Today is the feast Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast day, celebrated since the earliest days of the Church, especially in the East and then later in the West, is marker of sorts between the Old and New Testaments.
Between 600 – 700 AD, the faithful from the east (the Holy Land, present day Turkey and its environs, Syria, etc.) began migrating the the west. They were doing so because the Muslims were rising up in the east and occupying the land. When the Christian faithful made this migration, they brought with them their liturgical practices and celebrations. One of them was the celebration of the birth of the Virgin Mary, born to Sts. Anne and Joachim.
You may ask, “Why September 8th for this feast? What significance does this have?” Take a look at the calendar. What day was it nine months ago? Answer: December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the day Mary was conceived without sin. The Church calculated that nine months after her conception, Mary was born.
In the Office today, Psalm 87 in the Office of Readings speak of God’s dwelling. Truly, God created a perfect dwelling for his Son in the creation of Mary Immaculate. Take some time today, pick up your Bible, and pray over Psalm 87. It is a beautiful prayer that can be seen as descriptive of the Church as a whole, and Mary as the Mother of God.
Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
