Psalm 45: “In anticipation proclaiming Christ to all”
Today is the preview of the good will of God, of the preaching of the salvation of mankind. The Virgin appears in the temple of God, in anticipation proclaiming Christ to all. Let us rejoice and sing to her: Rejoice, O Divine Fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.
(Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple, November 21, Troparion)
In the Orthodox liturgical tradition Psalm 45 is associated with the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, as Father Thomas Hopko explains in The Orthodox Faith.
There is no doubt that the verses of the Old Testamental Psalm 45, used extensively in the services of the feast, provided a great inspiration for the celebration of Mary’s consecration to the service of God in the Jerusalem Temple.
Hear, O Daughter, ‘and consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your Lord, bow to him…
The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes, in many-colored robes she is led to her king, with her virgin companions, her escort, in her train.
With joy and gladness they are led along, as they enter the palace of the king.
Instead of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations, therefore, the peoples will praise you forever and ever. (Psalm 45:10-17)
The Orthodox Church understands these words of the psalm to be a prophecy directly related to Mary the Theotokos…
The main theme of the feast of Mary’s entrance to the Temple, repeated many times in the liturgical services, is the fact that she enters the Temple to become herself the living temple of God, thus inaugurating the New Testament in which are fulfilled the prophecies of old that “the dwelling of God is with man” and that the human person is the sole proper dwelling place of the Divine Presence. (Ezekiel 37:27; John 14:15-23; Acts 7:47; II Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 2:18-22; 1 Peter 2:4; Revelation 22:1-4)
As we move closer to celebrating the Nativity of Christ, Psalm 45 helps remind us of the Mother who gave birth to Him.
Lesser Synod at the Chancery
The Lesser Synod of Bishops is meeting today and tomorrow. This is the smaller group of bishops tasked by the full Holy Synod with overseeing the OCA-wide work of the Church in between the twice-yearly meetings of all the bishops. The current members are Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop Nathaniel (Romanian Episcopate), Archbishop Benjamin (Diocese of the West) and Bishop Michael (Diocese of NY-NJ). In addition to hearing reports from His Beatitude and the officers, much of the agenda for these two days will be taken up with clergy and canonical matters related to clergy discipline and church courts. The OCA’s finances will also be a major item, including how the dioceses work out an equitable way of sharing the costs of having an autocephalous church. This is a work in progress that will continue when the diocesan chancellors and treasurers meet at the Chancery on January 14th.