On the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we remember the moment when Mary, at the age of three, was brought by her parents, Saints Joachim and Anne, to the Temple in Jerusalem. While this story comes from the early Christian writing Protoevangelium of James rather than the Gospels, it reflects the deep devotion early Christians had to Mary and their desire to share the mysteries of her life with the Church.
In this brief message, Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P., explores the significance of this feast, showing how God prepares Mary from her earliest days for her unique vocation as Mother of the Savior—and how, by her example, we can trust that God also equips each of us for the missions he calls us to.
See Fr. Aquinas’ message below!
Hello, I’m Father Aquinas Guilbeau, head chaplain and vice president for ministry and mission at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Today’s feast of the Presentation of Mary commemorates a beautiful mystery of Our Lady’s life. Legend tells us that at the age of three, Mary’s parents, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, presented her at the Temple in Jerusalem, and there she lived in the temple precincts until her betrothal to Saint Joseph.
We know of this mystery not from the Gospels, but from an early Christian writing, the Protoevangelium of James. The inclusion of this story in that work tells us a couple of things. First, that the early Christians had great devotion to Our Lady and were concerned with passing on to future Christians the mysteries of her life, especially as they were connected to the mysteries of her son’s life.
But it also teaches us that God, in calling us to particular missions and giving us the graces needed for the good of the Church, prepares us for those missions. Those missions are planned, and everything we need to accomplish them is given to us by the Father.
We see this most clearly in the life of Our Lady, chosen among all women to be the Mother of the Savior from her earliest days. The Lord prepares her for that vocation and mission. Even as a child, Mary—destined to be the Ark of the New Covenant, the new temple of grace—is given to live in the precincts of the old Temple, immersing herself in the life of the Old Covenant. This prepares her for everything she will introduce and live in regard to the New Covenant, authored and established by her Son, Jesus Christ.
Whatever our mission in the Church—whatever our vocation—we can take great confidence from the life of Our Lady. Our lives, our missions, and the graces we need are planned, and the Lord provides everything necessary to fulfill the very particular missions he gives us.
Happy feast of the Presentation of Mary. And God bless you all.
