Ecclus 24:14–16 & Luke 11:27–28
In Presentatione Beatæ Mariæ Virginis ~ III. classis
Feria Sexta infra Hebdomadam XXIII post Octavam Pentecostes ~ IV Novembris
On this Friday within the week of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mother Church, in the traditional calendar, sets before us a twofold meditation: from the book of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 24:14–16, and from the Gospel according to St. Luke 11:27–28. In both passages, the Church subtly unveils the mystery of Mary’s hidden life and exalted role—not only as the Mother of God, but as the model of those who, like her, hear the word of God and keep it.
Let us consider these sacred texts in the light of the Fathers.
I. The Seed of Wisdom Dwelling in Israel
Ecclus. 24:14–16
“From the beginning and before the world was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be: and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before Him. And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God His inheritance: and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.”
These sublime words, in their original sense, speak of Divine Wisdom—a prefiguration of Christ Himself, the Eternal Logos. Yet from the earliest centuries, the Church, in her mystical reading of Scripture, saw in this text a veiled prophecy of Our Lady, the Seat of Wisdom, in whom the Word would take flesh.
St. Ambrose of Milan, in his exposition of the Gospel of Luke, often draws connections between Wisdom and the Virgin Mary. He writes:
“Mary is the temple of God, not the godhead; the temple of the Son, not the Son; for the Son is not in the temple, but the temple in the Son.” (Expos. in Luc., II)
Mary is the “holy dwelling place” where Wisdom ministers before the Lord—not merely metaphorically, but in the most literal way: in her chaste womb, the Eternal Wisdom takes up residence. Her presentation in the Temple, celebrated on November 21st, is a foretaste of this reality: even as a child, she is led to the place where she herself will become the new sanctuary.
St. John Damascene, preaching on this very feast, exclaims:
“Today the living temple of the holy glory of Christ our God, she who alone among women is pure and blessed, is offered in the Temple of the Law, that she may dwell in the Holy of Holies.”
This moment—the offering of Mary in the Temple—prefigures her lifelong consecration to God, and anticipates the Incarnation itself. Just as the Word took root among His people, so Mary, as the dwelling of Wisdom, is placed by Providence into the very heart of Israel, “in an honourable people.”
II. “Blessed Is the Womb”—Yet More Blessed Is Obedience
Luke 11:27–28
“And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: ‘Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts that gave Thee suck.’ But He said: ‘Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.'”
This Gospel, on its face, might seem to diminish Our Lady’s dignity, as though Our Lord were redirecting attention away from His Mother. But the Fathers unanimously reject such a misreading. Rather, Christ confirms and elevates Mary’s true greatness—not because she gave Him flesh, but because she did so through faith and obedience.
St. Augustine comments with characteristic clarity:
“Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. For to someone who said: ‘Blessed is the womb that bore Thee,’ He replied: ‘Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.’” (De Sancta Virginitate, 3)
Her bodily motherhood is glorious, but it is grounded in her interior assent, her “Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.” In other words, Our Lady is the perfect disciple, the model of all who “hear the word of God and keep it.” The woman in the crowd exalts Mary’s physical motherhood; Christ, in response, reveals the deeper reason for her blessedness: her union of heart and will with the Divine Word.
St. Bede the Venerable adds:
“She is truly the Mother of God who does the will of the Father. For though her womb bore the Lord, unless she had borne Him in her heart with love, it would have profited her nothing.” (Homiliae Evangelii, I)
III. The Presentation: Mary’s Lifelong Fiat
As we celebrate the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, we contemplate her as the “holy dwelling place,” the “abode in the full assembly of saints.” From her childhood, she was wholly given to God—not only by rite, but by disposition. The Church Fathers tell us that in the Temple, she led a life of prayer, contemplation, and preparation. In every moment, her soul echoed that divine word: Fiat.
She is Wisdom’s home, because she listens to the Word more perfectly than any creature—hearing, keeping, pondering in her heart. Thus, she fulfills both readings today: as the mystical dwelling of Wisdom (Ecclus 24) and the most blessed hearer and keeper of the Word (Luke 11).
IV. Application: A Life Rooted in Wisdom and Obedience
In an age of noise, novelty, and restless activism, the figure of the Virgin in the Temple calls us back to silence, receptivity, and hidden fidelity. She teaches us that greatness before God lies not in external show, but in the interior life: hearing, receiving, keeping.
The words of St. Louis de Montfort ring true:
“Mary is the echo of God. When we say ‘Mary,’ she answers ‘God.’” (True Devotion, §225)
May we imitate her—placing ourselves daily in the Temple of God’s presence, offering our hearts as living tabernacles, and keeping His word as she did, in faith, silence, and total surrender.
Prayer
O Holy and Immaculate Virgin, presented this day in the Temple,
prepare our hearts to become worthy dwelling places of the Divine Word.
Teach us to listen, to ponder, and to obey.
May thy Fiat be echoed in our lives,
that Christ may be born in us and reign through us.
Amen.
“Blesse