THE PRESENTATION OF
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Mary remained in the Temple where she was
educated in preparation for her role as the Mother of God. Mary, by saying
"Yes," had an extraordinary role in the salvation story.
Today's memorial of the Presentation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary is not found in any of the four Gospels. It originates from
one of the apocryphal books, the Protoevangelium of James. However, it was
celebrated in Jerusalem
until the sixth century and a church was built in honor of Mary's Presentation.
Although this feast was of great importance to the Eastern Church, it
disappeared from the Western calendar for a time. In the sixteenth century, it
was once again recognized in the Western
Church and became a feast
of the universal Church.
As a young child, Mary's parents, Joachim and
Ann, brought her in thanksgiving to the Temple
in Jerusalem
where she was consecrated to God, our Father. She remained in the Temple where she was
educated in preparation for her role as the Mother of God. Mary, by saying
"Yes," had an extraordinary role in the salvation story. This reality
leads us to marvel at her courage and the role she plays in salvation history!
In today's first reading from Maccabees, we
hear, "God forbid that we should forsake the Law and commandments" (1
Mc 2:21). This reminds us of the promises made at our baptism. Let us reflect
on those promises, which were made in the fervor of our Christian initiation:
We rejected evil and the empty promises of power and glory. We affirmed our
belief in the Trinity, the Catholic Church, the Communion of the Saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. As we
honor the Presentation of Mary today, let us, in these weeks leading into
Advent, present ourselves to God and the Church community as she did!
Are we prepared to give our all to God?