Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading 1 1 Mc 2:15-29

The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy
came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices.
Many of Israel joined them,
but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart.
Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias:
"You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city,
supported by sons and kin.
Come now, be the first to obey the king's command,
as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah
and those who are left in Jerusalem have done.
Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King's Friends,
and shall be enriched with silver and gold and many gifts."
But Mattathias answered in a loud voice:
"Although all the Gentiles in the king's realm obey him,
so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers
and consents to the king's orders,
yet I and my sons and my kin
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree."

As he finished saying these words,
a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all
to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein
according to the king's order.
When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal;
his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused;
he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar.
At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king
who was forcing them to sacrifice,
and he tore down the altar.
Thus he showed his zeal for the law,
just as Phinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu.

Then Mattathias went through the city shouting,
"Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!"
Thereupon he fled to the mountains with his sons,
leaving behind in the city all their possessions.
Many who sought to live according to righteousness and religious custom
went out into the desert to settle there.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15

R.(23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia Ps 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
"If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

For the readings of the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, please go here.

From: 1 Maccabees 2:15-29

Mattathias Takes Action at Mode-in

[15] Then the king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the city
of Modem to make them offer sacrifice. [16] Many from Israel came to them;
and Mattathias and his sons were assembled. [17] Then the king’s officers
spoke to Mattathias as follows: “You are a leader, honored and great in this ci-
ty, and supported by sons and brothers. [18] Now be the first to come and do
what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those
that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered
among the friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with sil-
ver and gold and many gifts.”

[19] But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations
that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to do his com-
mandments, departing each one from the religion of his fathers, [20] yet I and
my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathers. [21] Far be it
from us to desert the law and the ordinances. [22] We will not obey the king’s
words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.”

[23] When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the
sight of all to offer sacrifice upon the altar in Modein, according to the king’s
command. [24] When Mattathias saw it, be burned with zeal and his heart was
stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him upon the altar.
[25] At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was forcing them to sacri-
fice, and he tore down the altar. [26] Thus he burned with zeal for the law, as
Phinehas did against Zimri the son of Salu.

[27] Then Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: “Let every
one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!”
[28] And he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the city.

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Commentary:

2:15-28. Mattathias certainly behaves savagely but he has a special reason for
acting in this way: it helps to legitimate his leadership and that of his descen-
dants in the liberation of Israel. Due to his priestly background Mattathias was
a man of some status; what he did could influence others. Here, in a sense, he
represents the people. Not only does he not succumb to the temptation to gain
social and financial advantage by being untrue to his conscience and his religion
(cf. vv. 17-22); he shows signs of being a savior of his people. His action is com-
parable to that of Phinehas (v. 26), that priest who, according to Numbers 25:
6-15, ran a spear through an Israelite and a Midianite woman, thereby turning
God’s wrath back from the people. In reward for his action God gave Phinehas
a covenant of peace and promised him and his line a perpetual priesthood (cf. v.
54). Moreover, on that occasion God disposed that the Israelites should attack
the Midianites and defeat them. The memory of Phinehas endured in Jewish tra-
dition (cf. Ps 106:28-31; Sir 45:23). Although the sacred writer does not expres-
sly say so, the comparison with Phinehas gives us an inkling that Mattathias is
becoming someone who has a covenant with God and will be a savior of the peo-
ple.

Both Phinehas and Mattathias were motivated by zeal for the Lord and for his
Law (vv. 24, 26-27; Num 25:11). Although the way they expressed their zeal was
understandable only in that distant context (it would not he acceptable today),
their zeal for God and the things of God is still something to be imitated (cf. Ori-
gen, “Commentarii in Epistulam ad Romanos”, 8, 1). Our Lord Jesus Christ will
also feel zealous for the house of God, the temple, and will perform a symbolic
act of violence against those who profaned it (cf. Jn 2:17; Ps 69:9). It is this sort
of zeal that leads a Christian to “holy intransigence”. “Be uncompromising in
doctrine and conduct. But be yielding in manner. A mace of tempered steel,
wrapped in quilted covering. Be uncompromising, but don’t be obstinate” (St. J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 397).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 19:41-44

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem

[41] And when He (Jesus) drew near and saw the city He wept over it, [42]
saying, “Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But
now they are hid from your eyes. [43] For the days shall come upon you, when
your enemies will cast a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on
every side, [44] and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not
know the time of your visitation.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

41-44. When the procession reaches a place where there is a good view of the
city, they are disconcerted by Jesus’ unexpected weeping. Our Lord explains
why He is weeping, by prophesying the destruction of the city which He loved
so much: not one stone will remain on another, and its inhabitants will be mas-
sacred—a prophecy which was fulfilled in the year 70, when Titus razed the city
and the temple was destroyed. These historical events will be a punishment
for Jerusalem failing to recognize the time of its visitation, that is, for closing its
gates to the salvific coming of the Redeemer. Jesus loved the Jews with a very
special love: they were the first to whom the Gospel was preached (cf. Matthew
10:5-6); to them He directed His ministry (cf. Matthew 15:24); He showed by His
word and by His miracles that He was the Son of God and the Messiah foretold
in the Scriptures. But the Jews for the most part failed to appreciate the grace
the Lord was offering them; their leaders led them to the extreme of calling for
Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus visits every one of us; He comes as our Savior; He teaches us through
the preaching of the Church; He gives us forgiveness and grace through the sa-
craments. We should not reject our Lord, we should not remain indifferent to
His visit.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

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Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

These are the readings for the feria

First reading
1 Maccabees 2:15-29 ©

'Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its ordinances'

The commissioners of King Antiochus who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them sacrifice. Many Israelites gathered round them, but Mattathias and his sons drew apart. The king’s commissioners then addressed Mattathias as follows, ‘You are a respected leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you. Be the first to step forward and conform to the king’s decree, as all the nations have done, and the leaders of Judah and the survivors in Jerusalem; you and your sons shall be reckoned among the Friends of the King, you and your sons shall be honoured with gold and silver and many presents.’ Raising his voice, Mattathias retorted, ‘Even if every nation living in the king’s dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors. Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances. As for the king’s orders, we will not follow them: we will not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.’ As he finished speaking, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the royal edict required. When Mattathias saw this, he was fired with zeal; stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on the altar. At the same time he killed the king’s commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the altar. In his zeal for the Law he acted as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salu. Then Mattathias went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘Let everyone who has a fervour for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.’ Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.

At this, many who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 49(50):1-2,5-6,14-15 ©

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

The God of gods, the Lord,

has spoken and summoned the earth,

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Zion’s perfect beauty he shines.

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘Summon before me my people

who made covenant with me by sacrifice.’

The heavens proclaim his justice,

for he, God, is the judge.

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God

and render him your votive offerings.

Call on me in the day of distress.

I will free you and you shall honour me.’

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

Gospel Acclamation	Ps118:135

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let your face shine on your servant,

and teach me your decrees.

Alleluia!

Or:	Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 19:41-44 ©

Jesus sheds tears over the coming fate of Jerusalem

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you – and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’

These are the readings for the memorial

First reading
Zechariah 2:14-17 ©

'I am coming', says the Lord

Sing, rejoice,

daughter of Zion;

for I am coming

to dwell in the middle of you

– it is the Lord who speaks.

Many nations will join the Lord,

on that day;

they will become his people.

But he will remain among you,

and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you.

But the Lord will hold Judah

as his portion in the Holy Land,

and again make Jerusalem his very own.

Let all mankind be silent before the Lord!

For he is awaking and is coming from his holy dwelling.

Responsorial Psalm	Luke 1:46-55 ©