The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is recounted in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:22-40). According to the Gospel, Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after his birth, following the Jewish custom of presenting a firstborn son to the Lord. They also offered a pair of doves or two young pigeons as a sacrifice.
In the Temple, they encountered the righteous and devout Simeon, who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Simeon saw Jesus, he took the child in his arms and praised God, uttering the prayer known as the Nunc Dimittis. Simeon acknowledged Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promise and spoke of the child being a light for the revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.
The Fourth Joyful Mystery, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, is a moment of both joy and solemnity as Mary and Joseph fulfill their religious duties and encounter the recognition of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah by Simeon and the prophetess Anna. This mystery invites reflection on the themes of dedication, obedience, and the fulfillment of divine promises.
