When is the presentation of mary

The present Catholic calendar lists it as an obligatory memorial — not a major feast, solemnity, or day of required attendance, but with liturgical importance. Information from Matthew R. This feast emphasizes the first total donation or consecration that Mary made of herself, becoming the model of every soul that consecrated to the Lord.

We celebrate this day because the contemplative life is a gift from Almighty God to us all — all the world benefits spiritually from the prayer and sacrifice of these dedicated and faithful souls, even when we may not know it.

On this day, the faithful are encouraged to reach out to the cloistered and contemplative communities in their diocese, through prayer, encouragement, and material support. View all posts by Fr. John Francesco Maria Lim. Published by Fr. This story is quite entertaining! But were girls presented in the Temple before the time of Christ; and if so, why? The documents of the time period need to be consulted. First, in the Bible, the book of 1 Samuel 1 tells the story of how the previously childless mother, Anna, gave her only son, Samuel, the prophet, back to God by leaving him in the care of Heli to serve in the Temple after Samuel had been weaned, but still very young.

Using Scripture to interpret Scripture, 2 Maccabees provides an example for a Jewish mother to have weaned a child by the age of three. They have long-term memory at that point and can begin their more formal education.

Secondly, there is evidence of women serving in the Temple. First, theologian Dr. The Hebrew verb is the same in both passages, as well as in Numbers and , to describe the liturgical work of the Levites. And all holding up their hands towards heaven, made supplication. Moreover, Jewish sources mention Temple virgins as well. The Mishnah spoke of the huge veil in the Temple that was woven by 82 virgins.

A Rabbinic commentary on the Roman sack of Jerusalem, that occurred in 70 A. This description of a female dormitory affiliated with the Temple is corroborated by Josephus, the Jewish historian ca. With her relative, Elizabeth, of the priestly tribe of Aaron Lk , Mary would have had the connections helpful to enter into Temple service.

Thirdly, the long history of the liturgy supports this understanding of Mary as a Temple virgin who lived there from age three until fourteen, when she was married to St. By the fourth century, St. Gregory of Nyssa was the first of a list of Church Fathers who refer to this event. Although private revelations are not of theological use, it is interesting to note that the apocryphal writings correspond well with the visions recorded of the German stigmatist, Bl.

Anne Catherine Emmerich. Joseph being a virgin, which had been one of the reasons that the Church had already determined that the Protoevangelium was not inspired by the Holy Spirit. In summary, the evidence for the historicity of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple is not as clear as modern scholars would like. Nonetheless, since there are Biblical and Jewish testimonies for boys, women, and virgins serving in the Temple, it is logical to conclude that it would be possible for some of those virgins to include girls as well.

When Mary was asked to be the mother of the Savior, she was completely free to accept or reject the offer. 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.