But before we begin to seek answers to these questions, exploring the feast of the Annunciation of the blessed virgin Mary, is to understand how its celebrated, and what do we celebrate on the seventh of April?
the Correspondent “RG” visited the Patriarchal service on the eve of the Annunciation
the Word “Annunciation” when in the minds of the Russian people was not just joyous, it includes feelings such as joy, finding hope, the resurgence of life, the delight of freedom. The Annunciation is so loved people that in honor of the feast were composed poems, Proverbs, legends. The Annunciation in importance compared with Christmas and Easter, “three times a year the sun plays – at Christmas, the Annunciation and Easter.” Saying that “at the Annunciation and Easter, even sinners in hell are not tortured, they were on the Annunciation Easter repose and freedom from suffering.” Released in honor of the holiday and the debtors, sitting in prison, it is reported by the famous ethnographer Dmitry Zelenin.
the holiday was not accepted to work, said: “at the Annunciation girl braid weaves and the bird nest is not Vietnamese”. Is associated with birds and beautiful custom of the feast.
“the Annunciation birds free absolution,” reads Vladimir Dahl. Ethnographer Zelenin told about the origin of folk tradition: “Must think that the habit of releasing the birds entered our prison prisoners, when they, delighting its conclusion, singing loudly-vociferous captives during the winter, releasing them into the wild in celebration when he was released from prison and the guilty debtors. I know a lot of examples that Russian girls gather together for the same item to buy a few cells and release birds into the wild. What should be a joy for the liberator!”.
Russian Orthodox Church: the Annunciation Believers should pray at home
the Ancient custom was depicted in folk songs-the stoneflies, and even our genius Alexander Sergeyevich. Remember?
In a foreign country is Holy see
the Native custom of antiquity:
Into the wild bird release
At the bright spring festival.
I was available to comfort;
what on God I murmured,
When at least one creature
I could have the freedom to give!
the shape – the children’s simplicity, but accurately captured the essence of the events, the feelings of a person, bestowing another of God’s creation of freedom. And in “children’s poem” Pushkin formulates the law of spiritual life: “we Must thank God for what He gives you chance to do good, to bring to someone, what He has given us – freedom!”.
Moscow ecologists have been asked not to release birds into the wild in the Annunciation
Such is the deeper meaning wore this folk custom. And then the moment, it is extremely important to us today: the classic “Bird” was written by 24-year-old genius during his southern exile in Chisinau, in the link that gave Pushkin a lot of suffering, and the service there was just hateful. Takes seven years and three months of forced retreat during cholera quarantine will become Mature 31-year-old poet, not just a time of incredible prosperity, but a time of inner growth and maturation. “I’ll tell you (in secret) that I wrote in Boldin for a long time did not write,” – says the poet in a letter to Pletnev, 9 Dec 1830. Re-read written in Boldino autumn, and I’m sure you’ll feel this creative impulse can only be the result of a great inner freedom, and, conscious of inner freedom! It is fundamentally important: it turns out, there is freedom external, always illusory, always inevitably limited, and there is freedom – the spiritual property over which one has no power. And this freedom, by the way, is inseparably connected with responsibility. Responsibility to others, far. Responsibility before the Motherland. And love to near, distant.
Remember?
Two feelings are marvellously close to us –
they acquires heart meals
Love to the native ashes,
the Love for fathers ‘ coffins.
Written at the same time in Boldino autumn.
Patriarch Kirill urged the clergy to conduct services without the flock
But back to release the cute birds. The custom is beautiful but, unfortunately, not all birds it ended happily. Already in the XIX century voices of writers demanding to stop greedy traders, EN masse which catches birds and contain them in cramped cages until the Annunciation. Tired birds released in the occasion at will, often then immediately died. Today, therefore, to the revival of national traditions environmentalists urge to treat without fanaticism. And that is true – the main thing in the feast of the Annunciation not birds, and popular customs. Why?
And then it’s time to pay attention to the word “Annunciation”: being composed of two roots “good” and “news”, it seems to be similar in meaning to the expression “good news.” But it’s not so easy! Look, the news are bad, good, and are so important, leading to something new, a turning point in our lives that they have a special word “news”, related and in tune with the verb “to lead someone somewhere.” Our ancestors, unlike us, choking in the flow of information and news focusing on the negative, was sensitive to gradation: that’s just NovoSt, here is the news, but news. Among this significant news contributed one special – the good news: it was in the course before such a word – “evangelism”. It was a single word “Annunciation”, and so, with a capital letter. Feel the difference? By the way, the Greek sound of the expression “good news” everyone knows: “eu” – good, “ggelein” – to proclaim. The gospel is “euaggelion” the gospel, evangelism is about the salvation of mankind from the power of death and sin. Now, the special word “Annunciation” was a special the good news – news that brought the virgin Mary the angel Gabriel.
Patriarch Kirill toured Moscow with the icon “Tenderness”
Remember that Mary – long-awaited child of the righteous Joachim and Anna, was dedicated to the God. From three to fourteen years Mary lived at the temple. According to the custom of the time, after reaching the fourteenth birthday Mary could no longer remain there: She had to either return to her parents or to marry. Righteous Joachim and Anna by the time he died, but when the priests decided to marry Mary to get married, she said She made a vow to God to remain forever a Virgin. Then the priests betrothed Her to a distant relative, eighty-year old man Joseph, in order to protect Mary, cared for Her. Joseph the betrothed, like the virgin Mary, was descended from king David, although he was a rich man and got the bread carpenter’s trade. And now comes the great moment in the life of Mary – the Annunciation. God sends the Archangel Gabriel to the virgin Mary, so he told Her the good news. Came in unto Mary, the Archangel said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with Thee! Blessed art Thou among women.” Young Mary, confused, wondered what it would mean and the angel continued: “fear Not, Mary, Thou hast found favor with God! You “you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be the Son of God!”. Understandable confusion of a young girl, puzzled, Maria asked: “How is this possible if I know not a man?” And the angel responds: “the Holy Spirit shall come upon Thee, and the power of the highest will overshadow You; therefore born will be called the Son of God.” And here, attention, important! Maria replies, “be it unto Me according to thy word.” It is a complete giving of oneself in God’s hands. The saints teach that the incarnation would have been as impossible without the free human consent of the virgin, as it is impossible without the creative will of God.
Christians around the world every day, do not repeat the words of this gospel. Orthodox prayer “mother of God, virgin, rejoice!”, Catholics in Ave Maria (Hail Mary). The feeling of joy – the key to the Annunciation. The Archangel Gabriel proclaiming to the virgin Mary about the birth of Her divine child, brought a message not just about the birth of Christ, even the Savior, but the news of the Incarnation of God in human nature. And the day of the Annunciation we celebrate the wonder and mystery of this world event! And in the prayers of the day of the feast of the Annunciation, it is often heard, “hail,” which all feel elated. So not only winged birds. Not only bystroley angels. Winged joy, the winged our hope. Winged and joyful good news of that in our world the Savior comes, the giver of freedom, the highest of all freedoms – freedom from death and sin. With a holiday!
