The Presentation of Mary is a feast day on the liturgical calendar, but because it is not a solemnity (the highest-ranking feast day), its history and meaning may be a little lesser known to us. While this feast was held in the Eastern Church as far back as the 6th century, it wasn’t until the 15th century that it was more widely accepted in the West. In 1472, you would see this feast on the liturgical calendar, but it was suppressed by St. Pope Pius V in 1568 in his reform of the Roman liturgical books. Less than twenty years later, this feast was reestablished by Pope Sixtus V. (Fun fact: There have only been five Pope Sixtuses. I’m personally rooting to see Pope Sixtus VI in my lifetime.)
You might be asking yourself why a Pope would suppress feast days. Perhaps a modern-day liturgist would have a stronger and more eloquent perspective on clearing the “clutter” of feasts on the Church calendar. Among the liturgical reforms, St. Pope Pius V initiated many other reforms throughout his papacy. (To summarize, my guy was leading the counter-reformation and his job was to implement the Council of Trent. No biggie.) The suppression of this feast may be because it is based on an apocryphal infancy Gospel dating back to the 2nd century: the Protoevangelium of James. This is not included in the canon of Sacred Scripture, yet simultaneously may be considered quasi-canonical because it serves as a source for the Catholic understanding of Mary’s perpetual virginity. There is certainly more thorough and deeper theological discourse on the matter available for you to explore and peruse at your leisure.
Let’s move onto today’s deeper meaning, and while we’re at it, here’s one more pope to put on your radar in connection to this feast day: Saint Pope Paul VI, who shared in an apostolic exhortation (Marialis Cultus) that “apart from [the Protoevangelium’s] apocryphal content, [this feast] present(s) lofty and exemplary values and carry on venerable traditions.” The aforementioned papal document focuses on Marian devotion in the Liturgy and Mary as the model of the Church in Divine worship.
When the liturgy turns its gaze either to the primitive Church or to the Church of our own days it always finds Mary. In the primitive Church she is seen praying with the apostles(28); in our own day she is actively present, and the Church desires to live the mystery of Christ with her…She is also seen represented as a voice of praise in unison with which the Church wishes to give glory to God…And since the liturgy is worship that requires as way of living consistent with it, it asks that devotion to the Blessed Virgin should become a concrete and deeply-felt love for the Church...that as we recall the sufferings shared by the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may with the Church fulfill in ourselves what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. (Marialis Cultus, 11).
Whether or not we know if the Presentation of Mary was an historic event, St. Pope Paul VI calls Mary the “Virgin presenting offerings” (Marialis Cultus, 20). When Mary and Joseph present Jesus in the Temple, Simeon’s words prophesy and therefore connect the presentation of Jesus to the salvific event of the Cross. In both instances, Mary’s motherhood is on full display, including in her suffering, her heart pierced. Not only did Mary present her son before the temple, but she presented Him to us, the Church, at Calvary.
“But Mary is above all the example of that worship that consists in making one's life an offering to God” (Marialis Cultus, 21). The celebration of Mary’s presentation in the temple reminds us of her lifelong devotion to God, her intimacy and close proximity to the Holy of Holies, and not only does this feast serve as a reminder, but it offers an invitation for each of us to do the same. But let us not forget the special role of Mary as Mother and intercessor for each one of us. May she make her maternal presence known to you, and may she keep you safe in her immaculate heart!
Originally posted on Incorrupto Media
Image: The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple
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