A Homily for the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Friday, November 21, 2025
Prince of Peace Catholic Church – 8:00 Mass
Zechariah 2:14-17; Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55; Matthew 12:46-50
Audio Recording
Today we celebrate the beautiful Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This origins of this feast are not from the canonical Gospels, but from one of the earliest Christian writings outside of Scripture: a second-century document called the Protoevangelium of James. Though not part of the Bible, this text was cherished by early Christians because it reflects what they believed about Mary’s early life, her purity, and her unique mission.
It’s from this ancient source that we learn the names of Mary’s parents—Joachim and Anne—and the tradition that, when Mary was about three years old, they brought her to the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicated her entirely to God. Thus, today’s feast is in remembrance of this important event in the life of the young Mother of God.
The details of the story are not as important as the truth the Church has always seen in it: the truth that Mary belonged to God from her earliest moments. Even before the Annunciation, before the angel’s message, before she uttered her great “yes,” she was already living a life of openness, purity, and total surrender. The tradition of her presentation expresses that interior reality.
Our readings today reflect this beautifully. The prophet Zechariah proclaims, “See, I am coming to dwell among you.” And Mary becomes the literal fulfillment of those words, for the Lord comes to dwell within her. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that the true family of God consists of those who do the will of the Father. Mary embodies this perfectly. Her entire life was a continual “yes” to God’s will, offered with humility and trust.
Today’s feast also gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on Sacred Tradition—an essential part of our Catholic faith. Many Protestant communities hold to the principle of “sola scriptura,” the notion that Scripture alone is the final authority on God’s revelation.
But from the earliest days of Christianity, the Church has understood that God’s revelation comes to us through both Scripture and the living Tradition passed down from the apostles.
This Sacred Tradition does not compete with Scripture; it illuminates and completes it. In fact, the canon of Scripture itself—that is, which books belong in the Bible—was discerned through the authority of this same Tradition.
The Protoevangelium of James is a perfect example of how Tradition enriches our understanding of salvation history. While it is not inspired Scripture, it preserves the early Christian sense of Mary’s holiness, her miraculous birth to Joachim and Anne, her dedication in the Temple, and her lifelong purity.
These early instincts of the Church would later develop into the rich Marian doctrines we profess today. While our dogmas of The Immaculate Conception and the Assumption are not found in the Protoevangelium, the seeds are there: the instinct that Mary was uniquely prepared by God and set apart for His purposes. Doctrine matures over centuries, but its roots are found in the earliest Christian devotions.
For us today, especially for those of you who have carried the faith for decades, this feast reminds us of the beauty of the Tradition we have inherited. Many of you learned the stories of Mary, the saints, and the Holy Family from grandparents, parents, and parish life long before you ever opened a catechism. Our faith is handed on not only in books, but in the lived experience of God’s people. You have undoubtedly handed down these stories to your children and grandchildren, making you part of that living Tradition.
Today’s Memorial of Mary’s Presentation invites us to reflect upon and imitate her openness to doing God’s will. She was given to God as a child, and she renewed that surrender again and again throughout her life. Each of us, no matter our age, can say to the Lord, as Mary did, “Here I am. I belong to You.”
As we honor the young Mary presented to God in the Temple, we ask her to intercede for us. May she help us to treasure Scripture, to embrace Sacred Tradition, and to offer our lives as she offered hers: freely, humbly, and fully to God.
Hail Mary…