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The Presentation of Our Lady: A Feast of Preparation

There is a special beauty to this feast since it highlights the fact that Our Lady was chosen even before time began. She is called the root of Jesse (Isaiah, 11:1) from which Our Lord Jesus Christ would be born. She is introduced to the synagogue, the institution in charge of keeping this promise. Thus, the synagogue receives Our Lady as a first step. In this act, the hopes of ages would soon be fulfilled.

Our Lady, a supremely holy soul, is received in the Temple and entered into the service of God. Despite the corruption of the nation of Israel and the transformation of the Temple into a den of the Pharisees, an incomparable light appeared: the sanctity of Our Lady.

Unknowingly, Our Lady began to prepare herself to become the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In an atmosphere of graces at the Temple, she was set apart from everyone in order to serve God. She increased her love of God until she formed the ardent desire

for the imminent coming of the Messias and asked God if she might have the honor to be the servant of His Mother. She did not know that she was the one chosen for this honor. That is why she was perplexed when the Archangel Gabriel greeted her to ask her permission for the Incarnation.

Our Lady’s magnificent preparation to be the Mother of Jesus Christ began with her Presentation at the Temple, a feast the Church celebrates on November 21. It is fitting that we ask Our Lady to prepare us with the best of Catholic doctrine to serve God by serving her. We should present ourselves before Our Lady, asking her to assist us in taking up the task of our sanctification, as the Holy Ghost did with her at the Temple of Jerusalem.

The preceding article is taken from an informal lecture Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira gave on the feast of The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary — November 21, 1965. It has been translated and adapted for publication without his revision. –Ed.

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Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast day: Nov 21

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Life of Mary: Presentation of our Lady

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Joachim and Anne offered their daughter to God in the Temple at Jerusalem, just as another Anne, the mother of the prophet Samuel, had offered her son to God’s service.

The years of Mary’s childhood were quiet, as befits her humility. Holy Scripture tells us nothing about them. Nevertheless, it is easy to understand why the early Christians were eager to know more about her life prior to the Gospel account of the Annunciation. And so, popular piety gave rise quite early to some simple stories inspired by passages from the Old and New Testament, and these found their way into Christian art, poetry, and spirituality.

One of these stories, perhaps the most typical, speaks about Mary’s Presentation in the Temple. Joachim and Anne offered their daughter to God in the Temple at Jerusalem, just as another Anne, the mother of the prophet Samuel, had offered her son to God’s service in the tabernacle where his glory was manifested (cf. 1 Sam 1:21-28). In the same way, some years later, Mary and Joseph would bring the newborn Child to the Temple to present him to the Lord (Lk 2:22-38).

Strictly speaking, no history exists of our Lady’s early life; we have only what tradition has handed down to us. The first written text that refers to this event (which became the basis for later accounts) is the  Protoevangelium of James , an apocryphal document from the second century. “Apocryphal” means that it does not belong to the canon of books inspired by God. But this doesn’t mean it contains nothing true. In fact, the Church includes this scene in her liturgy, omitting possibly legendary elements. In Jerusalem, in the year 543, a basilica was dedicated to our Lady in memory of her Presentation. In the fourteenth century, this observance was commemorated in the West as a liturgical feast on November 21.

Mary in the Temple. All her beauty and grace, in both soul and body, was for the Lord. That is the theological content of the feast of her Presentation. The liturgy applies to our Lady some phrases from the Old Testament: “In the holy tent I ministered before him, and in Zion I fixed my abode. Thus in the chosen city he has given me rest, in Jerusalem is my domain. I have struck root among the glorious people, in the portion of the Lord, his heritage” (Sir 24:10-12).

Just as Jesus after he was presented in the Temple, Mary would have continued living a normal life at home with Joachim and Anne. Subject to her parents, growing towards womanhood, Mary was “full of grace” (Lk 1:28), her heart ready for a complete self-giving to God and mankind for the love of God.

No one would have noticed anything unusual about Mary’s behavior, though without doubt she charmed those around her because holiness is always attractive—more so in the case of one who is All-Holy. She was a smiling, hard-working young girl, always immersed in God, pleasant to everyone at her side. When she prayed, with a deep understanding of Holy Scripture, she would have often reflected on the prophecies that announced the coming of a Savior. That interior richness would later be poured forth in the marvelous verses of the  Magnificat  when she heard the greeting of her cousin Elizabeth.

Everything in our Lady’s life was wholly oriented towards Jesus’ Most Holy Humanity, the true Temple of God. The feast of Mary’s Presentation teaches us that our Lady belonged only to God, that she was completely dedicated, in soul and body, to the mystery of salvation, which is the mystery of our Creator drawing near to his creatures.

“Like a cedar of Lebanon I am raised aloft, like a cypress on Mount Hermon, like a palm tree in Engedi, like a rose bush in Jericho, like a fair olive tree in the field, like a plane tree growing beside the water” (Sir 24:13-14). Holy Mary brought God’s love to fruition around her. She did so without being noticed, because her deeds were those of every day, little things imbued with love.

J.A. Loarte in OpusDei.us

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Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Image:   Presentation of Mary in the Temple  | Alfonso Boschi | photo by sailko

Saint of the day for november 21.

The Story of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. A church was built there in honor of this mystery. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church.

As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the  Protoevangelium of James  tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was 3 years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.

Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond.

It is sometimes difficult for modern Westerners to appreciate a feast like this. The Eastern Church, however, was quite open to this feast and even somewhat insistent about celebrating it. Even though the feast has no basis in history, it stresses an important truth about Mary: From the beginning of her life, she was dedicated to God. She herself became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God’s saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary enriches her children. They—we—too are temples of God and sanctified in order that we might enjoy and share in God’s saving work.

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Presentation of the Virgin Mary

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• EWTN - The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Presentation of the Virgin Mary , feast celebrated in the Roman Catholic and Eastern churches on November 21. It was held in the Eastern church in the 6th century but did not become widely accepted in the West until the 15th century. The pope St. Pius V (1566–72) suppressed it, but in 1585 Pope Sixtus V reestablished the feast. Generally considered a feast of popular piety, it signifies Mary ’s total and lifelong devotion to God, as anticipated by her Immaculate Conception , and heralds her future vocation as the sacred vessel for the Incarnation .

The feast is based on a legend contained in the Protevangelium of James , a 2nd-century work not included in the Bible . It commemorates a visit by the three-year-old Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem , where she was dedicated to the service of God and left to be raised as a consecrated virgin. This act was done in fulfillment of a sacred promise made by her parents, Saints Anne and Joachim , during their long struggle with childlessness.

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Feast of the Presentation of Mary

The celebration of Mary’s presentation in Jerusalem dates back to the sixth century, marked by the construction of a dedicated church. This event held greater significance within the Eastern Church and later emerged in the Western Church in the 11th century. Although its observance fluctuated over time, by the 16th century, it was firmly established as a feast for the entire Church.

The story of Mary’s presentation in the temple is found only in apocryphal texts, notably the Protoevangelium of James. According to this narrative, Mary’s parents, Anna and Joachim, dedicated her to God at the temple when she was three years old, fulfilling a vow made during Anna’s childlessness.

While lacking historical verification, the theological significance of Mary’s presentation is profound. It complements the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Mary’s birth, highlighting the continuity of her sanctity from her early life onwards. This event underscores the belief in Mary’s lifelong holiness, a central theme in Christian theology.

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21 comments.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

I was wondering if there is a book about the life of Mary from her birth to her death, and if so, where can I buy it.

The book that contains the life of Mary is The Mystical City of God by Mary of Agreda. A book that has been approved by the Church.

You can buy it on Amazon.com or any Catholic book store.

I have the book. It’s very deep. Mary of Agreda was the author. Mel Gibson used her account of the Passion in his movie, The Passion of Christ.

Dr. Mark Mira Valle does some great books on St Mary and St Joseph. They’re called ‘Meet your Mother’ and ‘Meet your Spiritual Father’, respectively. You can get them from Lighthouse Catholic media.

we fly to thy patronage o holy mother of God despise not our prayers in our necessites but deliver us from all dangers o ever glorious and blessed virgin mary.Amen

O Domina mea, Sancta Maria, me, in tuam benedictam fidem ac singularem custodiam et in sinum misericordiae tuae hodie et quotidie et in hora exitus meae. Animam meam et corpus meum tibi commendo. Omnem spem et consolationem meam, omnes angustias et miserias meas; vitam ac finem vitae tibi committo ut per tuam sanctissimam intercessionem et per tua merita omnia mea dirigantur et disponantur opera secundum tuam tuique Filii voluntatem. Amen.

The book is also free online. Go to: http://www.themostholyrosary.com/mystical-city.htm

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Oh my Mother! Your parents dedicated you from the very beginning, before even birth, before even conception! I have dedicated my children, myself, and my husband/our marriage to you! Please pour your graces out upon us so that we can lead lives of holiness. Thank you for your willingness, obedience, and love. AMEN

Where in the bible can i find the reading of St Joaquim and St. Ann presenting little mary in the temple?

Evelyn, the account of the presentation is in the Proevangelium of James, which is not one of the canonical books of scripture.

Sorry, Protoevangelium*

Thank you for Your love, O Mary our Mother.

Life is good and the love of God.

We supplicate you, dear Vatican, to declare the doctrine of the partnership of Mary with redemption… In this verse of Cana wedding, Christ proclaims his mother’s partnership in the sacrament of redemption: He changed his appointed time before the creation of the world with his Father, when Mary asked for, and he returned and made the miracle, because he wants to understand us the partnership of Mary in the offering And in the hour of glory which the Father gave with the thundering voice of the multitude, this was for them and not for Christ, and in the hour of crucifixion, the turning of wine to blood which is of the blood of Mary. From this cried the Eastern and Western fathers of Mary: O partner of redemption … Just as she participated in the transformation of water to wine .. She participated in the transformation by her son, of wine to blood for salvation in love…

My Queen and my Mother, I give myself entirely to you, and, in proof of my affection, I give you my eyes, my ears, my tongue, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Since I am your own, keep me and guard me as your property and possession. Amen.

1 Samuel 15:22-24 (rsvce) 22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” 24 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, help us to embrace Fear of the Lord, and pledge our obedience to Heaven opposing all enemies who exist in preternatural influence rather than Supernatural Truth. Thank you for your heroic virtue, for gathering us to stand with you at the foot of Christ Crucified, for your obedience to holy law, for the faith and example of Saints Anne and Joachim, your astonishing parents, who educated you, loved you, knowing your perfection of humility. Amen.

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November 21: PRESENTATION OF OUR LADY. POPE BENEDICT ON TODAY’S MEMORIAL.

November 21: the presentation of our lady, the blessed virgin mary.

Today’s memorial commemorates the commitment Our Lady made to the Lord when she was moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit during her childhood to consecrate herself completely to God (see Paul VI Apostolic Exhortation, “Marialis cultus”, 2 February 1974,8).

“Mary’s complete dedication was efficacious, and continued to grow as her life went on. Her example moves us not to withhold anything in our own life of dedication to the Lord…

Let us ask Our Lady’s help today in living our own dedication to the full, in whatever state God has placed us, in accordance with the specific vocation we have received from the Lord… Let us ask Our Lady today that there may be many who, as our Mother Mary did from the time of her youth, follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and give their lives entirely over to the Lord’s service (F. Fernández Carvajal, “In Conversation With God”, vol. 7, n. 41).”

Let us pray: As we venerate the glorious memory of the most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession, that we, too, may merit to receive of the fullness of your grace. Through our Lord.

POPE BENEDICT XVI ON THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

On the occasion of the liturgical Memorial of the Presentation of Mary, we will be celebrating Pro Orantibus Day , dedicated to remembering cloistered religious communities. It is an especially appropriate opportunity to thank the Lord for the gift of the numerous people in monasteries and hermitages who are totally dedicated to God in prayer, silence, and concealment. Some may wonder what meaning and value their presence could have in our time, when there are so many situations of poverty and neediness with which to cope. Why “enclose oneself” forever between the walls of a monastery and thereby deprive others of the contribution of one’s own skills and experience? How effective can the prayer of these cloistered Religious be for the solution of all the practical problems that continue to afflict humanity?

Yet even today, often to the surprise of their friends and acquaintances, many people in fact frequently give up promising professional careers to embrace the austere rule of a cloistered monastery. What impels them to take such a demanding step other than the realization, as the Gospel teaches, that the Kingdom of Heaven is “a treasure” for which it is truly worth giving up everything (cf. Mt 13:44)? Indeed, these brothers and sisters of ours bear a silent witness to the fact that in the midst of the sometimes frenetic pace of daily events, the one support that never topples is God, the indestructible rock of faithfulness and love. “Everything passes, God never changes”, the great spiritual master Teresa of Avila wrote in one of her famous texts. And in the face of the widespread need to get away from the daily routine of sprawling urban areas in search of places conducive to silence and meditation, monasteries of contemplative life offer themselves as “oases” in which human beings, pilgrims on earth, can draw more easily from the wellsprings of the Spirit and quench their thirst along the way. Thus, these apparently useless places are on the contrary indispensable, like the green “lungs” of a city: they do everyone good, even those who do not visit them and may not even know of their existence.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us thank the Lord, who in his Providence has desired male and female cloistered communities. May they have our spiritual and also our material support, so that they can carry out their mission to keep alive in the Church the ardent expectation of Christ’s Second Coming. For this, let us invoke the intercession of Mary, whom we contemplate on the Memorial of her Presentation in the Temple as Mother and model of the Church, who welcomes in herself both vocations: to virginity and to marriage, to contemplative life and to active life. (19 November 2006)

FOR ST. AUGUSTINE’S SERMON ON TODAY’S FEAST, CLICK HERE .

Fr. Rolly Arjonillo, priest of Opus Dei, CATHOLICS STRIVING FOR HOLINESS.

AUDIO CREDIT AND SOURCE: Canon in D Major by  Kevin MacLeod  is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution License in http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler/Canon_in_D_Major

PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.aciprensa.com/santos/images/PresentacionVirgenMaria_21Noviembre.jpg

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Memorial of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary

Lectionary: 680

Below are the readings suggested for today's Memorial. However, readings for the Memorial may also be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, #707-712.  

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land, and he will again choose Jerusalem. Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD! He stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

Responsorial Psalm

R.    (49)  The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or: R.     O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." R.     The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or: R.     O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father. "For he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name." R.     The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or: R.     O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father. "He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit." R.     The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or: R.     O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father. "He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty." R.     The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or: R.     O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father. "He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever." R.     The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or: R.     O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

R.     Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it. R.     Alleluia, alleluia.

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you." But he said in reply to the one who told him, "Who is my mother?   Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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November 21: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple

Gospel for the feast of our Lady's Presentation in the Temple, and commentary.

Gospel ( Mt 12:46-50)

While Jesus was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Today’s liturgical memorial recalls an ancient and pious tradition based on a story from the apocryphal “Protoevangelium of James.” According to this text, when the Virgin Mary was a very young girl, her parents, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, took her to the temple of Jerusalem where she would stay for a time along with other girls, to be instructed in the traditions and piety of Israel.

It may surprise us that the Church offers us, on a day especially dedicated to Mary, a Gospel passage where Jesus seems to put her in the background, as if ungrateful towards his Mother: “Who is my mother?”

But the answer comes immediately: “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Our Lord highlights the most important teaching while at the same time giving Mary the best compliment possible: doing God’s will is the best way to imitate Jesus: “I have come to do your will, O God” ( Heb 10:7).

Our Lord’s and Mary’s entire lives were dedicated to living in accord with what God wanted. The Mother of Jesus told the servants at Cana : “Do whatever he tells you” ( Jn 2:5), which is a guide for our entire life. And we know very well what God wants from each of us: “this is the will of God, your sanctification” ( 1 Thes 4:3). This is what God is asking us to seek each day.

Giovanni Vassallo

Printed | document generated automatically from https://opusdei.org/en/gospel/november-21-presentation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-in-the-temple/ (08/16/2024)

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The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple

Jul 23, 2015 / Written by: America Needs Fatima

Feast November 21

On the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, we celebrate the fact that Our Lady’s parents brought her to the Temple at the age of three and handed her over to live there for a long period as a consecrated virgin where she might exclusively contemplate God.

There is a special beauty to this feast since it highlights the fact that Our Lady was chosen even before time began. She is called the root of Jesse (Isaiah, 11:1) from which Our Lord Jesus Christ would be born.

She is introduced to the synagogue, the institution in charge of keeping this promise. Thus, the synagogue receives Our Lady as a first step. In this act, the hopes of ages would soon be fulfilled.

Our Lady, a supremely holy soul, is received in the Temple and entered into the service of God.

Despite the corruption of the nation of Israel and the transformation of the Temple into a den of the Pharisees, an incomparable light appeared: the sanctity of Our Lady.

Unknowingly, Our Lady began to prepare herself to become the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In an atmosphere of grace in the Temple, she was set apart from everyone in order to serve God.

She increased her love of God until she formed the ardent desire for the imminent coming of the Messiah and asked God if she might have the honor to be the servant of His Mother.

She did not know that she was the one chosen for this honor. That is why she was perplexed when the Archangel Gabriel greeted her to ask her permission for the Incarnation.

Our Lady’s magnificent preparation to be the Mother of Jesus Christ began with her Presentation in the Temple, a feast the Church celebrates on November 21.

It is fitting that we ask Our Lady to prepare us with the best of Catholic doctrine to serve God by serving her.

We should present ourselves before Our Lady, asking her to assist us in taking up the task of our sanctification, as the Holy Ghost did with her in the Temple of Jerusalem.

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Purification of Our Lady

Besides commemorating the presentation of Christ in the Temple, this day has another meaning, for it is called Candlemass Day. The candle is one of the most widely used sacramentals in the Church; one blessed in a special Mass.

We use candles at Baptism, at Mass and other church services, at the ordination of a priest, the consecration of a bishop, at Easter, at Christmas to signify the coming of Christ. Two blessed candles should be in every home, to use in times of sickness, death, storms and calamities.

In the blessing of candles the Church reminds us that the candles signify light; they are blessed for the service of men, for health of body and soul, for those who desire to carry them in their hands with honor. Christ, the true Light and Fire of Charity, is asked to bless these candles; to dispel the darkness of night, to free us from the blindness of vice and to discern what is pleasing to Him and profitable for our salvation.

On the Feast of Mary’s Purification, we greet her with lighted candles – shining with faith and understanding, burning with love and zeal, as Sion welcomed Christ the King; today we go to Christ through Mary, to Christ, the new Light that gives Faith, Hope and Charity to us all.

The two-fold Jewish rites to which the Holy Family submitted on this occasion were the legal purifying of the mother after childbirth and the offering of the first-born male child to the Lord. They showed reverence for the Father’s Law by fulfilling its obligations, and so the Mother submitted to the Purification in all humility.

Angels beheld in wondering awe what was the greatest event the Temple had ever witnessed. It was nothing less than the second coming of the Lord to His Temple, which the prophets had foretold. At the Presentation, God the Son made Man took possession of the Temple built for His Father’s glory, and so ratified the worship which is offered to God in sacred courts, churches.

This simple ceremony is the link between the mystery of the Incarnation and the Redemption; here the Savior renews the oblation of Himself; “Sacrifice and oblation Thou wouldst not; but a body Thou hast fitted to me. Then, I said: “Behold, I come: in the head of the book it is written of me that I should do Thy will, O God.”

Jesus really begins His Passion in this mystery of the Presentation; and so, too, Mary begins her dolors. It is by Mary’s hands that Jesus makes the oblation which is the prelude to His Sacrifice. We reckon the Presentation among the joyful mysteries, but it is also first in place among Mary’s Sorrows.

Simeon enlightened by the Holy Spirit, understood the mystery and so, too, did Mary. After his first transports of joy at seeing the Messiah, he blessed them and said to His Mother, “Behold this Child is set for the fall and the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted, and they own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.”

This prophecy reminds us that Mary is always to be associated with the destiny of Jesus, the one solitary partner of His lot, singled out to suffer with Him. Heresies that pierced the Son have transpierced the Mother. The early Church guarded the doctrines of Jesus by defining Mary’s titles; today those who repudiate the honor of Mary, turn from the Son also; in the mind of satan as in the mind of the Church, the honor of Son and Mother go together.

The Church of Jerusalem was the first to celebrate the feast. On this day, also, a procession was held to the Constantinian basilica. The Armenians still keep the day on February 14th, and call it "The Coming of the Son of God into the Temple." The Greeks called it "Hypapante," the meeting of the Child Jesus and His Mother with Simeon and Anna in to Temple.

This feast reminds us how intimately Mary is associated with her Son in the work of Redemption. We welcome Her Child to our hearts with love and faith, we bless the Mother, too; for she had “not spared her life by reason of the distress and tribulation of her people, but has prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.”

From The Woman in Orbit and Mary's Book of Days

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Prayer For The Presentation Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Troparion of the Vigil Today Anne brings us glad tidings, bearing in her arms the precious fruit that dispels all sorrow, the one being ever-precious fruit that dispels all sorrow, the one being ever-virginal. In fulfillment of her vow, she joyfully presents on this day in the Lord's temple the true tabernacle of the Word of God, His immaculate Mother. Troparion Today is the prelude to God's munificence and the announcement of the salvation of men: in the temple of God the Virgin is visible to all foretelling the coming of Christ. Wherefore let us cry out to her with all our strength: Hail, fulfillment of the Creator's plan. Kontakion The most pure temple of the Saviour, the most precious bridal chamber, the Virgin, the sacred treasury of God's glory, enters today into the house of the Lord, bringing with her the grace of the divine Spirit. Wherefore the angels of God sing to her: Behold the heavenly Tabernacle. Hirmos The angels were stunned as they beheld the most pure one coming in, and they said: O Wonder. The Virgin enters into the Holy of Holies. O Mother of God, you are the precious Ark of God: no profane hand may touch you. But the lips of the faithful will never cease to sing your praise, repeating with joy the angel's word: O pure Virgin, you are indeed raised above all creatures. Kinonikon I will take the chalice of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Alleluia.

O blessed Virgin Mary! who can duly thank thee, or herald forth thy praises, who, by the assent of thy single will, didst rescue a fallen world? What honor can be paid to thee by our weak human nature, which, by thy intervention alone, hath found the way to return to grace and life? Accept then, such poor thanks as we have here to offer, unequal to thy merits though they be; and, accepting our good desires, obtain by thy prayers the remission of our offenses. Graciously hear our prayers, and obtain for us the remedy of reconciliation.

May the offering we make to God through thee, through thee be acceptable in his sight; and may that be granted which we ask with trustful heart. Accept our offerings, grant us our petitions, banish our fears; for thou art the sole hope of sinners. Through thee we hope for forgiveness of our sins; and in thee, most blessed Lady, is the hope of our reward.

Holy Mary, succor the wretched, help the fainthearted, comfort the sorrowful, pray for the people, shield the clergy, intercede for holy women; let all who celebrate thy holy commemoration feel thy protection. Be thou at hand, ready to aid our prayers, and obtain for us what we desire. Make it thy care, blessed Lady, to intercede ever for the people of God--thou who didst deserve to bear the Redeemer of the world, who liveth and reigneth, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, Who didst will that on this day the blessed ever Virgin Mary, the dwelling-place of the Holy Ghost, should be presented in the temple: grant, we beseech Thee, that through her intercession, we may be made worthy to be presented in the temple of Thy glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.

Praise to Mary, Heaven's Gate, Guiding Star of Christians' way, Mother of our Lord and King, Light and hope to souls astray.

When you heard the call of God Choosing to fulfill his plan, By your perfect act of love Hope was born in fallen man.

Help us to amend our ways, Halt the devil's strong attack, Walk with us the narrow path, Beg for us the grace we lack.

Mary, show your motherhood, Bring your children's prayers to Christ, Christ, your son, who ransomed man, Who, for us, was sacrificed.

Virgin chosen, singly blest, Ever faithful to God's call, Guide us in this earthy life, Guard us lest, deceived, we fall.

Mary, help us live our faith So that we may see your son; Join our humble prayers to yours, Till life's ceaseless war is won.

Praise the Father, praise the Son, Praise the holy Paraclete; Offer all through Mary's hands, Let her make our prayers complete.

Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day; Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!

Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine; Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread; Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!

Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood; Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the temple, Christ the temple's Lord; Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven's Rest; Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the mother, Christ the mother's Son By all things blest while endless ages run. Amen.

O Mary of all women, you are the chosen one, Who, ancient prophets promised, would bear God's only Son; All Hebrew generations prepared the way to thee, That in your womb the God-man might come to set us free.

O Mary, you embody all God taught to our race, For you are first and foremost in fullness of his grace; We praise this wondrous honor that you gave birth to Him Who from you took humanity and saved us from our sin.

When she was only three years old, the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem by her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne. (We celebrate their feast day on July 26.) Mary's whole life was to belong to God. He had chosen her to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus. The Blessed Virgin was happy to begin serving God in the Temple. And St. Joachim and St. Anne were pleased to offer their saintly little girl to God. They knew that God had sent her to them.

In the Temple, the high priest received the child Mary. She was placed among the girls who were dedicated to prayer and Temple service. The high priest kissed and blessed the holy child. He realized that the Lord had great plans for her. Mary did not weep or turn back to her parents. She came so happily to the altar that everyone in the Temple loved her at once.

St. Joachim and St. Anne went back home. They praised God for their blessed daughter. And Mary remained in the Temple, where she grew in holiness. She spent her days reading the Bible, praying and serving the Temple priests. She made beautiful linens and splendid vestments. Mary was loved by all the other girls because she was so kind. Mary tried to do each of her duties well, to please God. She grew in grace and gave great glory to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, the Blessed Virgin Mary was dedicated to You by her parents when she was three. In the temple, she joined the girls who spent their days praying, reading Scripture, and serving the temple priests. Her holiness was very evident, and the high priest thought that You probably had great plans for her. I ask Mary to pray for the plans You have for my life. Where I have strayed onto a road of my own choosing, give me her hand to guide me back to where You want me. Where I need to wait for a new plan to begin, give me the grace remain patient and say, "Your will be done." Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for me. Amen

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The Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple Invites our Response

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On this Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple by Joachim and Anne, we are invited to make the choice to surrender our lives to the Lord. Parents are reminded of their solemn responsibility to present their children for Baptism. We are all challenged to bring this Feast to life in our age and thereby continue to participate in God's unfolding plan for the whole human race.

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Keywords: Mary , Marian , Hail Mary , rosary , apparitions , holiness , prayer , Mother of God , discipleship , Deacon Keith Fournier

P>CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) - The Feast of the Presentation of Mary is celebrated in both the Eastern and Western Churches. It recalls the day in the life of the Jewish girl named Mary (Maryam) when her parents, Joachim and Anne, presented her to the Lord in the temple and dedicated her life to Him. Mary had already been chosen by God, preserved by a singular grace as a chosen vessel through whom the Incarnate Word would be given for the salvation of the whole world. However, the offering by her parents is a response to the invitation to join our free choice to God' invitation. This exercise of freedom lies at the heart of discipleship, and is the inner core of every vocation, to cooperate with grace. In the Office of Readings, we are given a sermon by St. Augustine given of this Feast and entitled "She who believed by faith, conceived by faith" for reflection. Here are a few excerpts: "Stretching out his hand over his disciples, the Lord Christ declared: Here are my mother and my brothers; anyone who does the will of my Father who sent me is my brother and my sister and my mother. I would urge you to ponder these words. Did the Virgin Mary, who believed by faith and conceived by faith, who was the chosen one from whom our Savior was born among men, who was created by Christ before Christ was created in her - did she not do the will of the Father? "Indeed the blessed Mary certainly did the Father's will, and so it was for her a greater thing to have been Christ's disciple than to have been his mother, and she was more blessed in her discipleship than in her motherhood. Hers was the happiness of first bearing in her womb him whom she would obey as her master." Today's Feast emphasizes our response to God's gifts. We remember the response of Mary's mother and father in their decision to present her in the temple for dedication to the Lord. All parents are called to imitate their response by presenting their children for Baptism.

We reflect on the mystery of Mary's own continuing response from her very earliest days to the Lord's invitations of grace. Yes, that is right, though preserved free from the fractured freedom which is the bad fruit of original sin; Mary was called to continually give her "Yes" to God's invitations of love. In that continual "Fiat" she shows us the way we are all called to respond to the invitations of grace in our own lives as we grow in holiness.  She was the first evangelizer and the first disciple of her own Son Jesus. She gave the first Gospel testimony to her cousin, Elizabeth, without words, as the Redeemer in her womb drew the child in her womb, John the Baptizer to Himself. Jesus did so from the Throne he had established in Mary's womb, a living Tabernacle. Jesus, Love Incarnate, drew John from the very first home of the whole human race, a mother's womb, into eternal communion. At the beginning of that missionary encounter, Elizabeth greeted Mary with profound humility, saying "who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Then the son in her own womb became the first convert "in utero" as he leapt in praise of the Maker of the Universe, who had taken up residence in Mary's womb. John the Baptizer, the last Prophet of Old Testament and first of the New, was prepared in a womb - and drawn by this amazing grace - without a word being spoken, through Mary's witness of surrendered love. This event, traditionally called "The Visitation" and recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke (Luke l: 39-45), is meant to be reproduced in our lives as we carry Jesus forward in time. It can - through the witness of our surrendered lives of love. In the Biblical account, this encounter immediately follows the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary (Luke 16:38) and is a fruit of her humble, obedient response, her "Fiat"  to the word of God which she was most certainly attuned to hearing. That response was not a onetime reaction. It was the fruit borne from a life of surrendered love and it stretched forward to characterize and inform her entire life. Mary was there at the Wedding Feast at Cana in Galilee, when the first of the Lord's "signs" occurred - in a response to and as a fruit of - her intercession. It was there she gave that sage and still relevant advice to all those in attendance at that wedding and to all who throughout human history seek to follow her Son, "Do whatever He tells you". She still invites that kind of response through the testimony of her surrendered life of love for God. There are very few records of Mary's explicit words in the texts of the New Testament of the Bible. However, there is no lack of her presence at the most significant events in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and therefore in the great events of salvation history. She always encountered God - in profound ways - from the beginning to the end of her life. In every encounter, she surrendered to Love and was changed. Mary was there at the Incarnation, Birth, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of the One whom Christians proclaim is God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. She was there throughout what are often called the "hidden years" in His life at Nazareth where ordinary work was ennobled and childrearing forever changed because of His participation. His disciples spent three years with Him, during His "public ministry", but Mary spent thirty three years! We should remember and reflect on the truth that in the earthly life of the Redeemer, every word he uttered - at every age and stage - and every act he undertook was redemptive, revealing as it does the very life of God and the mystery of heaven touching earth. Because of that, every moment of His presence among us reveals the deeper purpose of our own lives when they are lived entirely for Him. Mary was there in all those pregnant moments of His complete thirty three year earthly mission of love. His redemptive presence forever changed the history of the world and can do so in our own personal histories if we learn how to surrender to His invitation to love and choose to live as she did. The mission of the Redeemer continues now for all who have the eyes to see His presence still walking and working among us; and the ears to hear His loving words still being spoken amidst the cacophony of our daily lives. Mary did. Every waking moment can now be filled with the invitation of grace for each one of us, if we learn to discover their deeper meaning and make them our own. If we learn to live our entire life as, an invitation to love, 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. She was there on the great day of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, and witnessed the extraordinary clothing with the Holy Spirit that transformed and empowered the early disciples. That same Holy Spirit had inspired her own unique missionary vocation. Mary understood this work of the Holy Spirit unlike anyone in history. She had been clothed in that wonderful gift when she was first visited by the angel and "overshadowed." It empowered her to live her whole life in complete surrender to God's will and to thereby prefigure the mission of the entire Christian community throughout history. Mary understood all of this because she was a woman in love -with God. Mary was a woman of prayer, an ongoing conversation and intimate communion with God. We are invited into her prayer because we are invited into that same relationship with God. Understanding and living the Prayer of Mary is about living a life of surrendered love. She is the first disciple who shows is the way to follow her Son and Lord. It is about being- more than about doing. It is about response- more than initiation. It is about encountering God relationally, personally and intimately. It is about a receiving, giving, receiving, giving..and thus becoming a person for the Lord and in Him for others. It is about offering the "Fiat" of a surrendered life. Mary's "Fiat" ("let it be done"), freely given in response to the visitation from the messenger of heaven, the angel, provides a pattern of prayer and a way to live for every follower of her Son. Her "Yes", her "Fiat", her humble surrender to God's vocational invitation, bore the fruit of her "Magnificat" which bore the fruit of the Word, which was spoken and birthed through her. This is a kind of trajectory of love. It provides a prototype of the vocation of every human person who says "Yes" to God and learns to bear the fruit of surrendered love. Her "Yes" touches the inner core of the meaning of life for all men and women who are children of the one Creator. We were made to give ourselves away to the Lord and to others. God is not an "add on" to our life. Rather, He is its source and its summit. Authentic and fruitful spirituality is "inside out" rather than "outside in." There is a way, a pattern that all men and women are invited into - not just once, but daily. This is the way of surrendered love. Mary's surrender reveals the deeper meaning of every human life and is the true path to authentic peace. It is the portal of the mystery of meaning itself. It is what Christian Scripture calls the "more excellent way" (1 Cor. 12), the way of love. Mary understood and walked this way with extraordinary humility. Is it any wonder that the early Christians painted her image in the catacombs during their moments of fear, persecution and doubt? They found great inspiration from this little woman of great faith. In her "yes" they came to understand that ordinary people can change human history. They were inspired to add their own "yes", their own "fiat" to hers. Is it any wonder that the writings of the early Fathers of the Christian Church are also replete with reflections on this woman who said so little verbally in the biblical text? That is because it is not about an abundance of our words but rather our receptivity to the Word. Justin Martyr and many other early Christian apologists found in her "fiat", her obedient "yes" to the angel, the undoing of the "no-I will not serve" uttered in rebellion by the first woman Eve. They called Mary "The Second Eve", the mother of a new creation, because she said "Yes" and in her womb carried the One whom the biblical authors would call the "New Adam." Jesus Christ was born from her as the first born of a new race of men and women who would themselves come to find a new birth through His life, death and Resurrection. That occurs as we say "Yes" to Him in both word and deed. That same Redeemer now comes to reside within, and live through, all of those who respond to the invitation of Love like Mary did. All who are prepared and who, in response, surrender to His grace. Mary's choice, her response to the invitation of a God who always respects human freedom, is a singularly extraordinary event in all of human history. However, it is meant to be much more. It is meant to be an invitation to each one of us to explore our own personal histories and to write them anew in Him by joining our own "yes" to hers. On this Feast of the Presentation of Mary, let us make the choice to surrender ourselves to the same Lord. That is how we can bring this Feast to life in our own age and continue to participate in God's plan for the whole human race. 

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The Presentation of Mary in the Temple

In the small chapel of St. Anne at Aylesford Priory there is a simple depiction of the Presentation of Mary in ceramics by Adam Kossowski. The chapel is dedicated as the Family Chapel. There are prayers for Grandparents noting their role of passing on their faith to future generations. There is also a very lively and colourful painting of the Presentation of Our Lady in our Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Faversham by Edward Ardizzone. 

We celebrate the Presentation of Mary in the Temple on 21 st November as the emperor Justinian had a new church built to Mary in the Temple area of Jeursalam dedicated on this date in 543. Though the church was destroyed by the Persians within the century, the feast day continued in the Eastern Church and became one of the important celebrations in honour of Mary. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that it was commemorated in the West. It has been celebrated in England since the fourteenth century.

What are we celebrating as there is no mention of the early life of Mary in the scriptures? The story of the Presentation of Mary has come down to us through one of the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James. This is one of the books that was not accepted into the canon of the Bible. This book tells of the meeting of Joachim and Anne at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem. They were childless for some years until an angel appeared to them and Anne gave birth to Mary. Anne and Joachim knew from the angel that this girl would be a sacred child with a special mission from God. Mary was taken to the temple by her parents to dedicate her to God. Though this story is a legend and has no foundation in history, nor was it the practice at the time to take children to dedicate them in the temple, the point of the story is that even in her childhood Mary was dedicated to God. St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) wrote that: “Mary conceived Jesus in her heart before she conceived Jesus in her womb”. The feast of the Presentation in the Eastern Church was as important as the Immaculate Conception is in the West. Both remind us that Mary was set apart by God from her conception.

The first reading for the Mass of Presentation of Mary is from the prophet Zechariah (2: 14-11-17). The prophet is writing at the time of the returning of the Babylonian exiles between 520-519 B.C. Jerusalem is the Daughter of Zion who sings and rejoices as the Lord is coming to be in their midst.  Some biblical scholars see Mary as the personification of the Daughter of Zion.  There was a refugee camp outside the northern wall of Jerusalem at Zion.  So, the association of Mary with the Daughter of Zion connects her with the poor, the lowly, the humble of heart and all those who wait patiently for God to deliver them.  The prophet breaks away from the narrow view of the past to write that many nations will gather to be God’s holy people.

The Gospel for that day comes from Matthew (12: 46-50). It is the meeting of Jesus with his mother and family members. This story also appears in both the Gospel of Mark (3: 31-35) and Luke (8: 19-21). While Mark’s account is harsh both Matthew and Luke soften their account of the encounter between Jesus and his family.

Jesus is speaking to a crowd when he is told that his mother and brothers are outside. Jesus tells the crowd: “My mother, brothers, and sisters are those who do the will of my Father in Heaven.”   Jesus is emphasising the difference between his physical and spiritual family. Mary was undoubtedly part of both as she was consecrated to God at her conception and became the first disciple of Jesus. 

This is an apt Gospel for the Presentation as Mary was a woman of faith from her early childhood and the will of the Father became the deepest of reality for the whole of her life and being. She was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit at the Annunciation; she stood at the foot of the cross and became a model of watchful prayer waiting with the apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Mary is the model of the church in its perfection and as mother she watches over the Pilgrim Church with maternal love.

Fr. Francis Kemsley O.Carm 

Note: Shortly after writing this reflection the author, Fr Francis died (Oct 2023)  – Please keep him in your prayers.

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Translation checked by mrs. fiona mansbridge, a historical account, icons of the virgin, a commentary upon icons, * the vladimir virgin and the great iconographers * [3], references:.

The Complicated History of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Commemorated july 8/21 and october 22/november 4.

Sergei Milov

The history of the Kazan icon began in the sixteenth century. Yet people find the circumstances and place of its appearance unusual and surprising even to this day.

The history of the Kazan icon

The icon’s discovery

The Kazan icon first appeared in the city of Kazan in 1579, when that city was still far from being “Russian”. Only twenty-seven years had passed since the conquest of the Kazan Khanate by the troops of Ivan the Terrible in 1552, and twenty-six years had passed since the creation of a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church on its territory in 1553. The local population (predominantly Muslim) was not very happy about that event either. More than that, just before the miraculous apparition, in June 1579 the city had been ravaged by a devastating fire and the locals blamed Christians for that. However, it was at that city and during those turbulent times that the Most Pure Virgin deigned to send Her holy icon to Christian people.

The appearance of the Kazan icon

This is how the appearance took place. Soon after the devastating fire, the Mother of God appeared to Matrona, a nine-year-old daughter of a strelets [a member of the infantry regiments in the sixteenth and seventeenth century Russia], and told her to find Her icon amid the ashes of a burned house. After the first vision nobody believed the girl. But the apparitions of the Queen of Heaven continued and the girl kept asking the adults to find the icon. Soon Matrona’s mother turned to Orthodox priests, asking them to help her. However, the clerics didn’t believe her story and were reluctant to search for the icon. It was not until numerous appeals to the bishop of Kazan that it was decided to try and find the holy object. At last the icon (wrapped in an old cloth) was found. According to tradition, as soon as Matrona started digging she discovered it. By orders of Tsar Ivan IV a convent in honor of the Mother of God and a church were built on this site, and the first copy of the icon was sent to Moscow.

The Time of Troubles

Incidentally, Patriarch Hermogenes was the author of the “Tale” of the Kazan icon. He wrote it in 1594 as Metropolitan of Kazan. Its full name is “The Story and Miracles of the Most Pure Theotokos and the Holy and Glorious Appearance of Her Image in Kazan”. And it was he who composed the service to this icon.

By the end of 1610, the atmosphere in Russia became extremely tense. It is widely known that Polish aristocrats wanted to sieze power in the country, but we need to keep in mind why it became possible: The worst tragedy of the Russia of that time was anarchy caused by the civil war rather than a foreign invasion. Cities and influential boyar [members of old aristocracy in Russia, next in rank to a prince] clans were fighting with one another. The country was flooded with bands of Cossacks and vagrants who in pursuit of easy profit would plunder, rape and kill. Most people were only nominally Orthodox, while their habits and lifestyle were barbarous.

Patriarch Hermogenes was taken into custody. Realizing the disastrous situation, he started sending his messages to all the regions of the tsardom, calling on everybody to stop the discord, unite and organize resistance in order to liberate the country from the enemy. He urged the citizens not only to defend their motherland but also to guard the Orthodox faith and prevent violence against common people.

The patriarch’s speeches had their effect: Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin organized an all-Russian volunteer army with its center in Nizhny Novgorod. They led the army from Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow.

When the volunteer army entered Yaroslavl it was joined by the Kazan residents who had brought a copy of the Kazan icon with them and handed it over to Dmitry Pozharsky. This was in 1611. From that moment the Theotokos became the spiritual “Commander” of the all-Russian voluntary army and of the whole the nation.

By the autumn of 1612, the situation had become complex. On the one hand, the Poles that took cover at the Kremlin found themselves in a vicious circle, suffering from hunger, diseases and their own differences, and cargo wagons that had been sent to them from outside were intercepted by the Russian volunteer corps. On the other hand, deep dissension developed amongst the volunteer army officers as well. It finally became clear that they couldn’t hesitate any more. Before taking the Kremlin by storm, the members of the Russian volunteer army kept strict fast and prayed very hard before of the Kazan icon for three days. [The storm was successful and the Polish Catholic aristocrats were expelled finally from the Kremlin.—OC.]

The return of the Kazan icon of the Theotokos

On the next day, October 22, 1612, the Russian forces stormed Kitai-Gorod [a walled area near the Kremlin.—OC.] and two days later retook the Kremlin.

On October 25, 1612, Russian volunteer army officers walked in a cross procession into the Kremlin, carrying the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, the Protectress of the Russian land, at the head of the procession.

According to the Nikon Chronicle, following the liberation of Moscow from the Polish invaders Prince Dmitry Pozharsky left the Kazan icon at the Church of the Presentation of the Mother of God in the Temple on Lubyanka Street in the center of Moscow. In 1636, this icon was moved to the newly-built Kazan Cathedral in Red Square. This cathedral was constructed to commemorate the liberation of Moscow from the Poles.

Since 1649 October 22/November 4 has been a national holiday and feast in honor of the Kazan icon that saved Russia in the Time of Troubles.

The Kazan icon in the War of 1812

In 1812 the All-Holy Theotokos again showed Her mercy to the Russian people through her holy Kazan icon.

It is known that before his departure for the Russian active army General and Field Marshall Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov prayed in front of the Kazan icon.

One of the most remarkable examples of the help of the wonderworking Kazan icon to the Russian soldiers during the Patriotic War of 1812 was the result of the Battle of Vyazma (October 22). On that day, the feast of the Kazan icon, the rear guard of the French Marshall Davout was defeated by Russians commanded by General Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich and General of Cavalry Matvei Ivanovich Platov.

The French suffered heavy casualties (7,000 to 8,000). This battle was the first defeat of Napoleon’s Army after its retreat from Moscow.

In 1811, the Kazan Cathedral was completed in St. Petersburg. After the War of 1812 it became a memorial church for the Russian Army. Later Prince Mikhail Kutuzov was buried there. It is no coincidence that this cathedral was chosen as the place of perpetuation of Russia’s military glory, as the Holy Theotokos became the spiritual Protectress and “Heavenly Commander” of the Russian people in 1812 (as it had been during the Time of Troubles).

The icon is stolen

From the moment of its appearance, the original icon was kept at the Convent of the Holy Theotokos in Kazan until the early twentieth century. But in those troubled years of the revolution the Lord took this wonderworking icon away from His people, perhaps for their edification or humility. Over that period many Russian people apostatized and drifted away from their faith, the faith of their forefathers. This was most likely one of the reasons for that tragedy. Today, after so many years, we can retrace those events.

On the night of June 29 (according to the old calendar), 1904, the Kazan icon of the Holy Theotokos was stolen.

It is believed that those who committed the theft had chosen the right moment for their crime. For four days before the theft, the convent had been visited by the Smolensk icon and long solemn services had been celebrated daily. On June 28 the Smolensk icon was carried out from the convent, and after the vigil service all the nuns went to their cells. After two in the morning a novice named Tatiana Krivosheeva went out to the yard and heard cries for help. As it turned out, the convent’s guard Fyodor Zakharov was the one shouting. He was found locked in the cathedral’s vault.

News of the theft of the icon quickly spread not only around Kazan but all over Russia. Fortunately, the culprits were soon found thanks to the superintendent of the Alexander Trade School, Vladimir Volman, who provided invaluable information to the police. Due to the well-coordinated efforts of all those who were not indifferent to the tragedy, the police got on the tracks of the prime suspect Bartholomew (Varfolomei) Chaikin (Stoyan), a twenty-eight-year-old peasant. On July 5 he and his mistress Praskovya Kucherova were detained in Nizhny Novgorod, to which they had fled on the Niagara steamer.

During the search of Chaikin’s apartment, jewelry and fragments of the ornaments from the icons of the Mother of God and the Savior were found. However, there were no icons in the apartment. According to the nine-year-old Evgenia, daughter of Chaikin’s mistress, the icons had been cut into pieces and burned in the stove. Similar evidence was provided by other individuals who were called to testify, including Praskovya’s mother, Elena Shilling.

On November 25, 1904, judicial proceedings began at the district court of Kazan. Bartholomew Chaikin (Stoyan), Ananias Komov (accessories to the crime), Fyodor Zakharov, Nikolai Maximov (partners in the crime), and Praskovya Kucherova and Elena Shilling (who covered up the crime) appeared before the court as defendants.

Following protracted hearings, Bartholomew Chaikin (Stoyan) was sentenced to twelve years of penal servitude, Ananias Komov to ten years of penal servitude, Maximov was sent to correctional facilities for two years and eight months, and Proskovya Kucherova and Elena Shilling were imprisoned for five months and ten days. The guard Fyodor Zakharov, who had been suspected of complicity in the crime, was acquitted.

According to the major version, these two icons were burned by the perpetrators. However, in time new versions turned up. For example, some supposed that Chaikin may have sold the icons to Old Believers as they were very valuable even without their oklads (covers). The fate of the Kazan icon remains unknown even today.

The whereabouts of the Kazan icon

Our days. The return

Although the meeting between John Paul II and Patriarch Alexei II never took place, the icon was delivered to Moscow by a Catholic delegation headed by Cardinal Walter Kasper in August 2004. On August 28 it was handed over to Patriarch Alexei II at the Moscow Kremlin’s Dormition Cathedral. It was decided to move the icon to Kazan, and before that event it was kept at the patriarchal residence.

In April 2005, during his archpastoral visit to Kazan, Patriarch Alexei II celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kazan Kremlin. After the Liturgy he presented the Diocese of Kazan with the Kazan icon of the Mother of God that had been received from the Vatican. The relic was placed inside the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross of the former Convent of the Theotokos where it had originally been kept. Thus it can be said that this event was like “the second discovery of the holy icon of the Theotokos”.

The original of the Kazan icon

It should be noted that when it comes to icons, the term “original” is relative. Any blessed image of the “Mother of God of Kazan” is a holy object in front of which anybody can pray. The Most Holy Virgin always hears our prayers no matter what kind of an icon we are standing before, be it paper or painted.

According to tradition, the icon that was revealed to the girl Matrona in 1579 and which was lost in the early twentieth century is referred to as “the original Kazan icon”.

Copies of the Kazan icon

The revered copies of the Kazan icon that existed in different regions of Russia were numerous and diverse.

The icon in the volunteer army

Thus, one of the venerated copies of the Kazan icon was kept in the camp of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky’s Russian voluntary corps during the war against the Polish and Swedish invaders between 1611 and 1613. A special annual commemoration of the Kazan icon of the Theotokos was instituted for October 22 in gratitude for the deliverance of Moscow from the Polish usurpers. Initially it was celebrated only in Moscow, and in 1649 it became a nationwide festival.

It was at the same time that the first church in honor of the Kazan icon was built in Kolomenskoye.

The St. Petersburg copy

In the eighteenth century, the Kazan icon was held in great esteem by both Peter I “the Great” and Catherine II the Great. Thus, it was under Peter I, in 1721, that one of the venerated copies was transferred to St. Petersburg; earlier, in 1709, on the eve of the Battle of Poltava, Tsar Peter prayed with his army in front of the Kazan icon, and they were victorious. In 1768, Catherine II adorned the cover of the original icon at Kazan with a diamond crown as a token of her reverence for the relic.

By the end of the nineteenth century, the Kazan icon became one of the most revered icons inside Russia. It was cherished by the entire Orthodox population. At that time one couldn’t find a single believer who didn’t know about the original Kazan icon or its copies.

The Kazan icon in Moscow

You can find Kazan icons of the Mother of God in most churches of Moscow, first and foremost in the Kazan Cathedral in Red Square. It was restored in 1993. It holds a revered copy of the Kazan icon.

A modern Kazan icon of the Theotokos can be found in the lower part of the Patriarchal Cathedral of Christ the Savior (called the Church of the Transfiguration). Parishioners of the main capital’s cathedral often pray in front of this icon.

Among the numerous relics of the Church of the Holy Prophet Elias in Obydensky Lane you can find one Kazan icon of the Theotokos. It also houses a particle of the Cincture of the Blessed Virgin. The church is open daily from 7:00 AM till 10:00 PM.

The capital’s Theophany Cathedral (commonly called Elokhovo Cathedral) has a copy of the miracle-working Kazan icon which was formerly kept at the Kazan Cathedral in Red Square.

At the Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God on Lyshchikova Hill, visitors can venerate a copy of the Kazan icon along with the relics of the New Confessor Priest Roman Medved, who reposed in the late 1930s in Maloyaroslavets (the Kaluga region) after numerous arrests and exiles.

There is a unique Kazan icon painted on glass at the Church of St. Poemen the Great in Moscow.

The St. Nicholas Church at Bersenevskaya Embankment near the Kremlin is very interesting. It holds long services and maintains some Old Ritualist traditions. One of its relics is a much revered copy of the Kazan icon.

Of course, this list is incomplete. Indeed it is difficult to find a parish church of Moscow which doesn’t have a copy of the Kazan icon of the Theotokos!

A description of the Kazan icon

The Kazan icon is a half-length (or head to shoulders) version of the icon of the Theotokos of the Hodegetria (“She who shows the way”) type. On it the Infant Christ sits on Mary’s arms, blessing with His right hand and holding a scroll or a book in His left hand.

On the Kazan icon the Virgin Mary is depicted bust-length, in typical garments, slightly inclining her head towards the Christ Child. The Savior looks directly at us; He is depicted waist-length, with His right hand in a gesture of blessing.

On how the Kazan icon helps us

The view that each type of icon of the Theotokos helps us in specific situations differs from the teaching of the Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh used to say that a newly-painted icon becomes holy as soon as it has been blessed. Before that, any icon is just an image of Christ, His Most Holy Mother or a saint, painted on wood. Of course, Christians don’t venerate paint and wood, or any other material. The VII Oecumenical Council in 787 proclaimed the veneration of holy icons. According to its decree, “The honor paid to the image passes on to that which the image represents, so he who reveres the image reveres in it the subject represented.”

However, some icons are considered wonderworking; that is, Christ helps people and whole nations through the prayers of believers who pray before them. So the Kazan icon was particularly venerated in Russia, and the Mother of God healed the sick and saved that country through the petitions of the faithful who prayed before it.

We have recounted how prayer before the wonderworking Kazan icon saved Russia from the Polish invasion in 1613. In 1812, the Army of Napoleon, one of the most famous military commanders in the world, attacked Russia, and the prayer to the Queen of Heaven again helped the nation defeat the aggressors. As we know, Napoleon’s “La Grande Armee” numbering thousands of soldiers finally fled in defeat.

The Theotokos helped the Russian people in the Great Patriotic War [part of the Second World war fought by the Nazy Germany and its allies against the USSR; 1941-1945] as well. The Mother of God is credited with helping civilians survive amidst the horrors of war, and helping soldiers crush the monstrous enemy.

Churches dedicated to the Kazan icon of the Theotokos

The Kazan Cathedral in Red Square

The most famous cathedral in honor of the Kazan icon was constructed in the first half of the seventeenth century under Tsar Michael Romanov. Though it was rebuilt many times, it remained one of the principal churches of Moscow. It kept the wonderworking copy of the Kazan icon that helped the Russian volunteer army drive out the Poles from the Kremlin.

In 1812, Napoleon’s soldiers desecrated the cathedral by dragging a dead horse into the sanctuary.

In September 1918, the wonderworking Kazan icon of the Mother of God was stolen from the cathedral. In the late 1920s the cathedral was restored with the funds of the parishioners. In 1936, the Bolsheviks demolished the church and a public toilet stood on the spot for some time.

In 1990-1993 the cathedral was rebuilt using surviving old photographs and drawings. Its main relic is a revered copy of the Kazan icon.

The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg

The construction of one of the symbols of St. Petersburg commenced on August 27, 1801, in the presence of Emperor Alexander I. Ten years later the cathedral was completed and consecrated by Metropolitan Ambrose of St. Petersburg. After the war of 1812 it became a monument to Russian victory. In 1812, the war trophies were displayed in it, including French military banners and the personal baton of the French Marshall Davout. It was here that Field Marshall Kutuzov was interred after his death, and here that the funeral service was performed over the composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

In 1932 the church was closed, and soon it was used as the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. The first Liturgy after its closure was celebrated there in 1991.

The cathedral’s main relic is a wonderworking Kazan icon of the Theotokos.

The Church of the Kazan icon in Kolomenskoye

The church was built in the first half of the seventeenth century, but its walls weren’t covered with frescoes until the early twentieth century. In the Soviet era the church was closed temporarily in 1941 and 1942 during the Great Patriotic War.

Its main relic is the “Reigning” icon of the Theotokos. It appeared on March 15, 1917, in the vault of the Holy Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye on the day of Nicholas II’s abdication. In the Soviet era the relic was kept in storage rooms of the State Historical Museum. In 1990, the icon was given to the Church of the Kazan icon in Kolomenskoye.

The church also houses a copy of the wonderworking Kazan icon.

The Church of the Kazan icon in Irkutsk

This Byzantine-style church was completed in 1892, having taken nine years to build. Many wealthy parishioners took part in the construction work by donating money, icons, church vessels, books, cloths embroidered in gold, and vestments. The temple was closed in 1936. Its building became home to the storehouse of a book-selling organization, courses for film projectionists, and the factory “Siberian Souvenir”.

At the end of the twentieth century the church was returned to the faithful. Now it functions as the cathedral of the Metropolitanate of Irkutsk and Angarsk.

The Church of the Kazan icon in the Kazanskoye village, the Pavlovsky Posad district near Moscow

This church was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century. According to tradition, in 1812 the Kazan icon miraculously appeared here and helped volunteers from among the local residents fight against the French Army soldiers. According to another version, this church was built with the blessing of the Holy Hierarch Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow, who visited the village and gave it the Kazan icon.

The church was built between 1859 and 1863. It stayed open throughout the Soviet period and housed many relics from the neighboring churches that had been closed down.

The Church of the Kazan icon at the monastery of Kazan

It stands on the site where the original Kazan icon was discovered by the girl Matrona in 1579. Soon the convent in honor of the Mother of God appeared there and Matrona became its first nun. The volunteer army of Minin and Pozharsky took this icon to Moscow and gave it back after liberating the capital.

In the Soviet era the convent was closed down. The restoration of the holy place commenced in 1994, and since 2005 it has functioned as a monastery with a community of monks. Not long ago, plans for the reconstruction of the Church of the Kazan icon in the city of Kazan were announced. On July 21, 2016, Patriarch Kirill blessed the construction site of the new church.

The abandoned Church of the Kazan icon in the Yaropolets village near Moscow

This is one of the best known abandoned churches in honor of the Kazan icon.

Before the Russian Revolution, the manor of Counts Chernyshev was situated here.

The construction of a large stone church began in 1780. There were plans to add a family burial vault to it. However, misfortunes pursued this place from the very beginning: First the head of the family, General and Field Marshall Chernyshev, died; then the roof of the almost complete church collapsed. It was decided to restore the unfinished edifice and invite a new architect, namely Karl Ivanovich Blank. At last, in 1797 the church was consecrated, yet its interior furnishings and decorations remained incomplete.

In 1830, the church caught fire, but survived. The first icons didn’t appear in the church until the end of the nineteenth century. Moreover they were painted on canvas rather than wood and resembled pictures.

The church is unique for its unusual shape. Two symmetrical parts (large aisles, “churches”) are connected by a vestibule in the middle. Above the central entrance you can see the “all-seeing eye” symbol (an eye enclosed by a triangle). Believers observed these features with suspicion, and there were rumors that it was a “masonic temple” rather than a Christian church!

During the Soviet-era persecutions the church was heavily damaged. It was robbed several times. During the Great Patriotic War the west part of the church was hit by a mortar shell.

After the end of the war the church was returned to the faithful, but in 1966 the priest who served in it sadly died. For a time the church was converted into a “house of culture” [in the USSR and other Communist countries these were huge club-centers for all kinds of recreation and cultural activities within communities]. There were attempts to restore it in the 1970s, but due to the funding shortage the work stopped, and the church was robbed again.

As of 2006, the state of the church was disastrous: the roof leaked and the water was gradually damaging the stuccowork inside the church. The corner of the principal front’s portico had caved in, and the columns could fall any day. This splendid architectural masterpiece was crumbling away.

At last the church ownership was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church, which initiated its restoration not long ago.

Sergei Milov Translated by Dmitry Lapa

Foma magazine

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Our Lady of Vladimir – The Most Valuable Icon in Russia

There are many beautiful and historically significant Russian icons. However, you will hardly find a more valuable and beloved icon in Russia than Our Lady of Vladimir. This masterpiece of religious icon art is a true treasure that has survived the ages and now can be viewed and admired by both Orthodox Christian believers and connoisseurs of fine art.

Our Lady of Vladimir

Our Lady of Vladimir is the oldest and most venerated religious icon in Russia. According to the belief, it is one of those antique icons that were painted by St. Luke the Evangelist who also wrote the Gospel of Luke.

Our Lady of Vladimir was brought to Russia from Constantinople at the beginning of the 12 th century (c. 1131). It was the gift from the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoberges to Yury Dolgorukiy, the famous Grand Prince of Kievan Rus’. The icon was first kept in a monastery, presumably in the Mezhyhirya Savior-Transfiguration Monastery located on the right bank of the Dnieper River not far from Kiev, but later moved to Vladimir, hence its name. In 1395, Our Lady of Vladimir was carried from Vladimir to Moscow at the request of Vasily I Dmitriyevich, the Grand Prince of Moscow. According to the legend, it was this icon of the Mother of God that protected the city from Tamerlane’s invasion and later from Tatar hordes in 1451 and 1480. It is no wonder that Our Lady of Vladimir is one of the rare antique Russian icons that are considered miracle-working. For today, this remarkable icon is displayed in the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, which is the house church at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

As it has been already said, Our Lady of Vladimir is the most valuable and venerated icon in Russia. It belongs to the famous Eleusa type , one of the most ancient types of Christian icons of the Mother of God. Such icons depict the Virgin Mary with infant Christ nestled against her cheek, hence their other name – The Virgin of Tenderness.

It is also worth noting that Our Lady of Vladimir is likely to be part of a two-sided antique icon painted in the 12 th century, but, unfortunately, the original image on the back side did not survive. The venerated image of the Mother of God is now supplemented with the Hetoimasia, the depiction of the empty throne prepared for the Second Coming, and the instruments of Christ’s Passion, which were presumably painted in the early 15 th century. Howbeit, Our Lady of Vladimir is still the most valuable religious icon in Russia!

The Icon Market and Fakes: Interview with Experts

The legacy of the palekh icon: interview with oleg dukhanin, the catalog of oleg kushnirskiy’s icon collection was presented in palekh, oleg kushnirskiy’s collection was awarded the order of the fabergé foundation, the catalog of the oleg kushnirskiy icon collection showcased at vdnkh, icon restoration artist on the kushnirskiy collection.