The main thing that has always struck me about this feast is the dynamic of transfer from holy place to holy place that is going on.
Given: that God is holy and he seeks to meet us within a dedicated Holy Place. Places are sanctified by the presence of God. They should be set aside as holy and dedicated to the Lord.
Historical Movements:
- Genesis 1 – 2. God creates a special place, the Garden, that serves as the place where He and His people can meet. (This is not read at the feast, but it is assumed). We lost our access to this place. God continued to meet us, sanctifying the specific places (e.g. Exodus 3:5).
- Exodus 40:1-5, 9-10, 16, 34-35 (Vespers reading). God commands the creation of a special place in the tent where He would meet them (he also met Moses et al on the top of Mt. Sinai). This is still temporary.
- I Kings 7:51, 8:1, 3-4, 6-7, 9-11 (Vespers reading). God commands the creation of the temple where He would meet them. This is more ideal. There is the development and deepening of the idea of the place as holy. Alas, it is lost and desecrated… then rebuilt. But it is clearly inadequate as its holiness and sanctity cannot be protected.
- Ezekiel 43:27-44:4 (Vespers Reading). In the fullness of time, God fosters the creation of a new place that is sanctified and set aside as a holy place for Him to dwell among us: the womb of the consecrated virgin, Mary. This feast celebrates the confluence of the two temples (as did the transfer of the ark before).
- Luke 2:1-20 (Nativity). The next movement comes when our Lord is born among men. As in the garden, He walks easily among us and prepares us for the next movement.
- 1 Corinthians 3:16 (Christians are temples of the Living God). God now resides within us. We keep our lives, our bodies, and our hearts pure and dedicated to Him. We keep our parishes pure and dedicated to Him.
- Revelation. We await the day when Christ both lives within us and we with Him; a confluence of the great historical movements.
