Greater Double, 1955 Calendar
On November 21, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast was first commemorated in the Western Liturgical Calendar in 1585 and both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches celebrate it.
This event is recounted in the apocryphal “Infancy Narrative of James”. According to this text Mary’s parent, Joachim and Anne, who had been childless, received a heavenly message that they will have a child. For the gift of their daughter, they brought her to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to God. Mary remained in the Temple until puberty when Joseph became her guardian.
According to later versions of the story, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, she was taken to the Temple at the age of three in fulfillment of a vow. She remained faithful all her life to the Lord who had chosen her to be the mother of our Lord.
Along with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, this feast reminds us of our fundamental vocation to achieve the grace of God. As we know from the Letter of Paul:” The grace of the Lord is enough for those who strive to live good and holy lives.” (cf. 2 Cor, 12:9).
Prayer source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
Image source:” Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary” by (public domain)
No comments:
Post a Comment