First Reading: Exodus 2:1-10
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a
daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son;
and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him
three months. And when she could hide him no longer she
took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it
with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and
placed it among the reeds at the river's brink. And his
sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done
to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe
at the river, and her maidens walked beside the river;
she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to
fetch it. When she opened it she saw the child; and lo,
the babe was crying. She took pity on him and said,
"This is one of the Hebrews' children." Then his sister
said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call you a
nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl
went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's
daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse
him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the
woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew,
and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became
her son; and she named him Moses, for she said, "Because
I drew him out of the water."
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Second Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7
Listen to me, O coastlands, and hearken, you peoples
from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the
body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth
like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me
away. And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in
whom I will be glorified." But I said, "I have labored
in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and
vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my
recompense with my God." And now the Lord says, who
formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring
Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to
him, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my
God has become my strength -- he says: "It is too light
a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the
tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations, that my
salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
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The Epistle: 2 Timothy 2:16-end
But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal:
"The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let every one
who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." In
a great house there are not only vessels of gold and
silver but also of wood and earthenware, and some for
noble use, some for ignoble. If any one purifies himself
from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble
use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house,
ready for any good work. So shun youthful passions and
aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with
those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart. Have
nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies; you
know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant
must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt
teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with
gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent
and come to know the truth, and they may escape from the
snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do
his will.
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The Gospel: Luke 2:22-39
And at the end of
eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called
Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was
conceived in the womb. And 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 (as it is
written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens
the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer
a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the
Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Now
there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and
this man was righteous and devout, looking for the
consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that
he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's
Anointed. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the
temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus,
to do for him according to the custom of the law, he
took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord,
now let your servant depart 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 the glory of your
people Israel." And his father and his mother marveled
at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and
said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for
the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign
that is contradicted (and a sword will pierce through
your own heart also), that thoughts out of many hearts
may be revealed." And there was a prophetess, Anna, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a
great age, having lived with her husband seven years
from her virginity, and as a widow till she was
eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple,
worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And
coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and
spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption
of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything
according to the law of the Lord, they returned into
Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew
and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of
God was upon him.