Fiesta de la Presentación
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Prayers for the
Anniversary of the Foundation
of the
Congregation of St. Basil
Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple
November 21
Oraciones para la conmemoración del aniversario
de La Congregación de San Basilio
fiesta de la Presentación de María en el templo
El 21 de noviembre
The Presentation of Mary in the Temple at Jerusalem
Thomas Rosica, C.S.B.
According to the tradition in the Eastern Church, when Mary was three years of age, Joachim and Anne took her to the Temple so that she might be consecrated to the service of the Lord. The legend recounts that they invited the young girls of the town to walk before her with lighted torches. As soon as they had reached the Temple, Mary, alone and unhesitatingly, went up the steps of the sanctuary where she was to remain, living in the contemplation of God and miraculously fed by the Archangel Gabriel, until the day she was espoused to Joseph, shortly before the Annunciation.
The theme of the feast is that Mary the Immaculate One, the Temple of the Living God, is offered to the Almighty in his holy house in Jerusalem. This day witnesses the bond between the Word and the Virgin predestined in eternity: this day is the fountainhead of all her privileges.
A more historical view is that the feast originates in Jerusalem in 543. In the Latin rite, it took many years for the feast to be widely accepted; it entered the Western calendar in 1585. Today, the feast celebrates the recognition of Mary as a temple in whom God dwells.
Marian devotion has always been important for the Basilian Congregation. In his History of the Basilian Fathers, Fr. Charles Roume recalls that it was on November 21, 1822, Feast of the Presentation of Mary that all the French confrères finally agreed to come together for their first 'Chapter'. They elected Fr. Joseph LaPierre as the first Superior General of the Basilian Community. For this reason, we have chosen November 21 as our foundation day.
As we gather together throughout the Congregation on or around November 21 each year to commemorate the Blessed Virgin Mary's presentation in the Temple at Jerusalem, we honor one whose hidden life brings light and warmth to the Church in every place. May her example give the Basilian Community the courage to seek wisdom, strength to radiate light and warmth to the Church, and the ability to become dwelling places of God's joyful presence on earth.
Example of Evening Prayer
Feast of the Presentation of Mary
in the Temple at Jerusalem
Entrance Hymn
Opening Prayer:
Lord our God, you were pleased to bring joy to the world
through the incarnation of your Son.
Grant that we who honor his Mother, the cause of our joy,
may always walk in the way of your commandments,
with our hearts set on true and lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Psalmody
Psalm 46 God, the Refuge of Israel
Left Side:
God is our refuge and our strength,
our ever-present help in distress.
Though the earth trembles and mountains
fall into the sea, we have no fear.
Right Side:
Waters foam and roar,
the mountains shake at their surgings;
but the God of hosts is with us -
our stronghold, the God of Israel.
There is a river whose streams
give joy to the City of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
Left Side:
God is in its midst; it stands firm.
God will aid it at the break of day.
Even if nations are in chaos, and kingdoms fall,
God's voice resounds; the earth melts away.
Right Side:
The Lord is with us, the God of Israel is our stronghold.
Come! See the deeds of the Most High,
the marvelous things God has done for us on earth;
all over the world, God has stopped wars -
breaking bows, splintering spears,
burning the shields with fire.
Left Side:
"Be still and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted upon the earth!"
The Most High is with us; our stronghold is the God of Israel.
ALL: GLORY TO THE FATHER …
Psalm 133 Recited together
Ah, how good and lovely it is
For brothers and sisters to live in community!
Like fragrant oil upon one's head
Flowing down one's beard,
The beard of Aaron, flowing down
The collar of his robes;
Like the dew of Mount Hermon, coming down
Upon the hills of Zion --
There the Lord confers the blessing,
Life that lasts forever.
ALL: GLORY TO THE FATHER ...
Psalm 84 A Pilgrimage Psalm
Left Side:
How I love your dwelling place, Lord Sabaoth!
How my soul yearns and pines for your courts!
My heart and my flesh cry out to you, the living God.
Right Side:
Finally, the sparrow has found its home, the swallow
a nest for its young - your altars, Lord Sabaoth,
O my God. Happy those who dwell in your house
and praise you all day long. R.
Left Side:
Happy those whose strength is in you;
they have courage to make the pilgrimage!
As they go through the Valley of the Weeper,
they make it a place of springs,
clothed in generous growth by early rains.
Right Side:
They make their way from strength to strength,
soon to see God in Zion.
Lord Sabaoth, hear my prayer; listen,
God of Jacob and Rebekah. R.
Left Side:
Now look on us, God our shield, and be kind to your anointed.
Only one day in your courts is worth more than a thousand elsewhere;
merely to stand at the door of God's house
is better than living with the wicked.
Right Side:
For you, God, are a sun and shield bestowing grace and glory.
The Lord withholds nothing good from those who walk without blame.
Lord Sabaoth, happy those who put their trust in you. R.
ALL: GLORY TO THE FATHER …
Gospel John 2:1-12
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.
Magnificat
Intercessions
Presider:
Let us join our prayers with those of Mary, the first to hear the Good News.
Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?” –Let us pray for Pope, Benedict XVI, and all ministers of the Word of God, that they may be truly open to bringing the flavour of the Gospel to the world. We pray to the Lord. R. Kyrie, Kyrie, eleison. (Taizé melody)
Le Seigneur a dit: “N’est-ce pas là le jeûne que je choisis: rompre les chaines de l’injustice, défaire les liens du joug, affranchir les opprimés et briser toutes les entraves?” –Prions enfin que la passion pour la paix et la justice illumine nos coeurs et consume nos partis pris, nos préjugés et nos jugements. Seigneur, nous te prions. R. Kyrie…
El Señor dice: “¿No será éste el ayuno que yo elija?: ¿partir al hambriento tu pan, y a los pobres sin hogar recibir en casa? ¿Que cuando ves a un desnudo le cubras, y de tu semejante no te apartes? –Oremos para que a través de la distribución equitativa de los bienes todas las personas puedan compartir en la abundancia de recursos del mundo y por todos les enfermos de cuerpo, mente y espíritu, que la mano sanadora de Dios los conduzca de la enfermedad a la salud. Oremos al Señor. R. Kyrie…
One hundred eighty- ____ years ago, God called the Basilian Fathers to life and entrusted to us the mission of education and evangelization. God has sent us to bring the light of the Gospel to the world today. -Let us pray for Basilians throughout the world, especially those in formation, that this celebration of our Foundation be a source of blessing, grace, renewed pastoral zeal and joy. We pray to the Lord. R. Kyrie…
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” –Let us pray for consolation for all those who mourn and resurrection for all those who have died, especially the members of the Basilian family. We also remember all those who die in senseless acts of violence in the world today. We pray to the Lord. R. Kyrie…
Our Father…
Closing Prayer:
Almighty and ever living God,
Today we honor the memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
whose hidden life brings light and warmth to the Church in every place.
Her presentation in the temple at Jerusalem teaches us
that she is truly a temple where God lives.
May her example give the Basilian Congregation
the strength to radiate light and warmth to the Church,
and help us to be dwelling places of God's joyful presence on earth.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Oración
Dios todopoderoso y eterno,
esta noche honoramos a la Santísima Virgen Maria,
cuya vida escondida trae luz y calor a la iglesia en todo lugar.
Su presentación en el templo nos enseña
que ella es vedaderamente el templo donde vive Dios.
Que su ejemplo dé a la comunidad basiliana la fuerza
para radiar luz y calor a la iglesia,
y nos ayude a ser una morada
de la presencia gozosa de Dios en la tierra.
Esto te lo pedímos por Jesucristo, nuestro Señor. Amen.
Concluding Hymn
Votive Masses
Mary, Temple of the Lord
[From Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1992]
The "mystery of the temple" was fulfilled in Christ Jesus (see John 2:19-22), in whom "the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). In Scripture the Church too is called a "holy temple"; "you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of God's household, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:19-21). Individual Christians are also "a temple of God" because God dwells in their hearts: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? God's temple is holy, and you are that temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
In a unique way the Blessed Virgin is herself "a holy temple":
-when she conceived the very Son of God in her immaculate womb, she became a true temple of the true God;
-when she cherished the word of God in her heart (see Luke 2:19, 51), loved Christ so ardently, and faithfully kept his word, the Son and the Father came to her and made their home with her, in accordance with the promise of the Lord (see John 14:23).
This Mass therefore celebrates the divine motherhood of our Lady and her holiness of life under this image of "the temple."
Our Lady is called "a holy temple" built "with artistry beyond all telling" by God for the Son (see OP); a "temple" of God's glory "without compare," because of her "obedience of faith and the mystery of the incarnation" (Pref); a "temple of holiness and a temple of love for us sinners . . . temple filled with the Holy Spirit" (All).
Other images are also used to draw out the significance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, all more or less equivalent to the idea of the "temple": a tabernacle within which God dwells, a dwelling that will always stand firm (Com Ant, Psalm 46:5- 6; see Ent Ant, Revelation 21:3); a house of the Lord, which God has filled with his presence (see 1 Read, 1 Kings 8:11; Resp, Psalm 84:11); a house of gold, "adorned by the Spirit with every kind of virtue" (Pref); a royal palace, "resplendent with the presence of the One who is the Truth" (Pref), dwelt in by the King of kings; the holy city, "rejoicing in its streams of grace" (Pref, see Psalm 46:5); the ark of the covenant, "enshrining the author of the New Law" (Pref).
OPENING PRAYER
Lord God, with artistry beyond all telling
you fashioned a holy temple for your Son
in the virginal womb of Blessed Mary;
grant that, in faithfully safeguarding the grace of our baptism,
we may worship you in spirit and in truth
and become like Mary a temple of your glory.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
First reading I Kings 8:1, 3-7, 9-11 or Revelation 21:1-5a
Psalm 84:3, 4, 5 and 10, 11
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord, receive these gifts from our grateful hearts
as we celebrate this memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
from whose life we learn the secret of prayer and praise.
In your goodness grant that like her
we may offer you a sacrifice of holiness
by doing always what is pleasing in your sight.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE MARY, TEMPLE OF THE LORD
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.
By the grace of the Holy Spirit you purify our hearts by your light
and sanctify them with your presence,
so that they become the dwelling-place of your glory.
But because of her obedience of faith and the mystery of the incarnation
you made the Blessed Virgin your temple without compare:
a house of gold adorned by the Spirit with every kind of virtue,
a royal palace resplendent with the presence of the One who is the Truth,
the holy city, rejoicing in its streams of grace, the ark of the New Covenant
enshrining the author of the New Law, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him the angels of heaven offer their prayer of adoration
as they rejoice in your presence for ever.
May our voices be one with theirs in their triumphant hymn of praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might . . .
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord our God,
you have nourished us with food and drink from heaven;
grant that, like the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may serve you in holiness of life,
revere your presence in our neighbor,
and with Mary proclaim your greatness with sincerity of heart.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
MISSA DE LA VIRGEN MARIA, TEMPLO DEL SENOR
[Missas de la Virgen María, Conferencia Episcopal Española,, 1987]
El «misterio del Templo» alcanz su perfección en Cristo Jesus (cf. Jn 2, 19-22), en quien «habita corporalmente toda la plenitud de la divinidad» (Col 2, 9). En la sagrada Escritura tambien la Iglesia es llamada consagrado»: «Sois conciudadanos de los santos y miembros de la familia de Dios. Estais edificados sobre el cimiento de los apostoles y profetas, y el mismo Cristo Jesus es la piedra angular. Por el todo el edificio queda ensamblado, y se va levantando hasta formar un templo consagrado al Senor» (Ef 2, 19-21). Y tambien cada uno de los fieles, por la inhabitación de Dios en sus corazones, es «templo de Dios: «No sabeis que sois templo de Dios y que el Espiritu de Dios habita en vosotros? (...) porque el templo de Dios es Santo: ese templo sois vosotros» (1Co 3, 16-17).
Tambien la santisima Virgen es, a titulo especial, «templo santo»:
- por haber Ilevado en sus entranas inmaculadas al mismo Hijo de Dios, se convirtio en templo verdadero del Dios verdadero;
- por haber conservado la palabra de Dios en su corazón (cf. Lc 2, 19. 51), por haber amado intensamente a Cristo y haber guardado fielmente sus palabras; el Hijo y el Padre, segun la promesa del Senor, vinieron a ella e hicieron morada en ella (cf. Jn 14, 23).
Esta misa, por tanto, bajo la imagen del «templo», celebra la maternidad divina de la santisima Virgen Maria y su santidad de vida. Santa Maria es llamada «templo santo» edificado de modo inefable por Dios para su Hijo (cf. Co); «templo» de la gloria de Dios «por el misterio de la Encarnacion, / y por su fe obediente» (Pf); «templo de justicia,/ templo de piedad para nosotros, pecadores, / ... templo Reno del Espiritu Santo» (Al).
Tambien se emplean otras imagenes, tomadas de la sagrada Escritura, para significar a la santisima Virgen, imagenes que significan casi to mismo que la imagen del «templo»: morada que tiene a Dios en medio y que no vacila (Ant com, cf. Sal 45 [46], 5-6; cf. Ant entr, Ap 21, 3); casa del Senor que Dios ha llenado con su presencia (cf. I Lect, 1R 8, 11; Sal resp, Sal 83 [84], 11); casa de oro «adornada por el Espiritu Santo con toda clase de virtudes» (Pj); palacio real «resplandeciente por el fulgor de la Verdad» (Pf), en el que habitó el Rey de reyes; ciudad santa «que alegran los rios de la gracia» (Pf, cf. Sal 45 [46], 5); arca de la Alianza «que contiene al Autor de la nueva Ley» (Pf).
Oración colecta
Oh Dios, que de modo inefable has edificado un templo santo
para to Hijo en el seno virginal de santa Maria,
concedenos adorarte en el Espiritu Santo y en la verdad,
siguiendo fielmente la gracia del bautismo,
para merecer convertirnos nosotros
tambien en templos vivos de to gloria.
Por nuestro Senor Jesucristo…
I Reyes 8, 1. 3-7. 9-11; Apocalipsis 21, 1-5a
Sal 83, 3. 4. 5 y 10. 11
Lucas 1, 26-38
Oración sobre las ofrendas
Recibe, Senor, los dones que to presentamos
con alegria en la memoria de santa Maria Virgen,
cuya vida es para nosotros modelo de oración y de alabanza,
y concedenos vivir como ella
para ofrecerte un sacrificio verdadero.
Por Jesucristo, nuestro Senor.
Prefacio
En verdad es justo y necesario, es nuestro deber y salvacion
darte gracias siempre y en todo lugar, Senor, Padre santo,
Dios todopoderoso y eterno.
Porque to has preparado una morada en nosotros,
purificada e iluminada por el Espiritu Santo
y santificada con to presencia.
La Virgen Maria, por el misterio de la encarnacion,
y por su fe obediente, se convirtio en templo singular de to gloria,
casa de oro adornada por el Espiritu con toda clase de virtudes,
palacio real resplandeciente por el fulgor de la Verdad,
ciudad santa que alegran los rios de la gracia,
arca de la nueva Alianza que contiene al Autor de la nueva ley,
Jesucristo, Senor nuestro:
Por el, los angeles y los arcangeles to adoran eternamente,
gozosos en to presencia. Permitenos unirnos a sus voces cantando to alabanza:
Santo, Santo, Santo...
Oración despues de la communion
Alimentados con esta eucaristia,
haz, Senor, que to sirvamos con una conducta libre de pecado
y, siguiendo el ejemplo de la Virgen Maria,
to veneremos presente en nuestros hermanos
y proclamemos con ella to grandeza, alabandote sinceramente.
Por Jesucristo, nuestro Senor.
La presentación de María en el Templo de Jerusalén
Thomas Rosica, C.S.B.
De acuerdo a la tradición de la Iglesia Oriental, cuando María tenía tres años de edad, Joaquín y Ana la llevaron al Templo para que pudiera ser consagrada al servicio de Dios. Cuenta la leyenda que ellos invitaron a las niñas de la ciudad para que marcharan delante de María con antorchas encendidas. Apenas arribaron al Templo María - sola y sin vacilar - subió las escaleras del santuario donde iba a permaner, viviendo en la contemplación de Dios y alimentada milagrosamente por el Arcángel Gabriel, hasta el día en que fue desposada con José, poco tiempo antes de la Anunciación.
El tema de esta fiesta es que María, la Inmaculada, el Templo del Dios Viviente, es ofrecida al Todopoderoso en su santa casa en Jerusalén. Este día testimonia el vínculo entre la Palabra y la Virgen, predestinada desde la eternidad. Este día es la fuente de todos sus privilegios. Una visión más histórica es la que remite a la celebración de esta fiesta en el año 543 en Jerusalén. En el rito latino le llevó muchos años a la fiesta ser ampliamente aceptada: entró en el calendario en 1585. Actualmente, la fiesta celebra el reconocimiento de María como un templo en el cual Dios habita.
La devoción mariana ha sido importante siempre para la Congregación Basiliana. En su “Historia de los Padres Basialianos”, el padre Charles Roume recuerda que fue un 21 de noviembre de 1822, fiesta de la Presentación de María, cuando todos los hermanos franceses aceptaron finalmente reunirse para su primer Capítulo. Eligieron al Padre Joseph LaPierre como primer Superior General de la Comunidad Basiliana. Por esa razón, hemos escogido el 21 de noviembre como día de nuestra fundación.
Mientras en toda la Congregación nos reunimos para celebrar el 21 de noviembre cada año para conmemorar la presentación de la Sagrada Virgen María en el Templo de Jerusalén, honramos a aquella cuya vida oculta trae luz y calor a la Iglesia en todo lugar. Pueda su ejemplo dar a la Comunidad Basiliana el coraje para buscar la sabiduría, fortaleza para irradiar luz y calor a la Iglesia, y la habilidad de convertirnos en moradas de la gozosa presencia de Dios en la tierra.
Front Cover: Mary’s Entrance into the Temple, Moscow School – 16th Century – Centro Russo Ecumenica, Rome
Above: Présentation de Marie au Temple – Bradi Barth, Abbaye St-Benoit du Lac, Québec
