Presentation of Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture Reflection!

Zc 2, 14-17: Cant LC 46-55; Mt 12, 46-50

Dear brothers, today the Church celebrates the memorial of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple. In the Eastern tradition the feast is known as the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. It is one of the three feasts of Mary:  Her birthday on September 8^th, Holy Name of Mary on Sept 12, and today Presentation of Mary in the temple (Nov 21). This corresponds to the first three feasts our Lord Jesus: His birth on Dec 25^th, The feast of Holy Name of Jesus on January 3^rd and Presentation of Jesus in the temple on Feb 2^nd.

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 feast celebrates Mary’s dedication to the temple from her infancy by the Holy Spirit whose grace has filled her ever since her immaculate conception. It signifies her total dedication to God in her readiness for her future vocation, as the mother of her incarnate God. According to the tradition, Mary was taken by her parents Joachim and Anna who presented her in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in her infancy up to her betrothal to St. Joseph. The same tradition tells us that Mary was solemnly accepted by the temple community.

She was lead to the Holy place to become holy of holies of God, the living temple and the sanctuary of God who will be born there. The Church sees this as the end of the physical temple of Jerusalem as Mary becomes the living temple where God dwells. In the gospel reading of today Jesus stresses that Mary is the one who received the Word of God and put it in practice that is to act according to the will of God. Thus Jesus says to all those who were around him to all the brothers, sisters and mothers that they can also be like Mary, to be his mother, or brother or a sister by living according to the will of God.

This feast anticipates the approaching season of Advent. Thus, what does this feast mean for us today? I believe that today is the day to remember our presentation in to the church by our parents and our godparents for our Baptism as a beginning of our preparation to become a disciple of Jesus. The offering by her parents is a response to the invitation to join our free choice to God's invitation. This exercise of freedom lies at the heart of discipleship, and is the inner core of every vocation, which is to cooperate with grace. And today we are called to become his brothers. How is it possible? It is simple, by living according to the will of God, by cooperating with the Grace of God. 

Perhaps this feast calls us to renew our Baptism promises and to renew our consecration as Marianist to present ourselves to God a new, asking the gifts we need to be fitting temple of him so that we can bring him to others as we have promised to cooperate in the mission of Mary, which is to bring Jesus to others and to make him known, loved and served. The honor shown to Mary, we are encouraged to look forward the incarnation of our savior as the advent season is approaching. Let us pray for the grace that we may able to prepare ourselves to welcome the Word of God into our lives that we may become living temples of God. Amen!