presentation of the lord 2023

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The Presentation of the Lord (Feast)

February 2, 2023.

• Presentation of the Lord

Daily Readings:

Malachi 3:1-4 1 "Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? "For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

Psalms 24:7-10 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! [Selah]

Hebrews 2:14-18 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. 16 For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Luke 2:22-40 22 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; 30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed." 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan'u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Luke 2:22-32 22 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; 30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel."

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The Feast of the Presentation

According to the Church’s liturgical calendar, the feast held on Feb. 2 each year is in honor of the Presentation of the Lord. Some Catholics recall this day as the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary because such was the feast day named until the 1969 changes in the Church’s calendar.

In fact, according to Luke’s Gospel, the presentation of Jesus and the purification of the Blessed Mother took place in the Temple on the same day, and both are remembered during Mass on Feb. 2. Also, in several countries, Candlemas is simultaneously celebrated on this day and involves a candlelight procession that was popularized in the Middle Ages. Until the Second Vatican Council the feasts on Feb. 2 ended the Christmas season. Today, the season ends in January on the feast of the Baptism of our Lord.

As early as the fourth century Christians commemorated the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, but, at the time, there was no feast name attached. In seventh-century Rome, the Church named the celebration the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Mother Mary, and it remained that way for nearly 1,300 years. In the reforms after Vatican II, the feast was given a stronger focus on Jesus (by stressing the Presentation of Jesus), but clearly the events of purification and presentation that took place when Jesus was 40 days old (see Lk 2:22-39) are tied together and thus commemorated together.

Purification and Presentation

Under Mosaic law found in the Old Testament Book of Leviticus, a Jewish woman who gave birth to a child was considered unclean (see 12:1-8). The mother of a newborn could not routinely go out into public and had to avoid all things sacred, including the Temple. If her child was a male, this exclusion lasted for 40 days. If the child was female, the period lasted 80 days. This was a ceremonial seclusion and not the result of sin or some kind of wrongdoing on the part of the mother.

At the end of the 40 or 80 days the woman presented herself at the Temple to be purified. If the baby was her firstborn male child, the infant was brought along to the Temple to be dedicated to the Lord. The law in Exodus specifies that the first male child belongs to God (see 13:2-16). This law is a tribute to God for His sparing the firstborn Israelite males during the time of the Exodus from Egypt. The firstborn Egyptian male children, of course, were not spared.

The mother’s purification ritual obliged her to bring, or purchase at the Temple, a lamb and a turtledove as sacrificial offerings. The lamb was offered in thanksgiving to God for the successful birth of the child; the turtledove was a sin offering. Families that could not afford a lamb could bring two pigeons or two turtledoves. After these animals were sacrificed, the Temple priest prayed over the woman and she could once again resume her normal role or status.

Mary, the ever spotless Mother of God, certainly did not have to comply with this ritual, but did so to honor God and observe all the rules handed down by Moses. She was the holiest of all women, but she still submitted to the humbling requirements of the law. She remained at home for 40 days, denied herself all association with sacred things and on the day required walked the five miles from Bethlehem to the Temple in Jerusalem. Arriving at the Temple, Mary likely stood in line and waited her turn to see the priest.

Nunc Dimittis

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus, Mary and Joseph go to the Temple offering two turtledoves for Mary’s purification. Along with Mary’s willing submission, Jesus is presented into the hands of the priest and thus to God. In accordance with the Old Testament, the child was blessed and then bought or ransomed back by the family who would pay five shekels into the Temple treasury. The Savior of the world is ransomed in the manner of every other Hebrew boy. “When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord’”(Lk 2:22-24; see Nm 18:15-16).

The Gospel of Luke explains that the old prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna were at the Temple that day (see 2:22-38). They, like many others, had spent their lifetime waiting, longing for a Messiah, and the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Savior. Among all the children and mothers coming into the Temple, Simeon recognized Jesus as the Christ Child; he held Jesus and exclaimed this hymn of thanksgiving, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (2:29-32). The hymn has traditionally been termed the Nunc Dimittis , from the Latin, “ Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace .”

Like Mary, Jesus the Divine Son of God did not have to undergo these rituals, but His parents willingly complied in order to pay tribute to Jewish laws, to avoid any possible scandal and in so doing demonstrated profound humility. They acquiesced to the law like all poor Jewish families.

The Holy Family must have experienced great joy, even wonder at all that had happened to them. Consider the events of the previous weeks. First, the shepherds miraculously arrived to adore and praise Jesus on the night He was born. And now, Simeon, another stranger, singles out Jesus as the Savior, not only of Israel but of the world. Someday all the other children being presented will know Jesus as their Savior. But here in the Temple there is also pain. The old prophet, moved by the Holy Spirit, tells Mary that she will experience unspeakable grief because of the outrageous way the world would judge and treat her Son. But Mary remained always committed to God’s will and to her Son.

Feb. 2 is on the liturgical calendar as the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, but in addition to the presentation, the Mass recalls Mary’s humble submission to the purification ritual.

D.D. Emmons writes from O’Fallon, Ill.  

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The liturgical calendar of the year

• PRESENTATION OF THE LORD

Description

February 2, 2023

We follow Christ Our Light

Greetings (See Second Reading) Jesus shared the same flesh and blood than we So that he could become completely Like his brothers and sisters And, compassionate and trustworthy, Atone for our human sins. May this Lord Jesus be always with you . R/ And with your spirit.

Introduction

Today we celebrate the Presentation of the Child and Lord Jesus in the Temple. Eastern Churches call this feast: “the encounter”. Jesus comes to the Temple to encounter his people in the persons of Simeon and Anna, who stand for the Old Testament or Covenant. They recognize Jesus as the long-expected hope of Israel. He is to lead God’s people into the New Testament or Covenant and from now on all are invited to follow the Lord Jesus. We recognize today Jesus as the light of our life, and with lighted candles in our hands we are following him: we become lights of Christ our Light.

Blessings of candles Let us pray that the Lord may kindle in our hearts the fire to follow Jesus our light             (pause) God our Father, you are the true light. When you speak, darkness gives way to light, The world reflects your brightness, We can live in the light of your love. As we carry these lighted candles into the Church Make our faces and heart radiate with your glory. With your Son, make is children of the light, Keep us from the darkness of sin; Lead us to your everlasting light Through him who is our way, our truth, and life, And the light of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Procession Let us go in peace to meet the Lord. Mass In the Mass with the blessing of candles, there is no penitential act after the entrance song; the Mass continues with the Gloria and the Opening Prayer. In other Masses of the day without blessing of candles, the following penitential act could be used:

Penitential Act We have at times followed other “lights” than Christ, the true Light. We ask now the Lord to forgive us (pause) Lord Jesus, let your light guide us on the road to the Father: Lord have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Jesus Christ, shine on us the light of your truth and wisdom of the Spirit: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ have mercy. Lord Jesus, let the light of your mercy gather all nations in your love: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us our sins. May we walk in the light of Christ into everlasting light . R/ Amen.

Prayer Let us pray that with Jesus our light we may set resolutely in the road of renewal.             (Pause) Our God and Father, It is hard for us to say farewell To all that looks familiar and safe: our settled ways, our self-complacency, our certainties, our practices. We offer our self with Jesus our Lord and ask for the strength to follow his light. Help us to accept with him the insecurity of true renewal and to bring to all around us the light and warmth of your Son. Let this be the sacrifice we offer you today with Jesus, and Mary his Mother. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Reading 1: Mal 3:1-4 Thus says the Lord GOD: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

Responsorial Psalm: PS 24:7, 8, 9, 10 R. (8) Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord! Who is this king of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord! Who is this king of glory? The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory. R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

Reading 2: Heb 2:14-18 Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Alleluia: Lk 2:32 R . Alleluia, alleluia. A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. R . Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Lk 2:22-40 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted Band you yourself a sword will pierced so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Or LK 2:22-32 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

Intercessions: Let us pray to our Lord Jesus, who is the saving light of all nations and the glory of his people, and let us say:

R/ Lord, let your light shine on us. • For the Church, that it may show the world the true face of Christ and be the sign that in him all are to be saved, let us pray:

 R/ Lord, let your light shine on us. • For the pope, and for all in the Church who render a service of authority, that they may have the courage to speak out and act in the name of truth and justice, and that they bear witness to the love of Christ, let us pray:

  R/ Lord, let your light shine on us. • For all fathers and mothers, that they may inspire their children by their own way of living, to follow the light of Christ, let us pray:

R/ Lord, let your light shine on us. • For all Christians, that the Spirit of the Lord may guide them to be true to their conscience, let us pray:

R/ Lord, let your light shine on us. • For the poor, the sick, and the discouraged, that they may still keep their eyes turned to the light of Christ and that they may discover it particularly in dedicated Christians, let us pray :

R/ Lord, let your light shine on us. • For all of us in this community, that we may be at least a pale reflection of the light of Christ, let us pray:

R/ Lord, let your light shine on us. Lord Jesus Christ, without you we walk in the dark. Let your light shine brightly in us, that we may become in our limited way your light to the world, for you are our light shining bright now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts Lord our God, you ask of us to accept with faith your word spoken by your messengers and above all by your living Word, Jesus Christ. Make us truly recognize and welcome the humble coming of your Son in these simple signs of bread and wine. Let his word and that of his prophets take root in us and change us into a community in which prevail the love, the justice and the forgiveness of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer Let us offer the prayer of Jesus to our Father in heaven . R/ Our Father…

Deliver us Deliver us, Lord, from the darkness of sin and let the light of your love and peace shine on us, your people. Purify your Church, that it may bear witness to the light of the gospel in a world torn with wars and strife. Let your kindly light lead us forward in hope and joy, as we work for the full coming among us of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ Amen.

Invitation to Communion This is our Lord Jesus Christ who is the light that come into the world to enlighten all people. Happy re we to share in his offering and to receive him as the bread of life. R/ Lord, I am not worthy…

Prayer after Communion Our God and Father, You spoke your mighty Word to the world and there was light. You have spoken your Word Jesus Christ among us and there is light in our minds and hearts. Do not allow us to keep this light of Jesus hidden under the shade of our mediocrity, but let it shine in our words and deeds, that it may brighten the footsteps of all people in search of the truth. We ask this on account of him, who is the light and the guiding star of our lives, Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing Lead, kindly light! Let Christ lead us all on the bright path of goodness and love, that we may reach our destiny and reflect the Lord’s light on the people around us. May Almighty God bless us for this task, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. Go in peace and take the light of Christ with you to let it shine on all. R/ Thanks be to God.

Reflection:

2 February 2023 -  Feast of the Presentation 

Day of Consecrated Life 

Luke 2:22-40

 Invitation to raise the Lord in our arms  

They met in the temple, Mary and Joseph, Anna, Simeon, and Jesus. How did they get there? What brought them to that place of meeting? 

What brings us to the temple, the place where God resides? Mary and Joseph were following the law of Moses prescribed for parents; and the Spirit guided Simeon to witness the coming of the Messiah to his Temple. Anna represents the widowed Israel – awaiting her Master. She had never left the temple. 

The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus is also a feast of the meeting of the long-awaited Messiah with his faithful people in the temple. Jesus’ presentation in the temple is not a matter of one individual or one family; instead, it is an act of the community represented by Simeon and Anna. 

Today the Church celebrates the 27 t h World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, honouring and praying for the lives of all men and women who have heroically consecrated their lives to the Lord, for the love of God and in service to God’s people. 

Every believer is consecrated to the Lord, and toda y, we recall our consecration to the Lord at the time of our baptism. Being consecrated, we are set apart to do the work of God, never alone but with our brothers and sisters. 

Let us look at consecrated life as an encounter with Christ: it is he who comes to us, led by Mary and Joseph, and we go towards him guided by the Holy Spirit. He is at the centre. He draws us to the Temple, to the Church, where we can meet him, recognize him, welcome him, and embrace him.  

The feast of the Presentation invites us to reflect on the meeting between the young and the old: Mary and Joseph, with their infant son, meet the old Simeon and Anna. It’s good for the elderly to communicate their wisdom to the young, and it’s good for the young people to gather this wealth of experience and wisdom and to carry it forward, addressing the challenges that life brings. 

Forty days have passed since Christmas, and it may be that the Star of Bethlehem that “we have seen in its rising” is disappearing in the sky. Maybe, we’ve let ourselves be enchanted by other more fascinating and fashionable stars, stars that better reflect our dreams and our expectations. The Church brings us the opportunity to meet that Child again: she invites us to welcome him in our arms, as did Simeon and Anna, the poor of Israel, the people attentive to the voice of the Spirit.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Forty days after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, an event that the evangelist Luke recounts in Chapter 2 of his Gospel. In the East, the celebration of this feast dates back to the 4 th century. By the year 450, it was called The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord because Jesus enters the Temple and “meets” the priests, as well as Simeon and Anna, representatives of the people of God. Around the middle of the 5 th century, we know the feast was also celebrated in Rome. At a certain point, the blessing of candles was added to this feast to recall that Jesus is the “light to the gentiles”. Thus, this feast is also sometimes referred to as Candlemas.

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord , and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons , in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”  (Lk. 2:22-25, 27-32)

The offering

According to the Mosaic law, the first-born male was the Lord’s possession and was destined to serve in the temple. Later, when the descendants of Levi, the Levites, assumed this service in the temple, this prescription was no longer enforced. However, the first-born son had to be redeemed with a monetary offering to maintain the priests.

The meeting with Simeon

“ He came in the Spirit into the temple ”. This is a detail that must be highlighted. Simeon is moved by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains how he “recognizes” Jesus as the Awaited One, the light of the Gentiles. He is the Light before whom one needs to take a stand: “ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world…but the world did not know him” (Jn. 1:9, 10).

A sword will pierce your heart

Simeon blesses both parents, but addresses his words only to the Baby’s Mother. The Baby will be a sign of contradiction: Jesus is the light of the world, but He will be rejected. Jesus will be admired and loved, but He will be crucified, defeated. He will die and rise. He will trod the way of contradiction that will pierce His Mother’s heart.

The meeting with Anna

The Prophetess Anna arrives in the Temple too. From the details the Evangelist gives, it is evident that she too is a godly woman. She is elderly, a widow. Her being a “prophetess”, allows her to discern what others find it difficult to see: the presence of God. She knows how to go beyond appearances in order to see the Baby her people have been waiting for.

The average age at Jesus’ time was approximately 40 years. But Luke says that both Simeon and Anna were “elderly”. People who are elderly generally live on their memories. They are nostalgic for times gone by. It is the young, instead, who live in hope, who look to the future. In this case, we find before us two old people who, before this Child, look toward the future, who expect something, who are awestruck. They sing of joy and hope. These details make us understand how young at heart they were because God and His promises dwelt in their hearts – and God does not disappoint.

We too are involved in this “vision” because all who live the Gospel are and will be signs of contradiction. Courage is required to take a stand before the Lord Jesus, the “ Light for revelation ”. Even more so, this requires first of all being “of God”, like Simeon and Anna. Furthermore, it requires an awareness that everything will not always be completely clear. After all, Joseph and Mary were “ amazed ” by what was said. But, as we know, before this difficulty, Mary “ kept all these things, pondering them in her heart ”.

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Why do Catholics celebrate the feast of the Presentation?

This feast day celebrates both the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, as well as the Purification of Mary, which was required by the Mosaic Law forty days after the birth of a child.

The Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2, also called Candlemas for the custom of using lighted candles. In the early Church it was often celebrated on February 14th, 40 days after the Epiphany, in keeping with the practice of celebrating Christmas on that date in the East. Among the Orthodox it is known as the Hypapante (“Meeting” of the Lord with Simeon).

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Through this Scriptural Rosary, we hope that you will be able to better meditate on each Hail Mary and deepen your understanding of Sacred Scripture. Use the form below to get your free copy of, The Scriptural Rosary .

Why is the Presentation of Jesus important?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 529) teaches,

The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord. With Simeon and Anna, all Israel awaits its encounter with the Savior-the name given to this event in the Byzantine tradition. Jesus is recognized as the long-expected Messiah, the “light to the nations” and the “glory of Israel,” but also “a sign that is spoken against.” The sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christ's perfect and unique oblation on the cross that will impart the salvation God had “prepared in the presence of all peoples.”

It is also important to note that, as a poor family, the Holy Family gave an offering of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. However, the Lamb whom they brought to the Temple was the Lamb of God.

At what age was Jesus presented in the temple?

He was presented when He was still a newborn, only 40 days old.

“In the mysterious encounter between Simeon and Mary, the Old and New Testaments are joined. Together the aging prophet and the young mother give thanks for this Light which has kept the darkness from prevailing. It is the Light which shines in the heart of human life: Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, ‘a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of his people Israel.’” – Pope St. John Paul II

Who are Simeon and Anna in the Bible?

The Gospel of Luke 2:22-40 states:

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Regarding Simeon and Anna, Pope Benedict XVI said,

Even the priests proved incapable of recognizing the signs of the new and special presence of the Messiah and Saviour. Alone two elderly people, Simeon and Anna, discover this great newness. Led by the Holy Spirit, in this Child they find the fulfilment of their long waiting and watchfulness. They both contemplate the light of God that comes to illuminate the world and their prophetic gaze is opened to the future in the proclamation of the Messiah: “Lumen ad revelationem gentium!” (Lk 2:32). The prophetic attitude of the two elderly people contains the entire Old Covenant which expresses the joy of the encounter with the Redeemer. Upon seeing the Child, Simeon and Anna understood that he was the Awaited One.

“… while we are still at the dawn of Jesus’ life, we are already oriented to Calvary. It is on the Cross that Jesus will be definitively confirmed as a sign of contradiction, and it is there that his Mother’s heart will be pierced by the sword of sorrow. We are told it all from the beginning, on the 40th day after Jesus’ birth, on the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, so important in the Church’s liturgy.” - Pope St. John Paul II

What does the name “Simeon” mean?

This is a Hebrew name that means “he has heard” or “God has heard.”

When is St. Simeon’s feast day?

The Church celebrates his feast day on the day after Candlemas, February 3.

Was Simeon a prophet?

In Hebrew navi, a prophet is one who tells, a spokesperson of God, speaking divine truth, or foretelling what will be the consequences for the future. On both counts, Simeon was a prophet, who revealed the truth about who Jesus was, as well as the implications for Israel, for Jesus Himself and for Mary.

What does the name “Anna” mean?

Originally taken from the Hebrew name Hannah, it means “favor” or “grace.”

When is St. Anna’s feast day?

Anna the Prophetess shares a feast day with St. Simeon on February 3.

“In the encounter between the old man Simeon and Mary, a young mother, the Old and New Testaments come together in a wondrous way in giving thanks for the gift of the light that shone in the darkness and has prevented it from prevailing: Christ the Lord.” - Pope Benedict XVI

What did Simeon say when he saw Jesus?

St. Simeon offered this prayer,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

Called the Nunc Dimittis, for the first words in the Latin Vulgate, it is one of the three major Canticles used in the Church’s liturgy. It is said each evening at the end of Night Prayer, the last Divine Office of the Liturgy of the Hours, or Breviary. The other Canticles are that of Zechariah, used for Lauds or Morning Prayer, and of Mary (the Magnificat), used for Vespers or Evening Prayer.

What did Simeon say about Mary?

After speaking of Jesus, St. Simeon then spoke to Mary of her role of accompanying her Son in His redemptive suffering. Simeon reveals, as well, Mary’s own mission of intercession and compassion for us, her spiritual children.

Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:34-35)

“This is the meeting point of the two Testaments, Old and New. Jesus enters the ancient temple; he who is the new Temple of God: he comes to visit his people, thus bringing to fulfilment obedience to the Law and ushering in the last times of salvation.” - Pope Benedict XVI

Who is Anna in the Bible?

Anna is the prophetess who saw the Holy Family at the Presentation of Jesus at the temple. The Gospel of Luke 2:36-38 tells us about Anna:

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

What does the Purification of Mary mean?

The purification was ritual, preparatory to worship, in this case after the momentous events of childbirth and the time of rest or “laying in” afterwards. Thus, the Jewish priest purified himself by bathing before entering the holy place, and, similarly, the priest at Mass washes his hands before beginning the Eucharistic Prayer and handing the Body and Blood of Christ.

Mary, although morally pure, fulfilled her religious obligations by being purified 40 days after Jesus’ birth. Throughout her life, the Blessed Mother was always obedient to God’s Will, in this case expressed through the laws given to Israel through Moses.

“Simeon’s words seem like a second Annunciation to Mary, for they tell her of the actual historical situation in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely, in misunderstanding and sorrow. While this announcement on the one hand confirms her faith in the accomplishment of the divine promises of salvation, on the other hand it also reveals to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering, at the side of the suffering Savior, and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful.” — Pope St. John Paul II

Why is it called Candlemas Day?

This is the day when candles are blessed in the Church and traditionally have been lit in celebration of the feast.

Pope St. John Paul II said, “Christian traditions of the East and West have been interwoven, enriching the liturgy of this feast with a special procession in which the light of candles both large and small is a symbol of Christ, the true Light who came to illumine his people and all peoples.”

How many days after Christmas is Candlemas celebrated?

Candlemas is celebrated 40 days after Christmas. According to Leviticus 12, women should be purified 40 days after a son’s birth (33 days after the boy’s circumcision) and 80 days after a daughter’s birth. The purification was ritual, and preparatory to worship, in this case after the momentous events of childbirth and the time of rest or “laying in” afterwards.

Is Candlemas the end of Christmas?

In the Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite, the liturgical forms and calendar as revised after the Second Vatican Council, the last day of the Christmas Season is the Baptism of Our Lord, when His hidden life ended and His public ministry began.

However, the Church maintains an Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite which utilizes the forms and calendar in use prior to the Council. In this usage, the Christmas Season continues until the Feast of the Presentation. Many Catholics, therefore, maintain their Christmas decorations through Candlemas.

What is the significance of Candlemas Day?

Pope St. John Paul II said,

The prophetic words spoken by the aged Simeon shed light on the mission of the Child brought to the temple by his parents: “Behold this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against ... that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35). To Mary Simeon said: “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Lk 2:35). The hymns of Bethlehem have now faded and the cross of Golgotha can already be glimpsed; this happens in the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered. The event we are commemorating today is thus a bridge as it were, linking the two most important seasons of the Church's year.

What do you eat on Candlemas?

Pancakes are the traditional choice on Candlemas. In Mexico, people eat tamales on this feast day, and in France, they eat crepes.

What are the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary?

The Joyful Mysteries include:

• The Annunciation
• The Visitation
• The Nativity of Our Lord
• The Presentation in the Temple
• The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

What is the World Day for Consecrated Life?

The Presentation is celebrated in the Church as the World Day for Consecrated Life. Pope St. John Paul II instituted this annual celebration in 1997 as a day of prayer for religious men and women and other consecrated persons. This recalls the special offering which they have made to the Lord through their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In Rome, the Holy Father celebrates a special Mass for them at St. Peter’s, which the religious living in Rome attend.

Pope Benedict XVI said,

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is an eloquent image of the total gift of one’s life for all those, men and women, who are called to represent “the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, n. 1) in the Church and in the world, through the evangelical counsels. For this reason Venerable John Paul II chose today’s Feast to celebrate the Annual World Day of Consecrated Life.

Presentation of the Lord

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.".

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

"A Light of Revelation to the Gentiles"

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Known originally as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient celebration. The Church at Jerusalem observed the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely earlier. The feast celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th day after His birth.

Quick Facts

• Date:  February 2
• Type of Feast:  Feast
• Readings:  Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40 ( full text here )
• Prayers:   Nunc  Dimities , the Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32); see below
• Other Names for the Feast:  Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, the Meeting of the Lord, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

History of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

According to Jewish law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to "buy him back" on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" ( Luke 2:24 ) in the temple (thus the "presentation" of the child). On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification").

Saint Mary and Saint Joseph kept this law, even though, since Saint Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ, she would not have had to go through ritual purification. In his gospel, Luke recounts the story ( Luke 2:22-39 ).

When Christ was presented in the temple, "there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel" ( Luke 2:25 ) When Saint Mary and Saint Joseph brought Christ to the temple, Simeon embraced the Child and prayed the Canticle of Simeon:

Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel ( Luke 2:29-32 ).

The Original Date of the Presentation

Originally, the feast was celebrated on February 14, the 40th day after Epiphany (January 6), because Christmas wasn't yet celebrated as its own feast, and so the Nativity, Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany), and the feast celebrating Christ's first miracle at the wedding in Cana were all celebrated on the same day. By the last quarter of the fourth century, however, the Church at Rome had begun to celebrate the Nativity on December 25, so the Feast of the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days later.

Why Candlemas?

Inspired by the words of the Canticle of Simeon ("a light to the revelation of the Gentiles"), by the 11th century, the custom had developed in the West of blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation. The candles were then lit, and a procession took place through the darkened church while the Canticle of Simeon was sung. Because of this, the feast also became known as Candlemas. While the procession and blessing of the candles is not often performed in the United States today, Candlemas is still an important feast in many European countries.

Candlemas and Groundhog Day

This emphasis on light, as well as the timing of the feast, falling as it does in the last weeks of winter, led to another, secular holiday celebrated in the United States on the same date: Groundhog Day. You can learn more about the connection between the religious holiday and the secular one in Why Did the Groundhog See His Shadow?

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Presentation of the Lord

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Image: Saint Bernard Church, Burkettsville, OH | v | photo by Nheyob

Saint of the day for february 2.

The Story of the Presentation of the Lord

At the end of the fourth century, a woman named Etheria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journal, discovered in 1887, gives an unprecedented glimpse of liturgical life there. Among the celebrations she describes is the Epiphany, the observance of Christ’s birth, and the gala procession in honor of his Presentation in the Temple 40 days later. Under the Mosaic Law, a woman was ritually “unclean” for 40 days after childbirth, when she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice—her “purification.” Contact with anyone who had brushed against mystery—birth or death—excluded a person from Jewish worship. This feast emphasizes Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple more than Mary’s purification.

The observance spread throughout the Western Church in the fifth and sixth centuries. Because the Church in the West celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25, the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days after Christmas.

At the beginning of the eighth century, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession; at the end of the same century the blessing and distribution of candles which continues to this day became part of the celebration, giving the feast its popular name: Candlemas.

In Luke’s account, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people, Simeon and the widow Anna. They embody Israel in their patient expectation; they acknowledge the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Early references to the Roman feast dub it the feast of Saint Simeon, the old man who burst into a song of joy which the Church still sings at day’s end.

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Mass Readings For February 2, 2023 – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Feast of the presentation of the lord.

February 2, 2023 The Best Catholic Daily Mass Readings

First Reading – Malachi 3:1-4

Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 24:7 , 8, 9, 10

R.    (8) Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Who is this king of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Who is this king of glory? The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory. R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!

Second Reading – Hebrews 2:14-18

Alleluia – Luke 2:32

Gospel – Luke 2:22-40 or 2:22-32

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord , and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted -and you yourself a sword will pierce- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

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Catholic Prayer: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord: Blessing of Candles and Propers of the Mass for the Feast of the Presentation, Ordinary Form

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• Blessing of Candles and the Propers of Mass for February 2, Extraordinary Form
• Presentation of the Lord " href="/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?id=33"> Presentation of the Lord

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Description:

This feast was originally celebrated in the Eastern Churches as "The Meeting" or "Encountering" ( Hypapante ), in the Church mankind meets the Lord. By the sixth century it began to be celebrated in the West, where the focus became the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was accompanied by solemn blessings and processions with candles; hence, it is popularly called "Candlemas." By the offerings of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph and the prophecy of St. Simeon, the life of Christ here begins to point toward his Resurrection. The following is the The blessing of candles, procession and Mass propers for Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Third Roman Missal.

Prayer after Communion By these holy gifts which we have received, O Lord, bring your grace to perfection within us, and, as you fulfilled Simeon's expectation That he would not see death until he had been privileged to welcome the Christ, so may we, going forth to meet the Lord, obtain the gift of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

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Encountering and Consecrating Ourselves to the Lord of Light and Glory, Feast of the Presentation, February 2, 2023

Fr. Roger J. Landry Columbia Catholic Ministry, Notre Dame Church, Manhattan Feast of the Presentation of the Lord February 2, 2023 Mal 3:1-4, Ps 24, Heb 2:14-18, Lk 2:22-40

To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:

The following points were attempted in the homily: 

• Today we celebrate a great feast, one so central that we meditate upon at least two times a week in the fourth Joyful Mystery. The point of the feast is summarized in the first reading and in the beautiful instructions and prayers that we pray at the beginning of Mass just before the procession, which describe the Presentation fundamentally as an encounter. The Prophet Malachi tells us, “And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.” The Lord comes to meet us. We emphasize this in the instruction as Mass begins before the procession of light. “Today is the blessed day when Jesus was presented in the Temple by Mary and Joseph. Outwardly he was fulfilling the Law, but in reality he was coming to meet his believing people .” After describing how Simeon and Anna met him in the Temple, we continue. “So let us also, gathered together by the Holy Spirit, proceed to the house of God to encounter Christ . There we shall find him and recognize him in the breaking of the Bread until he comes again, revealed in glory.” The awareness of the Presentation as an encounter with Christ continues throughout the Mass. In the Eucharistic Preface, we will pray that “we, too, [will] go forth rejoicing to encounter your salvation .” In the Collect, we implore that “by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure.” At the end of Mass we will ask the Lord that “we, going forth to meet the Lord , [may] obtain the gift of eternal life.” All of these prayers convey that Jesus is constantly being presented to us and we are supposed to be constantly presenting ourselves to him. The Christian life is meant to be a continuous mutual presentation, a lifetime encounter of love and life. The candles we bless today are supposed to symbolize our burning love for him. We ask God the Father to bless them precisely “so that, treading the path of virtue, we may reach that light that never fails.” Our encounter with the Lord here on this feast day and then throughout the mutual encounter of Christian life is meant to lead to an eternal encounter in the heavenly Temple.
• So that’s what celebrating the Feast of the Presentation well intends to bring about in us. Concretely, however, this celebration also contains many practical applications to help us keep that continuous encounter throughout our life. I’d like to focus on five elements we can learn from this feast about that encounter with the Lord and how it’s meant to change us.
• The first thing we can ponder is the nature of consecration. St. Luke quotes the Mosaic Law in today’s Gospel, saying, “Every male who opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord.” The Lord told the Israelites through Moses “Every first-born son you must redeem,” adding, “If your son should ask you later on, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall tell him, ‘With a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, that place of slavery. … That is why I sacrifice to the Lord everything of the male sex that opens the womb, and why I redeem every first-born of my sons.’” (Ex 13:13-15). This right of “redemption” of the first-born Son was a way to relive the Passover, to make it present, to allow every generation to enter into God’s saving action. How much more beautiful still is it that in the Presentation Christ, the Redeemer, the New and Eternal Passover Incarnate, was himself being redeemed! He had come into our world precisely to lead us all through the true Passover in his blood from death to life, from sin to holiness, from this world to the new and eternal Jerusalem. In today’s first reading, the Prophet Malachi tells us, “And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek. … He is like the refiner’s fire or like the fuller’s lye. … He will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord.” Christ comes to purify us so that we might offer fitting sacrifice to the Lord. Today’s Feast is traditionally referred to as well as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary according to the ancient purification rites on the 40th day after a woman had given birth, but we know a deeper significance to this feast: She had already been purified at the first moment of her existence in St. Anne’s womb by the graces of the One whom she would later gestate and give to the world. And that same Refiner wants to purify us, by incorporating us into his redemptive self-offering to the Father in the new and eternal Passover. This is the way we offer our  logike latreia,  the only sacrifice that makes sense, which is to offer ourselves whole and entire to God as a holy and acceptable sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2). We enter into his priesthood, what the Letter to the Hebrews in today’s second reading describes as the work of the “merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.” That expiatory offering for us takes place first in the consecration of our baptism, when we are presented in the Temple by our parents and godparents or, if we’re baptized later in life, by the whole Church community. To be consecrated means to be totally given to the Lord, to belong to God, to transfer the title of ownership of one’s life over to God, to be cut off ( sacer ) from worldly things to be with ( con ) God. Jesus is the supreme consecrated one. He would say during the Last Supper that he consecrates himself for us so that we might be consecrated in truth (Jn 17:19). This is what happens to us on the feast of our presentation in baptism. This reality of Jesus’ consecration and ours that we mark on this day is the reason why, since 1997, the Church has observed on this feast the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. St. John Paul II decided to have this world day of prayer for religious men and women, for consecrated hermits, virgins and widows, for members of secular institutes and societies of apostolic life and other forms of living publicly by the evangelical counsels on the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation because, he said, “the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is an eloquent icon of the total offering of one’s life,” something we see in those who lived in the consecrated state.  St. John Paul II wrote in Vita Consecrata  that the consecrated life “is not something isolated and marginal, but a reality that affects the whole Church.” Rather,  “The consecrated life is at the very heart of the Church as a decisive element for her mission, since it manifests the inner nature of the Christian calling and the striving of the whole Church as Bride towards union with her one Spouse.” The whole Church is able to learn through greater focus on consecrated men and women about the inner nature of our Christian vocation, how to live out our baptismal consecration, and how to strive for the eternal wedding banquet. Today we give God thanks for those great graces and we ask him to bless in a special way all those across the world who likewise seek to live out this special form of belonging, that we may truly be consecrated in the truth of God’s word and work.
• The second aspect of today’s feast on which we can meditate is the whole meaning of light. The Feast of the Presentation is often called Candlemas. We begin Mass with a procession with lit and blessed candles. This is a quasi-sacramental manifestation of what Simeon says about the 40-day old baby Jesus in today’s Gospel, that he is a “light of revelation to the Gentiles.” We receive that light from him and are meant to burn with it. On the day of our baptismal consecration, our Godfathers went to the Paschal (Easter) Candle and lit from it our baptismal candle; the priest instructed us to receive the Light of Christ; and our parents and godparents were commanded to help us to keep that flame of faith alive in our hearts so that when Christ comes we may go out to meet him with all the saints in his heavenly kingdom. That was an image of Jesus’ parable about the five wise bridesmaids (Mt 25:1-13) who had plenty of oil in their lamp to keep their flame ignited for the Bridegroom’s return.
• The third characteristic of the Feast of the Presentation is what we can glimpse in this great mystery in the temple about the evangelical counsels that distinguish the consecrated life. We see all three evangelical counsels on display. We see poverty in Mary’s and Joseph’s presenting a pair of pigeons. Normally if a family were of means, it would redeem a newborn male with a lamb, but Joseph and Mary were too poor to purchase a Lamb with which to redeem or “buy back” the infant Lamb of God. We also clearly see featured Joseph’s and Mary’s holy obedience. Three times St. Luke describes it, that they were dutifully and lovingly obeying what “is written in the law of the Lord,” doing so “in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord,” and seeking to “fulfill all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord.” This was the fulfillment of a lifetime in which Mary consistently said, “Let it be done to me according to your Word” and Joseph was so docile that he would promptly obey what the Lord said even in dreams. We also see a beautiful witness of chastity not just in the lives of the Virgin Castissima and in her “most chaste spouse” but in the example of Anna who, since she was widowed very early in life — probably in her very early 20s, since Jewish women normally married in their young teens —  spent the next five or six decades, until we meet her at 84, never leaving the temple but worshipping God day and night with fasting and prayer. After the death of her husband, God became the focus of all her love, and she served him more faithfully than any wife a man. In professing the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience, consecrated men and women show the world what true wealth, true freedom and true love are all about, and encourage us all, no matter our state of life, to imitate Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna.
• The fourth aspect of today’s Feast concerns Simeon’s prophecy that Jesus was “destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted … so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Jesus would be a cause literally of “ruin” or “resurrection” for many, provoking by his own life and words the manifestation of what was truly in their hearts. Even though Jesus came as Light, many preferred darkness; even though he came as Savior, many didn’t wish to be rescued; even though he came as the refulgence of God’s glory, many preferred to seek their own glory. And the great sign of Jesus’ contradiction is the Cross, where the vertical bar of divine worship contradicted the horizontal bar of worldliness. Every Christian is meant to be a contradiction of the things of the world, to proclaim something radically different from the world’s values, namely Christ’s values.
• The final aspect we learn from today’s readings is about how this encounter with the Lord is meant to be dynamic, to transform us, ultimately to guide us. Pope Francis preached several years ago that the Blessed Mother “enters the Temple holding the Child in her arms. The Mother walks, yet it is the Child who  goes before her . She carries him, yet  he is leading her  along the path of the God who comes to us so that we might go to him.” Later about Simeon, he states, “As with Mary, the elderly man holds the Child, but in fact it is the Child who guides the elderly man. The liturgy of First Vespers of today’s feast puts this clearly and beautifully: ‘ senex puerum portabat, puer autem senecem regebat.’  Mary, the young mother, and Simeon, the kindly old man, hold the Child in their arms, yet it is the Child himself who guides them   both.” And he concluded, “Today we, too, like Mary and Simeon, want to take Jesus into our arms, to bring him to his people. Surely we will be able to do so if we enter into the mystery in which Jesus himself is our guide. Let us bring others to Jesus, but let us also allow ourselves to be led by him. This is what we should be: guides who themselves are guided.” That’s the essence of the Christian life and the consecrated life within the consecration of baptism: allowing ourselves to be guided by him who is the Way, by the Good Shepherd who leads us even in the valleys, by the Holy Spirit he sends to be our helper and guide, showing us the path into all truth and helping us to walk by the Spirit.
• Today as we come to this temple to present ourselves anew to God on the Feast of the Presentation, we consecrate ourselves to him once again within the Lord’s own consecration during the Last Supper made present for us on the holy altar. We ask him to fill us with his holy light as we prepare to receive him in Holy Communion so that we may take the warmth of his love and the light of his truth out to illumine those who walk in darkness and the shadow of death. We ask him to help us always to recognize in him in the Eucharist our treasure, our liberating truth, our great love, and the help we need to proclaim his Gospel in and out of season, especially in those areas in which it calls the world to conversion. The same Jesus whom Simeon held in us arms we’re about to receive within. As we do, we thank the Lord for the gift of the consecrated life and we pray for all our consecrated brothers and sisters, that on this World Day of Prayer and beyond, they may continue to grow to belong more and more to the Poor, Chaste and Obedient Consecrated One, the purifying fire, our faithful and merciful high priest, the light of revelation to the gentiles, the glory of his people Israel, our Savior. And we ask him to let us, his servants, depart in his peace and bring that peace to the world!

The readings for today’s Mass were: 

Reading 1  MAL 3:1-4

Responsorial psalm  ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10, reading 2  heb 2:14-18, alleluia  lk 2:32.

R. Alleluia, alleluia. A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel  LK 2:22-40

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

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Further reading

Learning from and cooperating with jesus who does all things well, 23rd sunday (b), september 8, 2024, telling of him who does all things well, 23rd sunday (b), september 8, 2024, becoming “fools” and “scum” for christ, 22nd saturday (ii), september 7, 2024, twenty-third sunday in ordinary time (b), conversations with consequences podcast, september 7, 2024, becoming servants of christ, stewards of god’s mysteries and friends of the bridal chamber, 22nd friday (ii), september 6, 2024, following god’s wisdom to put into the deep for a wondrous catch, 22nd thursday (ii), september 5, 2024.

Preaching with Sciences

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

By con foley , february 02, 2023.

Lectionary 524:

Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10

Heb 2:14-18

Luke 2:22-40 or 2:22-32

• Wisdom and spiritual insight in old age (example of Simeon and Anna)
• The Ancient Temple and the New Temple (Christ)
• Light to the Nations – allowing Christ’s light to shine through us (Candlemas)
• The Joy of Encountering Christ – Peace and Praise
• “He came in the Spirit into the temple.” Listening to the promptings of the Spirit.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6128435/
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/neuroplasticity
• Neuroplasticity also known as Brain Plasticity is a concept that refers to the brain’s capacity to be shaped and evolved in response to life experiences and activity. New neurons can be created, and new networks and connections can be built. Recent research reveals that the brain can refine its architecture, it can re-wire or re-route itself. The good news is that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks . Recent advances in medical imaging techniques indicate that brain plasticity can be maintained into old age. Habits and behaviour can change, even in advanced age. This has important implications for a rapidly changing society – older people have the potential to adapt and flourish. They should be encouraged to play their part in society, even have new roles, and society needs to value their contribution.
• The Neuroscience of mindfulness meditation https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3916
• Religion and the Brain https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parenting-neuroscience-perspective/201910/religion-and-the-brain

Homily Outline Combining Resources

Homily outline combining the scientific resources:

• The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated 40 days after Christmas Day. The Gospel of Luke recalls Mary and Joseph taking the child Jesus for his first visit to the temple in Jerusalem. This feast is also known as Candlemas because of the tradition of blessing and distributing candles and holding a candlelight procession on this day. These practices are drawn from Simeon’s words in the gospel for this feast, in which he prophesies that the child Jesus will become “ a light for revelation to the Gentiles .”
• In a sense, this feast celebrates the meeting point of the two “Testaments” for Catholic-Christians: the old and new. Jesus, who is the new temple of God, enters the ancient temple. Jesus, who ushers in the law of love, comes to visit his people in a place in which the law of sacrifice was fulfilled:
• thus, bringing to fulfilment obedience to the Law and ushering in the last times of salvation (Pope Benedict XVI).
• The Temple is where divinity and humanity embrace, and where the past and the future converge.
• Only Simeon and Anna, two elderly people, notice the Holy Family. They recognise a new and special presence. They find fulfilment from their watchfulness, and their long wait comes to a joyful end. Simeon and Anna’s active prayer life kept expanding their brains. Neuroplasticity is not just for children or young adults.  Anna “worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer” and Simeon was open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Their regular spiritual exercises resulted in what we might called “heightened neuroplasticity,” and a refreshed capacity to recognize something (impeding salvation) and to embrace someone (the unexpected Messiah) that no one had ever seen before.
• Even the commonness of Mary and Joseph displayed in their everyday poverty, and the deceptive ordinariness of the infant named Jesus – so similar to the untold hundreds of other infants they had seen before – did not blur the vision and insight of these fragile octogenarians. They did not make the common mistake, which S. Eliot ascribes to all of us, when he writes: “We had the experience but missed the meaning” ( Four Quartets: The Dry Salvages II:3).
• Old age can be a beautiful although admittedly challenging time of spiritual harvesting. This harvest can be shared with younger generations who speak digital when we speak analogue; who can connect all of our tv’s and computers, though they cannot always connect the dots of their own lives; who do not always understand where they are going, as we are coming to understand where we have been. The role of parents and grandparents, mentors and guides, uncles and godmothers needs to be encouraged for quietly handing on the faith in the families, as senior believers serve as spiritual companions, elders, and treasured catechists in local faith communities.
• Anna “spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem” and Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph, and his words amazed them. Who have been the Simeon and Anna’s to you? Who has seen through the ordinariness and unimpressive to reveal Christ to you? Who has quietly but unexpectedly amazed you with their mentoring in pointing out God’s love and the actions of the Holy Spirit in the everydayness of your existence?
• Not surprisingly, there are spiritual exercises and activities that can refine and reroute us – no matter what our age – so that we can maintain not only the neurological but also the “spiritual plasticity” to recognise the God of surprises in the temples we trod in our own daily life? Maybe it’s something as simple as a reinvigorated thoughtfulness in praying the rosary, or an Anna and Simeon style examination of conscience wondering about what glimpses of the Messiah we might have overlooked, or a new journey into scriptural reflection.
• Simeon and Anna are an example to those of us of every age that we can rewire our brains and our souls to put ourselves in the presence of God in our every day lives. In the ordinariness of our everyday temples of work and home and school and church, we can listen to the prompting of God’s Spirit, perceive God afoot in the mundane, and gracefully live in constant expectation of God adventing in our lives.  We can daily experience the power of Christ’s presence point Christ out to others: a candle loses none of its light when lighting another candle (even an old candle).

Related Homily Outlines

Dedication of the lateran basilica, 15th sunday of the year a, baptism of the lord, 26th sunday in ordinary time, year c, 21st sunday in ordinary time, year c, couldn’t find what you’re looking for, try searching with another filter.

Edward Foley, Capuchin Duns Scotus Professor Emeritus of Spirituality Professor of Liturgy and Music (retired) Catholic Theological Union Vice-Postulator, Cause of Blessed Solanus

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Official Website of the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Thursday, feb. 2, 2023.

Location: All Parishes En Español

The Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord 40 days after the birth of Jesus. Before 1969, the feast was  known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Candlemas. It was celebrated in the earliest times in the Church in Jerusalem and from there the observance spread throughout the Christian world.  According to the law of Moses, a woman was ritually unclean for 40 days after childbirth. Therefore,  Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord and offer sacrifice for purification . "... just as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,' and to offer the sacrifice of 'a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons...'" ( Luke 2:23-24 ) 

In this photo, altar servers lead a procession in celebration of "Dia de la Candelaria," or Candlemas Day, Feb. 2, 2016 in Oaxaca, Mexico. Parishioners often bring candles to this Mass to have them blessed for use at home throughout the year. Read about the Symbolism of Candlemas .

Ellyn von Huben with Word on Fire  said this feast celebrates the "coming of Light into the world." ...  "But a shadow also passes; a shadow foretelling the suffering that will precede the victory of the Light over darkness," she add . "Simeon not only proclaimed that he had seen his salvation, but also told the Mother of our Lord that her share would include a sorrow pierced heart.

In " Redemptoris Mater ," St. John Paul II wrote that Mary heard in Simeon’s words something akin to a second annunciation, 'for they tell her of the actual historical situation in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely, in misunderstanding and sorrow. While this announcement on the one hand confirms her faith in the accomplishment of the divine promises of salvation, on the other hand it also reveals to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering, at the side of the suffering Savior, and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful.”

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• The Presentation of the Lord: Thursday 2nd February, 2023
• Daily Gospel & Reflections

Daily Word Of God

Luke 2:22-24,39-40

When the day came for them to be purified in keeping with the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is prescribed in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.

Today's Pointers on God's Word

As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?

• Both Simeon and Anna, being very devout and close to God, were touched by the Holy Spirit to recognize Jesus as the Christ of the Lord.  Are we deeply in touch with the Holy Spirit’s promptings in our daily living?
• In today’s Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, where He was “offered to God,” it is good to ask ourselves whether we have lived a life that is dedicated to God. How often have we ‘offered’ our time and make sacrifices to the Lord?
• As the child Jesus is ‘offered’ to God, He will eventually offer His life on the Cross through His death. Are we willing to accept the pains and trials of our lives and ‘offer’ them to God for the good and salvation of others?

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Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

February 2, 2023.

Join the Basilica as we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Thursday, February 2nd. Mass will be celebrated at the following times in the Crypt Church:

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Catholic Daily Readings

Catholic readings, daily reflections, bible verse of the day, healing prayer, morning prayer, saint of the day, feast of the presentation of the lord at the temple – luke 2:22-40, translate to your language.

February 2 2024: Bible Verse of the Day – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple, Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas – Luke 2:22-40

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” – Luke 2:22-40

Catholic Readings For Today

Today’s Morning Prayer

Today’s Bible Verse of the Day Reflections

I’ve seen Him. I’ve held Him. He is the one. He is the Messiah. There is nothing more I need in life. My life is fulfilled. I am now ready to die. My life has reached its purpose and culmination.”

Many things he worked hard for. So for him to say that he was now ready to “go in peace” simply means that the purpose of his life was fulfilled and that all he has worked for and striven for has come to culmination in this moment.

That’s saying a lot! But it’s really a great witness for us in our daily lives and gives us an example of what we should strive for.

What is your mission and purpose in life? It will not be the same as Simeon but it will have similarities. God has a perfect plan for you that He will reveal to you in faith.

Reflect, today, upon your own calling and mission in life. Don’t miss your call. Don’t miss your mission.

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Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Lectionary: 524

            Thus says the Lord GOD: Lo, I am sending my messenger             to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple             the Lord whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.             Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming?             And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire,             or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver,             and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver             that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem             will please the Lord,             as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

Responsorial Psalm

R.        (8)  Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels;             reach up, you ancient portals,             that the king of glory may come in! R.         Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Who is this king of glory?             The LORD, strong and mighty,             the LORD, mighty in battle. R.         Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Lift up, O gates, your lintels;             reach up, you ancient portals,             that the king of glory may come in! R.         Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord! Who is this king of glory?             The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory. R.         Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!

Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

R.  Alleluia, alleluia. A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. R.  Alleluia, alleluia.

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord , and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons , in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.  Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.  He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:             “Now, Master, you may let your servant go                          in peace, according to your word,             for my eyes have seen your salvation,                         which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:             a light for revelation to the Gentiles,                         and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted --and you yourself a sword will pierce-- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. OR When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord , and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons , in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.  Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.  He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:             “Now, Master, you may let your servant go                          in peace, according to your word,             for my eyes have seen your salvation,                         which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:             a light for revelation to the Gentiles,                         and glory for your people Israel.”

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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