Nov. 21 - Memorial of the Presentation of Mary - "I am all Yours..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

How very appropriate on this Memorial of Mary’s Presentation in the Temple as a child, we are continuing St. Louis De Montfort"s “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” and his method of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. Hopefully, those who have already consecrated themselves will renew their Consecration today. The Long Form of St. Louis de Montfort’s beautiful “Act of Consecration” can be found HERE. The short form is at the end of today’s post. Hope that some who have not yet consecrated themselves to Jesus through Mary may by God’s Grace be led to do so soon – perhaps beginning the 33 Day Preparation to end on Christmas.

1. At the end of these three weeks they should go to confession and Holy Communion with the intention of consecrating themselves to Jesus through Mary as slaves of love. When receiving Holy Communion they could follow the method given later on. They then recite the act of consecration which is given at the end of this book. If they do not have a printed copy of the act, they should write it out or have it copied and then sign it on the very day they make it.
2. It would be very becoming if on that day they offered some tribute to Jesus and his Mother, either as a penance for past unfaithfulness to the promises made in baptism or as a sign of their submission to the sovereignty of Jesus and Mary. Such a tribute would be in accordance with each one’s ability and fervour and may take the form of fasting, an act of self-denial, the gift of an alms or the offering of a votive candle. If they gave only a pin as a token of their homage, provided it were given with a good heart, it would satisfy Jesus who considers only the good intention.
3. Every year at least, on the same date, they should renew the consecration following the same exercises for three weeks. They might also renew it every month or even every day by saying this short prayer: "I am all yours and all I have is yours, O dear Jesus, through Mary, your holy Mother."

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Kindle in us the Fire of Your Love, as you filled the Heart of Mary .

 

[Vico]

THE ENTRANCE OF THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY INTO THE TEMPLE​

Byzantine Kontakion - Tone 4

The most pure Temple of the Savior,
the most precious Bridal Chamber and Virgin,
the Treasury of the glory of God,
is led today into the house of the Lord,
bringing grace in the Sprit of God.
God’s angels praise her in song,
she is the Heavenly Ark.

 

[BartholomewB]

A question about Church history – I looked in the online Catholic Encyclopedia but didn’t find the answer.

Today’s feast of the Presentation of Mary is an ancient one in the Orthodox churches, but in the Western Church it seems to date no further back than around the time of the Council of Trent. Is that correct? What were the circumstances that led to the introduction of this feast in the Western church?

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Vico,

Thanks so much for the beautiful words in praise of Our Heavenly Mother – truly Mary is the Heavenly Ark! How safe we are when we take shelter in her arms! How grateful we need to be to Jesus for giving her to us, from His Cross, as He said to John His Beloved Disciple:

“Behold your Mother”

May we always cherish and obey those words to us as John did, taking Mary into our lives.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear BartholomewB,

Thanks for your reply. I’m a bit short on time this morning but I found 2 links which may be helpful to you:

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/presentation-of-mary/

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple Invites our Response - Living Faith - Home & Family - News - Catholic Online

If we learn to live our entire life as an encounter with the God of love, as Mary did, we will find our lives transformed by the Son whom she bore for the whole world On this Feast of the ...

www.catholic.org

I’ll try to do more research if these are not enough, but I need to shut down my computer to attend our weekly Legion of Mary Meeting this morning. Happy, Holy Feast-day to you and to all who read today’s thread!

 

[Vico]

A question about Church history – I looked in the online Catholic Encyclopedia but didn’t find the answer.

Today’s feast of the Presentation of Mary is an ancient one in the Orthodox churches, but in the Western Church it seems to date no further back than around the time of the Council of Trent. Is that correct? What were the circumstances that led to the introduction of this feast in the Western church?

Fr. Matthew Mauriello when he was the Administrator of Our Lady of Montserrat Church in Stamford, CT. wrote:

It appears that this feast was not celebrated in Rome at the time of Pope St. Sergius (+701) who established four other principle feasts dedicated to Mary. By the ninth century it is celebrated in the monasteries of southern Italy which had been influenced by the traditions of the Byzantine churches. By the fourteenth century it had spread to England and it is recorded that it was celebrated in Avignon, France in 1373. Its acceptance is considered very slow and it was not until the year 1472 that Pope Sixtus IV extended its celebration to the universal church.

Pope Paul VI in the 1974 encyclical Marialis Cultus , n.8, wrote of this feast that “despite its apocryphal content, it presents lofty and exemplary values and carries on the venerable traditions having their origins in the Eastern churches.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20131003054940/http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/Nov21.html

 

[BartholomewB]

@MariaChristi and @Vico, thank you both for your prompt and helpful replies!

 

[MariaChristi]

You are very welcome – BartholomewB, thanks for letting us know info was helpful.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear aroosi, Mark, Stephie and patricius,

Thanks to all of you for your “faithful hearts” and your love for Jesus through Mary which prompted you to read and appreciate the writings of St. Louis de Montfort, in his treatise on True Devotion.

Hopefully you were able to spend some time in renewing your Consecration yesterday. It is always a blessing for me to do so and I hope many of Mary’s children honored her in some special way yesterday and will continue to honor her everyday on this earth and into Eternity.