Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today we celebrate the birthday of our Blessed Mother. The
feast of the Nativity of Mary is closely connected with the Immaculate
Conception of Mary. Mary who is prepared by divine providence to be the Mother
of Jesus the son of God, is conceived in the womb of her mother Anna, her
father being Joachim, without the stain of sin and her birth is considered by
the Church as a Solemn event.
Our Lady’s birthday has been described as “the hope of the
entire world and the dawn of salvation”.
That is why the Liturgy of the day says: “Let us celebrate with joy the
birth of the Virgin Mary, of who was born the Sun of Justice…. Her birth
constitutes the hope and the light of salvation for the whole world…. Her image
is light for the whole Christian people”. St. Augustine connects Mary’s birth
with Jesus’ saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the
light of her birth. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the
precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our
first parents is changed.” The opening prayer at Mass also speaks of the birth
of Mary’s Son as the dawn of our salvation and asks for an increase of peace.
In celebrating the nativity of Mary, Christians anticipate
the Incarnation and the birth of her Divine Son, and give honour to the mother
of Our Lord and Saviour. The Church’s calendar observes the birthdays of only
three persons: St. John the Baptist and Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the of
Jesus, Son of God. John the Baptist was
sanctified even before his birth. Luke tells us that Elizabeth felt the infant
John “leap in her womb” when Mary approached her soon after the Annunciation.
Mary was preserved sinless in anticipation with the privilege of being the
Mother of God from the moment of her conception.
A birthday is an occasion when a person celebrates the
anniversary of their birth, and is often celebrated with a gift in
commemoration of that particular event. Today the church celebrates the birth
of Mary. What would be the best gift for Our Lady on this special occasion?
Faith - Faith in Jesus Christ. Her apparitions (eg: Our Lady of Lourdes, Our
Lady of Fatima) constantly urged the faithful to turn back to Jesus, the
saviour of the world.
As we celebrate the birth of Mary, it is a great reminder for us to turn to Mary in time of great need, for she is "a sign of sure hope and solace" (Lumen Gentium, 68, Vatican II). There has been but one true revolution in the history of the world and that is precisely the Incarnation in the flesh of the eternal Logos in the person of the God-man Jesus Christ, whereby the power of sin, corruption, death and the authority of Satan are shattered and the chasm between the uncreated God and His creation is bridged. If the Incarnation is a foundational mystery of the faith then the person of Mary from whom Christ received His flesh and was born also stands at the centre of the faith. A faith in Christ which does not include the veneration of his mother is another faith, another Christianity from that held by the Church. A Christmas without the mother would be a meaningless Christmas, for the Word would not have taken flesh and become the source and summit of our salvation.
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