Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Mary into the Temple. There is no reference to this event in the canon of the Scriptures. It appears around the year 200 AD in the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James. The story relates how Joachim and Ann brought Mary to the Temple at around the age of 3 to consecrate her to God’s service. Later apocryphal texts relate that Mary stayed at the Temple until she was 12, during which both Joachim and Anne passed away. Further ancient texts suggest that Mary left the Temple at 12 under the care of Joseph.
While there is no Scriptural text to refer to this story, it did “catch on” in Catholic culture. There is a painting in The Presentation Chapel in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome in which Mary is pictured as happily walking up the steps to the Temple with Joachim and Ann watching from below. There is at least one congregation of women religious bearing the name Presentation Sisters, and numerous schools and parishes in the United States also bear the name, reflecting their Marian focus.
Why? It seems that very early in the Church, particularly in the East, there was a focus on Mary as being set apart and dedicated at a very young age, as would be fitting for the woman who would bear the Son of God. This “Presentation Story” gradually developed and took root as part of Mary’s growing focus as the Mother of God.
Devotion to Mary was a key focus in the life and spirituality of Father Eymard. He visited Marian shrines from a young age, and he saw Mary guiding his vision. While the Eucharist was his lifelong focus, Mary was his guide on his journey. It was Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament who became the patroness of the Eymardian Family.
Let Us Pray:
God, Creator and Sustainer of all that is, in creation you chose Eve, and in redemption you chose Mary. It is the kindness, strength, warmth, and fidelity of Mary who continues to bring consolation, hope, and love to all people. She is the Mother of the Church and the mother of us all, who hears our prayers and supplications and touches our hearts. May we continue to find a refuge in Mary, who envelops us in her loving care and brings us to her Son. Amen.
