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في اليوم الثالث من شهر كيهك المبارك تحتفل الكنيسة بتذكار دخول السيدة البتول والدة الإله القديسة مريم إلى الهيكل ، وهي ابنة ثلاث سنين ، لأنها كانت نذرا لله ، وذلك انه لما كانت أمها حنة بغير نسل ، وكانت لذلك مبعدة من النساء في الهيكل ، فكانت حزينة جدا هي والشيخ الكريم يواقيم زوجها ، فنذرت لله نذرا ، وصلت إليه بحرارة وانسحاق قلب قائلة "إذا أعطيتني ثمرة فإني أقدمها نذرا لهيكلك المقدس" ، فاستجاب الرب لها ورزقها هذا القديسة الطاهرة فأسمتها مريم ، ولما رزقت بها ربتها ثلاث سنوات ثم مضت بها إلى الهيكل مع العذارى ، حيث أقامت اثنتي عشرة سنة ، كانت تقتات خلالها من يد الملائكة إلى إن جاء الوقت الذي يأتي فيه الرب إلى العالم ، ويتجسد من هذه التي اصطفاها ، حينئذ تشاور الكهنة إن يودعوها عند من يحفظها ، لأنها نذر للرب ، إذ لا يجوز لهم إن يبقوها في الهيكل بعد هذه السن فقرروا إن تخطب رسميا لواحد يحل له إن يرعاها ويهتم بشئونها ، فجمعوا من سبط يهوذا اثني عشر رجلا أتقياء ليودعوها عند أحدهم ، واخذوا عصيهم وادخلوها إلى الهيكل ، فاتت حمامة ووقفت علي عصا يوسف النجار ، فعلموا إن هذا الأمر من الرب ، لان يوسف كان صديقا بارا ، فتسلما وظلت عنده إلى إن آتى إليها الملاك جبرائيل وبشرها بتجسد الابن منها لخلاص آدم وذريته .
On the third day of the blessed month of Kiahk, we commemorate the entrance of our holy Lady, the Virgin, Saint Mary, the Theotokos, into the Temple when she was three years old, for she was dedicated to God. Her mother, Anna (Hannah), was childless. The women who were in the Temple stayed away from her. She was exceedingly sad and so was her husband Joachim who was a blessed old man. She prayed to God fervently and with a contrite heart saying, "If You give me a fruit, I will devote the child to Your Holy Temple." God answered her prayers and she brought forth this pure saint and called her Mary.
She reared her for three years, after which she took her to live with the virgins in the Temple. Saint Mary dwelt in the sanctuary for 12 years. She received her food from the hands of the angels, until the time when our Lord Christ came into the world, and was incarnated through her, the elect of all women.
When she had completed 12 years in the sanctuary, the priests took counsel together concerning her, so that they might entrust her to someone who would protect her, for she was consecrated to God and they were not allowed to keep her in the temple after this age. They decided that she be engaged to a man who could take care of her and who would look after her.
They gathered 12 righteous men from the house of David of the Tribe of Juda so they might place her with one of them. They took their staffs inside the Sanctuary, and a dove flew up and stood on the staff belonging to Joseph the carpenter who was a righteous man. They knew that this was God's will.
Joseph took the holy Virgin St. Mary, and she dwelt with him until Gabriel, the Angel of the Lord, came to her and announced to her that the Son of God was to be incarnated from her, for the salvation of Adam and his posterity.
Her intercession be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.