Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Zec 2:14-17; Mt 12:46-50
Today, our Mother Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary!
The feast commemorates the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a three-year-old child by her parents, Anna and Joachim, in the temple of Jerusalem. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.
The Child Mary’s presentation in the temple offers important lessons for our discipleship.
Anna prayed to God for the gift of a child. When the child is born, the parents of Mary offer her to the Lord. They decide that it is proper to give back to God what belongs to God. It is hard to make sense of the offering of their only child to God. It is no wonder that the profound faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary has its strong roots in the spirituality that her parents transmitted to her. Faith is an act of surrender. The parents of Mary demonstrated such faith so that Mary would now surrender herself to the Lord for the rest of her life.
Secondly, the Child Mary manifests real courage in offering her life as a gift to God. Mary’s journey of faith starts right from her childhood. I remember a quote: ‘Who you are is God’s gift to you; who you become is your gift to God.’ Mary is a pioneer in this regard.
Thirdly, the mystery of Mary becoming the temple of God happens at her consecration in the temple. Mary, who found her dwelling in God’s House, became a dwelling place for God. In her strong faith and devotion to the Lord, Mary constructed herself as God’s House.
Fourthly, by living a selfless life from an early age, Mary justifies God’s choice for her. If her entire life is a consecration to the Lord, her presentation at the temple is just the beginning.
Child Mary’s presentation highlights the fact that the ‘Mother of God is also the first disciple of God.’ By imitating Mary’s model of faithfulness and devotion, we become related to Jesus just as she herself was.
Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar
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