The memorial feast we celebrate today commemorates the presentation of the child Mary. This is an ancient feast of the church, originally celebrated with much fervor in the eastern churches as early as the 5th or 6th century. It gained universal acceptance of the whole church in the 16th century.
It is believed that Mary was presented in the Temple by her parents, Anne and Joachim, when she was 3 years old. While this can not be found in Scripture there are written accounts in some of the apochrpha, particularly a writing attributed to St. James.
The feast also commemorates the dedication of the church of St. Mary which was built in Jerusalem near the sight of the Temple.
Today's office of readings is a sermon from St. Augustine. Read these powerful words: "Christ declares 'here are my mother and brothers, anyone wo does the will of my Father who sent me is my brother and my sister and my mother.' Did the Virgin Mary not do the will of the Father? Indeed she certainly did the Father's will and so it was for her a greater thing to have been Christ's disciple than to be his mother, and she was more blessed in her discipleship than in her motherhood.
A woman cries out, 'happy is the womb that bore you, blessed is that womb!' But Jesus replies, 'more blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.' Mary heard the word of God and kept it, so she is blessed. She kept God's truth in her mind, a nobler thing than carrying his body in her womb.
The Virgin Mary is both holy and blessed, and yet the Church is greater than she. Mary is part of the Church, a member of the Church, a holy, an eminent - the most eminent - member, but still only a member of the entire body."
And our prayer today: "Eternal Father, we honor the holiness and glory of the Virgin Mary. May her prayers bring us the fullness of your life and love."
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