Presentation of Mary

<p>This feast originated as a commemoration of the dedication of the basilica of St Mary's the New in Jerusalem in 543. An apocryphal source recounts that Mary's parents brought their three-year-old daughter to the Temple in Jerusalem to offer her to God, as was the custom. Inspired by a priest's vision, they left her there to serve God. This custom continued for centuries (see St Gertrude, November 16).</p>
<p>The feast entered the Western calendar in 1585. Today, the feast celebrates the recognition of Mary as a temple where God lives.©2011 <em>Living with Christ, </em>Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., <strong>http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/</strong&gt;. Reprinted with permission.</p>