Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

As was the tradition for the Hebrew people, Mary is presented to God, at the Temple, in fulfillment of the covenant tradition.  Anne and Joachim are faithful parents who put their trust in the God of love and mercy.  Mary's unconditional response to God's call to become the Theotokos, and her reflection on God's providence, as she visits her cousin Elizabeth, helps us to understand that her parents were faithful in sharing their faith and love of God.  To be sure this is what dads and moms do.  They teach prayers and explain the significance of the various feasts and holy days. 

We Christians are united with God through Baptism and Confirmation.  Hopefully that relationship is nurtured; otherwise God becomes that distant uncle we hear from occasionally.  What's the one cliché, one woman says to another, "I love my church, they always have it decorated with Poinsettias and Lilies."  If faith and Church are part of one's household, the child will come away with a deep and rich relationship with God.  But of course if the conversation is about "father is always asking for money," and "God will send you to hell for that ... ;"  then we are doing less than helping develop an experience with God. 

The household, and the faith learning that happens there, ought to be a springboard to launch into the world and all that it conveys.  Mary seems to understand the depth of salvation history, with the love of God and the necessity of making a commitment to God.  Faith moves beyond the head, and moves and transforms the heart too.

We do not know a lot about Mary's presentation.  That's okay since ours has not made it to the Sacred Scriptures either.  But in real life it changed our lives forever.