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Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast day: Nov 21

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Prayer for the Presentation of Mary (from the Melkite Liturgy.)

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In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.' Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.

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The Presentation of Mary Novena

• About The Presentation of Mary
• Why Pray The Presentation of Mary Novena?

The Presentation of Mary is a feast day in the Catholic Church. 

We know that the Blessed Mother was extremely faithful. We hear about her obedience to God in the Gospels. But what was her life like before the Annunciation? The historical tradition of the Presentation of Mary gives us an understanding of Mary’s childhood. There are no reliable historical references to Mary’s presentation. Yet, the theological significance remains. Mary’s “yes” to God and His plan for her life began long before the Annunciation!

Pray the Presentation of Mary novena with us to ask for Our Lady’s intercession!

There are no biblical or reliable historical records that depict the Presentation of Mary. An account is found in the Protoevangelium of James. The Protoevangelium of James is an apocryphal gospel that is not considered to be inspired by God. A vision by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich also upholds the description in this account. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that Church dogma does not require believers to believe in the Presentation of Mary.

That being said, the theological richness and historical tradition of upholding the feast make for beautiful contemplation. According to tradition, Mary was presented in the temple when she was three years old. Her parents, Joachim and Anne, had suffered from infertility. When they finally conceived Mary, they dedicated her to God fully in the Temple. This is similar to the story of Hannah in the Old Testament. Hannah promised to dedicate her child to God in the Temple if she had a baby. She did and she upheld her end of the promise; her son Samuel ended up being the leader and prophet who would anoint Israel’s first two kings.

If Mary was presented, she would have lived in the Temple growing up. Her whole life would have been dedicated to God’s service. As a virgin, she would have served the Temple and the priests in all of their needs. She also would have been well-versed in Scripture and Jewish law.

The Presentation of Mary connects the Immaculate Conception and the Annunciation. It fills in gaps about what happened to Mary between her birth and the arrival of Gabriel. It also illustrates how the two feasts are connected. Mary’s conception without original sin was only heightened by her total dedication to God. Thus, her “yes” at the Annunciation points towards this quality of loving God totally.

Additionally, Mary is seen as the new Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was the container that carried God’s presence in the Old Testament. How exciting that the new Ark lived in the Temple also!

This event cannot be part of Church doctrine because it cannot be proven historically. However, the theological significance is so strong that the Church decided to make it a feast day in honor of Our Blessed Mother. No matter how she was raised, clearly Mary was dedicated to God. Even if it was not formally in the Temple, she was certainly offered to God spiritually by her family. 

The Presentation of Mary Feast Day: November 21

Our Blessed Mother is a wonderful intercessor for any intention. However, you may be particularly drawn to the Presentation of Mary novena if you have a new child you’d like to spiritually dedicate to God. Couples who are experiencing infertility may also enjoy the Presentation of Mary Novena. You can pray for Mary to intercede on your behalf for a baby and promise to dedicate them to God in return!

If you are looking to increase your own dedication to God, the Presentation of Mary Novena can help you come to understand Mary’s own connection to God. 

You can pray the Presentation of Mary Novena for any intention!

The Presentation of Mary Novena Prayers

The presentation of mary novena - day 1.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Mary, when you were presented in the temple, your parents chose to have your life dedicated to God. You would live in the temple and serve God and the priests as you grew up.

What they couldn’t control was your heart. But that had been dedicated to God long before your birth!

Blessed Mother, teach me how to say yes to God as you did. Your “yes” at the Annunciation changed the course of salvation history. The world would not have been saved without your willingness. You knew it would be a challenging mission. You accepted it anyway.

I humbly ask that you help me grow in desire to serve God. Help me to say yes to His will even when it’s scary!

I also ask that you keep in mind my intentions:

(State your intentions here)

Thank You, God, for Mary’s yes throughout her life. Help me to emulate it!

The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 2

I wonder what St. Anne was thinking when she presented you in the temple, Mary.

She had just suffered through a period of infertility. She longed to have a child, to have you. But, she had been unable to conceive. Then, she made a promise to God to have you belong entirely to Him. Suddenly, her wish was fulfilled.

And now, here she was to dedicate you.

Was she scared for what that would mean for your life? Was she sad to have to give you over to someone else’s care?

Or did she know what was in store for your life?

We always ask if you knew, Mary, what would happen to your baby boy.

I’d like to ask St. Anne the same thing.

Today, I bring to you, O Blessed Mother, all the children of the world. Please bless them. Guide their parents to dedicate their children’s lives and hearts to God.

O God, please bless all children! Help them to grow up as a strong, holy generation. Help them to be as devoted to you as Mary is!

The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 3

O Mary, I beg of you to be close to all those who are suffering from infertility.

Your mother knew the sting of infertility, Mary. As she waited for a child, she prayed. Just like Hannah with Samuel in the Old Testament! She prayed that if she received a child, she would offer him or her to the Lord.

Eventually, her prayers were answered positively. But this isn’t always the case for everyone.

Mary, please be close to those who suffer this burden. Help them to know that there is nothing wrong with them or their marriage that this is happening. Guide them to get the medical help they need. Also offer them comfort in this heartache. Give their friends and family prudence to know what to say. And help them to be open to whatever God’s will is for their family - adoption, spiritual parenthood, or some other ministry.

Please also pray for my intentions I bring before you now:

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 4

What was it like growing up among holy men, Mother Mary?

It must have been quite fascinating for a young girl to be serving in this way. You got to be a part of worshipping God!

I know that today our priests are getting attacked by Satan. They probably were in your time, too. Scandals in the Church are making them distrusted and hated. The devil is preying on them with many temptations. In some countries, our priests are even being captured and killed.

Without the priests of your time, worship could not take place. Without priests now, we cannot have the Eucharist.

Crush the devil’s head, O Mary. Defend your holy priests! You know firsthand the struggles they face. Help them to remain devoted to your Son and their ministry through you, O Lady. Pray that I will know how I can better support and pray for our priests.

Please also bring before our Lord my intentions:

(State your intentions)

God bless our priests!

The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 5

Mary, you would have been very familiar with God’s word. As a girl dedicated in the Temple, you spent much time studying it.

You would have understood the Old Testament. You would know the prophecies for the Messiah by heart.

That’s why, when the angel Gabriel appeared to you, you knew exactly what was going on.

Sometimes, the Bible can seem inaccessible. I don’t understand some of the meaning. So I don’t give it as much attention as I should.

But the word of God is the word of your Son. It is the revelation of God to us so we can come to know Him better. Please enlighten my mind to understand the Bible. Train me so I can better know our Lord. Pray that I will be more dedicated to spending time reading God’s word and allowing it to change my heart and mind.

Please also bring my intentions before God:

God, I know that the fullness of revelation is contained in Scripture. Help me to better understand You through it!

The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 6

Mary, some people have a hard time in their relationship with you. They struggle to understand where you fit in.

As the mother of Christ, you are close to Him physically and spiritually. We do not worship you. You were fully human. Yet, we know that you were set apart from birth for this role.

We can learn so much from you, Blessed Mother. We can learn how to live. We can learn how to be a faithful person. We can learn how to be a caring, compassionate mother. Most of all, we can learn how to love.

There is no one that is better at praying than you, Mary. That is why we dedicate so many of our prayers to you. You make them better! You personally deliver them to your Son for us.

That is why I come before you now with these intentions:

Mother Mary, pray for us.

O Jesus, You are my Lord. None compare to You. Yet I know the love You have for Your Mother. I love her too. Help me to become closer to her through these prayers. Help me to model her love for You.

The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 7

Mary, this world scares me sometimes.

It’s so full of sin! Everywhere I turn, there is something going on that frightens my soul. 

In this era, it is so easy to fall into sin. The culture makes sin look desirable and easy! I don’t want to fall into sin, but I do sometimes.

I wonder what the world was like when you were presented, O Mary. I bet it was also filled with sin, just like today. It might look different, but I bet it was still there. 

I wonder that’s one of the reasons why Sts. Anne and Joachim had you presented and dedicated the Temple. They wanted to protect you from the world of sin. Of course, they didn’t have to worry about that for you. You were born without sin!

I think that makes you the best candidate to help me avoid it! Mary, please help me to resist temptation. When I am faced with sin, help me to say no to it and yes to God, just like you did. Pray that, over time, I will become stronger at resisting sin. 

Please also pray for my intentions:

God, I desire to be close to You. I know that sin damages our relationship. Inspire my heart to go to confession if I am in need. Help me to resist temptation so that I may be closer to You!

The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 8

Mary, one of your promises is to be with those who are dying.

Many of the times that you have appeared to the saints, you have offered this promise of protection of the soul at the time of death. After watching your own Son die, you know what it is like.

Please be with all who are ill and suffering. Offer them comfort. Present them with numerous opportunities to get to know your Son.

Please also be with all who will die soon, especially for those who will die today. Grant them a peaceful death. Usher them into Heaven to be with you and Jesus.

Please also keep in mind my intentions:

O God, I know that death is not something to be feared! Please prepare me to meet with a happy death so that I may be joined with You forever.

The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 9

Mary, we do not know if you were physically presented and dedicated in the Temple. However, your devotion to God was certainly very strong throughout your life.

Your greatest “yes” of course was saying yes to being the mother of the Messiah at the Annunciation. But you continued to say “yes” to God’s crazy plans throughout the rest of your life. You gave birth in a stable. You had to run away to Egypt. You lost Jesus in the Temple. You watched Jesus perform miracles and be mocked. You even had to say “yes” to watching Him die on the cross.

You are the model of saying “yes” to God’s crazy will, even when you don’t fully understand it.

Can you help me to do the same? I want to speak that unrelenting “yes.” I want to believe and trust that God knows what’s best, even when I can’t see it. I want to be able to effect change as you did.

When you were presented to God in the Temple as a girl, you had no idea what lay ahead through that commitment. I don’t either. But I want to make that dedication anyway.

Please help me, Mary. Help me to trust God, help me to overcome my fears and doubts.

Could you also pray for my intentions? I bare so many heavy things on my soul, including:

O God, I want to come to know and love You better. Thank You for all of the blessings in my life. Help me to continue to say yes to Your will!

Related Novenas

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• Saint of the Day

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• November 21
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Image:   Presentation of Mary in the Temple  | Alfonso Boschi | photo by sailko

Saint of the day for november 21.

The Story of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. A church was built there in honor of this mystery. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church.

As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the  Protoevangelium of James  tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was 3 years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.

Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond.

It is sometimes difficult for modern Westerners to appreciate a feast like this. The Eastern Church, however, was quite open to this feast and even somewhat insistent about celebrating it. Even though the feast has no basis in history, it stresses an important truth about Mary: From the beginning of her life, she was dedicated to God. She herself became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God’s saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary enriches her children. They—we—too are temples of God and sanctified in order that we might enjoy and share in God’s saving work.

Click here for more on Mary!

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The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

When Mary was asked to be the mother of the Savior, she was completely free to accept or reject the offer. Her response, “Let it be done to me,” was a great act of faith. Because she did not understand what was happening, she must have known that there would be difficulties ahead.

She replied yes to the angel's announcement and agreed to become the mother of Jesus, and the Church has declared Mary to be the Mother of God. Because she was the first to say yes to the Messiah, the Church has declared her to be the Mother of the Church.

The feast of the presentation of Mary dates back to the 6th century in the East and the 15th century in the West. It is based on an ancient tradition that says Mary was taken to the temple in Jerusalem when she was 3-years-old and dedicated to God. What we celebrate on this day is the fact that God chose to dwell in Mary in a very special way. In response, Mary placed her whole self at the service of God. Every moment since your Baptism, God invites you to be open to his grace and dedicate yourself to him, as Mary did.

from Saints and Feast Days , by Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon, Ohio

Image credit: Presentation of Mary by Titian, 1538. Public Domain via Wikimedia.

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Prayer for the Feast of the Presentation of Mary

O God, Who didst will that on this day the blessed ever Virgin Mary, the dwelling-place of the Holy Ghost, should be presented in the temple: grant, we beseech Thee, that through her intercession, we may be made worthy to be presented in the temple of Thy glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, a world without end.

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The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Dedication of the Mother of God

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The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated every year on November 21, commemorates (in the words of the Liturgy of the Hours, the daily prayer of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church) "that dedication of herself which Mary made to God from her very childhood under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who filled her with grace at her Immaculate Conception ." Also known as the Dedication of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the feast originated in the East, where it is called the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple.

Quick Facts

• Date: November 21.
• Type of Feast: Memorial.
• Readings: Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6; Luke 19:11-28 ( full text here )
• Prayers: The Hail Mary
• Other Names for the Feast: The Dedication of the Blessed Virgin Mary; The Presentation of Mary; The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple

History of the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

While the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was not generally celebrated in the West until the 11th century, it appears in most of the earliest calendars of the Eastern Churches. Derived from accounts in apocryphal literature, especially the Protoevangelium of James , the feast seems first to have appeared in Syria, where the Protoevangelium and other apocryphal books, such as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew , originated. The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary first rose to prominence, however, in Jerusalem, where it was associated with the dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary the New.

That basilica was built near the ruins of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Protoevangelium of James and other apocryphal works told the story of Mary's presentation at the Temple at the age of three. In gratitude for being granted a child after years of infertility, Mary's parents, Saints Joachim and Anna , had vowed to dedicate Mary to the service of God at the Temple. When they presented her at the Temple at the age of three, she stayed willingly, showing her dedication to God even at that young age.

The Presentation and the Protoevangelium of James

The Protoevangelium of James, while an extrabiblical document, is the source of many details of Mary's life that became universally accepted by the Church, including the names of her parents, the story of her birth , her age at her betrothal to Saint Joseph, and Saint Joseph's advanced age and his status as a widower with children by his first wife. It also played a large role among Christians, both Eastern and Western, in recognizing Mary as the new Temple, the true Holy of Holies. When Mary left the Temple at the age of 12 after her betrothal to Joseph, she remained pure and chaste, and at the Annunciation , God came to dwell in her.

The Spread of the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary first made its way to the West through monasteries in Southern Italy in the ninth century; by the 11th century, it had spread to other locales but was by no means universally celebrated. Under the influence of a French nobleman, Philippe de Mazières, Pope Gregory XI began celebrating the feast during the Avignon papacy.

Pope Sixtus IV first placed the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the universal calendar in 1472, but in the Tridentine reform of the calendar in 1568, Pope Pius V removed the feast. It was restored 17 years later by Pope Sixtus V and remains in the Roman calendar today as a memorial.

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Our feast today is known in the Western Roman Catholic Church as the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in the Eastern Churches as the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple.

It is a Catholic Liturgical feast celebrated on November 21 every year.

This feast is not derived from the New Testament of the Holy Bible but from the Protoevangelium of James , which was discovered in the 2nd century AD.

In this writing, James says that Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne , were old, and wealthy but childless. After much prayer and fasting, they received a message from heaven that they would be blessed with a child.

The couple were blessed with a daughter and named her Mary, and after three years, in thanksgiving , they consecrated her to God and took her to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and remained there. This was after they had made a vow to dedicate their child to God if they were blessed with one.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple is likened to that of Samuel who was offered as a gift to God and presented to the temple by her mother Hannah, who was also barren.

Mary remained in the temple until she was 12 years when she was taken under the care of St Joseph . It is said that her father Joachim died when she was 6 years and her mother died when she was eight years old.

This feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was first held in the Eastern Church around the 6th century but the Western Roman Catholic Church did not embrace it until the 15th century.

The feast started to be celebrated by the Byzantines after the dedication of the newly-built Basilica of Saint Mary in 543 AD in Jerusalem. However, the basilica was destroyed during the Siege of Jerusalem in 614 AD.

Even after the siege, the Eastern Church continued to celebrate the feast. In 1372, Pope Gregory XI introduced this feast to the Roman Catholic Church, and in 1472 it was included in the Roman Missal.

However, in 1568, Pope Pius V suppressed this feast but it was reintroduced in 1585 by Pope Sixtus V.

The feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary signifies the lifelong and total devotion that Mary made to God through her Immaculate Conception.

She listened to the voice of God while still in her childhood and agreed to become the temple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God .

Related Links

• Catholic Daily Readings for The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 2nd February 2020, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Sunday Homily
• Catholic Daily Mass Readings for February 2 2024, Friday, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord – Homily
• Presentation of the Lord at the Temple – Luke 2:22-40
• Bible Verse of the Day for April 2 2023 – Palm Sunday, Jesus Enters Jerusalem in Jubilation
• 2nd February 2019: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Year C

Saints Whose Feast Days are in November

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Presentation of Mary (Feast)

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary commemorates the occasion when St Joachim and St Ann, the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents, took Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem. She was about three years old. Their visit was to thank God for the gift of their child, Mary, and consecrate her life to Him.

Prior to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s birth, her mother was barren, but following a life of prayer and fasting, an Angel appeared to her saying, “The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth, and your seed (offspring) shall be spoken of in all the world”.

At the Temple, Mary’s proud parents introduced her to the chief priests. They blessed Mary saying, “O God most high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost blessing, which shall be for ever”. (St James’ Gospel)

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary is the 21st of November.

Mary, Queen of Heaven:

Give us a heart as beautiful, pure and spotless as yours. A heart like yours, so full of love and humility.

May we be able to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life, to love Him as you loved Him, to serve Him under the mistreated face of the poor. ( Extract from prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary )

Glory be to the…

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Prayers to : The Blessed Virgin Mary

Novenas to Our Lady of : Epiphany    Fatima ,  Guadalupe , Knock ,  Lourdes ,  Mount Carmel ,  Perpetual Help ,  Sorrows

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• The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• e-Formation

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated every year on November 21, commemorates (in the words of the Liturgy of the Hours, the daily prayer of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church) "that dedication of herself which Mary made to God from her very childhood under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who filled her with grace at her Immaculate Conception." Also known as the Dedication of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the feast originated in the East, where it is called the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple.

Quick Facts

• Date: November 21.
• Type of Feast:
• Readings: Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6; Luke 19:11-28 (full text here)
• Prayers: The Hail Mary
• Other Names for the Feast: The Dedication of the Blessed Virgin Mary; The Presentation of Mary; The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple

Jewish law required the ritual dedication of first-born sons to God in the Temple. It is probable that a similar custom, if not a law, called for Jewish girls to also be so dedicated. It is the likely presentation of the child Mary in such a ceremony that we celebrate today.

"Sacred Scripture contains no text concerning the event commemorated in today's liturgy. For something of a historical background one may consult the apocryphal works, particularly the  Protoevangel of St. James  (ch. 4:1ff). After an angel had revealed her pregnancy, Anna is said to have vowed her future child Mary to the Lord. Soon after birth the infant was brought to the sacred precincts at which only the best of Israel's daughters were admitted. At the age of three she was transferred to the temple proper (7:2). According to legend, here she was reared like a dove and received her nourishment from the hand of an angel (8:1).

As we venerate the glorious memory of the most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession, that we, too, may merit to receive from the fullness of your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

From: Learn Religion , Divine Mercy and Catholic Culture web sites.

Written by St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church

View all posts by: St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church

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PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

God, come to my assistance.  - Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:  -  as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. H YMN - O Mary of all women, you are the chosen one, Who, ancient prophets promised, would bear God’s only Son; All Hebrew generations prepared the way to thee, That in your womb the God-man might come to set us free.

O Mary, you embody all God taught to our race, For you are first and foremost in fullness of his grace; We praise this wondrous honor that you gave birth to Him Who from you took humanity and saved us from our sin. Melody: Au fort detresse 76.76D; Music: 17th century Flemish Melody Text: Michael Gannon Or: - Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day; Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!

Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine; Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread; Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!

Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood; Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the temple, Christ the temple's Lord; Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven's Rest; Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the mother, Christ the mother's Son By all things blest while endless ages run. Amen. Melody: Mary the Dawn; Music: Anon Text: Anon, alt. by the Dominican Sisters of Summit or: - Praise to Mary, Heaven's Gate, Guiding Star of Christians' way, Mother of our Lord and King, Light and hope to souls astray.

When you heard the call of God Choosing to fulfill his plan, By your perfect act of love Hope was born in fallen man.

Help us to amend our ways, Halt the devil's strong attack, Walk with us the narrow path, Beg for us the grace we lack.

Mary, show your motherhood, Bring your children's prayers to Christ, Christ, your son, who ransomed man, Who, for us, was sacrificed.

Virgin chosen, singly blest, Ever faithful to God's call, Guide us in this earthy life, Guard us lest, deceived, we fall.

Mary, help us live our faith So that we may see your son; Join our humble prayers to yours, Till life's ceaseless war is won.

Praise the Father, praise the Son, Praise the holy Paraclete; Offer all through Mary's hands, Let her make our prayers complete. Melody: Gott sei dank 77.77 Music: Freylinghausen's , 1670-1739 Text: V.S.S. Coles, 1845-1929 P SALMODY

Antiphon 1 : Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: Let us go to God's house. And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel's law it is, there to praise the Lord's name. There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray: Peace be to your homes!

For love of my brethren and friends I say: Peace upon you. For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. Glory... Antiphon 1 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Antiphon 2 I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you have said.

If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.

In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat, when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.

Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, a blessing, the fruit of the womb. Indeed the sons of youth are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

O the happiness of the man who has filled his quiver with these arrows! He will have no cause for shame when he disputes with his foes in the gateways. Glory... Antiphon 2 I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you have said. Antiphon 3 Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Canticle  -  See Revelation 19:1-7 The wedding of the lamb

Alleluia. Salvation, glory, and power to our God: (Alleluia.) his judgments are honest and true. Alleluia (alleluia).

Alleluia. Sing praise to our God, all you his servants, (Alleluia.) all who worship him reverently, great and small. Alleluia (alleluia).

Alleluia. The Lord our all-powerful God is King; (Alleluia.) Let us rejoice, sing praise, and give him glory. Alleluia (alleluia).

Alleluia. The wedding feast of the Lamb has begun, (Alleluia.) and his bride is prepared to welcome him. Alleluia (alleluia). Glory...

Antiphon 3 Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. R EADING       Galatians 4:4-5 When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. R ESPONSORY Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.  - Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  - The Lord is with you. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  - Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. M AGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary) Antiphon: Holy Mother of God, Mary ever-Virgin, you are the temple of the Lord and the holy dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Beyond all others you were pleasing to our Lord Jesus Christ. I NTERCESSIONS Let us praise God, our almighty Father, who wished that Mary, his Son's mother, be celebrated by each generation.  Now in need we ask:

                   Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.

O God, worker of miracles, you made the immaculate Virgin Mary share, body and soul, in your Son's glory in heaven, - direct the hearts of your children to that same glory.

You made Mary our mother.  Through her intercession grant strength to the weak, comfort to the sorrowing, pardon to sinners, - Salvation and peace to all.

You made Mary full of grace, - grant all men the joyful abundance of your grace.

Make your Church of one mind and one heart in love, - and help all those who believe to be one in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

You crowned Mary queen of heaven, - may all the dead rejoice in your kingdom with the saints for ever.

Let us praise God our almighty Father, who wished that Mary, his Son's mother, be celebrated by each generation. Now in need, we ask:

                 Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.

You made Mary the mother of mercy, - may all who are faced with trials feel her motherly love.

You wished Mary to be the mother of the family in the home of Jesus and Joseph, - may all mothers of families foster love and holiness through her intercession.

You gave Mary strength at the foot of the cross and filled her with joy at the resurrection of your Son, - lighten the hardships of those who are burdened and deepen their sense of hope.

You made Mary open to your word and faithful as your servant. - through her intercession make us servants and true followers of your Son.

Prayer For The Presentation Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Troparion of the Vigil Today Anne brings us glad tidings, bearing in her arms the precious fruit that dispels all sorrow, the one being ever-precious fruit that dispels all sorrow, the one being ever-virginal. In fulfillment of her vow, she joyfully presents on this day in the Lord's temple the true tabernacle of the Word of God, His immaculate Mother. Troparion Today is the prelude to God's munificence and the announcement of the salvation of men: in the temple of God the Virgin is visible to all foretelling the coming of Christ. Wherefore let us cry out to her with all our strength: Hail, fulfillment of the Creator's plan. Kontakion The most pure temple of the Saviour, the most precious bridal chamber, the Virgin, the sacred treasury of God's glory, enters today into the house of the Lord, bringing with her the grace of the divine Spirit. Wherefore the angels of God sing to her: Behold the heavenly Tabernacle. Hirmos The angels were stunned as they beheld the most pure one coming in, and they said: O Wonder. The Virgin enters into the Holy of Holies. O Mother of God, you are the precious Ark of God: no profane hand may touch you. But the lips of the faithful will never cease to sing your praise, repeating with joy the angel's word: O pure Virgin, you are indeed raised above all creatures. Kinonikon I will take the chalice of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Alleluia.

O blessed Virgin Mary! who can duly thank thee, or herald forth thy praises, who, by the assent of thy single will, didst rescue a fallen world? What honor can be paid to thee by our weak human nature, which, by thy intervention alone, hath found the way to return to grace and life? Accept then, such poor thanks as we have here to offer, unequal to thy merits though they be; and, accepting our good desires, obtain by thy prayers the remission of our offenses. Graciously hear our prayers, and obtain for us the remedy of reconciliation.

May the offering we make to God through thee, through thee be acceptable in his sight; and may that be granted which we ask with trustful heart. Accept our offerings, grant us our petitions, banish our fears; for thou art the sole hope of sinners. Through thee we hope for forgiveness of our sins; and in thee, most blessed Lady, is the hope of our reward.

Holy Mary, succor the wretched, help the fainthearted, comfort the sorrowful, pray for the people, shield the clergy, intercede for holy women; let all who celebrate thy holy commemoration feel thy protection. Be thou at hand, ready to aid our prayers, and obtain for us what we desire. Make it thy care, blessed Lady, to intercede ever for the people of God--thou who didst deserve to bear the Redeemer of the world, who liveth and reigneth, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, Who didst will that on this day the blessed ever Virgin Mary, the dwelling-place of the Holy Ghost, should be presented in the temple: grant, we beseech Thee, that through her intercession, we may be made worthy to be presented in the temple of Thy glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.

Praise to Mary, Heaven's Gate, Guiding Star of Christians' way, Mother of our Lord and King, Light and hope to souls astray.

When you heard the call of God Choosing to fulfill his plan, By your perfect act of love Hope was born in fallen man.

Help us to amend our ways, Halt the devil's strong attack, Walk with us the narrow path, Beg for us the grace we lack.

Mary, show your motherhood, Bring your children's prayers to Christ, Christ, your son, who ransomed man, Who, for us, was sacrificed.

Virgin chosen, singly blest, Ever faithful to God's call, Guide us in this earthy life, Guard us lest, deceived, we fall.

Mary, help us live our faith So that we may see your son; Join our humble prayers to yours, Till life's ceaseless war is won.

Praise the Father, praise the Son, Praise the holy Paraclete; Offer all through Mary's hands, Let her make our prayers complete.

Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day; Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!

Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine; Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread; Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!

Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood; Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the temple, Christ the temple's Lord; Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven's Rest; Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the mother, Christ the mother's Son By all things blest while endless ages run. Amen.

O Mary of all women, you are the chosen one, Who, ancient prophets promised, would bear God's only Son; All Hebrew generations prepared the way to thee, That in your womb the God-man might come to set us free.

O Mary, you embody all God taught to our race, For you are first and foremost in fullness of his grace; We praise this wondrous honor that you gave birth to Him Who from you took humanity and saved us from our sin.

When she was only three years old, the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem by her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne. (We celebrate their feast day on July 26.) Mary's whole life was to belong to God. He had chosen her to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus. The Blessed Virgin was happy to begin serving God in the Temple. And St. Joachim and St. Anne were pleased to offer their saintly little girl to God. They knew that God had sent her to them.

In the Temple, the high priest received the child Mary. She was placed among the girls who were dedicated to prayer and Temple service. The high priest kissed and blessed the holy child. He realized that the Lord had great plans for her. Mary did not weep or turn back to her parents. She came so happily to the altar that everyone in the Temple loved her at once.

St. Joachim and St. Anne went back home. They praised God for their blessed daughter. And Mary remained in the Temple, where she grew in holiness. She spent her days reading the Bible, praying and serving the Temple priests. She made beautiful linens and splendid vestments. Mary was loved by all the other girls because she was so kind. Mary tried to do each of her duties well, to please God. She grew in grace and gave great glory to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, the Blessed Virgin Mary was dedicated to You by her parents when she was three. In the temple, she joined the girls who spent their days praying, reading Scripture, and serving the temple priests. Her holiness was very evident, and the high priest thought that You probably had great plans for her. I ask Mary to pray for the plans You have for my life. Where I have strayed onto a road of my own choosing, give me her hand to guide me back to where You want me. Where I need to wait for a new plan to begin, give me the grace remain patient and say, "Your will be done." Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for me. Amen

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Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

November 21: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary—Memorial

Liturgical Color: White

Quote: And the child was three years old, and Joachim said: Invite the daughters of the Hebrews that are undefiled, and let them take each a lamp, and let them stand with the lamps burning, that the child may not turn back, and her heart be captivated from the temple of the Lord. And they did so until they went up into the temple of the Lord. And the priest received her, and kissed her, and blessed her, saying: The Lord has magnified your name in all generations. In you, on the last of the days, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel. And he set her down upon the third step of the altar, and the Lord God sent grace upon her; and she danced with her feet, and all the house of Israel loved her. And her parents went down marveling, and praising the Lord God, because the child had not turned back. And Mary was in the temple of the Lord as if she were a dove that dwelt there, and she received food from the hand of an angel. ~Protoevangelium of James

Reflection: There are three “gospels” which are believed to have heavily influenced today’s memorial—the Protoevangelium of James, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary. The earliest of these writings was the Protoevangelium of James (also called the “Apocryphal Gospel of James”), which was most likely written sometime in the second century. It is not considered to be part of the inspired word of God, i.e., the canon of Scripture, because it does not appear to have actually been written by the Apostle James. Nonetheless, like many early Christian documents, this apocryphal gospel held great influence in the early Church. It is from this writing that the Church takes the traditional names of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents—Saints Joachim and Anne—since that is the only record of their names we have.

The Protoevangelium of James gives a detailed account of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s life. It details her Immaculate Conception, birth, presentation in the Temple, and her life in the Temple where she prayed continuously and was ministered to by angels until the age of twelve. The story continues with her miraculously arranged marriage to Saint Joseph, Jesus’ birth, Herod’s encounter with the Magi, the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, and the martyrdom of Zechariah, Saint John the Baptist’s father. Though the Apocryphal Gospel of James does not contradict anything in the canonical Gospels, many more details are added that could be true.

At the time of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was not uncommon for some children to be presented in the Temple at a young age, to be raised there, and to enter into service at the Temple. They assisted the priests and acted as servants of charity. Though every firstborn boy was ritually presented to the priest in the Temple eight days after birth so as to be consecrated to God, sometimes girls were also presented, but for the purpose of entering into the Temple’s service. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, an eighteenth-century Doctor of the Church who wrote extensively on the Blessed Virgin Mary, offers this description of her presentation in the Temple, which mirrors the aforementioned apocryphal gospel accounts:

Having barely reached the age of three years, the holy child Mary entreated her parents that she might be placed in the temple according to the promise they had made. The appointed day having arrived, the immaculate young Virgin left Nazareth with St. Joachim and St. Anne, accompanied by a host of angels attending that holy child destined to become the mother of their Creator…Upon their arrival at the temple in Jerusalem, the holy child turned to her parents. Kneeling, she kissed their hands, asked for their blessing, and then, without looking back, ascended the steps of the temple. There, renouncing the world and all it could offer her, she wholly offered and consecrated herself to God. From then on, Mary’s life in the temple was a continuous exercise of love, offering her entire being to her Lord…As a young virgin in the temple, Mary did nothing but pray, desiring to be the servant of the blessed Virgin chosen to be the mother of God ( Glories of Mary , On the Feast of the Presentation of Mary).

It is believed that this feast originated in the Eastern Byzantine liturgy around the sixth century at the time that Byzantine Roman Emperor Justinian I built a church in Jerusalem near the ruins of the Temple called the Basilica of Saint Mary the New. By the ninth century, several monasteries in the Latin Church began to observe this feast, and it was added to the Universal Church calendar in the fifteenth century. 

In 1953, Pope Pius XII tied this memorial of the Presentation of Mary to an annual commemoration of the World Day of Cloistered Life. He did so because of the belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary was not only presented in the Temple as a child, she then lived out her childhood in constant prayer and solitude, becoming the most excellent model for those in the cloister.

In 1974, Pope Saint Paul VI wrote a beautiful apostolic exhortation, Marialis Cultus (For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary) , in which he speaks of the development of Marian devotion in the life of the Church. Regarding feasts like today’s, which come to us in part from apocryphal sources, he says, “There are still others [feasts] which, apart from their apocryphal content, present lofty and exemplary values and carry on venerable traditions having their origin especially in the East.”

As we celebrate the liturgical memorial of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, we especially honor the fact that, regardless of the lack of certainty of the historical details, the Blessed Virgin Mary lived a life of profound prayer and contemplation from her earliest years and continued to do so throughout her life. She always has been, and continues to be, the Immaculate One, the sinless Spouse of the Holy Spirit, the first contemplative, and one who dedicated her whole life to the service of the will of God. Even if the account of her presentation and childhood service in the Temple is not accurately represented in these early sources, the spiritual reality of her total dedication to the will of God throughout her life is an indisputable dogma of our faith.

As we ponder the early life and dedication of the Blessed Virgin Mary to God’s will today, reflect upon the fact that every child is capable of a profound faith and commitment to God’s will. For those who are entrusted with the guardianship and raising of children, allow your prayerful reflection on the holy life of Blessed Mary as a child to inspire you to help all young people imitate her profound faith and holiness.

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Feast of the Presentation of Mary

The celebration of Mary’s presentation in Jerusalem dates back to the sixth century, marked by the construction of a dedicated church. This event held greater significance within the Eastern Church and later emerged in the Western Church in the 11th century. Although its observance fluctuated over time, by the 16th century, it was firmly established as a feast for the entire Church.

The story of Mary’s presentation in the temple is found only in apocryphal texts, notably the Protoevangelium of James. According to this narrative, Mary’s parents, Anna and Joachim, dedicated her to God at the temple when she was three years old, fulfilling a vow made during Anna’s childlessness.

While lacking historical verification, the theological significance of Mary’s presentation is profound. It complements the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Mary’s birth, highlighting the continuity of her sanctity from her early life onwards. This event underscores the belief in Mary’s lifelong holiness, a central theme in Christian theology.

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21 comments.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

I was wondering if there is a book about the life of Mary from her birth to her death, and if so, where can I buy it.

The book that contains the life of Mary is The Mystical City of God by Mary of Agreda. A book that has been approved by the Church.

You can buy it on Amazon.com or any Catholic book store.

I have the book. It’s very deep. Mary of Agreda was the author. Mel Gibson used her account of the Passion in his movie, The Passion of Christ.

Dr. Mark Mira Valle does some great books on St Mary and St Joseph. They’re called ‘Meet your Mother’ and ‘Meet your Spiritual Father’, respectively. You can get them from Lighthouse Catholic media.

we fly to thy patronage o holy mother of God despise not our prayers in our necessites but deliver us from all dangers o ever glorious and blessed virgin mary.Amen

O Domina mea, Sancta Maria, me, in tuam benedictam fidem ac singularem custodiam et in sinum misericordiae tuae hodie et quotidie et in hora exitus meae. Animam meam et corpus meum tibi commendo. Omnem spem et consolationem meam, omnes angustias et miserias meas; vitam ac finem vitae tibi committo ut per tuam sanctissimam intercessionem et per tua merita omnia mea dirigantur et disponantur opera secundum tuam tuique Filii voluntatem. Amen.

The book is also free online. Go to: http://www.themostholyrosary.com/mystical-city.htm

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Oh my Mother! Your parents dedicated you from the very beginning, before even birth, before even conception! I have dedicated my children, myself, and my husband/our marriage to you! Please pour your graces out upon us so that we can lead lives of holiness. Thank you for your willingness, obedience, and love. AMEN

Where in the bible can i find the reading of St Joaquim and St. Ann presenting little mary in the temple?

Evelyn, the account of the presentation is in the Proevangelium of James, which is not one of the canonical books of scripture.

Sorry, Protoevangelium*

Thank you for Your love, O Mary our Mother.

Life is good and the love of God.

We supplicate you, dear Vatican, to declare the doctrine of the partnership of Mary with redemption… In this verse of Cana wedding, Christ proclaims his mother’s partnership in the sacrament of redemption: He changed his appointed time before the creation of the world with his Father, when Mary asked for, and he returned and made the miracle, because he wants to understand us the partnership of Mary in the offering And in the hour of glory which the Father gave with the thundering voice of the multitude, this was for them and not for Christ, and in the hour of crucifixion, the turning of wine to blood which is of the blood of Mary. From this cried the Eastern and Western fathers of Mary: O partner of redemption … Just as she participated in the transformation of water to wine .. She participated in the transformation by her son, of wine to blood for salvation in love…

My Queen and my Mother, I give myself entirely to you, and, in proof of my affection, I give you my eyes, my ears, my tongue, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Since I am your own, keep me and guard me as your property and possession. Amen.

1 Samuel 15:22-24 (rsvce) 22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” 24 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, help us to embrace Fear of the Lord, and pledge our obedience to Heaven opposing all enemies who exist in preternatural influence rather than Supernatural Truth. Thank you for your heroic virtue, for gathering us to stand with you at the foot of Christ Crucified, for your obedience to holy law, for the faith and example of Saints Anne and Joachim, your astonishing parents, who educated you, loved you, knowing your perfection of humility. Amen.

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How the Presentation of Mary is a preparation for Advent

© José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Presentation of Mary is celebrated in the Church on November 21, one of the final feasts before the Advent season begins.

While the connection might not appear obvious, 19th-century writer Dom Prosper Guéranger saw in the Presentation of Mary a preparation for Advent, as he explains in his Liturgical Year .

[O]ur Lady’s Presentation also opens new horizons before the Church. On the Cycle of the Saints, which is not so precisely limited as that of the Time, the mystery of Mary’s sojourn in the sanctuary of the Old Covenant is our best preparation for the approaching season of Advent . Mary, led to the Temple in order to prepare in retirement, humility, and love for her incomparable destiny , had also the mission of perfecting at the foot of the figurative altar the prayer of the human race, of itself ineffectual to draw down the Savior from heaven. She was , as St. Bernardine of Siena says, the happy completion of all the waiting and supplication for the coming of the Son of God; in her, as in their culminating point, all the desires of the saints who had preceded her found their consummation and their term.

Presentation of Mary

Guéranger refers to the tradition that Mary was presented to the Temple by her parents. According to  Fr. Alban Butler , this was a custom of some Jewish parents at the time, “Religious parents never fail by devout prayer to consecrate their children to the divine service and love, both before and after their birth. Some amongst the Jews, not content with this general consecration of their children, offered them to God in their infancy, by the hands of the priests in the Temple, to be lodged in apartments belonging to the Temple, and brought up in attending the priests and Levites in the sacred ministry.”

This event corresponds to Advent in an essential way. It looks to Mary’s own preparation in the Temple as an example for us, to use Advent as a time of patient waiting and prayer .

Mary’s Presentation challenges us to think ahead to what God is preparing for us and to take advantage of Advent as a special spiritual season of preparation.

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FEAST OF SAINT EDMUND, MARTYR – 20th NOVEMBER

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – 21 NOVEMBER

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Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it – (Lk. 11:28)

This feast is associated with an event recounted not in the New Testament, but in the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James. According to that text, Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, who had been childless, received a heavenly message that they would have a child. In thanksgiving for the gift of their daughter, they brought her, when still a child, to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to God.

Later versions of the story (such as the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary) indicate that Mary was taken to the Temple at around the age of three in fulfillment of a vow. Tradition held that she was to remain there to be educated in preparation for her role as Mother of God.

The account of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple is principally based on the Protoevangelium of James, which has been dated by historians prior to the year 200 AD. The story relates that in thanksgiving for the birth of their daughter Mary, Joachim and Anne decide to consecrate her to God, and bring her, at the age of three years, to the temple in Jerusalem.

Mary’s presentation in the temple draws parallels to that of the prophet Samuel, whose mother Hannah, like Anne, was also thought to be barren, and who offered her child as a gift to God at Shiloh. Mary remained in the Temple until her twelfth year, at which point Joseph was assigned to be her guardian. According to Coptic tradition, her father Joachim died when Mary was six years old and her mother when Mary was eight. It is from this account that arose the feast of Mary’s Presentation.

The feast originated as a result of the dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary the New, built in 543 by the Byzantines under Emperor Justinian I near the site of the ruined Temple in Jerusalem. This basilica was destroyed by the Sassanid Persians under Khosrau II after the Siege of Jerusalem (614).

The feast continued to be celebrated throughout the East, was celebrated in the monasteries of Southern Italy by the ninth century, and was introduced into the Papal Chapel in Avignon in 1372 by decree of Pope Gregory XI. The feast was included in the Roman Missal in 1472, but was suppressed by Pope Pius V in 1568.

As a result, it did not appear in the Tridentine Calendar. Pope Sixtus V reintroduced it into the Roman Calendar in 1585. Pope Clement VIII made this feast a greater double in 1597. The feast also continued as a memorial in the Roman Calendar of 1969.

Religious parents never fail by devout prayer to consecrate their children to the divine service and love, both before and after their birth. Some amongst the Jews, not content with this general consecration of their children, offered them to God in their infancy, by the hands of the priests in the Temple, to be lodged in apartments belonging to the Temple, and brought up in attending the priests and Levites in the sacred ministry.

It is an ancient tradition that the Blessed Virgin Mary was thus solemnly offered to God in the Temple in her infancy. The tender soul of Mary was then adorned with the most precious graces, an object of astonishment and praise to the angels, and of the highest complacence to the adorable Trinity; the Father looking upon her as his beloved daughter, the Son as one chosen and prepared to become his mother, and the Holy Spirit as his darling spouse.

Mary was the first who set up the standard of virginity; and, by consecrating it by a perpetual vow to our Lord, she opened the way to all virgins who have since followed her example. Sacred Scripture contains no text concerning the event commemorated. For something of a historical background one may consult the apocryphal works, particularly the Protoevangel of St. James.

After an angel had revealed her pregnancy, Anna is said to have vowed her future child Mary to the Lord. Soon after birth the infant was brought to the sacred precincts at which only the best of Israel’s daughters were admitted. At the age of three she was transferred to the temple proper. According to legend, here she was reared like a dove and received her nourishment from the hand of an angel.

What we celebrate on this day is the fact that God chose to dwell in Mary in a very special way. In response, Mary placed her whole self at the service of God. Every moment since our Baptism, God invites us to be open to his grace and dedicate ourself to him, as Mary did.

“ Blessed are you, Mary, because you believed that the Lord’s words to you would be fulfilled, Alleluia.”

From the beginning of your life, dear Mary, you were dedicated to God. You willingly became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in you in a marvelous manner and you were sanctified for your unique role in God’s saving work. At the same time, your magnificenc enriches your earthly children. We too are temples of God and sanctified in order that we might enjoy and share in God’s saving work.

As we venerate the glorious memory of you, most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, that through your intercession, we, too, may merit to receive from the fullness of God’s grace.

Dear Father God, may we, through the intercessory pleas made by our Mediatrix, the Blessed Virgin Mary, receive the goodness of your mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

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The Presentation of Mary in the Temple

In the small chapel of St. Anne at Aylesford Priory there is a simple depiction of the Presentation of Mary in ceramics by Adam Kossowski. The chapel is dedicated as the Family Chapel. There are prayers for Grandparents noting their role of passing on their faith to future generations. There is also a very lively and colourful painting of the Presentation of Our Lady in our Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Faversham by Edward Ardizzone. 

We celebrate the Presentation of Mary in the Temple on 21 st November as the emperor Justinian had a new church built to Mary in the Temple area of Jeursalam dedicated on this date in 543. Though the church was destroyed by the Persians within the century, the feast day continued in the Eastern Church and became one of the important celebrations in honour of Mary. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that it was commemorated in the West. It has been celebrated in England since the fourteenth century.

What are we celebrating as there is no mention of the early life of Mary in the scriptures? The story of the Presentation of Mary has come down to us through one of the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James. This is one of the books that was not accepted into the canon of the Bible. This book tells of the meeting of Joachim and Anne at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem. They were childless for some years until an angel appeared to them and Anne gave birth to Mary. Anne and Joachim knew from the angel that this girl would be a sacred child with a special mission from God. Mary was taken to the temple by her parents to dedicate her to God. Though this story is a legend and has no foundation in history, nor was it the practice at the time to take children to dedicate them in the temple, the point of the story is that even in her childhood Mary was dedicated to God. St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) wrote that: “Mary conceived Jesus in her heart before she conceived Jesus in her womb”. The feast of the Presentation in the Eastern Church was as important as the Immaculate Conception is in the West. Both remind us that Mary was set apart by God from her conception.

The first reading for the Mass of Presentation of Mary is from the prophet Zechariah (2: 14-11-17). The prophet is writing at the time of the returning of the Babylonian exiles between 520-519 B.C. Jerusalem is the Daughter of Zion who sings and rejoices as the Lord is coming to be in their midst.  Some biblical scholars see Mary as the personification of the Daughter of Zion.  There was a refugee camp outside the northern wall of Jerusalem at Zion.  So, the association of Mary with the Daughter of Zion connects her with the poor, the lowly, the humble of heart and all those who wait patiently for God to deliver them.  The prophet breaks away from the narrow view of the past to write that many nations will gather to be God’s holy people.

The Gospel for that day comes from Matthew (12: 46-50). It is the meeting of Jesus with his mother and family members. This story also appears in both the Gospel of Mark (3: 31-35) and Luke (8: 19-21). While Mark’s account is harsh both Matthew and Luke soften their account of the encounter between Jesus and his family.

Jesus is speaking to a crowd when he is told that his mother and brothers are outside. Jesus tells the crowd: “My mother, brothers, and sisters are those who do the will of my Father in Heaven.”   Jesus is emphasising the difference between his physical and spiritual family. Mary was undoubtedly part of both as she was consecrated to God at her conception and became the first disciple of Jesus. 

This is an apt Gospel for the Presentation as Mary was a woman of faith from her early childhood and the will of the Father became the deepest of reality for the whole of her life and being. She was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit at the Annunciation; she stood at the foot of the cross and became a model of watchful prayer waiting with the apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Mary is the model of the church in its perfection and as mother she watches over the Pilgrim Church with maternal love.

Fr. Francis Kemsley O.Carm 

Note: Shortly after writing this reflection the author, Fr Francis died (Oct 2023)  – Please keep him in your prayers.

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Is the Ascension a Holy Day of Obligation?

The answer is 'yes.' but do you have to go to mass that's more complicated..

Holy days of obligation stand as one of the more obvious examples, in ordinary Catholic experience, of the difference between doctrine and discipline.

That doesn’t mean that calendar changes are incapable of causing scandal or confusion among the faithful. Take Ascension Day as a prime example. Since the 1983 Code of Canon Law (CIC), bishops’ conferences have been permitted, with the approval of the Holy See, to direct the observance of weekday holy days to Sunday. This permission is different from an older practice of observing an “external solemnity”—repeating a weekday feast on the following Sunday for the benefit of the faithful—in that the canon simply allows the feast to be transferred. So, since at least 1999, most ecclesiastical provinces of the United States have moved Ascension Day to the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

So depending on where you go, today will either be Ascension Day or simply Thursday in the sixth week of Easter. For some Catholics , especially in the Northeast, in Nebraska, and in the Ordinariate, today is a holy day of obligation. For everyone else in the country, it isn’t.

There are two main aspects of this conundrum worth noting. First is the observance of holy days in general. Second is the transfer of holy days to Sunday.

On the first point, we should observe that the CIC for the Latin Church establishes ten days “of precept” in addition to all the Sundays of the year. In the United States, we have only six. (The Epiphany, Corpus Christi, St. Joseph, and Ss. Peter and Paul are left out). In Canada, there are only two (Christmas and Mary, Mother of God). Hawaii, interestingly, has permission to follow the Conference of the Pacific in obligating only Christmas and the Immaculate Conception.

The number of obligatory holy days, however, intertwines with the practice of transferal in that certain feast days that are formally excluded from the list are included by virtue of being moved to a Sunday: in our case, the Epiphany and Corpus Christi. (Side note: Various other feasts can also become obligatory by falling on a Sunday. For example, Candlemas, or the Presentation, is not usually a day of precept, but if February 2 falls on a Sunday, it outranks a Sunday in Ordinary Time and becomes, effectively, a solemnity of precept.)

Why, after many centuries of calendar stability, did the bishops decide to start moving major feasts days like the Epiphany, the Ascension, and Corpus Christi to Sunday? Most public explanations since the 1980s focus on that great favorite concept of the modern Church: “pastoral reasons.” But the actual practice is confusing and contradictory.

Take Canada, for example, where the Conference seems to think that making Catholics go to church on a non-Sunday is so burdensome that it can be done only a couple of times a year. But then if it is so very burdensome, it is not clear why the two holy days for the whole year have to be crammed into a single moment between December 25 and January 1—and, unlike in the U.S., the feast occurring on a Saturday or Monday doesn’t change the obligation.

The Epiphany now “is” the Sunday between January 2 and 8 in the United States, despite centuries of Catholic culture associating it with January 6 and despite the tradition of the twelve days of Christmas, Twelfth Night, Three Kings’ Day, etc. It is not entirely clear why it is burdensome to ask Catholics to go to Mass on January 6 but not burdensome for them to go to Mass on December 8.

One can be sympathetic with the removal of a burden —that is, making the feast day non-obligatory. After all, failing to attend Mass on a day of precept constitutes a grave sin if it is done consciously. I appreciate the pastoral desire to remove unnecessary obstacles to Catholics remaining in a state of grace! Indeed, Ash Wednesday is perhaps the most obvious proof that a day does not need to be obligatory to be popular or well attended.

But it is, I submit, a rather different thing to declare that, since the faithful are unlikely (or unable, or unwilling) to attend Mass during the week, we must therefore fiddle with the calendar in a way that throws centuries of Catholic devotional and popular culture out the window. In fact, it’s not just “traditional” culture that gets lost. Take Ascension Day, which in most places replaces the Seventh Sunday of Easter. The framers of the new lectionary for the 1970 Missal gave us the same gospel reading from John for all three years on that Sunday; clearly, they thought the faithful ought to hear Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 that we all be one as he and the Father are one. But most Catholics never hear that reading at Mass because it is replaced by the Mass for the Ascension. Similarly, the removal of the Epiphany from January 6 to Sunday usually causes us to miss the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord—or rather, it gets moved to a weekday, where it is usually forgotten. And by the way, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, hardly what we would call “rigid” these days on liturgical matters, has continued to keep all of these feasts on their proper dates.

I do not doubt the authority of the bishops, or of the Holy See, to approve these calendar adaptations. You’re not going to see me rebelliously purporting to celebrate Corpus Christi on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Still, I think it’s high time we recognize that the “pastoral” tinkering with the calendar in recent decades has served only to further dilute the experience of a common Catholic culture. A more robust observance of the calendar doesn’t have to be hard (or even obligatory). I think the more “pastoral” solution would be for the bishops to allow the faithful to receive the gift of the calendar as the Church has handed it down.

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