The Presentation: February 2

Psalms

Psalm 42
^{To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.
1}As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.

²My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?

³My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
"Where is your God?"

⁴When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.

⁶O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.

⁷Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

⁸The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life.

⁹I will say to God my Rock,
"Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"

¹⁰As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

¹¹Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
-- NKJV

Psalm 43
¹Vindicate me, O God,
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

²For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

³Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.

⁴Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.

⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
-- NKJV

First Reading

1 Samuel 2:1-10
¹And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. ²"No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. ³"Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed. ⁴"The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength. ⁵Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble. ⁶"The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. ⁷The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. ⁸He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, And He has set the world upon them. ⁹He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. ¹⁰The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed." -- NKJV

Second Reading

John 8:31-36
³¹Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³²And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ³³They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?" ³⁴Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. -- NKJV