Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
~~~ 1 Maccabees 2:15-29 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~~ Luke 19:41-44 ~~~
The parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus, took her to the temple
when she was just a young child.
They presented her to God dedicating her into the care of the Lord.
This was their way of giving thanks for being given the gift of a child.
When Mary was conceived they were advanced in age.
It is right and just that we should give thanks
to God for all that he has given to us.
Mary grew up in an environment that surrounded her in prayers and scriptures.
She became at home with the word of God.
It must have been much like learning a foreign language,
as you are immersed in it.
Mary would become the living example for us
of the living presence of God's word.
For Mary to become the mother of Jesus all of the parts
were carefully put together.
She was born to parents who were willing and open
to cooperating with the will of the Father.
Now the readings of today paint quite a different picture.
Corruption not dedication seems to be generally accepted.
Someone had to resist the growing tendency to loose focus on the truth.
Mattathias and his family did just that; they resisted,
they left and fled to the desert instead.
More lies of tempting riches and winning the good favor of the king...
when she was just a young child.
They presented her to God dedicating her into the care of the Lord.
This was their way of giving thanks for being given the gift of a child.
When Mary was conceived they were advanced in age.
It is right and just that we should give thanks
to God for all that he has given to us.
Mary grew up in an environment that surrounded her in prayers and scriptures.
She became at home with the word of God.
It must have been much like learning a foreign language,
as you are immersed in it.
Mary would become the living example for us
of the living presence of God's word.
For Mary to become the mother of Jesus all of the parts
were carefully put together.
She was born to parents who were willing and open
to cooperating with the will of the Father.
Now the readings of today paint quite a different picture.
Corruption not dedication seems to be generally accepted.
Someone had to resist the growing tendency to loose focus on the truth.
Mattathias and his family did just that; they resisted,
they left and fled to the desert instead.
More lies of tempting riches and winning the good favor of the king...
promises of wealth gold and silver...
Follow the crowd, join the others,
abandon the religion of your ancestors and be happy.
They were tempted and haunted with the 'better' life
in exchange for walking away from the way of their fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.
This day in the temple was not a day of joy and peace;
it was instead a day of death, corruption, and violence.
it was instead a day of death, corruption, and violence.
This father and his family left all of their possessions behind;
they fled from the city into the desert to hide.
Sometimes in our life we too can be faced with situations
that we have no power to change...
situations where confrontation is ineffective.
The only alternative may be to remove yourself from the situation.
The serenity prayer acknowledges there are times in life that we cannot change.
Our prayer is for us to receive sufficient grace and blessing
to know the right action necessary to take...
join in...stand against...or entirely disconnect from the situation.
they fled from the city into the desert to hide.
Sometimes in our life we too can be faced with situations
that we have no power to change...
situations where confrontation is ineffective.
The only alternative may be to remove yourself from the situation.
The serenity prayer acknowledges there are times in life that we cannot change.
Our prayer is for us to receive sufficient grace and blessing
to know the right action necessary to take...
join in...stand against...or entirely disconnect from the situation.
Mary has given us examples of what it means to live a life dedicated to God.
Joachim and Anne gave their daughter back to God.
Mary was presented in thanksgiving.
Joachim and Anne gave their daughter back to God.
Mary was presented in thanksgiving.
God shines forth...he gathers the faithful ones to himself...
here we will see his mother too is with him.
here we will see his mother too is with him.
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