site.btaUPDATED Patriarch Daniil Visits Zemen for the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and Saviour

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil visited Zemen, Western Bulgaria, on Sunday to celebrate a patriarchal divine liturgy for the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the St. John the Theologian church in the town, praying for the health and well-being of the municipality's residents.

The Sunday service attracted dozens of clergy and laypeople from the region, who came to light candles and pray. Among them was the Mayor of Zemen, Mihail Zlatanov.

In his sermon, Daniil told the congregation that the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord is associated with the presentation of the infant Jesus Christ on the 40th day after his birth at the Jerusalem temple to the devout elder Simeon. He explained that according to Old Testament law, every firstborn male was brought to the temple on the 40th day to be presented before the Lord as a gesture of gratitude for his birth and to pray for his blessed growth.

Following this tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph brought the Lord on the 40th day after his birth to present him before God and to offer their sacrifice of two turtledoves.

Spiritually enlightened, the righteous elder Simeon came to the temple to greet the infant Jesus and worship him, joyfully thanking God for allowing him to live to see the arrival of the saviour of people from sin.

"Church tradition has preserved the memory of the pious and righteous Simeon as one of the 72 who translated the Old Testament into ancient Greek at the behest of the Egyptian King Ptolemy Philadelphus. This occurred in the mid-3rd century BC. Righteous Simeon was about 300 years old when the Lord Jesus Christ was born. Upon meeting the Blessed Virgin with the Child, Simeon, inspired, took the Child, and uttered the words: 'Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel,'" the Patriarch said.

This marked Daniil's second visit to Zemen since assuming office. In August last year, he attended the celebration for Zemen’s Town Day, at which Patriarch Daniil performed a blessing of waters for health on the occasion of the 50th anniversary after the settlement was declared a town.

Later on Sunday, the Patriarch was in Pernik, near Sofia, where he blessed the waters at the construction site of a new Presentation of Our Lord church in Teva borough.