November 21
PRESENTATION OF MARY

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary has been celebrated since the sixth century. This feast celebrates the formal dedication of Mary to God in the Temple in Jerusalem. The celebration of the feast became widespread in the West around the eleventh century and became associated with a church dedicated in Jerusalem in honor of this event.

When she was only three years old, the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem by her parents, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. Mary's whole life was to belong to God. He had chosen her to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus. The Blessed Virgin was happy to begin serving God in the Temple. And her Parents were pleased to offer their saintly little girl to God. They knew that God had sent her to them.
In the Temple, the high priest received the child Mary. She was placed among the girls who were dedicated to prayer and Temple service. The high priest realized that the Lord had great plans for her.
 And Mary remained in the Temple, where she grew in holiness. She spent her days reading the Bible, praying and serving the Temple. She grew in grace and gave great glory to the Lord.

Accounts of the presentation of Mary come from apocryphal literature. For example, one account says that Joachim and Ann presented Mary in the Temple at the age of three. Joachim and Ann had been childless, and they promised to dedicate their child to God if He desired for them to have a child. The accounts of Mary's presentation have found to have little or no historical base, but they do have a theological purpose. This feast continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and the Birth of Mary, and helps show Mary's dedication to God that began with the earliest moments of her life and extended throughout her life.