Antiphon 1: The Holy Spirit + had revealed to Simeon / that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord.

The Lord said to my lord :
     ‘Sit at my right hand,
     until I make your enemies your footstool.’

The Lord commits to you the sceptre of your power :
     reign from Zion in the midst of your enemies.

Noble are you,
     from the day of your birth upon the holy hill :
     radiant are you, even from the womb,
     in the morning dew of your youth.

The Lord has sworn and will not turn back :
     ‘You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’

The king shall stand at your right hand, O Lord :
     and shatter kings in the day of his wrath.

Glorious in majesty, he shall judge among the nations :
     and shatter heads over a wide land.

He shall slake his thirst from the brook beside the way :
     therefore shall he lift up his head.

Antiphon 1: The Holy Spirit + had revealed to Simeon / that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord.
Antiphon 2:As the law prescribed, + they offered to the Lord / a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

Psalm 87
Fundmenta ejus

He has founded it upon a holy hill :
     and the Lord loves the gates of Zion
     more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things shall be spoken of you :
     O Zion, city of our God.

I might speak of my kinsmen in Egypt or in Babylon :
     in Philistia, Tyre or Nubia, where each was born.

But of Zion it shall be said :
     many were born in her, he that is Most High has established her.

When the Lord draws up the record of the nations :
     he shall take note where every man was born.

And the singers and the dancers together :
     shall make their song to your name.

Antiphon 2:As the law prescribed, + they offered to the Lord / a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Antiphon 3:My own eyes + have seen the salvation / which you have prepared in the sight of every people.

Psalm 48
Magnus Dominus

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised :
     in the city of our God.

High and beautiful is his holy hill :
     it is the joy of all the earth.

On Mount Zion, where godhead truly dwells,
     stands the city of the Great King :
     God is well known in her palaces as a sure defence.

For the kings of the earth assembled :
     they gathered together and came on;

They saw, they were struck dumb :
     they were astonished and fled in terror.

Trembling took hold on them, and anguish :
     as on a woman in her travail;

Like the breath of the east wind :
     that shatters the ships of Tarshish.

As we have heard, so have we seen
     in the city of the Lord of hosts :
     in the city of our God, which God has established for ever.

We have called to mind your loving-kindness, O God :
     in the midst of your temple.

As your name is great, O God, so also is your praise :
     even to the ends of the earth.

Your right hand is full of victory let Zion’s hill rejoice :
     let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of your judgements.

Walk about Zion, go round about her, and count all her towers :
     consider well her ramparts, pass through her palaces;

That you may tell those who come after that such is God :
     our God for ever and ever, and he will guide us eternally.

Antiphon 3:My own eyes + have seen the salvation / which you have prepared in the sight of every people.


First Reading
Haggai 2:1-9

In the second year of King Darius,in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendour, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Second Canticle
Magnificat

Antiphon: Today, the Blessed Virgin Mary presented the Child Jesus in the temple; and Simeon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, took him in his arms, and gave thanks to God.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.


From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon: Today, the Blessed Virgin Mary presented the Child Jesus in the temple; and Simeon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, took him in his arms, and gave thanks to God.

Responsory
The Lord made known his salvation.
The Lord made known his salvation.
Which he has prepared in the sight of every people.
His salvation.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
The Lord made known his salvation.

Collect
Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Intercessions

Today our Savior was presented in the temple. Let us adore him as we say:
(R.)Lord, may our eyes see your salvation.

Christ Jesus, you are the light that enlightens the nations,
- shine upon those who do not know you, that they may come to believe in you, the one, true God.(R.)

You are the redeemer and glory of your people Israel,
- may your Church proclaim your salvation to the ends of the earth.(R.)

Jesus, desire of nations, Simeon, the just man, rejoiced at your coming.
- lead all people to recognize that you still come to them.(R.)

Lord, when you were presented in the temple, Simeon foretold that a sword would pierce your mother's heart,
- strengthen us to accept the sufferings we endure for the sake of your name.(R.)

Christ Jesus, joy of all the saints, Simeon longed to see you before he died, and his prayer was answered,
- hear our plea for all the dead who still yearn to see you face to face.(R.)


Our Father…

Closing Prayer:
All-powerful Father,
Christ your Son became man for us
and was presented in the temple.
May he keep our hearts free from sin
And bring us into your presence.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Who live and reigns with you and Holy Spirit
One God, forever and ever, Amen.

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