Annunciation of the Virgin, balls and "letters" to God

After the graduation of the solemn service in many churches of Khabarovsk, with the blessing of the Lord Ignatius, Metropolitan of Khabarovsk and Amamorsky, hundreds of airy balls were released into the sky. I note that this local tradition has been for several years. On the eve of the holiday, the information site of the Khabarovsk diocese reported: "The Annunciation means" good news. "On that day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced to her about the upcoming birth of Jesus Christ - the Son of God and the Savior of the world. From which Christ saves sinimi - there is a custom to release birds this day. This is symbolizes. It symbolizes. The aspiration of a person’s soul to God takes off in heavenly heaven, so our soul should rush to the mountain world, in the kingdom of heaven.

With the blessing of the Metropolitan of the Khabarovsk and Amur Ignatius on the day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, upon the end of the Divine Liturgy at all parishes of Khabarovsk, the balloons will be released into the sky. Each parishioner, an adult or child, will be able to make an inscription on a ball with wishes or his requests. ”

The head of the information department even preceded this event by an alarming issue. “In a word: the birds are sorry! Our lord establishes a new tradition. How will the traditionalists react? ” He wrote on his page on the Facebook social network.

Indeed, is it worth breaking spears: replacing pigeons with balls - "retreat" from "traditions" or not?! What wonderful words the elder Paisiy Svyatorets (1924-1994) used to say: "A Christian should not be a fanatic, he needs to have love for all people. Those who are without reasoning are thrown in words, even right, he makes evil."

With complete confidence, I can assure all doubts that there are no canonical deviations from the "pigeon tradition" here.

Let me remind you that in ancient times, the feast of the Annunciation gave different names: the conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the beginning of the atonement, the Annunciation of the angel of Mary. Historians talk about where and how the festival of the Annunciation first appeared, nothing is known.

It is known that in 560 Emperor Justinian indicated the date of the Annunciation celebration - March 25 (April 7 according to the new style). In addition, this tradition, after 70 long years of God -fighting, began to revive in Russia only since 1995.

But, perhaps, for our Far Eastern latitudes, it is a decisive factor that the climate, weather conditions do not always allow you to produce pigeons, which can simply be carried away with a strong wind.

It is enough to recall another example for advocates of "traditions". Very soon, we will all meet the festival of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, which is also called Vaii (branches) or palm resurrection. But, since in the Middle Age Russia, especially in Siberia, and in the Far East, especially in the taiga strip, palm trees and figures still do not grow, so we meet the Savior of our twigs of the vertebral, and this day we amusive of a rusty resurrection. Indeed, did we love our Christ less without palm branches on this day?!

Today, the Transfiguration Cathedral of Khabarovsk, where I was lucky to visit, was crowded with parishioners. Amazing Liturgy Service St. Vasily the Great. Let me remind you that this is Sunday-a week of the 3rd Great Lent, which is called the Cross-worship. This year, this year, the festival of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also celebrated, therefore the worship is devoted immediately to three events: the resurrection of Christ (like any Sunday), the Cross of Christ and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Also, the canon itself for the Annunciation itself is a unique work in anthem. If you say briefly, the canon is a poem in eight parts on biblical motives, but the canon is even more complicated for the Annunciation: in the form of a dialogue between the Mother of God with the Archangel Gabriel.

At the end of the service, all together, together, led by Vladyka Ignatius, left the temple and, with the blessing of the Lord, launched their balls into the sky. Some even attached notes-wishes, their personal “letters” to God ...

Looking at the huge gathering of parishioners around the Lord Ignatius, another wonderful thought is involuntarily recalls from the old man Paisius Svyatogorz: "We are all one big family and brothers among themselves, because all people are children of God."

Many parishioners were with their children, everyone was smiling ... And the soul was somehow especially light!

Khabarovsk, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral