Reading Time: 15 minutes The Spiritual Mysteries of the Divine Calendar: The Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple ~ November 21 / December 4 (Eastern Old Calendar), 2025 ~ 

In our weekly journey through the Seasons of Salvation in the Divine Calendar, we have arrived at the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple. The mysteries surrounding this event may be unfamiliar to some, but the life of the Mother of the Lord remains profoundly relevant for us as believers—especially in these end times. Below, we will see how the Presentation of the Virgin Mary reveals divine love and restores our lost glory.

In September, we reflected on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, and later we will look at the Annunciation given to her by the Archangel Gabriel and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary when we come to those commemorations in the Divine Calendar.

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple falls at the beginning of the Season of the Incarnation Fast. You may wish to go deeper by exploring the posts on the Western Church or the Eastern Church, which introduce the second Season of Salvation in the Divine Calendar and the mystery of the Incarnation and the Nativity (Advent) Fast.

Introducing the Presentation of the Virgin Mary

The key verse for the Incarnation (Nativity) Fast is Philippians 2:5–7: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (NKJV).

In Greek, “made Himself of no reputation” is kenoo, which means “to make empty.” From this comes the theological term kenosis. This reveals the unfathomable humility of the Son of God. When God became man, Jesus willingly set aside the divine attributes of His glory.

During the Incarnation, Jesus emptied Himself of His radient splendor and appeared as a beautiful baby boy. Before the Resurrection, He unveiled His divine nature most profoundly in the Transfiguration, when “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matt. 17:2). Just as Jesus emptied Himself of His divine radiance to enter our world, so the Holy Spirit calls us to prepare for the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas) by emptying ourselves of personal glory and self-exaltation.

The key to entering the mysteries of this Season of the Incarnation Fast is the emptying of the self—but not for the sake of emptiness. Our goal is to be emptied so that we may be truly filled, and fulfilled, by the very life of Jesus Christ: the grace of the Incarnation. He embodies the divine-human nature we lost in the Fall.

 

The Origin

Today’s feast—the feast of the Incarnation Fast—is also called the Entry of the Most-Holy Theotokos into the Temple.

According to Church tradition, the Virgin Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna, prayed for an end to their childlessness. They vowed if God granted them a child, they would dedicate that child to His service. After Anna gave birth to Mary and the girl reached three years of age, they brought her to the Temple in Jerusalem.

We may recall the prophetess Anna (not to be mistaken for Mary’s mother): “And this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37).

According to Scripture and the historian Flavius Josephus, the Temple had many living quarters where those dedicated to God resided. Only girls up to the age of twelve could live in the Temple, and Scripture hints at a community of young female worshippers. The little girl Mary joined the other virgins who had offered themselves to the Lord. We hear a prophetic echo of this in Psalm 45:

“Listen, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your own people also, and your father’s house; so the King will greatly desire your beauty; because He is your Lord, worship Him. And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favor. The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; her clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; the virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You. With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; they shall enter the King’s palace” (Ps. 45:10–15).

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The Example of the Virgin Mary

We know Mary was well-versed in the Scriptures from her prophetic praise, the Magnificat (Luke 1: 46–55), which parallels Hanna’s prayer, the mother of prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 2:1–10).

Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:46–48). These words reveal her deep life of devotion, her study of the Scriptures, and her profound understanding of the prophecies concerning the mother of the Messiah.

This feast centers on the Virgin Mary’s entrance into the Temple and the beginning of her preparation as a bridal soul—a consecrated virgin. She did not know that God would choose her, yet her humility made her ready. Her life of worship and meditation on the Scriptures prepared her for the Incarnation of the Messiah—precisely what we seek to do as well.

Virgin Mary became the vessel for Christ’s physical Incarnation. In the same way, our inner man—prepared as an empty manger—will receive the spiritual grace of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Let us read the Scriptures appointed for this feast (Luke 1:39–49, 56; 10:38–42; 11:27–28) and pray with them. Let us ask for a portion of the exceptional grace that rested upon the Virgin Mary, so we too may intensely seek the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.

Gospel Passages for the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple (NKJV)The Matins Gospel: Luke 1:39–49, 56

1:39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. […] 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

The Liturgy Gospel: Luke 10:38–42; 11:27–28

10:38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

11:27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” 28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

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A Feast of Divine Love

When the three-year-old Mary entered the Temple, she stepped into her calling and a special relationship with God. Her preparation began for receiving the divine mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. But how could a little girl leave her parents and begin living in the Temple in Jerusalem? We might wonder, yet Scripture gives us a similar example in the life of the prophet Samuel.

We read about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:24: “Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young.” In the next chapter, we learn that “the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest” (1 Sam. 2:11).

This reveals the strength of the human spirit when given the opportunity to grow and mature from early childhood. The spirit within a person can compensate for the needs of the mind and emotions when fully supported by the grace of God. Even as a child, divine love filled Mary, leading and sustaining her after her parents entrusted her to God.

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary is a feast of love and true freedom, showing how a little girl, filled with divine love, entered the Temple in Jerusalem to begin her life as a worshipper—and remained there for nine years.

 

Restoring the Glory of God to Mankind

In Exodus 40:34–35, we read: “Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

God chose the people of Israel to declare His glory among the nations: “‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel” (Ex. 19:5–6).

God bound Himself to the people of Israel, led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and the wilderness, and into the Promised Land. Throughout this journey, the Lord’s central purpose was to teach His people how to become a worshipping people—a nation of worshippers.

 

Restoring the Glory: The Tabernacle of Meeting

God commanded the Israelites to build the tabernacle of meeting so He could come down and dwell among them. Nearly half of the book of Exodus is devoted to the detailed instructions for this tabernacle. Why such emphasis? God was teaching His people, step by step, through the elaborate design of the tabernacle.

The Lord desired to meet with them. Because God is holy, approaching Him required reverence, preparation, and purification. Yet God’s desire to meet His people carried inherent danger: the sins of the people could destroy anyone in contact with His holiness.

The Israelites had to prepare for this encounter through washings and sacrifices. When all was ready, the glory of the Lord appeared as a cloud over the tabernacle, and later in the Temple in Jerusalem.

God revealed His glory because He had created man to partake in it. “For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:5).

Through the Incarnation, God seeks to restore the glory Adam lost in the Fall. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). He accomplished our salvation so that we may once again share in His glory. “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one” (John 17:22).

 

Restoring the Glory: Living Temples

The Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple celebrates the restoration of God’s glory to mankind. We see how divine love sustained three-year-old Mary in the Temple—the new tabernacle of meeting—enabling her to worship God and encounter His glory until she was ready to receive the Son of God Himself.

“And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord” (1 King 8:10–11).

Virgin Mary became the first living temple—the first of many. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Cor. 3:16–17).

Have a blessed and joyful Feast!

Concluding the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple

Thank you for taking the time to read and for joining us on this new journey through the Divine Calendar. Let us pray for the grace to grow as worshippers, proclaiming the glory of God to all the nations.

If helpful, you can also review what we previously discussed regarding How Do I Feast?

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Other Recommended Scriptures For Meditation

Alongside to the designated Gospel passages for the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple, these Scriptures are great to read, meditate on, and pray with in order to receive the grace of the Feast:

 

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary: Exodus 40:1–5, 9–10, 33b–35 (NKJV)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil. 4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. 5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.

9 “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. 10 You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy.

33b So Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

 

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary: 1 King 7:51a; 8:1, 6–11 (NKJV)

So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished.

Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion.

6 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 9 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

 

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary: Ezekiel 43:27–44:4 (NKJV)

When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says the Lord God.”

1 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. 2 And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. 3 As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”

4 Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; and I fell on my face.

 

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary: Hebrews 9:1–7 (NKJV)

Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance.

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