Lord Jesus,
You, the divine Child carried by Mary's arms and offered to the Father,
on this day when You are presented in the Temple,
we come before You with a humble and trusting heart.
O Light of the nations,
like Simeon, we welcome You with wonder,
we contemplate Your innocence and Your holiness,
we recognise in You the Saviour of the world,
come to illuminate our darkness and guide our steps towards salvation.
Lord, You are the fulfilment of the promises,
the expected Messiah,
the beloved Son offered as a sign of the covenant,
the Light that never goes out.
We praise You and adore You,
for in You dwells the fullness of the Father's love.
O Mary, pure and blessed Mother,
on this day of the Presentation,
You offer Your Son to the Father in an act of obedience and love.
Learn us to abandon ourselves to God with the same trust,
to give Him all that we are,
to let ourselves be led by His will,
even when the path is veiled in suffering.
Lord Jesus,
Simeon prophesied that You would be a sign of contradiction,
that Your message would be welcomed by the humble
but rejected by those who close their hearts.
Help us always to choose truth and light,
even when they cost us.
Give us the strength to follow You faithfully,
to bear witness to Your love in the world,
to be, in our turn, lights kindled by Your Spirit.
Lord, on this blessed day, we entrust our lives to You.
Take our hearts as Mary offered You to the Father,
transform them into places of prayer and peace,
where the light of Your love shines.
O Jesus, presented in the Temple,
illuminate our faith,
strengthen our hope,
embrace our charity,
and lead us one day into the glory of Thy Kingdom.
Amen.
