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| Venus, Mars, & Cupid, Piero di Cosimo, 1490, detail |
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| 6 The Presentation
Joseph and Mary
bring the infant
Jesus to the Temple
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The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young: by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God Psalm 84:2
And 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 male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed." Luke 2:22-35
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| Hyssop |
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The Song of Simeon (opposite column)
Our father …
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. (BCP collect for The Presentation February 2)
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| The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Giotto, 1304-6 |
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Nunc dimittis The Song of Simeon
Lord, you now have set your servant free
To go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,
Whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A light to enlighten the nations,
And the glory of your people Israel. Luke 2:29-32
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