Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today we celebrate the Birthday of the blessed Virgin Mary. A feast the Church has celebrated since the 6th Century. Quite correctly, We know nothing about the circumstances of Mary’s Birth and the scriptures give no account of this. However, the so called Apocryphal protoevangelium of James tends to provide some clue on this. Whilst this book may not have a historical validity or value it gives insight into the development of some of the Christian devotions to Mary. A clear example of this would be the account of the presentation of Mary to the temple by her parents Anna and Joachim. So, we do not know where and how Mary was born. But ancient tradition suggests that it was either in Jerusalem or Nazareth.
Anyway, why the month of September? It is said that it was because the month of September Marks the beginning of the year for the Eastern Church and also to determine the Immaculate conception feast which precedes this feast by exactly nine months. So, this is the background to the feast.
But why is this so important to the Church to celebrate this feast? It is in most part because of her privileged place in the God’s redemptive work of our salvation in Christ Jesus. If the incarnation, God becoming human offered an inexpressible hope to the fallen humanity, the birth of the Mary could be seen as a foreshadowing of that revelation of God’s love which is Jesus. If in Jesus we have the restoration, divinization of the human person, fulness of joy and peace, the birth of Virgin Mary already announced these and became as it where the dawning.
This is why this feast brings us so much joy and happiness. As Saint Augustine would describe Mary as “the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lilly of the valley”. Whilst we rejoice on this great feast, I am reminded that my life is not by chance that God’s divine plan anticipated and preceded my creation. Therefore, as Mary was part of something way bigger than she could have ver imagined, namely, Jesus’ redemptive work, we too are part of something way bigger than we could ever imagine, namely God’s salvific works among his people today. Something that if we cooperated with the divine power of God as Mary did, will not only bring about our salvation but also the salvation of many. As we rejoice for the wonder of Mary’s creation and birth, we also rejoice for the wonder of our being.
It doesn’t matter how small or big, poor or rich, strong or weak, educated or not we think we are. The divine grace of God’s divine purpose makes all the difference. We may be the least among our folks or family. All that matters is his graceful choice of you and the difference will be clear as was the case in mary. Hence today’s first reading says, “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, the lest of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule the over Israel. He will feed his clock with the power of the Lord, he himself will be peace”. You see, Bethlehem and Judah (after the great divide of the Davidic kingdom, the Southern region, called Judah and it had only two tribes) might have been small and weak, Mary might have been the lowly young girl from Galilee, but the difference is the grace of God’s divine plan. Same is true about you Child of God.
We therefore pray today for the powerful intercession of the Blessed ever Virgin Mary, for ourselves, families and friends. May Mary obtain for us the grace of yielding and submitting to Grace and so accomplish the purpose of our creation as Mary did. But in the mean time, may this feast fill our hearts with joy and peace. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Lord be with you
May the Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Go in Peace and Happy Feast.