Mary hearing this, I say, having scarcely attained the age of three years, as St. Germanus (Enc. In S. Deip.) and St. Epiphanius attest—the latter of whom says, "In her third year she was brought to the temple" ("Tertio anno, oblate est in Templo")—an age at which children are the most desirous and stand in the greatest need of their parents' care, she desired to offer and solemnly to consecrate herself to God, by presenting herself in the temple. Hence, of her own accord, she requested her parents with earnestness to take her there, that they might thus accomplish their promise. And her holy mother, says St. Gregory of Nyssa, "did not long delay leading her to the temple, and offering her to God" (Anna haud cunctata est eam ad Templum adducere, ac Deo offerre"—In Nat. Chr.).
Behold now Joachim and Anne, generously sacrificing to God the most precious treasure that they possessed in the world, and the one that was dearest to their heart, setting out from Nazareth, carrying their well-beloved little daughter in turns, for she could not otherwise have undertaken so long a journey as that from Nazareth to Jerusalem, it being a distance of eighty miles, as several authors say. They were accompanied by few relatives, but choirs of angels, according to St. George of Nicomedia (Or. de Ingr. B. V.), escorted and served the immaculate little Virgin, who was about to consecrate herself to the divine Majesty. How beautiful are thy steps, O prince's daughter! ("Quam pulchri, sunt gressus tui . . . Filia principis!"—Cant. vii. 1) O, how beautiful (must the angels have sung), how acceptable to God is thy every step, taken on thy way to present and offer thyself to him! O noble daughter, most beloved of our common Lord!
"God himself, with the whole heavenly court," says Bernardine de Bustis, "made great rejoicings on that day, beholding his spouse coming to the temple" ("Magnam quoque festivitatem fecit Deus cum Angelis, in deductione suae Sponsae ad Templum"). For he never saw a more holy creature, or one whom he so tenderly loved, come to offer herself to him ("Quia nullus unquam Deo gratior usque ad illud tempus templum ascendit"—Marial. p. 4, s. 1). "Go then," (says St. Germanus, archbishop of Constantinople), "go, O Queen of the world, O Mother of God, go joyfully to the house of God, there to await the coming of the divine Spirit, who will make thee the Mother of the Eternal Word. Enter with exultation the courts of the Lord, in expectation of the coming of the Holy Ghost, and the Conception of the only-begotten Son of God" ("Abi, ergo. O Domina Mater Dei! in atria Domini, exsultans et exspectans Sancti Spiritus adventum, et unigeniti Filii conceptionem"—Enc. In S. Deip).
When the holy company had reached the temple the fair child turned to her parents, and on her knees kissed their hands and asked their blessing; and then, without again turning back, she ascended the fifteen steps of the temple (according to Arius Montano, quoting Josephus), and as we are told by St. Germanus, presented herself to the priest, St. Zachary. Having done this, she bade farewell to the world, and renouncing all the pleasures that it promises to its votatires, she offered and consecrated herself to her Creator.