Masses of the BVM: 07 The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Lord
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Hail, purest of virgins,
from your chaste womb you brought forth in purity
the Son of the eternal Father.
COLLECT
Lord, grant that the Church,
the chaste Bride of Christ,
may keep unbroken the New Covenant of love
and, like your humble handmaid,
who presented to you in the temple
the author of the New Law,
may the Church keep its faith unspotted,
grow in hope of heaven,
and deepen its heartfelt love for you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
FIRST READING
Mal 3:1-4
The Lord whom you seek will come to his temple.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Malachi
The LORD says:
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 Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10
℟. (10b) The Lord of hosts is king of glory.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
rise up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may enter.
℟. The Lord of hosts is king of glory.
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, a mighty warrior,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
℟. The Lord of hosts is king of glory.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
rise up, you ancient portals,
that the king of glory may enter.
℟. The Lord of hosts is king of glory.
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of hosts is the king of glory.
℟. The Lord of hosts is king of glory.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesse’s shoot has blossomed:
a virgin has given birth
to one who is truly God and truly human;
God has restored our peace,
reconciling in himself earth with heaven.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Lk 2:27-35
A sword will pierce your very soul.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Simeon 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,
Simeon took Jesus 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 sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
The father and mother of Jesus 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
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.
All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Lord, let our prayers and offerings be acceptable to you
as we present them with joy in our hearts
on this memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
who made the offering of the poor to redeem her Son,
himself the Redeemer of us all.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
PREFACE: Mary and the Presentation of the Lord
Our Lady Is the Handmaid of God’s Plan of Salvation.
℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with your spirit.
℣. Lift up your hearts.
℟. We lift them up to the Lord.
℣. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
℟. It is truly right and just.
It is truly right to give you thanks,
truly just to give you glory Father most holy,
as we celebrate this memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
She is the virgin daughter of Zion
who, in fulfillment of the Law,
presents to you her Son,
the glory of your people Israel
and the light of all nations.
She is the Virgin,
the handmaid of your plan of salvation,
who presents to you the spotless Lamb,
to be sacrificed on the altar of the Cross
for our salvation.
She is the Virgin Mother
who rejoices in this child of blessing,
is saddened by the prophecy of Simeon,
but who exults that your people
go out to meet their Savior.
Lord, we see your providence
as Son and Mother are united
in the one undivided love,
in the one shared suffering,
in the single will to do what pleases you.
In our joy we sing to your glory
with all the choirs of Angels:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
The Virgin stands, presenting her Son,
born before the daystar;
Simeon takes him in his arms and proclaims to all peoples
that this is the Lord, the Savior of the world.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord God,
grant that by the power of the Sacrament we have received
the virgin Church, like the Virgin Mary,
may serve you with undivided heart,
be attentive to the voice of the Spirit,
and, with the lamp of faith burning brightly,
go out with joy to meet the Bridegroom.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
SOLEMN BLESSING
The following Solemn Blessing may be used:
The Lord be with you.
The people reply:
And with your spirit.
The Deacon or, in his absence, the Priest himself, says the invitation:
Bow down for the blessing.
Then the Priest, with hands outstretched over the people, says
May God, who through the motherhood of the Virgin Mary
dispelled the darkness of ages past,
enlighten your minds with the radiance of the sun of justice.
℟. Amen.
May God, who sent his Son as the Redeemer of the world,
refashion your minds and hearts in the image of Christ.
℟. Amen.
Like Mary, Mother of Wisdom,
may you gratefully ponder in your hearts
the wonder of Gods blessings
and may you find in Christ and the Blessed Virgin
the model of your way of life.
℟. Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever.
℟. Amen.
Then the Deacon, or the Priest himself, with hands joined and facing the people, says:
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
Or:
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
Or:
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
Or:
Go in peace.
The people reply:
Thanks be to God.