Introduction
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 8, exactly nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It is one of the most ancient Marian feasts in the Church, with its origins in the East, where it was kept by the 6th century, and later spreading to the West by the 7th century. The feast honors the dawn of salvation, for in Mary’s birth shines the morning star heralding the Sun of Justice, Christ our Lord.
Historical and Liturgical Context
According to tradition, Mary was born in Nazareth of holy parents, Joachim and Anne, who had long endured the sorrow of barrenness before God answered their prayers. The Protoevangelium of James, an early Christian writing, recounts how an angel announced to Anne that she would conceive the child destined to be the Mother of the Messiah.
The Church sees Mary’s nativity not only as her own joyful beginning, but as the inauguration of the mystery of redemption. As St. John Damascene preached:
“The day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a day of universal joy, because through her, the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, was changed into joy.”
Theological Significance
The Fathers of the Church often connected Mary’s birth with her role as the New Eve. St. Augustine teaches that Mary’s predestination is inseparable from that of Christ:
“Chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined with the Son, who is to be born of her, she was born before Him in time, but conceived in His eternal plan.” (Sermon 51)
St. Andrew of Crete adds:
“Today is built the shrine of the Creator of the universe; today is born the creature by whom the Creator Himself will be born.”
Mary’s nativity thus stands as the prelude to the Incarnation. As the rising dawn gives promise of the coming day, so her birth announces the imminent coming of the Savior.
Devotional Emphasis
Throughout history, this feast has been celebrated with hymns of joy, processions, and prayers for protection. The faithful have long viewed the Nativity of Mary as a sign of hope: she who will crush the serpent’s head is born, and in her innocence and purity, the Church sees the reversal of the ancient curse.
St. Anselm declared:
“Without God’s Son nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.”
Thus, her nativity reminds us that God’s plan of salvation unfolds gently and faithfully, preparing in silence the perfect vessel for His Word.
Conclusion
The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary calls Christians to rejoice in the mysterious providence of God. Just as Joachim and Anne rejoiced at the birth of their long-awaited child, so the Church rejoices at the dawn of salvation. In the birth of Mary, we see the divine preparation for the birth of Christ—the victory of grace over sin, the light before the dawn, the hope of all nations.