November 21st is the feast of the Presentation of Mary, the day Anne and Joachim offered her to the Lord just as Mary and Joseph did with Jesus. For centuries, Catholics have been encouraged to consecrate themselves to Mary because Mary is the surest and quickest path to Jesus. It is common practice to arrange the period of preparation (typically 33 days) so as to land on a Marian feast day. I cannot speak highly enough of this noble spiritual practice, but I'll leave it to St. Louis De Montfort, the author of the most thorough preparation literature ever written, to explain it best.
