The Entrance of Saint Mary into the Temple

December 11, 2020

Prior to the birth of our Holy Mother Saint Virgin Mary, Her mother Hannah was barren, facing all the affronts and neglect of the women who were in the Temple. So, she daily prayed to God to give her child, as she then will offer her to the service of Holy Church saying, “If You give me a fruit, and I will devote the child to Your Holy Temple.”

God answered her prayers and she brought forth this pure Saint and named her Mary. Nurturing her for three years, she then took her in to the Temple and left her at the hands of the Chief Priest of Zacharias in keeping her promise to God.

Chief Priest Zacharias received her and thought critically about her sustenance gathering the Priests to talk about her sustenance. Anon, the Archangel Phanuel descended and appeared in front of them, holding of heavenly foods. Then, Zacharias and other Priests attempted after another to partake the food from the angle, assuming it was to their responsibility. But, the angle ascended back without approaching one of them. Even her mother Hannah as well as Joachim her father was refused as similar.

Later on, when the Child was left alone, thinking there were forbid in rearing her, the angle descended back and fed her covering his wings.  Onwards, she received her sustenance from the hands of the angels, until the time when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came into the world and was incarnated through her, the elect of all women.

Saint Mary dwelt in the sanctuary for 12 years learning the doctrines, commandments and sacred rites. At the age of 12, the Priests took counsel together concerning believing she reached puberty and had to leave from Holy Temple. They discussed about the probability of entrusting her to someone who would protect her, for she was consecrated to God and they were not allowed to keep her in the temple after this age.

The concerned Priest Zachariah sincerely prayed to God as to what the fate of Saint Mary shall be. Then, the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Zachariah, go forth and gather together all the men as wells as the old men, take their staffs and write the name of each upon their staffs. After that, gather all the staffs into the Sanctuary; pray to God; go forth and give his staff to each man. The man of whose staffs God’s sign appears on is worthy and Saint Mary shall be given to him for safeguard.”

Obeying the angels command, Zachariah gathered 12 righteous men from the house of David and the Tribe of Juda, so he might give her to one of them. While he took their staffs inside the Sanctuary, a dove flew up and stood on the staff belonging to Joseph the carpenter, who was a righteous man; They knew that this was God’s will.

So, the Priests assigned Joseph as guardian of Saint Mary, in taking care of and looking after her. Joseph took Holy Virgin Saint Mary vowing to keep her safe. She dwelt with him until Saint Gabriel came to her announcing the Son of God was to be incarnated from her, for the salvation of Adam and his posterity.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Incarnation Church celebrates the Entrance of Saint Mary into the Temple at Jerusalem on December 12, as one of Her thirty three feasts. The Feast recognized in the Ethiopian Church as “Be’ata” in Ge’ez language to mean “her entry” to the Temple.

May the intercession of Saint Mary be with us!

Source:   

  • The Ethiopic Synaxarium (Translation of Sir E. A. Wallis Budge) pp.181-2.
  • Hiruy Ermiyas 2006 E.C. Mezgebe Tarik part 1.pp.85-86.