Presentation Day Novena 2024

The early annals of the Presentation Congregation record that the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple was the date chosen by Nano in 1782, to receive two young women into the novitiate. Nano’s choice of this day for this ceremony, indicates that this Feast had a special place in her spirituality. Following Nano’s death, her fledging Congregation continued to choose this day to receive women into novitiate. Nano Nagle recognised in this feast an expression of Mary’s total self-giving to God.

The Church liturgy for this feast speaks of Mary as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and prays ‘that we like her may be presented on the Temple of God’s glory.’  This ancient prayer from the liturgy offers us a means of understanding Nano’s devotion and continues to provide new insights into how to be Presentation people today.

Nano Nagle responds to this indwelling of the Spirit and her ‘Yes’ to the call of God by going out amidst those ‘made poor’ in the lanes of Cork, undertaking a challenging and exhausting ministry that will make a difference to their lives and the lives of many, in a practical way.  Nano was also a courageous and relentless social advocate, not content to serve the needs of those in front of her, she was passionate about naming and changing the system in 18^th century Penal Ireland that allowed this deprivation to prevail.

In the midst of a busy and exhausting ministry in the lanes of Cork city, Nano spent much time in prayer. Indeed, it is true to say prayer informed each step of ‘Nano’s way’ of doing and being.

Praying our Presentation Day Novena together

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple is celebrated on the 21^st November each year. You are invited to join with us in ‘Praying the Novena for Presentation Day 2024’.

We are grateful to the Sisters from the Conference of Presentation Sisters of North America for these thoughtful prayers and reflective processes to accompany us through the journey to our Feast day. The readings, poetry and reflective questions explore characteristics of Nano’s way of being offering us a gracious invitation to walk together with her in these challenging times.

“People are suffering. The Earth is suffering. Yet, in the midst of this, we are also becoming more aware of the beauty and gifts of our charism being lived out by so many in various ways across the globe.

On this Feast day, we honour Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the woman of earth and of sky who is with us in times of light and in days of shadow, in all the seasons of our lives. In a poem entitled, Presentation, Australian poet, Raphael Consedine, pbvm brings together the mystery of the young Mary of the Presentation with the wise elder woman that she becomes – holding both suffering and transformative hope. (see poem below) Can we learn to do the same?”

[Congregational Leadership Team, in the Introduction to 2024 Presentation Day Novena]

You can download the full text of  Presentation Day Novena 2024

You can also join us on our Social Media Platforms – see links on the front page of our website: HERE

Presentation

In the morning of your life, Mary,
You danced before the Lord.
Later on, much later on,
You stood still in His presence
Through a long darkness.
Mary, steadfast one,
Grant that when we can no longer dance
We may stand beside you,
Still, in God’s presence,
Believing beyond the dark.

Raphael Consedine, 1978

(Image used: Detail from a painting by Scipione Pulzone, 1544).