Presentation of the Lord

Thus says the Lord God:
See, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
and suddenly the Lord whom you seek
will come to his Temple.
The messenger of the Covenant whom you desire,
here he comes – says the Lord of hosts.
Who can endure the day of his coming?
Who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner’s fire,
like the lye of launderers.
He will take his seat as refiner and purifier;
he will purify the sons of Levi,
he will refine them like gold and silver;
then they will be able, in the eyes of the Lord,
to present the offering in righteousness.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
will be pleasing to the Lord,
as it was in the days of old,
in years long past.

— The word of the Lord.

 

OR

Since the children of men share flesh and blood,
Jesus likewise shared the same condition:
thus, by his death, he could render powerless
the one who held the power of death,
that is, the devil,
    and set free all those who, by fear of death,
were held in lifelong slavery.
    For the ones he takes charge of are not the angels,
but the descendants of Abraham.
    Therefore he had to become like his brothers in every way,
so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest
in service to God,
to take away the sins of the people.
    And because he himself suffered, having been tested even to the end in his Passion,
he is able to help those who are being tested.

    – The word of the Lord.

Gates, lift up your lintels,
lift yourselves up, you everlasting doors:
that the King of glory may enter!

Who is this King of glory?
It is the Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.

Gates, lift up your lintels,
lift them up, you everlasting doors:
that the King of glory may enter!

So who is this King of glory?
It is the Lord, God of hosts;
he is the King of glory.

When the time prescribed by the law of Moses
for purification was completed,
the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
as it is written in the Law:
Every firstborn male
shall be consecrated to the Lord.
They also came to offer
the sacrifice prescribed by the law of the Lord:
a pair of turtledoves
or two young pigeons.

Now, there was in Jerusalem a man named Simeon.
He was a just and devout man,
who was awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
He had received from the Holy Spirit the message
that he would not see death
before seeing the Christ, the Lord’s Messiah.
Prompted by the Spirit, Simeon came to the Temple.
When the parents brought in the child Jesus
to do for him what the Law required,
Simeon took the child in his arms
and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, sovereign Lord,
you can let your servant go
in peace, according to your word.
For my eyes have seen the salvation
that you have prepared in the sight of all peoples:
a light for revelation to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother
were amazed at what was being said about him.
Simeon blessed them,
then said to Mary his mother:
“Behold, this child
will be the fall and rise of many in Israel.
He will be a sign of contradiction
–and you, a sword will pierce your soul–
so that the thoughts
of many hearts may be revealed.”

There was also a prophetess,
Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was very old;
after seven years of marriage,
becoming a widow,
she was now eighty-four years old.
She never left the Temple,
serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.
She came up at that very moment,
was praising God
and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had completed
everything required by 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 grace of God was upon him.

– Let us acclaim the word of God.

 

OR SHORTER READING