The main events related to the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Virgin, the Orthodox Church celebrates very broadly and deliberately solemnly. There are twelve such major holidays, as a result of which they are called twofold. Only one event in the earthly life of the Savior does not fall into this series of celebrations. This is the circumcision of the Lord. What kind of holiday it is, in general terms can be understood from its name.
What the Church celebrates
On the eighth day after Christmas, which happened in the cave of Bethlehem, the Virgin Mary and her betrothed (imaginary husband) Joseph brought the Infant to the Jerusalem temple. As law-abiding Jews, they had to perform the obligatory rite. When circumcising the foreskin, the Son of the Virgin Mary was named Jesus. The fulfillment of this ritual made it possible for the Savior to be considered a full-fledged descendant of Abraham, which means that he has the right to morally instruct his fellow tribesmen and to be the true Messiah for them. In accordance with the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church, this holiday is called Circumcision in the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ. Liturgical texts on this day also glorify the spelling of the miraculous name.
Circumcision of the Lord. history of the holiday
The establishment of the Church of the triumph of Circumcision was associated with the need to counter the intemperate pagan tradition of celebrating the beginning of the New Year on the territory of the Roman Empire. By the beginning of the 4th century, the annual liturgical cycle was almost complete. It was logical to contrast the feast of carnal joys with the church holiday and the fasting preceding it. The Circumcision of the Lord was the best suited. That this was an extremely necessary measure is evidenced by the records of the fathers of those years. So, St. Ambrose the Mediolansky on the very day of the newly established holiday laments, addressing the flock with the words of the Apostle Paul: “... I am afraid for you,” the bishop exclaims, “have I worked in vain for you”. Was there any point among the inhabitants of Mediolan (modern Milan) to preach Christianity at all - that’s what the saint thinks about. In other words, the unbridledness of believers in the days of the January festivities reached such extremes that the very meaning of faith in God was called into question. Between Christmas and Baptism, a fast was additionally approved, culminating in the Circumcision of the Lord. What kind of holiday is this circumcision, the question of ordinary members of the communities did not arise, although the Jewish religious background was the fundamental meaning. In the era when Christianity became the state religion, changes in the liturgical charter could be born not only within the church environment, but also by the willful decision of hierarchs with the filing of august persons. A striking example is the Circumcision of the Lord. The history of the holiday testifies to the fact that the zealous propaganda activity of the Church Fathers led to the complete eradication of the January orgy. At least two centuries later, in the ancient annals of accusatory speeches on this subject no longer occurs.
Theological interpretation
Christ had to perform all the Old Testament rituals and confirm with their fulfillment the legitimacy of the law of Moses. The first in the series of ritual order was the Circumcision of the Lord. Christianity, despite its clear Old Testament origin, gives this event a significant symbolic meaning. The holiday symbolizes the need for spiritual circumcision of the heart. In other words, without a radical change in the moral state, it is impossible for a person to enter the society of God's chosen people. Spiritual circumcision means victory over vicious inclinations, true repentance and the sinner's conversion to God.
The oldest custom of the East
The Orthodox tradition closely echoes many of the ancient Jewish attitudes. At the same time, theologians claim that the Old Testament history of mankind is a period of moral preparation for the coming of the Savior - a hint, shadow, a prototype of the modern Christian church. The celebration of the Descent of the Holy Spirit took place on the day of the Hebrew festival of Pentecost. The Presentation of the Lord, the sacrifice on the fortieth day after the birth of a male infant, the introduction of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple are directly related to Sinai law.
The Circumcision of the Lord has a close connection with the Old Testament. The tradition of circumcision was established by the ancient patriarch Abraham by revelation from above. The Lord commanded the elder to circumcise the foreskin as a sign of the alliance between Him and people. A kind of it was the initialization of the members of the elected society. Abraham ordered a rite to be performed on his son, all his fellow tribesmen, and even purchased slaves. Since then, the Jews, without fail, on the eighth day after birth, circumcise all male infants.
Apostles about circumcision
After the descent of the Holy Spirit, faith in Christ began to spread widely throughout the civilized world. At first, the sermon was heard among the Jewish communities of the Mediterranean. Over time, the Gentiles began to join. Misconceptions began to arise with this category of new converts in some communities. The fact is that for several decades, Jews, joining the Christian community, had already been circumcised before that. The fulfillment of the Old Testament rite began to demand from the Gentiles. That is, at first it was necessary to perform the Jewish ritual, and then to be baptized. The apostle Paul in his epistle to the community in the city of Colossus compared baptism with ancient circumcision. The custom, leading the story from Abraham, was a sign of the union of people with God, and now the New Testament spiritual circumcision, miraculous, is being performed. Its essence is not in material symbols, but in detachment from a sinful life.
Triumphant triumph
The Day of the Circumcision of the Lord brings together two more significant events. In the Russian Empire, which used the Julian calendar, the celebration of the New Year relative to the modern calendar was on January 14th. In the secularized Soviet era, after the transition to the Gregorian style, this day began to be called the authentic term "Old New Year." The Russian Orthodox Church, adhering to the orthodox calendar, on the first day of the secular new year in 1701, established a special holiday on January 14. The circumcision of the Lord, in addition, is celebrated in conjunction with the memory of the great teacher of the Church, St. Basil, who served in the 4th century as archbishop in the Middle Eastern city of Kessaria. In liturgical texts, all three events are organically intertwined.
Liturgical features
All celebrations in honor of the Savior and the Virgin Mary have the so-called days of pre-celebration and outrage. That is, before the main event and after it, for several days, liturgical chants glorify the great triumph. An analogy can be drawn with sunrise and sunset. In the morning, the sun has not yet risen, and the world around is already lit. It is the same in the evening: the sun has disappeared, but still light. The circumcision of the Lord is glorified only one liturgical day. On the very holiday, a rare service is performed - the liturgy of St. Basil the Great. This rite is served in Lent, on Christmas and Epiphany Christmas Eve, and on the Circumcision of the Lord. That this is the first day of the new year is evidenced by a special prayer service after the liturgy, during which God’s blessing for “next summer” is sought for citizens, rulers and the entire state.
Circumcision of the Lord. Icon
There are few pictorial images of this event. Among icon painters, the circumcision festival is not popular. Usually in the temples on the lectern they lay the icon of St. Basil the Great, whose memory is celebrated on the same day. True, among the frescoes of the internal painting of ancient temples you can see the Circumcision of the Lord. The icon, as a rule, depicts the Virgin Mary with the God-child in her arms, Joseph the betrothed and the old man with a ritual knife preparing to perform the ritual.
Moral lesson
Liturgical hymns contain not only laudatory content, but also have significant didactic meaning. Any event in the life of Jesus Christ, the Theotokos, or saints can be an occasion for a moral lesson. The circumcision of the Lord does not stand aside. That this is a very important precedent, you can see by examining the following excerpt from liturgical texts: “God didn’t be ashamed to be circumcised by carnal circumcision, but He Himself showed the image and mark of salvation: the Creator of the law fulfills the law.”
The leitmotif of the teachings from the church pulpits on the day of the Circumcision of the Lord is a moral example of obedience to laws for our own good. The God-man Jesus Christ did not need to perform any religious ritual on him . But did the Founder of a new spiritual society have the right to demand constant obedience from his followers if he himself did not obey the laws established by divine revelation?
Old Testament tradition and the mystery of the name
Also, the church on this day draws the attention of believers to their names. The name of a Christian is not given at baptism at random, but in honor of the saints. In this case, a special prayer is read, connecting the new member of the Christian community with his heavenly patron. In addition to a certain semantic load (for example, Alexander means “courageous” in Greek, Victor means “winner”, etc.), the name is an important component in the formation of the person’s inner world, his secret identity. This is especially true in the modern world, when exalted parents, for the sake of modern trends, name their children almost dog names.
Many peoples of antiquity had the custom of using two names. The first, true, was known only to the carrier and his relatives. The second name was intended for use in everyday life. This was done so that detractors through a mystical influence could not cause harm to the subject. If our ancestors attached such importance to the names, all the more so the Christian name should not be an empty phrase, but a testament to belonging to the highest moral category of society.