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Epiphany Season · Year A

Presentation of the Lord

February 2, 2026

The Presentation at the Temple, Andrea Mantegna
The Presentation at the Temple, Andrea Mantegna, c. 1454Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
A close half-length group pressed against a painted marble frame, so the figures seem to lean out of it. The two at the edges are probably Mantegna and his wife.It is the reading: the forty days completed, the child brought up, and Simeon waiting.Andrea MantegnaA Paduan painter obsessed with Roman antiquity and with foreshortening, who painted stone as if he had quarried it himself.Gemäldegalerie, BerlinBerlin's old-master gallery, with one of the great collections of European painting before 1800, rebuilt after the division and reunification of the city.Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
Roman Lectionary
GospelLuke 2:22-40Lk 2:22-40 orLuke 2:22-32Lk 2:22-32
Second ReadingHeb. 2:14-18Heb 2:14-18
First ReadingMal. 3:1-4Mal 3:1-4
Responsorial PsalmPs. 24:7, 8, 9, 10 (10b)Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10 (10b)

Overview & Insights

“My eyes have seen your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” (Luke 2:30-32)

This scene completes the account of Jesus’s infancy. His circumcision and naming echo those of John in 1:59–63, but, as with the account of his birth, the subsequent incidents are unique, and they lift the reader’s expectations and theological understanding to a higher level. This scene provides the setting for the third of Luke’s canticles in chapters 1–2, Simeon’s song of praise, the Nunc Dimittis. This song, with its explicit recognition that Jesus is to be the Savior of the world, not just of the Jews, brings into the open a theme that so far has been only hinted at.

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Take it further: Luke 2:22-40 or Luke 2:22-32

Commentary

Commentary on Luke 2:22-40Commentary on Lk 2:22-40 Working Preacher

Luther Seminary commentary reading Simeon and Anna as the temple's welcome of the child who is salvation for all peoples.

Luke 2 Commentary: Jesus' Birth and BoyhoodLk 2 Commentary: Jesus' Birth and Boyhood Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik walks verse by verse through the purification, presentation, and the songs of Simeon and Anna.

Luke 2:22 CommentariesLk 2:22 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic and modern commentators (Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, and more) gathered on Luke 2:22.

The Presentation of the Lord (Sunday Connection) Loyola Press · Sunday Connection

Catholic Sunday Connection with background and family faith-formation activities on the presentation in the temple.

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Catholic Productions · Brant Pitre

Brant Pitre explains how Malachi's messenger, Psalm 24, and Luke 2 converge on the feast (Catholic).

Luke 2:22-40 CommentaryLk 2:22-40 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching

Reformed preaching commentary on Simeon's Nunc Dimittis and the light to the nations.

Background & Word Study

Book of Luke OverviewBook of Lk Overview BibleProject

Animated overview tracing Luke's story of Jesus from temple to temple.

Luke 2:22 InterlinearLk 2:22 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek word-by-word text of Luke 2:22 with parsing and Strong's numbers.

The Church Fathers

Church Fathers on Luke 2 (Catena)Church Fathers on Lk 2 (Catena) Catena

Verse-linked catena of the Church Fathers commenting on Luke 2 (Ambrose, Bede, and others).

Sermons & Reflections

The Presentation of Jesus - Luke 2:22-40The Presentation of Jesus - Lk 2:22-40 Gary Neal Hansen

Reformed pastor-scholar reflects on the aged Simeon and Anna recognizing the Messiah.

Art & Music

Presentation of the Lord, Year B Vanderbilt

Curated fine-art images for the Presentation readings, free for worship use with attribution.

Study Hub

Luke 2:22-40 (The Text This Week)Lk 2:22-40 (The Text This Week) Textweek

Ecumenical hub of commentaries, art, and sermon links gathered for Luke 2:22-40.

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