Friday, February 2, 2024
Liturgical Season: 
VII The Season of Sleebo
Special Significance: 
Mayaltho (Entrance of Our Lord into the Temple)

Lk 2:22-35

The Presentation in the Temple. 22* When the days were completed for their purification* according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,h 23just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,”i 24and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel,* and the holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. 27He 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, 28he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

29“Now, Master, you may let your servant go

in peace, according to your word,

30for my eyes have seen your salvation,j

31which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,

32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and glory for your people Israel.”k

33The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 34and 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 contradictedl 35(and you yourself a sword will pierce)* so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Lv 12:1-8

Uncleanness of Childbirth. 1The LORD said to Moses: 2Tell the Israelites: When a woman has a child, giving birth to a boy, she shall be unclean* for seven days, with the same uncleanness as during her menstrual period.a 3On the eighth day, the flesh of the boy’s foreskin shall be circumcised,* b 4and then she shall spend thirty-three days more in a state of blood purity; she shall not touch anything sacred nor enter the sanctuary till the days of her purification are fulfilled. 5If she gives birth to a girl, for fourteen days she shall be as unclean as during her menstrual period, after which she shall spend sixty-six days* in a state of blood purity.

6* When the days of her purification for a son or for a daughter are fulfilled,c she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a yearling lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a turtledove for a purification offering. 7The priest shall offer them before the LORD to make atonement for her, and thus she will be clean again after her flow of blood. Such is the ritual for the woman who gives birth to a child, male or female. 8If, however, she cannot afford a lamb,d she may take two turtledoves or two pigeons,e the one for a burnt offering and the other for a purification offering. The priest shall make atonement for her, and thus she will again be clean.

Lv 22:17-25

Unacceptable Victims. 17* The LORD said to Moses: 18Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites, and tell them: When anyone of the house of Israel, or any alien residing in Israel, who presents an offering, brings a burnt offeringo as a votive offering or as a voluntary offering to the LORD, 19if it is to be acceptable for you, it must be an unblemished male of the herd, of the sheep or of the goats.p 20You shall not offer one that has any blemish, for such a one would not be acceptable on your behalf.q 21When anyone presents a communion sacrificer to the LORD from the herd or the flock in fulfillment of a vow, or as a voluntary offering, if it is to find acceptance, it must be unblemished; it shall not have any blemish. 22One that is blind or lame or maimed, or one that has running lesions or sores or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD; do not put such an animal on the altar as an oblation to the LORD. 23* An ox or a sheep that has a leg that is too long or is stunted you may indeed present as a voluntary offering, but it will not be acceptable as a votive offering. 24One that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn out or cut off you shall not offer to the LORD. You shall neither do this in your own land 25nor receive from a foreigner any such animals to offer up as the food of your God; since they are deformed or blemished, they will not be acceptable on your behalf.

2 Sm 5:1-5

David King of Israel. 1a All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, and they said: “Look! We are your bone and your flesh. 2In days past, when Saul was still our king, you were the one who led Israel out in all its battles and brought it back. And the LORD said to you: You shall shepherd my people Israel; you shall be ruler over Israel.”b 3Then all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron, and at Hebron King David made a covenant with them in the presence of the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel. 4David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years: 5in Hebron he was king over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he was king thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.c

Is 11:1-9

1But a shoot shall sprout from the stump* of Jesse,

and from his roots a bud shall blossom.a

2* The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:b

a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

A spirit of counsel and of strength,

a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,

3and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

Not by appearance shall he judge,

nor by hearsay shall he decide,

4But he shall judge the poor with justice,

and decide fairly for the land’s afflicted.c

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.d

5Justice shall be the band around his waist,

and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.e

6* Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat;

The calf and the young lion shall browse together,

with a little child to guide them.f

7The cow and the bear shall graze,

together their young shall lie down;

the lion shall eat hay like the ox.g

8The baby shall play by the viper’s den,

and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

9They shall not harm or destroy on all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,

as water covers the sea.

Acts 24:16-21

16Because of this, I always strive to keep my conscience clear before God and man.e 17After many years, I came to bring alms for my nation and offerings.f 18While I was so engaged, they found me, after my purification, in the temple without a crowd or disturbance.g 19But some Jews from the province of Asia, who should be here before you to make whatever accusation they might have against me— 20or let these men themselves state what crime they discovered when I stood before the Sanhedrin, 21unless it was my one outcry as I stood among them, that ‘I am on trial before you today for the resurrection of the dead.’”h

Heb 9:11-14

Sacrifice of Jesus. 11* But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be,* passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,h 12he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.i 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes* can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed,j 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit* offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.k

Lk 2:22-24

The Presentation in the Temple. 22* When the days were completed for their purification* according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,h 23just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,”i 24and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.