Celebrating the Entrance of the Theotokos to the Temple

His Eminence the Bishop of Corfu, Paxos & Diapontian Islands Mr. Nektarios did the Divine Liturgy at the celebrating Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, known to the Corfiots as Panagia Kremasti, which is located in the historic center of the old town of Corfu.
During the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence spoke to the large congregation about the meaning of the feast of the Mother of God. Our Lady’s parents, Joachim and Anna, in their old age, prayed a lot to God, not only to give them a child and free them from the shame of impotence, but their prayer was to lead and dedicate it. to God. That is why, after weaning, they offered her and dedicated her to the temple of Solomon. Zacharias, who was a High Priest, received her and with the information he had from God led her to the Holy of Holies. Where no one was allowed to enter except the High Priest, once himself. So there in the Holy of Holies, were the tablets that Moses received from God himself, the golden censer, the rod of Aaron that I sprouted and the pitcher with the manna of the desert.
All these sanctuaries according to the Prophets depict Our Lady. There Our Lady remained until the age of 12, praying to God, nourished by Angels and reading the scriptures. This happened because Our Lady had to prepare and not know sin, to become the Mother of God and the Mother of us all. That is why we are called by our Holy Church, which is close to the great feast of Christmas, to copy the way of dedication of Our Lady to the temple of God. This dedication through the sacramental life, through prayer and through the spiritual struggle, invites every faithful Christian to prepare himself to receive the mystery of the incarnate economy of our Lord. Without preparation and spiritual struggle, we will remain strangers to God’s visit to each of us, and while the Lord asks our hearts to make it a manger in our lives, we remain strangers to the mystery.

And the words of the Saint John “In the same he came, and they themselves received him” will be verified. Let us kneel before our Virgin Mary, not only as the Mother of God but also as the Mother of us all to awaken spiritually.
In the end, His Eminence wished  to the celebrants and good strength in our spiritual struggle, with the destination of the celebration of Christmas.