The Presentation of Mary Novena
Contents
Show HideThe Presentation of Mary is a feast day in the Catholic Church.
We know that the Blessed Mother was extremely faithful. We hear about her obedience to God in the Gospels. But what was her life like before the Annunciation? The historical tradition of the Presentation of Mary gives us an understanding of Mary’s childhood. There are no reliable historical references to Mary’s presentation. Yet, the theological significance remains. Mary’s “yes” to God and His plan for her life began long before the Annunciation!
Pray the Presentation of Mary novena with us to ask for Our Lady’s intercession!
About The Presentation of Mary
There are no biblical or reliable historical records that depict the Presentation of Mary. An account is found in the Protoevangelium of James. The Protoevangelium of James is an apocryphal gospel that is not considered to be inspired by God. A vision by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich also upholds the description in this account. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that Church dogma does not require believers to believe in the Presentation of Mary.
That being said, the theological richness and historical tradition of upholding the feast make for beautiful contemplation. According to tradition, Mary was presented in the temple when she was three years old. Her parents, Joachim and Anne, had suffered from infertility. When they finally conceived Mary, they dedicated her to God fully in the Temple. This is similar to the story of Hannah in the Old Testament. Hannah promised to dedicate her child to God in the Temple if she had a baby. She did and she upheld her end of the promise; her son Samuel ended up being the leader and prophet who would anoint Israel’s first two kings.
If Mary was presented, she would have lived in the Temple growing up. Her whole life would have been dedicated to God’s service. As a virgin, she would have served the Temple and the priests in all of their needs. She also would have been well-versed in Scripture and Jewish law.
The Presentation of Mary connects the Immaculate Conception and the Annunciation. It fills in gaps about what happened to Mary between her birth and the arrival of Gabriel. It also illustrates how the two feasts are connected. Mary’s conception without original sin was only heightened by her total dedication to God. Thus, her “yes” at the Annunciation points towards this quality of loving God totally.
Additionally, Mary is seen as the new Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was the container that carried God’s presence in the Old Testament. How exciting that the new Ark lived in the Temple also!
This event cannot be part of Church doctrine because it cannot be proven historically. However, the theological significance is so strong that the Church decided to make it a feast day in honor of Our Blessed Mother. No matter how she was raised, clearly Mary was dedicated to God. Even if it was not formally in the Temple, she was certainly offered to God spiritually by her family.
The Presentation of Mary Feast Day: November 21
Why Pray The Presentation of Mary Novena?
Our Blessed Mother is a wonderful intercessor for any intention. However, you may be particularly drawn to the Presentation of Mary novena if you have a new child you’d like to spiritually dedicate to God. Couples who are experiencing infertility may also enjoy the Presentation of Mary Novena. You can pray for Mary to intercede on your behalf for a baby and promise to dedicate them to God in return!
If you are looking to increase your own dedication to God, the Presentation of Mary Novena can help you come to understand Mary’s own connection to God.
You can pray the Presentation of Mary Novena for any intention!
The Presentation of Mary Novena Prayers
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Mary, when you were presented in the temple, your parents chose to have your life dedicated to God. You would live in the temple and serve God and the priests as you grew up.
What they couldn’t control was your heart. But that had been dedicated to God long before your birth!
Blessed Mother, teach me how to say yes to God as you did. Your “yes” at the Annunciation changed the course of salvation history. The world would not have been saved without your willingness. You knew it would be a challenging mission. You accepted it anyway.
I humbly ask that you help me grow in desire to serve God. Help me to say yes to His will even when it’s scary!
I also ask that you keep in mind my intentions:
(State your intentions here)
Thank You, God, for Mary’s yes throughout her life. Help me to emulate it!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
I wonder what St. Anne was thinking when she presented you in the temple, Mary.
She had just suffered through a period of infertility. She longed to have a child, to have you. But, she had been unable to conceive. Then, she made a promise to God to have you belong entirely to Him. Suddenly, her wish was fulfilled.
And now, here she was to dedicate you.
Was she scared for what that would mean for your life? Was she sad to have to give you over to someone else’s care?
Or did she know what was in store for your life?
We always ask if you knew, Mary, what would happen to your baby boy.
I’d like to ask St. Anne the same thing.
Today, I bring to you, O Blessed Mother, all the children of the world. Please bless them. Guide their parents to dedicate their children’s lives and hearts to God.
I also ask that you keep in mind my intentions:
(State your intentions here)
O God, please bless all children! Help them to grow up as a strong, holy generation. Help them to be as devoted to you as Mary is!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O Mary, I beg of you to be close to all those who are suffering from infertility.
Your mother knew the sting of infertility, Mary. As she waited for a child, she prayed. Just like Hannah with Samuel in the Old Testament! She prayed that if she received a child, she would offer him or her to the Lord.
Eventually, her prayers were answered positively. But this isn’t always the case for everyone.
Mary, please be close to those who suffer this burden. Help them to know that there is nothing wrong with them or their marriage that this is happening. Guide them to get the medical help they need. Also offer them comfort in this heartache. Give their friends and family prudence to know what to say. And help them to be open to whatever God’s will is for their family - adoption, spiritual parenthood, or some other ministry.
Please also pray for my intentions I bring before you now:
(State your intentions here)
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
What was it like growing up among holy men, Mother Mary?
It must have been quite fascinating for a young girl to be serving in this way. You got to be a part of worshipping God!
I know that today our priests are getting attacked by Satan. They probably were in your time, too. Scandals in the Church are making them distrusted and hated. The devil is preying on them with many temptations. In some countries, our priests are even being captured and killed.
Without the priests of your time, worship could not take place. Without priests now, we cannot have the Eucharist.
Crush the devil’s head, O Mary. Defend your holy priests! You know firsthand the struggles they face. Help them to remain devoted to your Son and their ministry through you, O Lady. Pray that I will know how I can better support and pray for our priests.
Please also bring before our Lord my intentions:
(State your intentions)
God bless our priests!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Mary, you would have been very familiar with God’s word. As a girl dedicated in the Temple, you spent much time studying it.
You would have understood the Old Testament. You would know the prophecies for the Messiah by heart.
That’s why, when the angel Gabriel appeared to you, you knew exactly what was going on.
Sometimes, the Bible can seem inaccessible. I don’t understand some of the meaning. So I don’t give it as much attention as I should.
But the word of God is the word of your Son. It is the revelation of God to us so we can come to know Him better. Please enlighten my mind to understand the Bible. Train me so I can better know our Lord. Pray that I will be more dedicated to spending time reading God’s word and allowing it to change my heart and mind.
Please also bring my intentions before God:
(State your intentions here)
God, I know that the fullness of revelation is contained in Scripture. Help me to better understand You through it!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Mary, some people have a hard time in their relationship with you. They struggle to understand where you fit in.
As the mother of Christ, you are close to Him physically and spiritually. We do not worship you. You were fully human. Yet, we know that you were set apart from birth for this role.
We can learn so much from you, Blessed Mother. We can learn how to live. We can learn how to be a faithful person. We can learn how to be a caring, compassionate mother. Most of all, we can learn how to love.
There is no one that is better at praying than you, Mary. That is why we dedicate so many of our prayers to you. You make them better! You personally deliver them to your Son for us.
That is why I come before you now with these intentions:
(State your intentions here)
Mother Mary, pray for us.
O Jesus, You are my Lord. None compare to You. Yet I know the love You have for Your Mother. I love her too. Help me to become closer to her through these prayers. Help me to model her love for You.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Mary, this world scares me sometimes.
It’s so full of sin! Everywhere I turn, there is something going on that frightens my soul.
In this era, it is so easy to fall into sin. The culture makes sin look desirable and easy! I don’t want to fall into sin, but I do sometimes.
I wonder what the world was like when you were presented, O Mary. I bet it was also filled with sin, just like today. It might look different, but I bet it was still there.
I wonder that’s one of the reasons why Sts. Anne and Joachim had you presented and dedicated the Temple. They wanted to protect you from the world of sin. Of course, they didn’t have to worry about that for you. You were born without sin!
I think that makes you the best candidate to help me avoid it! Mary, please help me to resist temptation. When I am faced with sin, help me to say no to it and yes to God, just like you did. Pray that, over time, I will become stronger at resisting sin.
Please also pray for my intentions:
(State your intentions here)
God, I desire to be close to You. I know that sin damages our relationship. Inspire my heart to go to confession if I am in need. Help me to resist temptation so that I may be closer to You!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Mary, one of your promises is to be with those who are dying.
Many of the times that you have appeared to the saints, you have offered this promise of protection of the soul at the time of death. After watching your own Son die, you know what it is like.
Please be with all who are ill and suffering. Offer them comfort. Present them with numerous opportunities to get to know your Son.
Please also be with all who will die soon, especially for those who will die today. Grant them a peaceful death. Usher them into Heaven to be with you and Jesus.
Please also keep in mind my intentions:
(State your intentions here)
O God, I know that death is not something to be feared! Please prepare me to meet with a happy death so that I may be joined with You forever.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Presentation of Mary Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Mary, we do not know if you were physically presented and dedicated in the Temple. However, your devotion to God was certainly very strong throughout your life.
Your greatest “yes” of course was saying yes to being the mother of the Messiah at the Annunciation. But you continued to say “yes” to God’s crazy plans throughout the rest of your life. You gave birth in a stable. You had to run away to Egypt. You lost Jesus in the Temple. You watched Jesus perform miracles and be mocked. You even had to say “yes” to watching Him die on the cross.
You are the model of saying “yes” to God’s crazy will, even when you don’t fully understand it.
Can you help me to do the same? I want to speak that unrelenting “yes.” I want to believe and trust that God knows what’s best, even when I can’t see it. I want to be able to effect change as you did.
When you were presented to God in the Temple as a girl, you had no idea what lay ahead through that commitment. I don’t either. But I want to make that dedication anyway.
Please help me, Mary. Help me to trust God, help me to overcome my fears and doubts.
Could you also pray for my intentions? I bare so many heavy things on my soul, including:
(State your intentions here)
O God, I want to come to know and love You better. Thank You for all of the blessings in my life. Help me to continue to say yes to Your will!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.