The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary recalls an ancient Christian tradition that Mary, while still a child, was brought by her parents to the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicated to God.

The event itself is not recorded in the Bible, but the tradition developed very early in Christian devotion and has been celebrated for centuries in both Eastern and Western Christianity. The feast reflects what the Church believes about Mary’s whole life: that from its beginning, it was directed toward God and toward the unique part she would later play in the life of Christ.