Mass Readings - Sunday, 02nd February 2020

First Reading
A reading from the prophet Malachi    3:1-4
The Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter the temple.

Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before
me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and
the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is
coming, says the Lord of hosts. Who will be able to resist the day of
his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears?
For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s alkali. He will take his seat
as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them
like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord
as it should be made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then
be welcomed by the Lord as in former days, as in the years of old.

The Word of the Lord.


Responsorial Psalm    Ps 23

Response:   Who is the king of glory? It is the Lord.

1. O gates, lift up your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

2. Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war.

3. O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

4. Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.



SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Hebrews    2:14-18
It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his
brothers and sisters.

Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, Jesus too
shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the
power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all
those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of
death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to
himself descent from Abraham. It was essential that he should in this
way become completely like his brothers so that he could be a
compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to
atone for human sins. That is, because he has himself been through
temptation he is able to help others who are tempted.

The Word of the Lord


Gospel Acclamation    Acts 16: 14

Alleluia, alleluia!
The light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.
Alleluia!



GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 2:22-40
My eyes have seen your salvation.

When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law
of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born
male must be consecrated to the Lord- and also to offer in sacrifice,
in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of
turtledoves or two young pigeons Now in Jerusalem there was a
man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked
forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had
been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death
until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit
he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child
Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms
and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for
all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your
people Israel’.
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things
that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to
Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for
the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected, and
a sword will pierce your own soul too so that the secret thoughts of
many may be laid bare’.
There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she
had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She
was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving
God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that
moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all
who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they
went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the
child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s
favour was with him.

The Gospel of the Lord.