Collect: As we venerate the glorious memory of the most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession, that we, too, may merit to receive from the fullness of your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Today the Church celebrates the memorial of the Presentation of Mary. The three feasts of the birthday of Our Lady, the holy Name of Mary and her Presentation in the Temple correspond in the Marian cycle with the first three feasts of the cycle of feasts of our Lord: namely, Christmas, the Holy Name of Jesus, and His Presentation in the Temple (February 2).
Presentation of Mary
"Sacred Scripture contains no text concerning the event commemorated in today's liturgy. For something of a historical background one may consult the apocryphal works, particularly the Protoevangel of St. James (ch. 4:1ff). After an angel had revealed her pregnancy, Anna is said to have vowed her future child Mary to the Lord. Soon after birth the infant was brought to the sacred precincts at which only the best of Israel's daughters were admitted. At the age of three she was transferred to the temple proper (7:2). According to legend, here she was reared like a dove and received her nourishment from the hand of an angel (8:1).
"In the East, where the feast, celebrated since the eighth century, is kept as a public holiday, it bears the name, 'The Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple'. It was introduced at Rome by a Cypriotic legate to the papal court of Avignon in 1371. In 1472, Sixtus IV extended its observance to the whole Church. Abolished by Pius V, it was reintroduced some years later (1585)."
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Things to Do:
Kings and Gold Coins | ||
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Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Father John Doyle, LC Luke 19:11-28 Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Alpha and the Omega. You have given me life and offer me eternal life with you. You deserve my honor, gratitude and love, and yet you never impose yourself upon me. Thank you for respecting my freedom so that I can offer myself to you. All that I have is yours; I return it to you. Petition: Lord Jesus, teach me to be patient and persevering in using my talents to serve you and my neighbor. 1. Jesus, the King of Kings: Nowadays there is renewed interest in the imminence of the Lords return in glory. Every Sunday when we recite the Creed we attest to our faith that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead. But we also know that we do not know when it will be, as Our Lord clearly states: But about that day and hour no one knows (Matthew 24:36). So what should we do in the meantime? The answer is very simple: Live faithful to the values of Christs Kingdom and show that he is our King right now. Are there any areas in my life where Christ is not ruler? Am I faithful to my Christian commitments? Do I use my time well? 2. Earning One Gold Coin at a Time: In todays parable each servant receives only one gold coin, but some invest it better than others. There are some gifts that God has given all of us in equal measure and some that we each receive in varying degrees. At baptism we receive the gifts of faith, hope and love in seed form, so to speak, and it is up to us to make sure they are cultivated, irrigated and exposed to enough light so that they will grow and bear fruit. These gifts of faith, hope and love are not given to us just for rainy days or moments of trial, but rather to keep us focused on who we are as children of God and heirs to the kingdom of heaven. Exercising these virtues is like earning gold, one coin at a time. How often have I thanked God for his gifts of faith, hope and love? Do I strive to grow in these virtues by keeping my heart set on the things of heaven and through charity towards my neighbor? 3. Gods Generosity: St. John reminds us that God is love (1 John 4:8). Gods essence is self-giving. The man who hid his coin could not discover or fathom this reality, but the man who spent his gold coin found this out as he was able to earn many more. Jesus tells us that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain (John 12:24). Later however a metamorphosis occurs which brings many new grains of wheat into being. Jesus death on the cross is the perfect example of the transformation of sacrifice and self-giving into fruitfulness. We cant have Jesus as our king unless we are willing to follow him on his journey to Jerusalem and impending death. We have much to give up, but we have so much more to gain by using our talents for the Kingdom. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am sometimes afraid of what it means to die to myself. Help me to use all of my talents for your kingdom. Help me to realize that I have nothing to lose and everything to gain and to take steps courageously to love you. Resolution:As a way of showing my love for Jesus, today I will practice patience with someone who annoys me. |