Homily: Presentation of Mary

Presentation of Mary (Lk 18:35-43) “What Choice Do We Have?”

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary is not based on scripture. The first time we meet Mary in the Bible is when the Angel Gabriel appears to her and announces the birth of Jesus. But perhaps the words of Gabriel offer an insight into this feast. Gabriel says: “Hail Mary full of grace.”

What does it mean to be full of grace. Grace is a word that points to our relationship with God. We all receive the gift of Sanctifying Grace at Baptism. This means our relationship with God is blessed and elevated by this sacrament.

When Gabriel says that Mary is full of grace, he is saying that Mary has one of the closest relationships with God that he has ever seen. When did this relationship begin? We have feast days on the church calendar which speculate about this.

One of them is the Feast of the Birth of Mary. We celebrate this feast on September 8th each year. Mary’s birth was announced to her parents as she was conceived. She was special from the beginning of life.

We follow that feast with the one we commemorate today. Joakim and Anne took Mary to the temple where they dedicated her life to God’s service. The Eastern Church embraced these two feasts from the early days of Christianity. The Western church only did this later.

Somehow the idea that someone is dedicated to the Lord before they were born is antithetical to the western mind. We value freedom of choice. If someone chooses to serve God that is all well and good, but we have a discomfort when we think someone does not have a choice about their path in life.

Perhaps we might change our ideas today. Christians also have a belief that if we follow the promptings of the spirit in our life that is where true freedom lies. Mary found her joy in being a disciple of Jesus. She served God with her heart mind and soul. She found satisfaction. We can as well.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Do I think my path is preordained? Why or why not?

2.   Would I feel complimented if I believed God had a mission for me? Would I feel trapped?

 Dear Parishioners,

           On Thanksgiving Day, we will have one Mass at 8 a.m. Please bring a canned good so that you can share some of your resources with the poor. You can also bring a cash donation. All gifts will be donated to St. Mary food pantry.

          I will be posting a message tomorrow. On Thursday and Friday, I will be taking a break. My posts will return on Sunday.

          May the Immaculate Conception pray for our country as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

          Fr. Mark