September 8
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
La Nativité de la Bienheureuse Vierge Marie
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and is one of the few birthdays honored in the Catholic liturgical calendar. While the New Testament does not specify where or when Mary was born, ancient Christian tradition, drawing from apocryphal sources like the Protoevangelium of James, places her birth in Jerusalem, born to Saints Joachim and Anne. This feast reflects the Church’s deep reverence for Mary, whose assent to God’s plan made her the first to receive Christ in faith and body, thus preparing the world for the coming of the Savior.
The roots of this celebration are ancient; evidence suggests a liturgical commemoration as early as the sixth century in both the Eastern and Western Churches, possibly connected with the dedication of Marian churches. The feast is not only about the historical birth of Mary but also about the dawning of salvation history, as her birth marks the promise of the Messiah’s coming into the world. Catholics honor Mary’s nativity as a moment of grace, recognizing her unique role in God’s plan, and are invited to imitate her openness and faith. It is a day to reflect with gratitude on Mary’s humble beginnings and her willing cooperation with God’s will, which brought about the Incarnation of Christ.
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Questions about The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
First readingMi 5, 1-4a
Thus says the Lord:
You, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the smallest of the clans of Judah,
it is from you that there will come forth for me
one who is to govern Israel.
His origins go back to ancient times,
to days long ago.
But God will give up his people
until the day when
she who is to give birth gives birth,
and the rest of his brothers
shall return to the children of Israel.
He will stand and shepherd his flock
by the power of the Lord,
by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
They will live in security, for now
he shall be great to the ends of the earth,
and he himself shall be peace!
– The word of the Lord.
OR
First readingRm 8, 28,30
Brothers,
we know that for those who love God,
he works everything together for their good,
as they are called according to the purpose of his love.
Those whom he foreknew,
he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that this Son might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
Those whom he predestined,
he also called;
those whom he called,
he made righteous;
and those whom he made righteous,
he gave his glory.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 12 (13), 6ab, 6c
But I trust in your steadfast love;
let my heart rejoice in your salvation!
I will sing to the Lord
for the good he has done for me.
GospelMt 1, 1-16.18-23
Genealogy of Jesus Christ,
son of David, son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac became the father of Jacob,
Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah, by his union with Tamar, became the father of Perez and Zerah,
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron became the father of Aram,
Aram became the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon became the father of Salmon,
Salmon, by his union with Rahab, became the father of Boaz,
Boaz, by his union with Ruth, became the father of Obed,
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse became the father of King David.
David, by his union with the wife of Uriah, became the father of Solomon,
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam became the father of Abijah,
Abijah became the father of Asa,
Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram,
Joram became the father of Uzziah,
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham became the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh became the father of Amon,
Amon became the father of Josiah,
Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers
at the time of the exile to Babylon.
After the exile to Babylon,
Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud,
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim became the father of Azor,
Azor became the father of Zadok,
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim became the father of Eliud,
Eliud became the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan became the father of Jacob,
Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,
of whom was born Jesus,
who is called Christ.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ came about in this way:
Mary his mother had been promised in marriage to Joseph;
before they lived together,
she was found to be pregnant
through the action of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph, her husband,
who was a just man,
and did not want to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
While he was thinking about this,
behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream and said:
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home,
since the child conceived in her
is from the Holy Spirit;
she will bear a son,
and you shall give him the name Jesus
(that is, The-Lord-saves),
for he is the one who will save his people from their sins."
All this took place
to fulfill
the word spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
Behold, the Virgin shall conceive,
and she shall bear a son;
he will be called Emmanuel,
which means: "God-with-us".
– Let us acclaim the word of God.
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Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org