By tradition, Mary’s parents presented her to God in the Temple when she was little. Let us pray for all children that they will be filled with God’s grace. (pause) Gracious God, loving Father, keep your little ones safe in the arms of your love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Friday The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 21 November 2025 We Gather A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (23:35-43) While the crowd stood there watching Jesus, the leaders insulted him by saying, "He saved others. Now he should save himself, if he really is God's chosen Messiah!" The soldiers made fun of Jesus and brought him some wine. They said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!" Above him was a sign that said, "This is the King of the Jews." One of the criminals hanging there also insulted Jesus by saying, "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and save us!" But the other criminal told the first one off, "Don't you fear God? Aren't you getting the same punishment as this man? We got what was coming to us, but he didn't do anything wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Remember me when you come into power!" Jesus replied, "I promise that today you will be with me in paradise." The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Imagine how Jesus’ mother Mary must have felt to hear the nasty things that the crowd and soldiers said to Jesus while he was already suffering on the cross. Whilst we might think that our words don’t hurt others as much as physical injuries, this is not true. As you watch this video on bullying, take some time to reflect upon the power of words, and remember to be gentle with how you use them. We Reflect May Christ the Life create us anew. Amen. May God bless us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We Go into the World We Listen 213
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