Daily Prayers Wednesday, 2 February 2022
Good morning, good Cornerstone people. We are in February and we now have nine hours of daylight. Spring is near. Today is the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas).
The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it,
the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.
For he has founded it upon the seas
and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
…
Lift up your heads, O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors
and the King of glory shall come in.
‘Who is the King of Glory?’
‘The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord who is mighty in battle.’
Lift up your heads, O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors;
and the King of Glory shall come in.
‘Who is this King of glory?’
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of Glory.
Psalm 24: 1–2, 7–10
O Lord of hosts, purify our hearts that the King of glory may come in, your Son Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Amen
Jesus is Presented in the Temple
When the time came for the 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 first born male shall be designated holy to the Lord.’) and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord,’ a pair of turtle-doves or two small pigeons’.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him wat was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for the glory of your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
Luke 2: 22–35
How do gates ‘lift up their heads’? The main gateways into a city like Jerusalem would have high arches whereas more everyday entrances would have lower arches. The main gateways would have a wooden beam across them so that all gateways generally would prevent oversize carts entering the city. If an important person like a king were to enter with a grand carriage this wooden beam would have to be lifted off to give a taller headroom.
‘Lift up your heads O gates’ means, ‘Get ready for something really important.’
Before Christmas we had the reading with the prayer which we refer to as the Song of Mary or ‘The Magnificat,’ (its first words in Latin). This gospel reading gives us the Song of Simeon or ‘Nunc Dimittis’. Both of these prayers have been used in Christian worship continuously from the beginning and are still used regularly, the Magnificat in Morning Prayer and the Nunc Dimittis in Evening Prayer and Night Prayer in Common Worship. The description of Simeon was, ‘righteous and devout and the Holy Spirit rested upon him’. Few people meet that description, but it is a pattern for us all to aim for.
Almighty and ever-living God, clothed in majesty,
whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple, in substance of our flesh;
grant that we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts,
by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Let us pray for our world, riven by wars and rumours of wars; a world with enough for all to share but with millions excluded and left with insufficient food, shelter, security, access to health care education and justice. So great is our avarice that we are stretching earth’s resources beyond sustainable levels. We are left asking, ‘Lord I feel helpless, what can I do alone to put things right.’
God of all mercy, your Son proclaimed good news to the poor,
release of all captives and freedom of the oppressed:
anoint us with your Holy Spirit and set all your people free to praise you in Christ our Lord.
Amen
A prayer for being me
Loving God, creator of all, I praise you that you created all things good
and that this includes me.
Forgive me when I lose sight of the truth that I am made in your image
and allow the lies of the world to push me into having a low view of myself
and lose sight of the potential of all that I am and all that I can be in you.
Forgive me as well when I have too high a view of myself
and forget the truth that I am most fulfilled when I am looking to you.
Through the power of your loving Holy Spirit,
set me free to live in the abundance of life that you give.
Guide me, guard me, equip me that I may worship you, serve those around me
and faithfully steward your creation to the glory of your name.
Amen
from January–March 2022 edition of Pathways
We may still be in winter, but may you be able to put a little spring into your step today.
Don Head
