is exactly 9 months.

It is worth noting that in some sources there is information that Mary was born without a father. ahead of time, 7 months after conception, but this version is not considered to be correct, since there is no confirmation.

Most other churches also celebrate the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos on September 8, but some of the rites differ in the date shift. For example, for Coptic Christians it is May 9th.

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in Kozelets, Chernihiv region, Ukraine

History of the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos

The Most Holy Theotokos is known as the mother of Jesus Christ. In addition, she is the patroness of children, women in labor and marriageable girls. Her image can often be found in both Orthodox religious art and Catholic. In some cases, her popularity surpasses all other saints, including Jesus Christ. This is due to the fact that the image of St. Mary is more understandable to the people. She is considered an intercessor of people, a deliverer from grief and sorrow, a healer and helper.

On the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her birth is celebrated. And although there is practically no information about this event, the scriptures still contain some information that indicates that a great event was sent down from above.

Mary's parents are the righteous Joachim of Nazareth in Galilee and Anna and Bethlehem. They were married for 20 years, but they were sterile, and therefore did not know true happiness. Internal experiences due to the lack of descendants and the condemnation of people forced Joachim to leave the desert, where he prayed for 40 days and nights. His wife, Anna, also asked the Lord to give them a child with her husband. Finally, God heard their prayers and sent angels who informed them of the upcoming joy: Anna will conceive a child and give birth to a daughter Mary.

Arriving in Jerusalem, Joachim and Anna met at the Golden Gate, which became a symbol of the Immaculate Conception. This day is also celebrated in Christianity. When the daughter was born, happy parents gave her the name indicated by the Lord - Mary. They also made a vow that they would give the child to the service of the Almighty. The family found peace and happiness, and Mary's birthday later became a great Christian holiday.

Establishing a holiday

When the feast of the birth of the Virgin was first established, it is not known for certain. Nevertheless, mentions of it are found in the 5th century, although there is no true evidence of this. That is why the beginning of the 6th century is considered to be the period of the introduction of the holiday, which is associated with the Cathedral of Ephesus. It originated in the Greek church and then spread to Rome and other directions. The birth of the Virgin is mentioned in hymns dating from 536-556.

Until the XII-XIII centuries, in Western sources of the Latin rite, there were only a few references to the celebrations in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin. This day was included in the rank of obligatory church holidays only after the Cathedral of Lyon in 1245. Today, for the Latin rite, this day is one of the most important Christian celebrations with obligatory fasting and special services.

How the Nativity of the Virgin is celebrated

Dishes for the holiday. Wednesday and Friday all year round are fast days. If the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin falls on one of these days of the week, then meat dishes are prohibited - they are served fish dishes, mushroom, vegetable and fruit. If the holiday does not fall on Wednesday or Friday, then an abundant feast is prepared and everything is served. The hostesses bake all kinds of loaves, pies -,; pies - for example - and treat them to household members and guests of their home.

Another feature of this day - the hostesses cooked small ones with the letters R.B., distributed them to relatives and used them to treat ailments. Dried bread was washed down with holy water to drive away the disease. Healing can also be given simply by prayers to the Holy Mother of God, since she brings deliverance from torment and ailments, helps people to cope with any misfortune.

Serve to the poor. You also need to dress those who ask in order to earn the mercy and protection of the Holy Mother of God. The crumbs of the holiday cake were not thrown away, but gathered and treated to the barn in order to protect their farm from harm and misfortune, and to give livestock and poultry health and fertility.

Greeting card for the Day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

How Catholics Celebrate

For Catholics, Saint Mary is a special ecclesiastical image, and therefore the days of the Conception and Nativity of the Virgin are celebrated solemnly. A festive service is performed in churches, in particular, the troparion "Thy Nativity, Virgin Mary" is sung, which is also included in the program of worship for Orthodox Christians. People offer prayers to Mary and the Lord, ask for well-being for their family, deliverance from grief, remember the dead, rejoice at the birth of the Virgin.

Folk traditions

What to do on a holiday. On this holiday, believers are required to observe the purity of their souls, pray and fast, do good, help with the word and warmth of their souls. help others with the word and warmth of the soul.

According to folk traditions, the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, women were supposed to meet by the water, by a lake or river. According to legend, having washed with water before sunrise on that day, women prolonged their youth, and the girls brought the wedding closer.

On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin, it is customary to visit or receive them at home with a festive cake. Previously, on this holiday, parents and relatives went to newlyweds to check how they arranged their life and cope with the household. The cake baked by the young wife was tasted by the guests, and if they liked it, she was handed a gift. If the dish failed, the husband was handed a whip and forced to eat the cake himself.

The newlyweds also went to visit their relatives. They dressed in smart clothes and took special treats with them. The wife tied a ribbon with the letters RB under the belt to protect herself and her husband from the evil eye. When the ribbon was untied, someone wished them harm.

Another rite of the Mother of God is the request of the Mother of God for mercy. To do this, it was necessary to put a candle in the church, on which a note with requests was threaded. What petitions the fire touched, those were heard by Saint Mary.

The harvest ends in September. For the generous gift of the earth, they thank the Virgin Mary, since the Mother of God is considered the patroness of agriculture and is often identified with mother earth.

What not to do on a holiday. If the holiday falls on Wednesday or Friday, then you can not eat meat and non-lean food.

Better to give up physical activity, homework, do not quarrel with people around, do not judge or condemn, avoid quarrels and foul language. You shouldn't drink alcohol.

Folk omens

Also, September 21 is known as the day of the autumnal equinox. Therefore, on this holiday, you can predict the weather, and not only for autumn, but also for winter:

✔ First of all, we watched what the weather was like on a given day. If there was fog in the morning, then rainy autumn should be expected.

✔ We looked at the dew - how snowy the winter will be: the sooner the sun dries up the dew drops, the less precipitation should be expected.

✔ With a clear day, there will be a warm, fine autumn, and with a rainy day, there will be a snowy fierce winter, which should be expected in a month or a month and a half.

✔ Stars can predict the future too. Clear skies and bright stars are a sign that frosts will come early, but snow should not be expected soon.

✔ You could also learn a lot from the behavior of birds on the Mother of God Day. For example, if they fly high in the sky, the fall will be warm and lingering. When the birds stray into groups and search for food near the ground, you need to prepare for frosts and early winter.

Christmas day Blessed Virgin- a great holiday for both the Orthodox and Christians of the Western rite. It is celebrated equally solemnly, with thanksgiving and glorifying the Mother of God and the Lord prayers. This day should be devoted to visiting church and your family, so that peace and grace reign in the house throughout the next year.

Anna, when she learned about the humiliation that her husband endured in the temple, began to pray fervently, asking God to have mercy on them.
After forty days, an angel appeared to her and said: "Anna, Anna, the Lord heeded your prayer, you will conceive and give birth, and they will talk about your offspring in the whole world." “As the Lord my God lives! - Anna answered, - And if I give birth to a child, I will give it as a gift to the Lord, and it will serve Him all my life. Then the angel appeared in the desert to Joachim, turning to him with the words: “Joachim, Joachim, God heeded your prayer. Get out of here, for your wife Anna will conceive in her womb. "

They met at the city gates. Anna, noticing the approaching husband, ran to meet him and hugged him tightly; together they went to the temple, where they offered God a generous sacrifice in gratitude. And nine months later, a girl appeared in a pious family, who was named Mary. It was she who was to give birth to the One Whom the people of Israel had been waiting for so long, Who would erase the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15), conquer death and give everyone the opportunity to gain eternal life.

6 facts about the holiday:

1. History of the celebration

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2. The house in which the Mother of God was born

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3. Who are the Godfathers?

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The Blessed Virgin Mary was born at a time when people reached such limits of moral decline, at which their rebellion seemed already impossible. The best minds of that era recognized and often openly said that God must descend into the world in order to correct faith and prevent the destruction of the human race. The Son of God wanted to accept human nature for the salvation of people, and the Most Pure Virgin Mary, the only one worthy to contain in Himself and embody the Source of purity and holiness, He chooses as His Mother.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

The Nativity of the Most Holy Lady of our Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Church as a day of universal joy. On this bright day, at the turn of the Old and New Testaments, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was born, represented from time immemorial by Divine Providence to serve the mystery of the incarnation of God the Word - to appear as the Mother of the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Blessed Virgin Mary was born in the small Galilee city of Nazareth. Her parents were the righteous Joachim from the family of the prophet and king David and Anna from the family of the high priest Aaron. The spouses were childless, since Saint Anna was barren. Having reached their advanced years, Joachim and Anna did not lose hope in the mercy of God, firmly believing that everything is possible for God, and He can resolve the infertility of Anna even in her old age, as he once resolved the infertility of Sarah, the wife of the patriarch Abraham. Saints Joachim and Anna made a vow to consecrate to God for serving in the temple a child that the Lord will send them. Abomination was considered by the Jewish people to be God's punishment for sins, therefore the saints and righteous Joachim and Anna endured unjust reproaches from their compatriots. On one of the holidays, the elder Joachim brought his sacrifice to the Jerusalem temple as a gift to God, but the high priest did not accept it, calling Joachim unworthy, because of his childlessness. Saint Joachim in deep sorrow went into the wilderness and there, with tears, he prayed to the Lord for the gift of a child. Saint Anna, learning what had happened in the Jerusalem temple, wept bitterly, but did not murmur against the Lord, but prayed, calling upon her family the mercy of God. The Lord fulfilled their request when the holy spouses reached old age and prepared themselves by a virtuous life for high rank- to be the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the future Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Archangel Gabriel brought joyful news to Joachim and Anna: their prayers were heard by God, and the Blessed Daughter Mary will be born to them, through whom salvation will be granted to the whole world. The Blessed Virgin Mary, with her purity and virtue, surpassed not only all people, but also Angels, she became a living temple of God, and, as the Church sings in festive chants, "Heavenly Door, leading Christ into the Universe for the salvation of our souls" (2nd stichera on "Lord, I have cried", voice 6).

The Nativity of the Mother of God marked the coming of the time when the great and comforting promises of God about the salvation of the human race from the slavery of the devil began to be fulfilled. This event brought the blessed Kingdom of God closer on earth, the kingdom of truth, piety, virtue and immortal life. The Mother of the First-born of all creation is also to all of us, by grace, the Mother and the merciful Intercessor, to Whom we constantly resort with filial boldness.

Prayers

Troparion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Tone 4

Thy Christmas, Mother of God Devo, / joy to erect the whole universe: / from Thee, the Sun of righteousness Christ is our God, / and, breaking the oath, gave blessing, // and, having abolished the death.

Kontakion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Tone 4

Joachim and Anna are despairing of despair, / and Adam and Eve are free from the aphids of death, Most Pure, / in Thy Holy Nativity. ...

The Exaltation of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos

We magnify Thee, Most Holy Virgin, and we honor Thy holy parents, and we glorify Thy Christmas.

Prayer on the Day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Oh, Most Holy and God-Chosen Virgin, Our Lady the Mother of God, Heaven and Earth, the Queen, for the joy and consolation of everything from the fruitless and bezel-less parents given by God! Born by the Divine Providence, Thou hast allowed Thy goodness of birth, and now my heart is fertile and fertile by Thy representation at the Almighty Throne; Oh, All-Blessed One, may I appear the Chado of God, who brings goodness to the virtues. You quench Thou Thy Most Pure Christmas Eve crying foremothers ours and pravednyya Your parents saved didst reproach bezchadstva and now quench weeping and sighing mnogoboleznennyya greholyubovnyya and my soul, and deliver all of us the reproach of our zlosmradnyh cases, defamation the passions, and from every enslavement vrazheskago. Especially those who are also grant us the Most Holy Theotokos and Virgin, in vsesvetly Day of Your pure heart understand and pamyatovati with colic joy and thanksgiving barren womb holy pravednyya Anna noshashe Thee, and we did not tochiyu of words, but chiefly Dela their pull out the will of affection cardiac proslavlyati Thy crying: Glory to Thy coming, O Pure One. Glory to Thy Christmas. Glory to Thy virginity, Mother of the Wicked. Kupno with Thee, grant us to ceaselessly glorify and magnify Thy All-Holy Fruit, Thy Word incarnate, in Thy womb it is impermissible, befitting Him glory, honor and adoration of Him and the God-giving eyelids eyelids. Amen.