Presentation of Mary
When Mary turned three years old, her parents, Sts. Joachim and Anne, offered their daughter to God in the Temple. The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary recognizes that Mary was holy, even in her childhood. The feast also recognizes that God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. In response, Mary placed herself at the service of God. The feast was celebrated beginning in the ninth century, and was introduced into the official Catholic calendar in 1585. It is the final feast in the Marian Cycle, also containing the Nativity of Mary and the Holy Name of Mary, corresponding to the cycle of feasts of Jesus: Christmas, Holy Name of Jesus, and the Presentation of Jesus.