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 ofJudah
and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
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
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!
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
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.
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.
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 inJerusalem
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation ofIsrael
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 pierceB
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 ofJerusalem
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town ofNazareth
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
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
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of
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 pierceB
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
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of
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 inJerusalem
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation ofIsrael
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."
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
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of
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."
Meditation:
"The favor of God was upon him"
Do you
know the favor of the Lord? After Jesus' birth, Mary fulfills the Jewish right
of purification after childbirth. Since she could not afford the customary
offering of a lamb, she gives instead two pigeons as an offering of the poor.
This rite, along with circumcision and the redemption of the first-born point
to the fact that children are gifts from God. Jesus was born in an ordinary
home where there were no luxuries. Like all godly parents, Mary and Joseph
raised their son in the fear and wisdom of God. He, in turn, was obedient to
them and grew in wisdom and grace. The Lord's favor is with those who listen to
his word with trust and obedience. Do you know the joy of submission to God?
And do you seek to pass on the faith and to help the young grow in wisdom and
maturity?
What is
the significance of Simeon's encounter with the baby Jesus and his mother in
the temple? Simeon was a just and devout man who was very much in tune with the
Holy Spirit. He believed that the Lord would return to his temple and renew his
chosen people. The Holy Spirit also revealed to him that the Messiah and King
of Israel Bethlehem
Jesus is
the new temple (John 1:14; 2:19-22). In the Old Testament God manifested his
presence in the "pillar of cloud" by day and the "pillar of
fire" by night as he led them through the wilderness. God's glory visibly
came to dwell over the ark and the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38). When the first
temple was built in Jerusalem God's glory came to rest there (1 Kings 8). After
the first temple was destroyed, Ezekiel saw God's glory leave it (Ezekiel 10).
But God promised one day to fill it with even greater glory (Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah
8-9). That promise is fulfilled when the "King of Glory" himself
comes to his temple (Psalm 24:7-10; Malachi 3:1). Through Jesus' coming
in the flesh and through his saving death, resurrection, and ascension we are
made living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17). Ask the Lord to renew
your faith in the indwelling presence of his Spirit with you. And give him
thanks and praise for coming to make his home with you.
Simeon
blessed Mary and Joseph and he prophesied to Mary about the destiny of this
child and the suffering she would undergo for his sake. There is a certain
paradox for those blessed by the Lord. Mary was given the blessedness of
being the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also would become a sword
which pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross. She received both a
crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. But her joy was not diminished by her
sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his
promises. Jesus promised his disciples that "no one will take your joy
from you" (John 16:22). The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which enables
us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take
way. Do you know the joy of a life fully surrendered to God with faith
and trust?
Simeon
was not alone in recognizing the Lord's presence in the temple. Anna, too, was
filled with the Holy Spirit. She was found daily in the temple, attending to
the Lord in prayer and speaking prophetically to others about God's promise to
send a redeemer. Supernatural hope grows with prayer and age! Anna was
pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all
his promises. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in
age. Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us
cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in
God and his promises grew with age. She never ceased to worship God in faith
and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her
indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God's people. What do you
hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the kingdom
of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. How do we grow in hope? By placing
our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength,
but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. Does your hope and fervor for God
grow with age?
"Lord
Jesus, may I never cease to hope in you and to trust in your promises. Fill me
with your Holy Spirit that I may always recognize your saving presence in my
life. Help me to point others to Christ and to be an example of faith and
devotion as Simeon and Anna were to their generation."
February 2
Presentation of the Lord
Presentation of the Lord
At the end of the fourth century, a
woman named Etheria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem Temple Temple
The
observance spread throughout the 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.
Comment:
In Luke’s account, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people, Simeon and the widow Anna. They embodyIsrael
In Luke’s account, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people, Simeon and the widow Anna. They embody
Quote:
“Christ himself says, ‘I am the light of the world.’ And we are the light, we ourselves, if we receive it from him.... But how do we receive it, how do we make it shine? ...[T]he candle tells us: by burning, and being consumed in the burning. A spark of fire, a ray of love, an inevitable immolation are celebrated over that pure, straight candle, as, pouring forth its gift of light, it exhausts itself in silent sacrifice” (Paul VI).
“Christ himself says, ‘I am the light of the world.’ And we are the light, we ourselves, if we receive it from him.... But how do we receive it, how do we make it shine? ...[T]he candle tells us: by burning, and being consumed in the burning. A spark of fire, a ray of love, an inevitable immolation are celebrated over that pure, straight candle, as, pouring forth its gift of light, it exhausts itself in silent sacrifice” (Paul VI).
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét