HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLESSED MOTHER!

We have yet another great Feast day! The birth of our Blessed Mother Mary. She had been immaculately conceived in her mother Anne's womb, thus making her the purest of the pure. She is the one who is to crush the old serpent's head with her heel, and will lead us to her Son. She is the only one to say "Yes" of 'fiat', when told that she would be the mother of 'THE ONE' who is to come. She, who is our only hope, will bring us to eternal happiness. She, who has, and will continue, to crush all heresies, will come to our aid; if we ask. She, who was made the mother of us all, (through John, who stood in our place), while Jesus was on the Cross, will guide us to all Truth as she did the Apostles and disciples after Pentecost.

I put it to protestants this way; in a way maybe they can understand. A simple math solution: If A=B, and B=C; then A=C. Right? Now, if Jesus is God; and Mary is the mother of Jesus; she must be the Mother of God. See how easy this is? I also would ask them if they would take offense if I were to call their mother names or told lies about her, even though I had never met her? When they would reply that they definitely get mad, I would tell them: 'So does Jesus. He will remember all the times you were hateful towards His mother. If you can't say anything decent about her, SHUT UP!'

As the Jewish nation had the 'Ark of the Covenant', which held the Truth as they saw it, so now we have Mary as the 'ARK of the New Covenant', carrying Jesus Himself! She IS the tabernacle which held and still holds the True Manna for our souls.

Now, let's find out about Mary herself.





The NATIVITY
of the BLESSED VIRGIN
(ca. 15 B.C.)

The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary announced joy and the approaching salvation of a lost world. Mary was brought into the world not like other children of Adam, infected with the contagion of sin, but pure, holy, beautiful, and glorious, adorned with all the most precious graces fitting for the One predestined to be the Mother of the Saviour. Never did She have the slightest inclination towards anything other than the absolute and immediate Will of God. She appeared indeed in the weak condition of all mortals, but in the eyes of Heaven She already transcended the highest Seraphim in purity, humility, charity, and the richest ornaments of grace. God had created Her in the original grace, as in the beginning Adam and Eve had enjoyed that ineffable privilege; after original sin, it was lost for all Adam's posterity, until the time of the Redemption dawned in Mary. (Cf. I Cor. 15:21-23)

The nations celebrate, often too noisily, the birthdays of the great ones of this earth... How then ought we, Christians, to rejoice in that of the Virgin Mary, Mother of our Salvation, and to present publicly to God the homage of our best praises and thanksgiving for the great mercies He has shown in Her, imploring Her mediation with Her Divine Son! Jesus of Nazareth will not reject the supplications of His most holy Mother, through whom He chose to descend from Heaven; She, the Spouse of the Canticle, is all beautiful and is the One He was pleased to obey while on earth. Her love, care, and tenderness for Him, the title and qualities which She bears, the charity and graces with which She is adorned, and the crown of glory with which She is honored, incline Him readily to receive Her recommendations and petitions.

Reflection: The Angelical Salutation is the prayer which most pleases Mary; but when time is short we can invoke Her constantly by short ejaculatory prayers, such as the one She entrusted to Ste. Catherine Labouré in 1830 with the Miraculous Medal: 'O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!' or, shorter yet: 'My Mother, my confidence!'
Or, even: 'Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I love thee, save souls.'

The prayer for today's Mass: 'Bestow upon Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly grace, that, as the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin was the beginning of our salvation, so the votive feast of her Nativity may bring us an increase of peace.'

This is a day of universal happiness, since through the birth of Our Blessed Mother the sorrow of our first mother, Eve, was transformed into joy.


September 8 marks the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This day of celebration, which is thought to have first originated in Syria or Palestine, was brought to the Church of Rome sometime in the seventh century. Although it would take several more centuries before all of Western Christendom honored Our Lady’s birth liturgically, during the reign of Pope Innocent IV in 1243, the feast was adorned with an octave and celebrated with great solemnity.

Consider the following reflection on the life of the Blessed Virgin by St. Augustine which constitutes the readings for the Second Nocturn of Matins for this feast.


"Dearly beloved brethren, the day for which we have longed, the Feast-day of the Blessed and Worshipful and Ever-Virgin Mary, that day is come. Let our land laugh and sing with merriment, bathed in the glory of this great Virgin's rising. She is the flower of the fields on which the priceless lily of the valleys hath blossomed. This is she whose delivery changed the nature that we draw from our first parents, and cleansed away their offence. At her that dolorous sentence which was pronounced over Eve ended its course to her it was never said: 'In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children.' Gen. iii. 16. She brought forth a Child, even the Lord, but she brought Him forth, not in sorrow, but in joy.

"Eve wept, but Mary laughed. Eve's womb was big with tears, but Mary's womb was big with gladness. Eve gave birth to a sinner, but Mary gave birth to the sinless One. The mother of our race brought punishment into the world, but the Mother of our Lord brought salvation into the world. Eve was the foundress of sin, but Mary was the foundress of righteousness. Eve welcomed death, but Mary helped in life. Eve smote, but Mary healed. For Eve's disobedience, Mary offered obedience and for Eve's unbelief, Mary offered faith.
"Let Mary now make a loud noise upon the organ, and between its quick notes let the rattling of the Mother's timbrel be heard. Let the gladsome choirs sing with her, and their sweet hymns mingle with the changing music. Hearken to what a song her timbrel will make accompaniment. She saith: 'My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the lowliness of His hand-maiden, for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed for He That is Mighty hath done to me great things.' The new miracle of Mary's delivery hath effaced the curse of the frail backslider, and the singing of Mary hath silenced the wailing of Eve."

For Greek Catholics, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered one of the 12 principal feasts of the liturgical year, though its octave is abbreviated due to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14. The service of Matins for the Byzantine Rite is mainly comprised of hymns penned by Ss. John of Damascus and Andrew of Crete which recount both the Virgin’s miraculous birth from her barren mother, St. Anna, and how Mary’s Nativity foreshadows the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a small sample:


Anna was barren and unable to give birth, yet she was not childless in God's eyes; for, lo she hath become known by all generations as the mother of the pure Virgin, from whom the Creator of nature hath sprung forth in the guise of a servant.

"Today is the bridge of life born, through which men have attained restoration after their fall into Hades, glorifying Christ, the Bestower of life, with hymns.

"From a barren woman did the Lord, Who poureth forth life upon all, cause the Virgin to come forth, in whom He was pleased to make His abode, preserving her incorrupt even after giving birth.
"The whole world rejoiceth with thee today, O divinely wise Anna; for thou hast budded forth the Mother of its Deliverer, she who from the root of David put forth for us the rod of strength which beareth Christ as a flower."



Let us go to her, and be quick about it!