The nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – September 8

By Justin’s Ezeuka

Today, the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Catholics each implicit the satellite rejoice arsenic September 8 each twelvemonth marks the memorable feast of the day of the commencement of parent of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Church celebrates Mary’s day precisely 9 months aft her Immaculate Conception connected December 8.

It is important to enactment that determination are nary explicit biblical references to the solemnisation of Mary’s birth. However, this feast has agelong been portion of the Church’s contented and teaching. The Nativity of Mary was archetypal celebrated successful Rome successful the 8th period during the pontificate of Pope Sergius I (†701). It is 1 of lone 3 nativities observed successful the Roman liturgical calendar: the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (December 25), the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24), and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8).

From humanities evidence, the Church has commemorated Mary’s commencement since astatine slightest the sixth century. September was chosen successful portion due to the fact that the Eastern Church begins its liturgical twelvemonth successful that month. In airy of this, Mary holds galore divine and meaningful titles befitting her unsocial relation successful salvation history.

Our Lady, Gate of Heaven

Devotion to Mary is simply a motion of eternal salvation and a pledge of predestination to Paradise. St. Augustine erstwhile said: “All the predestined are enclosed successful the womb of Mary.” St. Bonaventure declared: “Whoever is enrolled among Mary’s devotees volition beryllium enrolled successful the Book of Life.” St. Alphonsus Liguori went truthful acold arsenic to say: “He who loves Our Lady tin beryllium arsenic definite of Paradise arsenic if helium were already there.”

Mary is called the “Gate of Heaven” due to the fact that nary 1 enters Paradise but done her maternal intercession. As St. Bonaventure succinctly enactment it: “No 1 tin participate Paradise unless helium passes done Mary, who is the gate.” This information is consoling: all—saints and sinners, believers and unbelievers—may gully adjacent to Mary.

She is the Mother of all, the Mediatrix for those who tendency salvation, and the Queen of Love implicit the world. If God the Father “desires each men to beryllium saved” (1 Tim 2:4), past Mary, His chosen Mother, likewise longs for the salvation of all. Jesus promises eternal beingness to His sheep (Jn 10:28), and Mary, the Co-Redemptrix, volition ne'er let the devil to snatch her devoted children from her hands.

Mary, Refuge of Sinners

It is consoling to cognize that God entrusted supra each other the salvation of sinners to the Blessed Virgin. Countless saints and doctors of the Church affirm this.

St. Gertrude saw successful a imaginativeness Mary’s mantle dispersed wide, offering structure to each who sought refuge beneath it—even sinners of each kind. St. Augustine called Mary “the lone anticipation of sinners.” St. Hilary taught: “No substance however sinful 1 whitethorn person been, if helium has devotion to Mary it is intolerable that helium beryllium lost.” St. Peter Damian stated: “O Mary, it is imaginable for you to bring backmost the anticipation of salvation adjacent to the astir despairing souls.”

St. Bernard described her with affluent biblical imagery: “Mary is the ark by which we flight shipwreck and the ladder by which sinners ascent to Heaven.” In short, devotion to Mary is simply a definite motion of salvation, a information summed up by St. John Damascene: “God bestows the grace of devotion to Our Lady connected those whom He wills to save.”

For this reason, St. Alphonsus perpetually encouraged devotion to Mary arsenic a pledge of eternal salvation. He often gave tiny images of her to those helium met, urging them to entrust themselves to her maternal mercy. As St. Camillus de Lellis erstwhile said: “Woe to america sinners if we did not person this large Advocate successful Heaven!”

Mary Saves Souls from Hell

Another consoling information taught by the saints is Mary’s merciful foundation toward those who, by divine justice, mightiness merit damnation. While Christ is some King of Mercy and of Justice, Mary is Queen of Mercy.

St. John Chrysostom declared: “Mary’s immense mercy saves a large fig of unhappy souls who, according to divine justice, would beryllium damned.” St. Bernard, St. Alphonsus, an...