Orthodox believers celebrate the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos with a prayer service at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Today, December 4, Orthodox believers celebrate a great twelve-day unchanging feast - the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.

On this day, festive worship services are traditionally held. The eve of the feast saw an all-night vigil with a festive liturgy in the church dedicated to St. Agapitus of the Caves, presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, with the co-servicing of Metropolitan Antony of Boryspil and Brovary, Archbishop of Irpin Lavra, Archbishop Mark of Borodyanka, and the brotherhood of the Lavra.

On the feast day itself, the Divine Liturgy in the same church was conducted by the managing bishop of the UOC, Bishop Antony, with the participation of the monastery clergy led by the confessor, Archimandrite Antony.

Holy Tradition about the Entry

According to church tradition, this day commemorates the event when the righteous Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, fulfilled the vow they made to God: that when they had a daughter, they would dedicate her to serve in the temple.

When Mary turned three years old, her parents brought her to the Jerusalem temple. The little girl, with holy songs and candles in her hands, climbed the fifteen steps to the holy spirit. The high priest, seeing this miraculous vision, brought the virgin into the Most Holy Place, which is marked by great sanctity, to which no one, except for the priest himself, had the right to enter.

There are testimonies about the personal life of the Theotokos in the temple, indicating that during her stay she was brought up in the company of pious girls, read the Holy Scriptures with attention, and spent time in prayer.

The Heritage of the Feast

The Church believes that the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is a prelude to God's favor towards humanity, a proclamation of salvation, and a promise of the coming of Christ. The actions of Mary's parents serve as an example for all believers, demonstrating the importance of instilling love for the Almighty in children from an early age.