Page:MaryHelpOfChristians.djvu/139



Mother of  Sorrows,  queen  of  martyrs,  pray for us!

Preparatory Prayer  (p.  115).

ORTY days  after  the  birth  of  our  divine Saviour, Mary  His  Mother  fulfilled  the  law of Moses  by  offering  Him  to  His  divine  Father in the  Temple. "And behold  there  was  a  man  in Jerusalem  named  Simeon,  and  this  man  was  just and  devout,  waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel, and  the  Holy  Ghost  was  in  Him.  And  he  received an  answer  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should not  see  death  before  he  had  seen  the  Christ  of  the Lord.  And  he  came  by  the  Spirit  into  the  temple. And  when  His  parents  brought  in  the  child  Jesus, to  do  for  Him  according  to  the  custom  of  the  law, he  also  took  Him  into  his  arms,  and  blessed  God, and  said:  Now  dost  Thou  dismiss  Thy  servant, O  Lord,  according  to  Thy  word,  in  peace;  because my  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation,  which  Thou hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  peoples.  A light  to  the  revelation  of  the  gentiles  and  the  glory of  Thy  people  Israel.  And  His  father  and  mother