Celebrated as the Entry and Presentation of Jesus Christ to the Temple after his birth, the “Feast of Light” was celebrated with a ceremony held in the Greek Catholic Church of St. George in Iskenderun. Candles were blessed in the ritual, and then the church congregation lit these blessed candles and directed their prayers to God.
In Iskenderun, the ‘Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple’ was celebrated with a special ceremony. While Father Antuan Ilgıt was conducting the Holy Mass in the Greek Catholic Church, Anatolian Apostle Vicar and Bishop Monsignor Paolo Bizzeti also attended the service.
“This is the Feast of Our Encounter with God”
Father Antuan Ilgit, who gave a sermon about the meaning and importance of the day, stated that this holiday is one of the oldest Jewish holidays; “We all want to give meaning to our lives and our experiences in order to find God. We cannot find peace without finding God. In the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we see that this search, which occurs exactly in the relationship between God and man, is actually a reciprocal search.
On the one hand, we are looking for God with enthusiasm, on the other hand, God is looking for us more excitedly and sincerely than we are. That’s why we have to walk towards and meet each other. Here is the feast we celebrate, the feast of this encounter. “We as humans must always keep God in our lives” he said.
At the end of the ceremony, which was attended by a small number of congregation members and held in accordance with the pandemic measures, the ‘Holy Communion’ was distributed to the congregation.
“Now I Can Die In Peace…”
…according to the Law of Moses, at the end of the days of purification, Joseph and Mary took the child to Jerusalem to dedicate it to the Lord. Indeed, in the Law of the Lord it is written, “Every firstborn male child shall be considered a devotee to the Lord.”
At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simon. The Holy Spirit was upon him, and it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die without seeing the Christ of the Lord. Simon came to the temple under the direction of the Spirit.
When the mother and father of the little Jesus brought Him in to fulfill the relevant rule of the Law, Simon took Him in his arms, praising God; ‘O Lord, you have kept your promise! Now I can die in peace. For I have seen with my own eyes the salvation which you have provided, which you have prepared before the eyes of all peoples, the light that will enlighten the nations and give glory to your people Israel.” (SAT-7 Turk/İlyas Edip TERBİYELİ-İskenderun)
