The most powerful prayers for the Purification of the Lord

Every year on February 15, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the main feasts of the church calendar - the Purification of the Lord. On this day it is customary to attend services in churches and read special prayers. "Izvestia" tells what is prayed for on the festive date, and publishes the most powerful prayers for the Purification.

Purification of the Lord: the Gospel of the day for today, February 15

The feast was established to commemorate the bringing of the Christ child by the Virgin Mary to the Jerusalem temple on the 40th day after the Savior's birth. As described in the Gospel of Luke, they were met in the temple by the prophetess Anna and the Monk Simeon the Theotokos, who was promised that he would not depart to God until he had seen Christ and witnessed the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy about the birth of the Messiah from a pure virgin.

According to legend, Simeon was one of the 72 scholars commissioned by the Egyptian king Ptolemy II to translate the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek. While making a translation of the Book of Isaiah, Simeon doubted the correctness of the phrase "Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son" and thought it necessary to correct the word "virgin" to "wife". But at that moment an angel appeared to him and assured him that there was no mistake in the text. The angel also promised that Simeon would not die until he saw the fulfillment of the written text with his own eyes.

At the time of his meeting with Jesus, the Old Testament elder was already more than 300 years old. It is to this event that the feast is dedicated. The very word "Purification" from the Old Church translates as "meeting". The Purification of the Lord began to be celebrated in the IV century. It is one of the great bipedal feast, which combines the features of both the Lord's feast and the feast of the Virgin Mary. Every year it is celebrated on February 15.

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What to pray for on the Purification of the Lord

On this day in the churches there is a Divine Liturgy, which is attended by thousands of parishioners. Believers put candles and offer prayers before the image of the Virgin Mary or Simeon the Hospitaller.

Usually they ask for healing from illnesses and deliverance from addictions, family welfare, cessation of all enmity and protection from enemies. They also ask for leniency for the sins committed and for the strengthening of faith.

It is believed that all prayers said on the holiday have double the power. Therefore, it is necessary to devote more time to them on the Purification of the Lord.

What do believers ask for on the Purification of the Lord?

Traditionally, on the feast day they say the troparion to the Purification, kondak and magnification, which reveal the deep meaning and significance of the holiday.

Troparion (voice 1)

"Rejoice, O Blessed Virgin Mary, from Thee has risen the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, who enlightens those who are in darkness. Rejoice also, O righteous elder, receiving into the arms of the Liberator of our souls, who grants us resurrection."

Kontakion (voice 1)

"Thou hast sanctified the womb of the virgin through Thy nativity, and hast blessed the hands of Simeone, as it is fitting, and hast saved us now, O Christ God. But make peace in the strife, O One Human Lover".

Magnification

"We magnify Thee, O Living Christ, and we honor Thy Most Pure Mother, by whom according to the law Thou art now brought into the Temple of the Lord."

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Also on the feast the main prayer is recited - "The Song of Simeon the Hospitaller". The faithful who could not attend the liturgy can read the prayer in front of the icon at home. It is not necessary to learn it by heart. It is enough to read from a sheet of paper, to understand the content and, of course, sincere faith.

Since the prayer is quite voluminous, we give it in abbreviated form:

"O Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son and Word of God, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary incorruptibly, and on this fourscore day in the Sanctuary at the Presentation to the whole world, and in the arms of the righteous Simeon, for the salvation of all who have existed since Adam, begotten. Glorious and glorious is Thy offering of Thy Divine Presentation on the hand of the Mother of God in the temple of the Lord, and Thy Divine Intercession from the holy elder. Today the heavens rejoice and the earth rejoices, for Thy processions have been seen. For this cause we glorify Thy inexpressible condescension and great humanity. But to all of us who commemorate Thy Divine Purification, grant that we, with wise virgins, may go forth on Thy Purification with burning lamps of faith, love and purity. May we behold with the eyes of faith Thy divine Face, may we receive Thee into our soul's embrace, and may we carry Thee in our hearts all the days of our life. But on the last and Last Day of Thy Coming, when all the saints go out to the last and great Purification of Thee in the air, may we also be able to contemplate Thee, so that we may always be with the Lord. Glory to Thy Mercy and Kingdom, with Thy Immaculate Father and Most Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen."

Earlier "Izvestia" told what prayers are read on Epiphany.