November 21, 2024
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
History Notes
…Jesus drew near to Jerusalem…and wept over it, saying, “…days are coming upon you when your enemies will…smash you to the ground and your children within you…”
Luke 19:41-44
What Jesus describes happened in 70 A.D.—Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Since it is never mentioned in Luke, or in Acts (also by Luke), scholars indicate the text may likely be written in the early 60s A.D.
Such weeping contrasts with the grateful joy recalled in today’s feast when Joachim and Anne brought their daughter, Mary, to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to the Lord. This story of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a 2nd-century text, has been a feast of the Universal Church since the 16th century.
Mary’s life began giving her parents joy; her life came to include both the joy of Jesus’ birth and the terrible grief of watching her son be crucified.
Jesus and Mary, help us remember that when we are weeping over tragic losses, or rejoicing over blessings, you understand our feelings and are with us.
Revelation 5:1-10 ✚ Psalm 149:1-6, 9 ✚ Luke 19:41-44