After the forty days required for purification came to an end, Mary went to the temple to present her Son. Biblically speaking, the number forty often represents a time of preparation (the rains of the Great Flood fell for forty days; the Israelites wandered the desert for forty years; Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days).
A New Mother
But in the case of a woman who had just given birth, not only would forty days have been about the time any postpartum bleeding would have ceased (thus explaining the reason for the purification ceremony taking place then), but it would have also been about how long it would have taken her to begin to establish a routine and regain a sense of “normalcy” with the new little one she had brought into her home. Forty days is about how long it would have taken for a new mom to get her face washed and her teeth brushed before noon! Forty days is how long it would have taken for her to start to feel “herself” again.
As hard as it would have been to be in the isolation of her home with a baby who required round-the-clock care, the mothers of first-century Israel would have welcomed the fact that public religious obligations were not required of them during this time. The law of Moses would have been viewed by most new moms as a merciful gift, not as an unfair burden.
Mary’s Unneeded Purification
So, forty days have passed, and now it is time for Mary’s “purification.” Of course, the irony of it all is that Mary would have needed no such “refining” in the “refiner’s fire” or “fullers’ lye” (Mal. 3:2-3), because in her virginity, Mary had never been made “unclean”—not even by childbirth. In whichever way it was that Jesus passed through her, it would not have been “messy.” Her Immaculate Conception would have kept her from that.
Still, Mary goes to the temple to be “purified” anyway. She does not try to teach some deeper theological truths to the religious leaders about her virginal birth, she does not put anyone in their “place,” and she does not attempt to defend her own place of exaltation. And something very interesting takes place in the temple because of this. Before we look at what that is, let’s stop here and examine what Mary’s decision to go through with this “unnecessary” purification ritual says to us.
Obedience as a Gift of Penance
Mary was obedient to the law of Moses, but not so that she could become any more “pure” from the ritual (which was its purpose). Mary was already totally pure, undefiled, 100% full of grace. More “full” would not have been possible. So why did Mary choose to be obedient to a law that made no sense in her case?
Without a doubt, obedience is more meritorious than any other penance. And what greater penance can there be than keeping one’s will continually submissive and obedient? – St. Catherine of Bologna
Mary’s obedience could be explained as an act of penance. From the time that Jesus was just six weeks old, Mary was already working in conjunction with her Son to offer herself for the sake of mankind.
Thus we learn our first lesson from Mary’s trip to the temple for this purification ritual. We too are often faced with “laws” imposed upon us—whether those laws are governmental, ecclesiastical, or even requested of us by our own spouses or parents—which we sometimes do not believe “apply” to us.
My mother used to insist that I not leave the house with a wet head—winter, spring, summer, fall. Of course, why she was convinced that by doing so I would catch my death if the temperature was below sixty made no sense to me…but it should not have had to make “sense” to me in order for me to comply with her request. I viewed doing things the way I wanted as asserting my independence, but if Mary teaches us anything, it is that to do the thing which we do not want to do in favor of obedient (and legitimate) submission is the greatest act of penance we could offer to the Lord.
Why? Because our self-will is so frustratingly powerful. There is nothing in life more difficult for us to overcome. In fact, the only way we can overcome it is if we view it differently—not as our “right,” but as our opportunity to offer a gift to the Lord, on behalf of others.
The Humble Will Be Exalted
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Lk. 14:11)
Mary offers her penance of humble submission and obedience…and then something fascinating takes place:
[Simeon] came in the Spirit into the temple…and [he] blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel…and you yourself a sword will pierce-so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Lk. 2:27-35)
Simeon, a man who was “righteous and devout” and whom “the Holy Spirit was upon” (Lk. 2:25) exalts Mary, a woman who had humbled herself before others. Mary never once complained about her being required to obey a law that technically did not apply to her; rather, she remained silent and submitted to it, offering it as an act of penance. And then the Holy Spirit sends Simeon, and speaks in him and through him, to proclaim publicly just how pure this mother and child are!
Mary’s Cooperation with Her Son’s Mission
What’s more, the Lord, speaking through Simeon’s lips, then confirms that Mary’s obedient submission is the ultimate penance that will cooperate with Christ’s mission on behalf of the world. Jesus is “destined for the rise and fall of many”—but Mary too will be “pierced” by the “sword” of suffering in God’s plan of salvation, in conjunction with her Son.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. (Lk. 2:39)
And so, the scene ends with Mary and Joseph, once again, submitting to the law in obedience. Even their act of returning home is an offering on behalf of God’s will. Which brings us to our second lesson: not all our acts of obedience will be hard for us to carry out, nor will they make us miserable. After all, it is certain that as much as it would have been lovely to see friends and family again, Mary and Joseph would have been ready and eager to go home—especially after receiving the sobering news that Simeon had to share. Mary would have wanted nothing more in that moment than to return to the silent refuge of her peaceful abode in Nazareth, where she could ponder these things in her heart, alone with her baby and her God in her arms.
Author’s Note: This article was adapted from a chapter of 26 Steps With the Mother of God: A Treatise on the Life of Mary, available from Amazon.
Image from museothyssen.org
