Today is the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Fr Paul Gooley reads from Luke’s Gospel (19: 1-10) in which Jesus calls Zacchaeus down from the sycamore tree saying, ‘Make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today’. Fr Paul says the Feast of the presentation of our Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated in unity with Eastern Christianity and commemorates the dedication in 543 of the New Basilica of Saint Mary, built next to the Temple at Jerusalem. This feast celebrates Mary’s “dedication” of herself to God from her infancy, inspired by the Holy Spirit, whose grace had filled her ever since her Immaculate Conception. On this special day, Fr Paul invites us to join him in praying ‘Pray for us, Oh Holy Mother of God!’.