By Leon Bent –
Our Lady was so important that her birthday marks a new era in the Old Covenant. The history of the Old Covenant was a long wait for the coming of the Messiah. After the original sin of our first parents, mankind had to wait 3,000 years, perhaps more, for the Messiah. But at a certain blessed moment, Divine Providence decreed that a woman would be born who would give birth to the Messiah. Her nativity represents the entrance into the world, of the ‘perfect creature’ who found grace before God, and had impeccable merit to end that extensive waiting period.
All the prayers, sufferings, and faithfulness of the just men, living and dead, reached their apex with ‘her’ arrival. There had been Patriarchs, Prophets, just men among the Chosen People, and certainly some righteous men and women among the Gentiles who had prayed, suffered, and waited; none of this was sufficient to attract the coming of the Redeemer. But when God so willed it, He made the perfect creature, Mary, be born “immaculately,” that is, without sin, to be the Mother of the Saviour. The relationship between God and man began to change, and the gates of Heaven that had been tightly locked, were semi-opened, permitting the light and breeze of hope to pass through.
The feast day of the ‘Nativity’ of Our Lady induces us to ask: What advantage did her birth bring for mankind? And why should mankind celebrate her birth in a special way?
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8th September.
Her birth represents the entrance into the world of a new grace, a new blessing, a new presence that, was an incomparable fore-telling of the presence, blessing and grace that would come with the Saviour. Grace is “God’s life, power and blessedness given to us by unmerited favour.”
Our Lady was conceived without original sin, giving her a singular and peerless value. She was a lily of incomparable purity and beauty that, appeared in the ‘dark night’ of humanity. She also had all the natural psychological gifts that, a woman can have. God gave her the richest personality imaginable. To this, He added gifts of a supernatural order, the treasures of spiritual magnificence that were hers. She received the most precious poise and charm God ever gave to any human person.
The Story of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Church has celebrated Mary’s birth since at least the sixth century A.D. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year in September. The September 8th date helped determine the date for the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 (nine months). Saint Augustine connects Mary’s childbirth 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 tainted nature, “original sin,” inherited from our first parents is changed to ‘original benediction,’ ‘pristine blessing,’ ‘paradisiacal wonderland’” The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary’s Son as the dawn of our salvation, and asks for an increase of love, joy and peace.
We can see every human birth as a call for new hope in the world. The love of two human beings is joined with God in his creative work. The loving parents have shown hope in a world filled with travail. The new child has the potential to be a channel of God’s love and peace to the world.
This is all true in a magnificent way in Mary. If Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s love, Mary is the foreshadowing of that love. If Jesus has brought the fullness of salvation, Mary is its dawning.
Mary Always Points to Jesus
In his apostolic exhortation “Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” Pope Paul VI speaks of the singular dignity of Mary as being “Mother of the Son of God, and, therefore, the beloved daughter of the Father and Temple of the Holy Spirit” (p. 46). In this, she is “far greater than any other human being on earth or in heaven.” And, yet, Mary herself claims her own nothingness at the Annunciation: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk.1:38).
Mary’s greatness lies in her willingness to continue to bring Jesus to the world. She doesn’t draw attention to herself, but points to him. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, “What the Catholic faith believes about Mary, is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines, in turn, its faith in Christ.”
Nine months after the celebration of her Immaculate Conception, the Church honours our Lady’s Immaculate Birth. In fact, the Nativity of Mary is historically prior in the Church to her Immaculate Conception. Long before there was consensus among theologians, regarding whether Mary was conceived without sin – nearly all agreed that she was born without sin. The Feast our Lady’s Nativity is more ancient than that of her Conception, and this later feast’s date was determined by the date of her birth – much like the feast of the Annunciation was set according to the feast of Christmas.
How pleasing it is to consider the order of revelation and the order of history: Though Mary had been preserved from sin from the moment of her Conception, the Church first recognized the holiness of Anne’s daughter in birth, and only later came to understand that, her sanctification came at the first moment of her existence. It was God’s grand design and master-plan for His Son to be born of Mary! It confirms that she, truly, is the Blessed Virgin Mary – Mother Immaculate!
Conclusion
Our Lady’s Holy Nativity has a special significance, since it marked a new era in the history of the ‘Chosen People.’ Her birth was the arrival of that perfect “Word made flesh” (John 1:14), God’s only begotten Son (Jn.3:16). Without her, the prayers and sufferings of all humanity would have failed to bring about the Incarnation. However, with her, the trajectory of history was forever changed. All prayers became more effective, and a new manner of blessings and graces began producing sanctity like never before.
Our Lady served as the “Doorway to Heaven” that, the hope of the Messiah’s coming passed through. Her presence on earth was the fountainhead of grace, and still is. The height of her contemplation gave her a force of presence. It made her a shower of endless blessings, so that, her very existence was a pronouncement of Our Lord’s coming.
For those who desire Our Lady’s victory, the celebration of her Nativity on 8th September, is especially important. These should pray fervently, for the immediate coming of her reign, when the long dark night of sin will be eclipsed by her Son’s eternal triumph!
Now, this gold nugget! Birthday celebrations bring happiness to the celebrant as well as to family and friends. Next to the birth of Jesus, Mary’s birth offers the greatest possible happiness to the world. Each time we celebrate her birth, we can confidently hope for an increase of love, joy and peace in our hearts and in the world, at large.
Prayer
Heavenly Child, lovable Mary, the Eternal Father delights in your birth, for He beholds in your coming into this world, one of His creatures who was so perfect that, she was destined to become the worthy Mother of His divine Son.
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, was the herald of joy to the whole world; since from you arose the “Son” of Justice, Christ our God, who, destroyed the curse, bestowed blessing, confounded death, and rewarded us with life everlasting.
We celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary that, she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mother most pure! Virgin Birth! Snow-White Heart, Sinless Life! Mother of God! AMEN.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.