4. Presentation in the Temple:

Gift of the School Children.

Presentation in the Temple. Two theses can be attributed to this stained-glass window. One thesis, the Presentation of Samuel in the Temple, can be traced to Scripture while the other thesis, the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, has its basis in the Apocryphal Gospels in which many stories are related about the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A. Presentation of Samuel in the Temple. Anna, the wife of Elcana, was barren. She prayed to the Lord that she be blessed with a child and vowed to offer this child to the service of God. When her prayers were answered and she bore a son, she named him Samuel. When Samuel was a small child, he was presented in the Temple and offered to the service of God. Samuel became a famous judge and prophet.

B. Presentation of Mary in the Temple. Before Mary was born, Mary’s mother vowed that if she were blessed with a child, she would dedicate her child to the service of God. Mary was born when her parents, Joachim and Anna, were elderly. Mary’s mother kept her promise and presented Mary in the Temple when Mary was a small child. Mary remained in the Temple until her betrothal to Joseph.