Sunday, September 08, 2024

Happy Birthday Mother Mary


The Church has celebrated Mary’s birth since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.






Sacred Scripture does not tell as about Mother Mary's nativity. Her appearances in Scripture don’t begin until the Annunciation and they end at the time of Our Lord’s death. Even these appearances are brief and her recorded words are few. Her early life is not mentioned at all. However, the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James fills in the gap. This work has no historical value, but it does reflect the development of Christian piety. Likewise, God has given some privileged souls private revelations concerning her hidden life. Again, these revelations do not carry the weight of public revelation contained in the deposit of faith, nor do they constitute historical sourcea and while we are not obliged to believe them.

The revelations of souls such as Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich, St. Bridget of Sweden, Venerable Mother Mary of Agreda, and St. Elizabeth of Schoenau and so on

Tradition tells us that Saint Anne met and married her husband, Joachim, in Nazareth. Although they were wealthy, they lived modestly and gave much of their wealth to the poor.

The couple was deeply grieved, by their childlessness. “ According to tradition, Archangel Gabriel appeared to Anne after years of prayer and sacrifice to announce she would be the mother of a daughter and she would be called Mary, who would then give birth to the Redeemer of mankind. Also, according to tradition, while Joachim was away from home, an angel of God appeared to him in a vision. This angel promised that he and Saint Anne would bear a child who would be blessed through the ages. Upon waking from this vision, St. Joachim rushed home to share his excitement with his beloved wife. She was there to greet him, only to reveal the same good tidings as she was promised in another visitation from God's messenger

The Magnificat


"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; My spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him."


The Magnificat, taken from Luke's Gospel (1:46-55), is the Blessed Virgin Mary's hymn of praise to the Lord. It is also known as the Canticle of Mary in the Liturgy of the Hours, a special collection of scripture readings, psalms, and hymns that constitute what is known as the prayer of the church.


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