Nativity of the Virgin Mary
What is the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary?
The nativity of the Virgin Mary
A great christian feast
For both East and West
Ancient sources
Reveal the existance of old hymns
Going back to the sixth century
One of them being the hyms
By Saint Rolanus
In the eastern traditions
The oldest texts go back
To the protoevangelium of James
150 AD
The manuscript reveals
The name of her parents
Joachim and Anna
prayer in honour of Our Lady’s Nativity, written by St. Anselm
O sacred Virgin,
Give me strength against thine enemies, and against the enemy of the whole human race.
Give me strength humbly to pray to thee.
Give me strength to praise thee in prayer with all my powers, through the merits of thy most sacred nativity, which for the entire Christian world was a birth of joy, the hope and solace of its life.
When thou wast born, O most holy Virgin, then was the world made light.
Happy is thy stock, holy thy root, and blessed thy fruit, for thou alone as a virgin, filled with the Holy Spirit, didst merit to conceive thy God, as a virgin to bear Thy God, as a virgin to bring Him forth, and after His birth to remain a virgin.
Have mercy therefore upon me a sinner, and give me aid, O Lady, so that just as thy nativity, glorious from the seed of Abraham, sprung from the tribe of Juda, illustrious from the stock of David, didst announce joy to the entire world, so may it fill me with true joy and cleanse me from every sin.
Pray for me, O Virgin most prudent, that the gladsome joys of thy most helpful nativity may put a cloak over all my sins.
O holy Mother of God, flowering as the lily, pray to thy sweet Son for me, a wretched sinner. Amen.
Biblical Reading
MT 1:1-16, 18-23
The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, 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.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
Origin of the Feast of the Nativity of Mother Mary
The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on September 8, has its origins in both Eastern and Western Christian traditions. The exact date of Mary’s birth is not recorded in the Bible, but the feast is believed to have been established in the 6th century by the Eastern Church, particularly in Constantinople.
The celebration is rooted in the belief that Mary was born to Anne and Joachim, as described in apocryphal texts, such as the Protoevangelium of James. This narrative emphasizes Mary’s special role in salvation history as the mother of Jesus Christ.
In the West, the feast was officially adopted by the Roman Catholic Church in the 8th century. Over time, it became a significant celebration in many Christian denominations, emphasizing Mary’s importance in the Christian faith and honoring her as a key figure in the story of salvation. The celebration often includes special liturgical services, prayers, and hymns to honor her life and role in the church.
Videos
Prayer for the nativity of our mother Mary
Shop Corner
Our Lady’s Nativity On Amazon
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m glad to hear that the article on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was helpful to you. The birth of Mary is such a beautiful and significant event in our faith, marking the beginning of God’s plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ.
If you’re looking for more related content (see categories at the bottom of each blog) , you might find some of my other articles on the life of Mary, her role in the Church, and her virtues of humility, obedience, and faith interesting. These reflections can help deepen our understanding of her example and how we can draw closer to God through her.
Feel free to explore the other posts on the blog or let me know if there’s a specific topic you’re interested in—I’d be happy to write more or guide you to additional resources!
Thank you again for reading, and I hope to continue sharing content that inspires and supports your spiritual journey!
Stay blessed and accept my humble prayer for you. 🙏🏼❤️