Sunday Readings - Walmer and the Cornilo Churches

THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST 1 February 2026

FIRST READING Malachi 3.1–5

A reading from the book of the prophet Malachi.

Thus says the LORD God:

1 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me,

and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.

The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight –

indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

2 But who can endure the day of his coming,

and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner

and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi

and refine them like gold and silver,

until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD

as in the days of old and as in former years.

Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages,the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien,and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

PSALM Psalm 24.(1–6), 7–10

Either

R The Lord of hosts,

he is the king of glory.

R The Lord whom you seek

will suddenly come.

[ 1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,

the world and all who dwell therein.

2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas

and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep. R

3 ‘Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?

and who can stand in his holy place?’

4 ‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,

who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,

nor sworn by what is a fraud. R

5 They shall receive a blessing from the Lord

and a just reward from the God of their salvation.’

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,

of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob. R ]

7 Lift up your heads, O gates;

lift them high, O everlasting doors;

and the King of glory shall come in.

8 ‘Who is this King of glory?’

‘The Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, mighty in battle.’ R

9 Lift up your heads, O gates;

lift them high, O everlasting doors;

and the King of glory shall come in.

10 ‘Who is he, this King of glory?’

‘The Lord of hosts,

he is the King of glory.’ R

SECOND READING Hebrews 2.14–18

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.

Since the children share flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death

he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.

For it is clear that he did not come to help angels,

but the descendants of Abraham.

Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters

in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest

in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people.

Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

GOSPEL Luke 2.22–40

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses,

Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

(as it is written in the law of the Lord,

‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’),

and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord,

‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon;

this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel,and the Holy Spirit rested on him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death

before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple;

and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary,

‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

There was also a prophet, Anna

the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.

She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day.

At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;

and the favour of God was upon him.

8 February 2026 SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

FIRST READING Genesis 1.1 – 2.3

A reading from the book of Genesis.

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,

the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

Then God said,

‘Let there be light’; and there was light.

And God saw that the light was good;

and God separated the light from the darkness.

God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.

And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said,

‘Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters,

and let it separate the waters from the waters.’

So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome.

And it was so.

God called the dome Sky.

And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said,

‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’

And it was so.

God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas.

And God saw that it was good.

Then God said,

‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed,

and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’

And it was so.

The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it.

And God saw that it was good.

And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

And God said,

‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night;

and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years,

and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’

And it was so.

God made the two great lights –

the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars.

God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth,

to rule over the day and over the night,

and to separate the light from the darkness.

And God saw that it was good.

And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

And God said,

‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures,

and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’

So God created the great sea monsters

and every living creature that moves, of every kind,

with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind.

And God saw that it was good.

God blessed them, saying,

‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas,

and let birds multiply on the earth.’

And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

And God said,

‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind:

cattle and creeping things

and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’

And it was so.

God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind,

and the cattle of every kind,

and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind.

And God saw that it was good.

Then God said,

‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,

and over the birds of the air,

and over the cattle,

and over all the wild animals of the earth,

and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’

So God created humankind in his image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them,

‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;

and have dominion over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the air

and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’

God said,

‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed

that is upon the face of all the earth,

and every tree with seed in its fruit;

you shall have them for food.

And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air,

and to everything that creeps on the earth,

everything that has the breath of life,

I have given every green plant for food.’

And it was so.

God saw everything that he had made,

and indeed, it was very good.

And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished,

and all their multitude.

And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done,

and he rested on the seventh day from all the work

that he had done.

So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it,

because on it God rested from all the work

that he had done in creation.

PSALM Psalm 136.1–9, (10–22), 23–26

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his mercy endures for ever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his mercy endures for ever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his mercy endures for ever.

4 Who only does great wonders,