We celebrate the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. The Word of God says: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” Jesus said the same words at the end of the Sermon on the Mount which begins with the Beatitudes and ends with the parable of two men who built a house. One man built a house on the sand and the other on the rock. Those who hear the word of God but do not keep it build on the sand. Those who hear the word and put it into practice build on the rock. This reveals the essence of the way of our salvation.
Unfortunately, modern theological studies lead just to theorizing and rationalism. This all is a house on the sand – philosophizing instead of repentance, self-denial and the following of Christ.
The Virgin Mary was dedicated to God in the temple as a child. It is necessary that all of us who have dedicated ourselves to God and want to be His like Mary should be fully conscious of our dedication. We should be conscious that we are God’s possession, that He is our Lord, to Him we should surrender daily above all our will, emotions, thoughts and fears, in Him we should trust again and again, and confess: “My Lord and my God!” Every day we should unite our pains and worries to the sufferings of Christ, and know that then they have a meaning for our sanctification, purification and spiritual mission. God will use it all to grant His grace to many to be converted.
Consecrated life is not pointless. It makes the most of time here on earth, because we know neither the day nor the hour of our death. We who have given ourselves wholly to God, but also all those who want to follow Jesus in earnest, should witness in our lives and with our whole being that we belong to the Lord, that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour. And we should follow the Virgin Mary who not only was dedicated in the temple as a child but also stood bravely by the cross. So let us ask her to obtain for us the grace to stand by the cross of Christ like her and then to witness to the risen Christ in our lives.
Download: Patriarch Elijah’s message on the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary