Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1 Maccabees 2: 15-29*

 (…..)The representatives of the king addressed Mattathias,

and said to him: “You are one of the leaders of this city, an important and well-known man, and your many children and relatives follow you. Come now and be the first to fulfill the king’s order, as the men of Judah have already done, and the survivors in Jerusalem as well. You and your sons will be named Friends of the king and the king will send you gold, silver and many other gifts.”

But Mattathias answered in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations included in the kingdom should abandon the religion of their ancestors and submit to the order of King Antiochus, I, my sons and my family will remain faithful to the Covenant of our ancestors.

May God preserve us from abandoning the Law and its precepts. We will not obey the orders of the King nor turn aside from our religion either to the right or to the left.” (……)Mattathias then began to proclaim loudly in the city: “Everyone who is Zealous for the Law and supports the Covenant, come out and follow me!” immediately he and his sons fled to the mountains and left behind all they had in the city.(……)

 

Ps  50  To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

 

Luke 19: 41-44

 When Jesus had come in sight of the city, he wept over it   and said, “If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  Yet days will come upon you when your enemies will surround you with barricades and shut you in and press on you from every side.  

And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and not leave stone upon stone within you, for you did not recognize the time and the visitation of your God.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

“IF ONLY TODAY YOU KNEW THE WAYS OF PEACE!”

The presentation of Mary at age 3 was a fulfillment of the promise her mother Anne made when she was still childless. Although the source of the story is a dubious account, the so-called Protoevangelium of James, this has been celebrated since the 6th century and was adopted by the whole church 10centuries later.

Rev. Alban Butler wrote that the presentation paved the way for Mary to spend her youth in holy retirement and to the exercises of a religious and interior life. Through the act of presentation then, the Blessed Mother was introduced early into a life of holiness. Ad her holiness, seen in her obedience to God, she kept until the completion of her life on earth.

We keep this practice even in our times with us being initiated young into the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. But keeping our holiness, our closeness with God, is something many of us miss to keep. Let it be our prayer that this commemoration of the presentation of Mary rekindle our own interior life.