October 11
Double of the Second Class
“Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”
— Luke 1:42
1. Origin of the Feast
The Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary—that is, her title as Mother of God (Dei Genitrix)—was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1931 to commemorate the 15th centenary of the Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431).
At that council, the Church solemnly condemned the Nestorian heresy and defined the dogma that the Blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because she conceived and gave birth to Jesus Christ, Who is both true God and true Man, one Divine Person with two natures.
“If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is truly God, and that therefore the holy Virgin is the Mother of God (for she brought forth according to the flesh the Word of God made flesh), let him be anathema.”
— Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431
Thus the title Theotokos (“God-bearer”) became a triumphant banner of Catholic orthodoxy and Marian devotion.
2. Theological Significance
To call Mary Mother of God is to proclaim the full truth about her Son. The divine maternity is the foundation of all her other privileges—her Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity, and bodily Assumption—flow naturally from this most sublime dignity.
As St. Thomas Aquinas teaches,
“From the fact that the Blessed Virgin is the Mother of God, she has a certain infinite dignity, derived from the infinite good which is God.”
— Summa Theologiae, I, q.25, a.6, ad 4
Through her “Fiat” at the Annunciation, she became the living tabernacle of the Incarnate Word, the new Ark of the Covenant, containing not the manna of the desert but the very Bread of Heaven.
3. The Mystery in the Life of the Faithful
The Divine Maternity is not only a truth to be believed but also a reality to be loved and imitated. Mary is not only the Mother of God—she is, by grace, our Mother too. At Calvary, her motherhood was extended to all the faithful:
“Woman, behold thy son… Behold thy mother.”
— John 19:26–27
From her flows the maternal tenderness with which the Church herself nourishes her children. To honor Mary as Mother of God is to honor her as the tender mediatrix of divine mercy, always interceding for the members of her Son’s Mystical Body.
4. Liturgical Reflection
In the Traditional Roman Missal, the Collect of this feast beautifully expresses the Church’s faith:
Collect:
O God, Who didst will that, at the message of an angel, Thy Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary: grant to us Thy suppliants, that we who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be aided by her intercession with Thee. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ…
The Mass and Office of the feast overflow with joy and gratitude, celebrating Mary’s incomparable dignity as the “Mother of our Redeemer.” Hymns and antiphons such as Ave Maris Stella and Alma Redemptoris Mater echo this mystery of divine love.
5. Spiritual Application
On this day, the faithful are invited to:
- Renew their devotion to Our Lady, especially under her title Mother of God;
- Contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation, which was wrought through her humble obedience;
- Entrust themselves and their loved ones to her maternal protection;
- Recite the Angelus or Rosary in thanksgiving for the mystery of the Word made Flesh.
A Prayer for the Feast
O Holy Mary, Mother of God and our Mother,
by thy sublime dignity thou hast brought Heaven near to earth.
Intercede for us, that we may ever live as true children of so great a Mother,
and, aided by thy maternal love, may one day rejoice with thee
in the eternal vision of thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.