Presentation in the Temple February 2

February 2
PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
Ramsho

INTRODUCTION

DOXOLOGY

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
Lord God,
may we be adorned with virtue, armed with spiritual thoughts,
and be supported by chastity and piety.
Created as temples for your divinity and robed with your grace, may we always celebrate your feasts in joy.
We will give you praise and glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.
PRAISE OF THE ANGELS
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.
Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples,
for steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Eternal Son,
through your birth in the flesh, you saved humanity.
You were carried in the arms of your Virgin Mother and
presented in the Temple.
The aged Simeon carried you in his hands and Anna, the
prophetess, rejoiced to see you in the Temple.
May we be temples in which you dwell,
now and for ever. Amen.
PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon: Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in.

Psalm 24
The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.

For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

Who can ascend the mountains of the Lord?
or who may stand in his holy place?

He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain,
nor swears deceitfully to his neighbor.

He shall receive a blessing from the Lord,
a reward from God his savior.

Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

Lift up, O gates, your lintels;
reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in!

Who is this king of glory?
The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon: Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may come in.

SECOND PRAYER
Lord have mercy on us and save us.
Almighty One,
you sustain the universe by your word and govern all
creatures according to your will;
and yet Simeon carried you, the Most High, in his arms.
Strengthen our weakness and confirm our will,
that we may always carry you in our hearts.
We shall sing and praise you,
now and for ever. Amen.
EVENING PSALMS
Psalm 141:1-4
O Lord, to you I call; hasten to me;
harken to my voice when I call upon you.
Let my prayer come like incense before you;
the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, set a watch before my mouth,
a guard at the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to the evil
of engaging in deeds of wickedness
With men who are evildoers;
and let me not partake of their dainties.
Psalm 142
With aloud voice I cry out to the Lord;
with a loud voice I beseech the Lord.
My complaint I pour out before him;
before him I lay bare my distress.

When my spirit is faint within me,
you know my path.
In the way along which I walk
they have hid a trap for me.
I look to the right to see,
but there is no one who pays me heed.
I have lost all means of escape;
there is no one who cares for my life.
I cry out to you, O Lord:
I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land
of the living.”
Attend to my cry,
for I am brought low indeed.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
Lead me forth from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
The just shall gather around me
when you have been good to me.
Psalm 119: 105-112
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
I resolve and swear
to keep your just ordinances.
I am very much afflicted;
O Lord, give me life according to your word.
Accept, O Lord, the free homage of my mouth,
and teach me your decrees.
Though constantly I take my life in my hands,
yet I forget not your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but from your precepts I have not strayed.

Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
I intend in my heart to fulfill you statutes
always to the letter.
Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the glorious Trinity:
the Father who is identical to the Son and Holy Spirit
in all things save sonship and spiration,
the Son who is identical to the Father and Holy Spirit in
all things save fatherhood and spiration,
the Spirit who is identical to the Father and Son in all things save fatherhood and sonship;
one God, invisible and indescribable, without beginning or end.
To the Good One is due glory and honor this evening,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.
SEDRO
Word of God,
from eternity, you were born of the Father, his image and his Son; you were born in time of a Virgin, as a man and her son.
After your birth, your Mother took you up to the Temple to
offer you in sacrifice to your eternal Father.

The aged Simeon, whose life you had prolonged that he might see your salvation, carried you in his arms and said:
“Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
the light of the nations and the glory of Israel.”
Abraham saw you in a vision and rejoiced.
The prophets described you and awaited your coming.
Moses saw you and said:
“The Lord will raise up a prophet for you from among
your fathers, listen to him.”
Ezekiel saw you seated on a throne of cherubim,
Isaiah called you Sun of Justice and Emmanuel.
We beseech you, O Christ,
you who fulfilled the mysteries and promises,
grant us on this holy feast, and all the days of our life,
to offer our souls and bodies as a sacrifice pleasing to you,
a pure oblation.
Grant security and peace to us all, healing to the sick,
strength to elderly,
purity to youth, education to children,
chastity to virgins, sanctity to married couples,
repentance to those who err and consolation to the afflicted.
Grant rest to the faithful departed, who sleep in your hope.
We shall glorify you,
now and for ever. Amen.
QOLO
Forty days after your birth, your Mother took you up to the Temple.
The aged Simeon recognized you and was filled with joy.
He carried you in his arms and asked you to end his days, since he had been allowed to see you as he desired.
Free us from the bonds of sin and grant that we may spend our
earthly days in peace.
Blessed are you for ever.

ETRO
Savior who loves humanity,
accept this incense (prayer) we offer you.
May it be for the pardon of our sins and the remission of faults.
Grant health to the sick,
hope and strength to the broken hearted,
and rest to those who sleep in the hope of resurrection.
We shall glorify you,
now and for ever. Amen.
READINGS
MAZMOORO
Lord, most holy and Light of the nations, you went up
to the sanctuary.
From the mountain tops let it be proclaimed: Christ is the Light who enlightens the nations and the glory of his people Israel.
O God, you accepted the offerings made by the righteous before us, now accept, Lord, our prayer and have mercy on us.
SYNAXARION
The Jewish law of purification declared that every woman who conceived an bore a male child was to be considered unclean for seven days. After the circumcision of the child, the mother was to remain in her house for thirty-three days. She was not tho touch any holy thing and was not to enter the sanctuary. After the days of her purification had been fulfilled, she was to present to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle a yearling lamb as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove as a sacrifice for sin. If she was too poor to procure a lamb, she was to offer two turtledoves or two young pigeons. The priest was to make expiation for her and she was then considered clean. (Leviticus 12: 2-8)
The immaculate Virgin, who had conceived of the Holy Spirit and became a mother while keeping her virginity, did not come under the Law that touched the other daughters of Israel. If she submitted to

it, it was only to imitate her Son (who was to be baptized by John) and to avoid scandal for her acquaintances, who knew nothing of her virginal motherhood.
A first-born male child belonged to the Lord by the double title of first-fruit and head of the family. In patriarchal societies heads of families exercise a sort of priesthood. Theirs is the right of offering sacrifice and on them falls the duty of caring for divine worship.
In Israel the priestly tribe of Levi had been given this office, but first-born sons continued nonetheless to be consecrated to God and had to be brought back a set price (Numbers 3: 12-13).
The payment of this ransom was due the thirtieth day after birth and was to be made by the child’s father. The place of payment was not prescribed, nor confined to the Temple. Nor was the mother obliged to go to Jerusalem for the ceremony of purification; she was allowed to offer her sacrifice by proxy. Pious Jews who did not live too far from the Holy City made it a point to appear personally in the Lord’s presence; and that is what the Evangelist supposes in Mary’s case: “When the time of their purification had been completed according to the Law of Moses, they carried the child to Jerusalem to present him to God, as it is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male shall be consecrated to the Lord” (Luke 2: 23).
While the Holy Family was carrying out these legal prescriptions, a resident of Jerusalem unexpectedly came up to them. He was Simeon, a just man who feared God and firmly hoped the Consoler of Israel was soon to come. The Holy Spirit has assured him that he would not die before seeing the Anointed of the Lord. Why he was there we do not know, for he was not a priest and was not called there for some sacred duties to perform. In any event, the stranger took the divine Child in his arms and gave expression to his joy in his canticle of thanksgiving:
“Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace;
you have fulfilled your word.
For my eyes have witnessed your saving deed
displayed for all peoples to see:
A revealing light to the Gentiles,
the glory of your people Israel: (Luke 2: 29-32)
The aged Simeon was followed by Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. Her husband had died only seven years after their marriage, and she had lived in widowhood until the age of eighty-four, serving God night and day by prayer and fasting hardly ever leaving the Temple. Her role in the gospel story is altogether inconspicuous: it is not even stated that she ever spoke to the Holy Family. She simply praised the Lord and spoke of the child to all who were waiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

SCRIPTURE READING
A Reading from the Book of Numbers
Numbers 3: 5-13
Now the LORD said to Moses:“Summon the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest, as his assistants. They shall discharge his obligations and those of the whole community before the meeting tent by serving at the Dwelling. They shall have custody of all the furnishings of the meeting tent and discharge the duties of the Israelites in the service of the Dwelling. You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been set aside from among the Israelites as dedicated to me. But only Aaron and his descendants shall you appoint to have charge of the priestly functions. Any layman who comes near shall be put to death.” The LORD said to Moses, “It is I who have chosen the Levites from the Israelites in place of every first-born that opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites, therefore, are mine, because every first-born is mine. When I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I made all the first-born in Israel sacred to me, both of man and of beast. They belong to me; I am the LORD.”
SUPPLICATION
Lord of night and Master of all time, hear our supplication and have mercy on us.
You reconciled heaven and earth, grant peace to your Church and guard her children by the light of the cross.
Glory to you who are hidden from the angels and yet appeared
on earth as a humble infant. Thanksgiving to you, Lord of
the law, who fulfilled the law! Adoration to your Father,
who accepted your offering for the salvation of humanity.
Praise to the Spirit who revealed knowledge of you to all peoples.
Glory to the Father, who gladdened Simeon by allowing him to
see Christ; adoration to the Son, who willed to be carried in
the arms of man; thanksgiving to the Spirit, who through
news of the Savior, gladdened the hearts of all people.
Glory and adoration to the Trinity for ever.
The Virgin Mary, your Mother, and the apostles, prophets and
martyrs intercede for us; O God, through their prayers,
strengthen the weak, comfort the sick, grant pardon to our
deceased and forgive the faults of us poor sinners.
Exalt, O Lord, the memory of your Mother and of all your saints; through their prayers grant pardon to us and our deceased.
Through the prayers of your Mother, the prophets, apostles
and martyrs, watch over the living, and in your memory
forgive those who have died.

HOOTOMO
Let us thank, adore, and praise the holy and glorious Trinity: Father, Son, ✛Holy Spirit. Amen.
TRISAGION
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Holy are you, O God;
Holy are you, O Strong One;
Holy are you, O Immortal One;
have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us.
Lord, hear us and have mercy on us.
Lord, accept our worship and our prayers.
Lord, come to our assistance and have mercy on us.
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who are in heaven;
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.
O Lord, the night and the day are yours;
you uphold the light and the sun.
Through your power you direct the sequence of the seasons.
O Lord,
you have brought the day to its close and called forth the night; be for us that great Day that never ends.
In the evening let your light shine in our hearts,
and in the darkness of the night

enlighten us with the knowledge of your truth.
And so, through all the days of our lives,
we shall praise you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
To you be glory and may your mercy rest upon us,
now and for ever.
Amen.
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Let us thank God for all the graces he has bestowed on us
this day which has passed in calm and peace.
Let us recall our failings against the commandments of God
and the Church in thought, word, deed and omission
We ask for God’s pardon as we pray:
“Forgive us, Jesus!”
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
God,
Father in heaven,
by your living and holy name,
keep us from evil an lead us not into temptation;
for we call upon you, O Lord, our God, our constant hope,
glory to you for ever.
O Lord, our Lord,
may our humble worship be pleasing to you;
may our prayers come before you and our actions give
you honor.
Let you mercy, kindness, help, graces and divine love
be poured abundantly upon us poor sinners,
both in heaven and on the earth
which you have created in your goodness.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.

DISMISSAL
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
O God,
through the prayers of your Mother and the saints who have
believed in you;
through the prayers of the prophets, apostles, martyrs and
confessors;
through the prayers of the just, the priests, the holy fathers, pastors and teachers of the truth faith;
and through the prayers of N., Pope of Rome, N., our Patriarch, and N., our Bishop,
forgive your people and have mercy on your flock.
May God bless, forgive, sanctify, purify, and keep each of the faithful united with us in this spiritual office.
May mercy and compassion be upon us and all the faithful who
dwell here.
May peaceful rest be granted to those who have died in the faith.
May the faithful who live here experience the protection of
Christ’s victorious cross.
May we and all his servants, who adore him with bowed heads,
receive the mercy of the holy and glorious Trinity
Father, Son, ✛ Holy Spirit, to whom be glory now and for ever.
Amen.
May God forgive your sins,
pardon your failings,
and deliver you from the power of the enemy.
May he grant you the remission of your offenses.
Go in peace, and pray to Christ for me.