Tuesday, February 2
From left: The Presentation portrayed by Giotto (1304), a 14th-century Russian icon, Bellini (1459), Cosma Ture (1474) and Raphael (cropped)(1503).
FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE
The event is described in the Gospel of Luke 2:22–40: Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth to complete Mary's ritual
purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn, in obedience to the Law of Moses. Upon bringing Jesus into the temple, they encountered Simeon
the Righteous, who had been promised that "he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord." Simeon prayed the prayer that would become known as the
Nunc Dimittis, or Canticle of Simeon, which prophesied the redemption of the world by Jesus: "Lord... I have seen with my own eyes the one you have sent to save people.
You have made this way for all peoples to be saved..." Simeon then prophesied to Mary: "He will be a sign that people do not believe in. He will make many people in Israel fall
and rise. (Yes, a long knife will cut your heart too.)..." The elderly prophetess Anna was also in the Temple, and offered prayers and praise to God for Jesus, and spoke
to everyone there about Jesus and his role in the redemption of Israel.
Celebrated 40 days after Christmas, this is one of the 12 major feasts of the Orthodox Church. In the English-speaking world, it is also known as Candlemas, from a
tradition started by Pope Sergius in the 16th century based on a candlelight procession held by the early Christians of Jerusalem to celebrate the event.
Readings for today's Mass: www.usccb.org/nab/readings/020210.shtml
OR for 2/1-2/2/10:
Illustration: The Presentation in the Temple, 12th century Syriac miniature.
At the Sunday Angelus, Benedict XVI prays for lepers
and greets Rome's Catholic Action youth on their annual Caravan for Peace:
Joins Christians in the Holy Land to pray for peace
Appeals to Italian authorities to do everything to protect workers facing unemployment due to the economic crisis
Other papal stories: The Holy Father's surprise visit to a major exhibition of Christian art, and his message to the visiting bishops
of England and Wales. The major international news is about the woman suicide bomber who kills 41 pilgrims and wounds more than
a hundred Shiites on their way to the city of Kerbala for an annual religious feast. The inside pages contains three stories on Pius XII -
one denouncing the false 'news' about new documents discovered against Pius XII [see stories in the CHURCH&VATICAN thread);
a reprint of an account written in 1994 by Cardinal Paolo Dezza of a 1942 conversation with Pius XII about the Nazi problem; and a
translation of Dimitri Cavalli's essay in defense of Pius XII which appeared in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last week [posted on this
thread on 1/22]. Also, three articles about the consecrated life since the Church honors consecrated persons today.
THE POPE'S DAY
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and
the World Day of Consecrated Life
5.30 p.m. St. Peter's Basilica
Vespers with members of institutes of consecrated life
and societies of apostolic life.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 02/02/2010 15:34]