The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
(Candlemas)
O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Your light springs up for the righteous
All and all the peoples have seen your glory.
Blessed are you, Sovereign God, king of the nations, to you be praise and glory for ever. From the rising of the sun to its setting your name is proclaimed in all the world. As the Sun of Righteousness dawns in our hearts anoint our lips with the seal of your Spirit that we may witness to your gospel and sing your praise in all the earth.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.
This opening prayer may be said
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence,
O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
All Amen.
The Word of God
Psalm 24
Entrance into the Temple
Of David. A Psalm.
1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
2 for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6 Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.[a]Selah
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.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
Old Testament Reading
Malachi 3:1-5
The Coming Messenger
3 See, I am sending 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—indeed, 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 descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.[a] 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.
5 Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Canticle
Refrain:
All I have given you as a light to the nations, and I have called you in righteousness.
1Thus says God, who created the heavens, ♦
who fashioned the earth and all that dwells in it;
2Who gives breath to the people upon it ♦
and spirit to those who walk in it,
3‘I am the Lord and I have called you in
righteousness, ♦
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
4‘I have given you as a covenant to the people, ♦
a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind,
5‘To bring out the captives from the dungeon, ♦
from the prison, those who sit in darkness.
6‘I am the Lord, that is my name; ♦
my glory I give to no other.’
Isaiah 42.5-8a
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
All I have given you as a light to the nations, and I have called you in righteousness.
New Testament Reading
Gospel Reading
Luke 2:22-40
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 firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your
servant in peace, according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had finished 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 favour of God was upon him.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
All let the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations that the Lord is King.
All O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Tell out his salvation from day to day.
All Let the whole earth tremble before him.
Declare his glory among the nations and his wonders among all peoples.
All O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him.
from Psalm 96
Gospel Canticle
Refrain:
All The parents of Jesus marvelled at what was said about him.
And Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
1Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, ♦
who has come to his people and set them free.
2He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, ♦
born of the house of his servant David.
3Through his holy prophets God promised of old ♦
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all that hate us,
4To show mercy to our ancestors, ♦
and to remember his holy covenant.
5This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: ♦
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
6Free to worship him without fear, ♦
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
7And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, ♦
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
8To give his people knowledge of salvation ♦
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
9In the tender compassion of our God ♦
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
10To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, ♦
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
Refrain:
All The parents of Jesus marvelled at what was said about him.
And Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Prayers
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty and ever-living God, clothed in majesty, whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple,
in substance of our flesh: grant that we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts,
by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Candlemas Procession
Light the candle and say:
Lord God, the springing source of everlasting light, pour into the hearts of your faithful people
the brilliance of your eternal splendour, that we, who by these kindling flames light up this temple to your glory,
may have the darkness of our souls dispelled, and so be counted worthy to stand before you in that eternal city where you live and reign,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. All Amen.
If you are processing around your house do so carrying the candle and saying these words:
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace : according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen :
thy salvation; Which thou hast prepared : before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles : and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
Returning to your original place finish with these words:
Father, here we bring to an end our celebration of the Saviour’s birth.
All Help us, in whom he has been born, to live his life that has no end.
Here we have offered the Church’s sacrifice of praise.
All Help us, who have received the bread of life, to be thankful for your gift.
Here we have rejoiced with faithful Simeon and Anna.
All Help us, who have found the Lord in his temple, to trust in your eternal promises.
Here we have greeted the light of the world.
All Help us, who extinguish [bear] these candles, never to forsake the light of Christ.
Here we stand near the place of baptism.
All Help us, who are marked with the cross, to share the Lord’s death and resurrection.
Here we turn from Christ’s birth to his passion.
All Help us, for whom Lent is near, to enter deeply into the Easter mystery.
Here we bless one another in your name.
All Help us, who now go in peace, to shine with your light in the world. Thanks be to God. Amen.