Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memorial 21 November

Today is the feast of the presentation of the BVM in the Temple at the age of three.   This story is from the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal book written in the second century.   In the Middle Ages its stories bordered on the sacred to people thirsty for knowledge of the Church.  Much like the Clone Wars Saga and Jedi “new order” books, geeks buy and devour thirsty for more Star Wars stories…… It is quite a good read if you can find a copy. The Protoevangeliun I mean, the Star Wars stuff stinks after the Luke Skywalker movies ended, let’s face it.   Attack of the Clones may be the worst movie ever made.   I actually liked “The Force Awakens.” When it Cme out…but the others?   WOOO boy!   But Mark Hamel is right, a Jedi wouldn’t act like that….but I digress

 Anyhoo…  The story goes St. Anne and St. Joachim were the parents of Mary in their old age.   They prayed to God asking for a child, and promised to consecrate that child to God if he answered their prayers.   God naturally did, and as a result when she was only three Ann and Joachim brought a young Mary to the Temple to serve……This day celebrates that event.  The Greeks call this the “Entry of the Holy Theotokos” but they do so while wearing those dopey hats.  

Mary remained in the temple until puberty, at that time she was promised to Joseph in marriage;   which is another good story in the Protoevangelium involving a lineup of worthy men and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, landing on Josephs’ head.     

The Nuns that taught me in Our Lady of Solace (OLS) in the Bronx were from the religious order of the Presentation; so they’re names were things like “Sister Mary Muriel PVBM”. The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were founded in Ireland in 1775 by Nano Nagle to teach children.   All the presentation Nuns were Irish with the exception of Sister Helen Parisi (formerly known as Sister Mary Dominic Joseph) who died in 2008 at the age of 83, I wept when I found out.   Sister Helen loved me; Italian kid in an Irish school, what’s not to love?     I didn’t bring my lunch one day and she made me a bologna sangwich on wonder bread with pickles, potato chips, and mayo.   She included a Twinkie on the side…the first Twinkie I had ever eaten…it was wonderful and that sangwich is still one of my favorites.

Anyway, the Presentation of the BVM is a pious story; like Fatima and Lourdes and Saint Denis walking around holding his severed head, you are not required to believe it.   I like it, so why not?   It’s easier to buy than 25 fully trained Jedi with The Force as their ally, getting beaten by a bunch of robots in an arena after all.