Joyful Mystery—The Presentation [4 of 20]

Guido Reni "The Purification of the Virgin," c. 1636-1640

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ourth Joyful Mystery—The Presentation. When the day came to purify them according to the law of Moses, the couple brought Him up to Jerusalem so that He could be presented to the Lord, for it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord" (Lk 2:22-23).

Mary's joy, the apex of which like any mother, could only be that time when she finally gave birth to God's Son. It is every mother's joy to behold through her own eyes the babe that she carried for nine months in her womb. It is like waking up to see that all those countless dreams of seeing, holding, caressing her newborn child, hearing it cry have now become her own reality.

The greatest joy of every mother is also the greatest risk on their own lives, both for the mother and the infant. There are still-born infants that often do not see the light of day and mothers who also die in their very act of giving birth. It is one of the main causes of death among mothers. Ever since mothers started giving birth on this earth, it has been a risky endeavor and, without doubt, the first saintly act a human being is capable of doing. This is a reminder especially for men like me that part of the essence of a mother is the basic and yet the saintly act of giving me birth.

In July 2017, Pope Francis approved a fourth pathway to possible sainthood—giving one's life in a heroic act of loving service to others. The new apostolic letter, given in the form "motu proprio" (on his own initiative) went into effect the same day of its publication on 11 July 2017, with the title "Maiorem hac dilectionem," (Latin for 'Greater love than this') from John 15:13—"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." Archbishop Marcello Bartolucci, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Saints' Causes, said, the addition is meant "to promote heroic Christian testimony, (which has been) up to now without a specific process, precisely because it did not completely fit within the case of martyrdom or heroic virtues." Extensive input, discussion, and in-depth study of experts were carried out, since its proposal in 2014, in the spirit of enrichment rather than alteration of church doctrine concerning Christian holiness leading to sainthood and the traditional procedure for beatification. Bartolucci wrote about the addition as "new horizons and opportunities for the edification of the people of God, who, in their saints, see the face of Christ, the presence of God in history and the exemplary implementation of the Gospel."

Article I and II lay out the new set of norms, viz.:

Art. 1

The offer of life is a new cause for the beatification and canonization procedure, distinct from the causes based on martyrdom and on the heroism of virtues.

Art. 2

The offer of life, in order that it be valid and effective for the beatification of a Servant of God, must respond to the following criteria:

a) a free and voluntary offer of life and heroic acceptance propter caritatem of a certain and untimely death;

b) a nexus between the offer of life and premature death;

c) the exercise, at least as ordinarily possible, of Christian virtues before the offer of life and, then, unto death;

d) the existence of a reputation of holiness and of signs, at least after death;

e) the necessity of a miracle for beatification, occurring after the death of the Servant of God and through his or her intercession.

The new set of norms opens the door to candidates being considered for sainthood because of the heroic way they freely risked their lives and died prematurely because of "an extreme act of charity," this includes heroic acts during childbirth or child-rearing.

Mary's Purification

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esus's presentation in the temple was likewise Mary's purification which marked the end of her quarantine or forty days since the day she gave birth to her firstborn son. If Mary gave birth to a female then the number would be 80 days (Lev 12:1-8). The Old Mosaic Law required the cleansing of a woman from the ritual impurity or defilement incurred at childbirth through a rite of purification. It consisted of the offering of a pigeon or turtledove which serves as a sin offering. Not a part of the purification ceremony itself is an accompanying sacrifice of a yearling lamb for which a poor woman could substitute a second pigeon or turtledove which serves as a burnt offering or holocaust of thanksgiving for a successful delivery. The Roman Catholic Church refers also to this day as Candlemas celebrating it as a Marian feast.  The other churches that also observe it are the Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, and Lutheranism.

Additional Material:

The Birth Of Jesus [3 of 20]

Finding The Child Jesus In The Temple [5 of 20]

Fear Of The Lord: The Presentation Of Jesus In The Temple (February 2, 2021)

St Gianna Beretta Molla: Patron Saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children [April 28—Feast-day] 

Fr JM Manzano SJ