Patrick Comerford
Next Sunday, 30 January 2021, is the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany.
The readings in the Revised Common Lectionary as adapted for use in the Church of Ireland for Sunday as the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany are:
The Readings: Ezekiel 43: 27 to 44: 4 or Jeremiah 1: 4-10; Psalm 48; I Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 2: 22-40 or Luke 4: 21-30.
There is a link to the readings HERE.
In addition, the Book of Common Prayer says the Presentation of Christ (2 February) ‘may be observed on the Sunday falling between 28 January and 3 February’ (p. 18; see also p. 31). The Church of England makes a similar provision in Common Worship (p. 534).
The readings for the Feast of the Presentation of Christ are:
Readings: Malachi 3: 1-5; Psalm 24: 1-10 or Psalm 24: 7-10 or Psalm 84; Hebrews 2: 14-18; Luke 2: 22-40.
But only one set of readings should be used next Sunday, and there should not be a ‘pick-and-mix’ approach to selecting the readings.
In other words:
1, If Sunday 30 January 2022 is using the theme of the Presentation, but the Feast of the Presentation is still celebrated on the following Wednesday, these readings should be used: Ezekiel 43: 27 to 44: 4; Psalm 48; I Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 2: 22-40.
2, If Sunday 30 January 2022 is being marked as the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, these readings should be used: Jeremiah 1: 4-10; Psalm 48; I Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4: 21-30.
3, If the Feast of the Presentation of Christ is being transferred this year from Wednesday 2 February 2022 to Sunday 30 January 2022, these readings should be used: Malachi 3: 1-5; Psalm 24: 1-10 or Psalm 24: 7-10 or Psalm 84; Hebrews 2: 14-18; Luke 2: 22-40.
At each stage, this posting is divided into two parts. The first part looks at the readings and liturgical resources for Sunday next where it is marked as the Feast of the Presentation, with either the provisions transferred from Wednesday or the provisions made for Sunday.
The second part looks at the readings and liturgical resources for Sunday next for parishes where it is marked as the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany.
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Andrea Mantegna (1460), Staatliche Museen, BerlinPART 1: The Presentation of Christ in the Temple:
Introducing the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, or Candlemas:
The Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, or Candlemas, is the climax of the Christmas and Epiphany season. It is a feast rich in meaning, with several related themes running through it – presentation, purification, meeting, and light for the world.
The various names by which it has been known in the history of the Church serve to illustrate just how much this feast has to teach and to celebrate.
But the true meaning of Candlemas is found in its ‘bitter-sweet’ nature. It is a feast day, and the revelation of the Christ Child in the Temple, greeted by Simeon and Anna, calls for rejoicing.
Nevertheless, the prophetic words of Simeon, who speaks of the falling and rising of many and the sword that will pierce the Virgin Mary’s heart, lead on to the passion and to Easter. Coming at the very end of the Christmas celebration, with Lent close at hand, Candlemas is a real pivot in the Christian year.
Ezekiel 43: 27 to 44: 4:
Ezekiel was a visionary prophet and a priest who spoke before the conquest of Judah in 587 BC, and who continued to speak in exile in Babylon. He seeks to assure the people in exile of God’s abiding presence among them, and he speaks of the importance of the individual relationship with God. His is a message of hope, with the hope that God will restore the people to their homeland and to the Temple.
In this reading, he promises that when the days of exile are over and the new Temple is built, the priests shall offer burnt offerings and peace offerings on behalf of the people that are acceptable to God. The glory of the Lord God so fills the Temple that the prophet falls on his face.
This reading relates to the Gospel reading, where the old Prophet Simeon sees the presence of God in the Temple.
Malachi 3: 1-5:
The Prophet Micah in this reading speaks out ‘against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien,’ and who do not fear the Lord God (Micah 3: 5).
But, oh so often, mothers bear their grief in silence, are reluctant to bare their souls to the Church and Church leaders. So often we can pronounce and preach and teach. But do we always know the suffering in the dark behind closed doors? And do we teach and preach in a way that moves beyond being enlightening to actually bringing the light of hope, the light of the Suffering and Risen Christ to the broken-hearted Marys and Josephs all over this land?
Psalm 48:
Psalm 48 celebrates the beauty of Jerusalem on Mount Zion as the city of God and the joy of all the earth. In the Temple, God is present in his steadfast love, he is to be praised for ever and to the ends of the earth, and for all future generations.
I Corinthians 13: 1-13:
This epistle reading is one of the most popular choices at weddings But in this letter, Saint Paul is telling the Church in Corinth about the love that should be found in the Church.
The Church needs many gifts, including speaking in tongues and the gifts of those who are apostles, prophets and teachers. But he tells them that the most important gift is love, which is the expression in the community of Christ’s love for us. Without love, the other gifts have no meaning and are worthless.
The three gifts of faith, hope and love are all important in the Church, but ‘the greatest of these is love’ (verse 13).
Hebrews 2: 14-18:
This Epistle reading is a call not just to all in ordained ministry but to all in the Church to be ‘merciful and faithful’ like Christ the ‘high priest in the service of God,’ to be sacrificial in the service of those who are suffering and ‘are being tested’ (see Hebrews 2: 17-18).
Luke 2: 22-40:
Eight days after his birth, the Christ Child was circumcised marking him as a member of God’s people. Then 40 days after childbirth, a mother could be purified before a priest in the Temple. She was expected to offer a lamb, along with a turtledove or a pigeon. But if she was poor, two turtledoves or pigeons would suffice. Exodus required that every firstborn boy be consecrated to God (see Exodus 13: 2, 12; Numbers 3: 13). In this episode, the family fulfil the requirements of Mosaic law when they bring the Christ Child up to the Temple in Jerusalem.
Simeon looks forward to the coming of the Messiah to restore Israel to favour with God, the consolation of Israel (παράκλησιν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, verse 25). The Holy Spirit has rested on Simeon, and has promised him that he will see the Christ before he dies.
Simeon’s words (verse 29-32, 34-35) are paraphrased in the canticle Nunc Dimittis, from its first words in Latin. He begins by saying that God is setting him free, as a slave is granted liberty. Simeon knows now that he is free to die, and the coming salvation is to Israel’s glory but the fulfilment of the promise to all people (see Isaiah 52: 10; Psalm 98: 2).
Simeon blesses the family and tells the Virgin Mary that this Christ Child is destined for death and resurrection (verse 34). He will be opposed by many, so that the inner thoughts of many will no longer be kept secret.
In popular imagery, Simeon’s words are often conflated with earlier words of Zechariah after the birth of his son, Saint John the Baptist:
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in the darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way pf peace. (see Luke 1: 78-79).
Like Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna stand before God, in God’s presence, in humility and in equality.
This conflation is found in the Introduction to the Peace provided in Common Worship, in the art, in poetry, and in inscriptions on stained-glass windows in churches and cathedrals.
When the family returns to Nazareth, the Child grows and becomes strong, filled with wisdom and the favour of God (verses 39-40), just as at later stage he is to return from Jerusalem with his family to Nazareth, where he increases in years and in divine and human favour (see Luke 2: 51-52).
Reflecting on the Candlemas Gospel reading:
The Feast of the Presentation of Christ has been known to the Church by several names over time, including the Presentation of Christ in the Temple; the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and we talk too of Candlemas, celebrated in many Anglican cathedrals and churches with the Candlemas Procession.
This feast, forty days after Christmas, recalls how the Virgin Mary presents the Christ-Child to the priests in the Temple in Jerusalem. And, because of the family’s poverty, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph bring two cheap doves or pigeons as their offering.
This is a feast rich in meaning, with several related themes running through it. We have the contrast between the poverty of this family and the richly-endowed Temple; the young Joseph and Mary with their first-born child and the old Simeon and Anna who are probably childless; the provincial home in Nazareth and the urbane sophistication of Jerusalem; the glory of one nation, Israel, and light for all nations, the Gentiles; the birth of a child and the expectation of death; darkness and light; new birth and impending death.
So, Candlemas is a feast day with a ‘bitter-sweet’ nature. It calls for rejoicing with all in the Temple celebrating the hope and the promise that this new child brings. Yet Simeon speaks in prophetic words of the falling and rising of many and the sword that will piece the Virgin Mary’s heart. His words remind us sharply that Christmas is meaningless without the Passion and Easter.
Candlemas is the climax of the Christmas and Epiphany season, the last great festival of the Christmas cycle. As we bring our Christmas celebrations to a close, this day is a real pivotal point in the Christian year, for we now shift from the cradle to the cross, from Christmas to Passiontide – Ash Wednesday and Lent are just four or five weeks away.
In this shift of mood, devotion and liturgy, we take with us the light of Christ, a sure promise that Christ is the eternal light and the salvation of all humanity, throughout all ages.
Traditionally, Candlemas is the final day of the Christmas season. The liturgical colour changes from the White of rejoicing to the Green of ordinary, everyday life. This is the day that bridges the gap between Christmas and Lent, that bridges the gap between a time of celebration and a time of reflection, a time of joy and a time for taking stock once again.
This is an opportunity to take stock of where we are. After two decades of the darkness of recession and austerity, the economists are trying to look for the light at the end of the tunnel.
For many of us, we moved long ago from a time of financial certainty that allowed us to celebrate easily to a time of reflection and uncertainty. Now the debates about ‘Brexit’ and the long-term consequences of isolation during the pandemic leave the majority of people with a new set of anxieties and uncertainties.
The lights of Christmas and its celebrations are dim and distant now, and by this Candlemas most people in Ireland continue to live their very ordinary days with uncertainty, trying to grasp for signs of hope, wondering how long we must remain in the dark.
How Mary must have wept in her heart as in today’s Gospel story the old man Simeon hands back her child and warns her that a sword would pierce her heart (Luke 2: 35).
How many mothers are weeping in their hearts and clinging onto the rock of faith just by the end of their fingertips as their hearts, their souls, are pierced by a sword?
Mothers whose lives were held in slavery by fear (see Hebrews 2: 15).
Mothers who see their special needs children denied special needs assistants in our schools.
Mothers who see their children waiting, waiting too long, for care in our hospitals or to move from the uncertainty of hotel room or hostels to a house and a home.
Mothers who saw their graduate daughters and sons unable to find employment and have still not returned home.
Mothers whose silent weeping is not going to bring home their adult emigrant children and the grandchildren born in Australia or the US.
Mothers whose gay sons and lesbian daughters are beaten up on the streets just for the fun of it and are afraid if they come out that our Church can only offer tea and sympathy, at best, but moralising prejudice most of the time.
Mothers whose husbands are on low pay or dismissed as mere statistics in the figures for poverty.
Mothers whose adult children are caught up in substance abuse and have lost all hope for the future – for a future.
They know what TS Eliot calls ‘the certain hour of maternal sorrow.’ Like the Prophet in his poem A Song for Simeon, they ‘Wait for the wind that chills towards the dead land.’ And they know too how true Simeon’s words are for them this morning: ‘and a sword will pierce your soul too.’
If the Virgin Mary had known what grief would pierce her soul, would she have said ‘Yes’ to the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation?
And in the midst of all this heartbreak, these mothers still cling on to the edge of the rock of faith by the edges of their fingernails. Wondering who hears their sobbing hearts and souls.
If they had known what grief would pierce their souls they would still have said yes, because they love their children, and no sword can kill that. They know too their children are immaculate conceptions, for their children too are conceived in a love for their world, our world, that is self-giving and sinless, and they continue to see the reflection and image of Christ in their children as they look into their eyes lovingly. Is that too not a truth and a hope at the heart of the Incarnation?
So often it is difficult to hold on to hope when our hearts are breaking and are pierced. So often it is difficult to keep the lights of our hearts burning brightly when everything is gloomy and getting dark. But Simeon points out that the Christ Child does not hold out any selfish hope for any one individual or one family … he is to be a light to the nations, to all of humanity.
And as our leaders – political, social, economic and financial leaders – search in the dark for the hope that will bring light back into our lives, we can remind ourselves that this search will have no purpose and it will offer no glimmer of hope unless it seeks more than selfish profit. This search must seek the good of all, it must seek to bring hope and light to all, not just here, but to all people and to all nations.
Who will speak out like the Prophet Malachi in the first reading ‘against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien,’ and do not fear the Lord God (Malachi 3: 5)?
But so often these mothers bear their grief in silence, are reluctant to bare their souls to the Church and Church leaders. So often we can pronounce and preach and teach. But do we always know the suffering in the dark behind closed doors? And do we teach and preach in a way that moves beyond being enlightening to actually bringing the light of hope, the light of the Suffering and Risen Christ to the broken-hearted Marys and Josephs all over this land?
Yet the Epistle reading is a call not just to all in the Church to be ‘merciful and faithful’ like Christ the ‘high priest in the service of God,’ to be sacrificial in the service of those who are suffering and ‘are being tested’ (see Hebrews 2: 17-18).
This feast of Candlemas bridges the gap between Christmas and Lent; links the joy of the Christmas candles with the hope of the Pascal candle at Easter; invites us to move from celebration to reflection and preparation, and to think about the source of our hope, our inspiration, our enlightenment.
The candles of Candlemas link the candles of Christmas with Good Friday and with the Easter hope symbolised in the Pascal candle. And so to paraphrase the words of Timothy Dudley-Smith’s hymn that draw on Simeon’s prophetic words in the Canticle Nunc Dimittis, as we watch and wait in our faithful vigil for Christ’s glory in that Easter hope, may our doubting cease, may God’s silent, suffering people find deliverance and freedom from oppression, may his servants find peace, may he complete in us his perfect will.
Luke 2: 22-40 (NRSVA):
22 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 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
25 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 on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
Simeon’s words are paraphrased in the Canticle ‘Nunc Dimittis’, often sung at Choral EvensongPART 2: The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany:
Jeremiah 1: 4-10:
The people of Israel have strayed from God’s ways, but King Josiah guides the people back to godliness, removing all traces of foreign worship and making Jerusalem the one place of worship.
In this reading, ‘the word of the Lord’ comes to the Prophet Jeremiah, plays a key role in King Josiah’s reforms. God has known Jeremiah since his first moment of existence and even before Jeremiah was born God had consecrated him to serve God as a prophet ‘to the nations’ (verse 5), to ‘nations’ and ‘kingdoms’ (verse 10).
Psalm 48:
Psalm 48 celebrates the beauty of Jerusalem on Mount Zion as the city of God and the joy of all the earth. In the Temple, God is present in his steadfast love, he is to be praised for ever and to the ends of the earth, and for all future generations.
I Corinthians 13: 1-13:
This epistle reading is one of the most popular choices at weddings But in this letter, Saint Paul is telling the Church in Corinth about the love that should be found in the Church.
The Church needs many gifts, including speaking in tongues and the gifts of those who are apostles, prophets and teachers. But he tells them that the most important gift is love, which is the expression in the community of Christ’s love for us. Without love, the other gifts have no meaning and are worthless.
The three gifts of faith, hope and love are all important in the Church, but ‘the greatest of these is love’ (verse 13).
Luke 4: 21-30:
Last Sunday [23 January 2022, the Third Sunday after the Epiphany], the Gospel reading tells of Christ visiting the synagogue in Nazareth on the sabbath, where he reads from the Prophet Isaiah (Luke 4: 14-21, or Luke 4: 14-30).
The long version of last Sunday’s reading included this morning’s reading. In this second part of the story, Christ tells the people that the promises he has read about are fulfilled this day, as they listen to him.
They are amazed, not just at what he says, but also because they remember him living among them as a child (see verse 22).
When Christ reminds that God helps Gentiles as well as Jews, the people are filled with rage (verse 28), drive him out of town, and plan to hurl him off the side of a cliff. But Jesus escapes the mob and he continues on his way, continuing his mission along God’s plan.
Driven out of the synagogue and threatened with death, Christ has three options:
1, to allow himself to be silenced;
2, to keep on preaching in other synagogues, but to never put into practice what he says so that those who are worried have their fears allayed and realise he is no threat;
3, or to preach and to put his teachings into practice, to show that he means what he says, that his faith is reflected in his priorities, to point to what the kingdom of God is truly like.
Christ takes the third option. He brings good news to the poor, he releases this poor captive, he can now see things as they are and as they ought to be, the oppressed may go free and all are amazed.
Jesus in the Synagogue, as imagined by the Northern Ireland-born artist Greg OlsenLuke 4: 21-30 (NRSVA):
[Jesus read from the Prophet Isaiah.] 21 Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ 23 He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum”.’ 24 And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Liturgical Resources:
PART 1, The Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple:
Liturgical Colour: White.
Bidding Prayer:
The traditional Bidding Prayer for Candlemas says:
Dear friends, forty days ago we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we recall the day on which he was presented in the Temple, when he was offered to the Father and shown to his people.
As a sign of his coming among us, his mother was purified according to the custom of the time, and we now come to him for cleansing. In their old age Simeon and Anna recognised him as their Lord, as we today sing of his glory.
In this Eucharist, we celebrate both the joy of his coming and his searching judgement, looking back to the day of his birth and forward to the coming days of his passion.
So let us pray that we may know and share the light of Christ.
Penitential Kyries:
Lord God, mighty God,
you are the creator of the world.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary,
you are the Prince of Peace.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Holy Spirit,
by your power the Word was made flesh
and came to dwell among us.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The Collect:
Almighty and everliving God,
clothed in majesty,
whose beloved Son was this day presented in the temple
in the substance of our mortal nature:
May we be presented to you with pure and clean hearts,
by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Collect of the Word:
Almighty and everliving God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope and love;
and that we may obtain what you promise,
make us love what you command,
through your Son, Jesus Christ,
our Saviour and Lord.
Introduction to the Peace:
Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and his name is called the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9: 7)
(The Book of Common Prayer, the Church of Ireland, p. 234)
or
In the tender mercy of our God
the dayspring from on high has broken upon us,
to give light to those who dwell in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. (cf Luke 1: 78, 79)
(Common Worship, p 306)
Preface:
You chose the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be the mother of your Son
and so exalted the humble and meek;
your angel hailed her as most high and highly favoured,
and with all generations we call her blessed:
(The Book of Common Prayer, the Church of Ireland, p. 234)
or
And now we give you thanks
because, by appearing in the Temple,
he comes near to us in judgement;
the Word made flesh searches the hearts of all your people,
to bring to light the brightness of your splendour:
(Common Worship, p 306)
Post-Communion Prayer:
God, for whom we wait,
you fulfilled the hopes of Simeon and Anna,
who lived to welcome the Messiah.
Complete in us your perfect will,
that in Christ we may see your salvation,
for he is Lord for ever and ever.
Blessing:
Christ the Son of God, born of Mary,
fill you with his grace
to trust his promises and obey his will:
Suitable intercessions:
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
By the mystery of the Word made flesh
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the birth in time of the timeless Son of God
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the baptism of the Son of God in the river Jordan
Good Lord, deliver us.
For the kingdoms of this world,
that they may become the Kingdom of our Lord and Christ
We pray to you, O Lord.
For your holy, catholic and apostolic Church,
that it may be one
We pray to you, O Lord.
For the witness of your faithful people,
that they may be lights in the world
We pray to you, O Lord.
For the poor, the persecuted, the sick and all who suffer;
that they may be relieved and protected
We pray to you, O Lord.
For the aged, for refugees and all in danger,
that they may be strengthened and defended
We pray to you, O Lord.
For those who walk in darkness and in the shadow of death,
that they may come to your eternal light
We pray to you, O Lord.
Father, source of light and life,
Grant the prayers of your faithful people,
and fill the world with your glory, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Suggested Hymns:
Ezekiel 43: 27-44:
316, Bright the vision that delighted
670, Jerusalem the golden
Malachi 3: 1-5:
52, Christ, whose glory fills the skies
634, Love divine, all loves excelling
134, Make way, make way, for Christ the King
640, Purify my heart
Psalm 24: 1-10 (or 7-10):
696, God, we praise you! God, we bless you!
266, Hail the day that sees him rise (verses 1, 2)
358, King of glory, King of peace
337, Lift up your heads, O ye gates
131, Lift up your heads, you mighty gates
134, Make way, make way, for Christ the King
488, Stand up, stand up for Jesus
284, The golden gates are lifted up
Psalm 48:
646, Glorious things of thee are spoken
380, God has spoken to his people, alleluia
354, Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise
593, O Jesus, I have promised
Psalm 84:
400, And now, O Father, mindful of the love
333, How lovely are thy dwellings fair!
95, Jesu, priceless treasure
425, Jesu, thou joy of loving hearts
360, Let all the world in every corner sing
634, Love divine, all loves excelling
620, O Lord, hear my prayer
487, Soldiers of Christ, arise
342, Sweet is the solemn voice that calls
343, We love the place, O God
I Corinthians 13: 1-13:
515, ‘A new commandment I give unto you’
86, Christ is the King! O friends, rejoice
520, God is love, and where true love is, God himself is there
89, God is love – his the care
3, God is love: let heaven adore him
312, Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost
523, Help us to help each other, Lord
418, Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face
525, Let there be love shared among us
195, Lord, the light of your love is shining
634, Love divine, all loves excelling
655, Loving Shepherd of your sheep
7, My God, how wonderful thou art
229, My God I love thee; not because
105, O the deep, deep love of Jesus
323, The God of Abraham praise (verses 1, 2, 5)
530, Ubi caritas et amor
531, Where love and loving-kindness dwell
Hebrews 2: 14-18:
212, Jesu, grant me this, I pray
652, Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
635, Lord, be my guardian and my guide
108, Praise to the holiest in the height
114, Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown
627, What a friend we have in Jesus
Luke 2: 22-40:
119, Come, thou long–expected Jesus
88, Fairest Lord Jesus
691, Faithful vigil ended
191, Hail to the Lord who comes
193, In his temple now behold him
634, Love divine, all loves excelling
472, Sing we of the blessèd mother
203, When candles are lighted on Candlemas Day
‘Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace’ … a window in Saint Bartholomew’s Church, Ballsbridge, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)Liturgical Resources:
PART 2, The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany.
Liturgical Colour: White.
The Penitential Kyries (Epiphany):
God be merciful to us and bless us,
and make his face to shine on us.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
May your ways be known on earth,
your saving power to all nations.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
You, Lord, have made known your salvation,
and reveal your justice in the sight of the nations.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The Collect:
Creator God,
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
We pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Collect of the Word:
Almighty and everliving God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope and love;
and that we may obtain what you promise,
make us love what you command,
through your Son, Jesus Christ,
our Saviour and Lord.
Introduction to the Peace:
Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there shall be no end. (cf Isaiah 9: 6, 7)
Preface:
For Jesus Christ our Lord
who in human likeness revealed your glory,
to bring us out of darkness
into the splendour of his light:
The Post-Communion Prayer:
Generous Lord,
in word and Eucharist we have proclaimed
the mystery of your love.
Help us so to live out our days
that we may be signs of your wonders in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
The Blessing:
Christ the Son be manifest to you,
that your lives may be a light to the world:
Suggested Hymns:
Jeremiah 1: 4-10:
No hymns recommended
Psalm 48:
646, Glorious things of thee are spoken
380, God has spoken to his people, alleluia
354, Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise
593, O Jesus, I have promised
I Corinthians 13: 1-13:
515, ‘A new commandment I give unto you’
86, Christ is the King! O friends, rejoice
520, God is love, and where true love is, God himself is there
89, God is love – his the care
3, God is love: let heaven adore him
312, Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost
523, Help us to help each other, Lord
418, Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face
525, Let there be love shared among us
195, Lord, the light of your love is shining
634, Love divine, all loves excelling
655, Loving Shepherd of your sheep
7, My God, how wonderful thou art
229, My God I love thee; not because
105, O the deep, deep love of Jesus
323, The God of Abraham praise (verses 1, 2, 5)
530, Ubi caritas et amor
531, Where love and loving-kindness dwell
Luke 4: 21-30:
218, And can it be that I should gain
494, Beauty for brokenness
501, Christ is the world’s true light
119, Come, thou long-expected Jesus
380, God has spoken to his people, alleluia!
125, Hail to the Lord’s anointed
569, Hark my soul, it is the Lord
124, Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes
357, I’ll praise my maker while I’ve breath
97, Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
99, Jesus, the name high over all
134, Make way, make way, for Christ the King
706, O bless the God of Israel
104, O for a thousand tongues to sing
605, Will you come and follow me
The Jewish Holocaust Memorial on Platia Eleftherias near the port in Thessaloniki … in July 1942, all the men in the Jewish community aged from 18 to 45 were rounded up in this square for deportation (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)Holocaust Memorial Day:
On Sunday next (30 January), many churches throughout the Anglican Communion are also marking Holocaust Memorial Day, which falls on 27 January.
On Sunday, you may prefer to reflect on readings in the light of Holocaust Memorial Day. This day recalls the millions of people killed in the Holocaust, the Nazi Persecution and in later genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. The date was chosen because 27 January marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
A resource is available for use by churches, clergy and individual Christians to observe Holocaust Memorial Day 2021, produced by the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) with the support of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT).
It is designed for use in a worship setting on Holocaust Memorial Day It is not a complete service but includes a suggested liturgy for an act of commemoration within Christian worship. Commentaries are provided on the readings set for Sunday 23 January 2022, referencing the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 of ‘One Day.’
The Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 resources on the CCJ website are HERE.
You can download the Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 resource for worship and liturgy from the CCJ website HERE.
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is a day for everyone to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, and the millions of people killed under Nazi persecution, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.
Thousands of local events and activities take place throughout these islands every year – each one an opportunity for people to reflect on those whose lives were changed beyond recognition, and to challenge prejudice, discrimination, and hatred in our own society today.
The resource includes materials that can be used in a liturgy of remembrance, written by contributors from across the UK and from a variety of Christian denominations. There are poems, an exposition on the Scripture readings for the Sunday preceding HMD (Sunday 23 January 2022), prayers, a litany written by members of CCJ’s Yad Vashem Alumni Group, and a reflection on one day in the life of Jane Haining, a Scottish ‘Righteous Among the Nations’.
Thousands of local events and activities take place throughout these islands every year – each one an opportunity for people to reflect on those whose lives were changed beyond recognition, and to challenge prejudice, discrimination, and hatred in our own society today.
In Ireland, the Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration is firmly established in the national calendar and – outside times of Covid restrictions – it takes place in Dublin every year on the Sunday nearest to 27 January, the date of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The event cherishes the memory of the people who perished in the Holocaust and recalls the millions of men, women and children who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis because of their ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliations or religious beliefs.
Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity to reflect on issues raised by the Holocaust and all genocides, and to reflect especially on the fate of European Jewry. Christians have been among the perpetrators of genocide, as well as among the bystanders, and indeed the victims.
Holocaust Memorial Day gives us cause to remember the reality that evil is still powerful in our world. It can strengthen our resolve to protect every community from discrimination, intimidation and violence.
Additional hymns:
Additional hymns that might be appropriate for Holocaust Memorial Day include:
323, The God of Abraham praise
361, Now thank we all our God.
347, Children of Jerusalem
599, ‘Take up thy cross,’ the Saviour said
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
Material from The Book of Common Prayer (the Church of Ireland, 2004) is copyright © Representative Body of the Church of Ireland 2004.
Material from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.
The hymn suggestions are provided in Sing to the Word (2000), edited by Bishop Edward Darling. The hymn numbers refer to the Church of Ireland’s Church Hymnal (5th edition, Oxford: OUP, 2000).
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