The Holy Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Every Catholic Man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Observance so he can always uphold the dignity of women and motherhood and by growing in the Virtue of Defense so he is always prepared to uphold and protect the dignity of children.
Liturgy
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – September 8 – Mt 1:1-16, 18-23
Commentary
The opening verses of the Gospel of Matthew describe the lineage of Jesus and the Annunciation, revealing the startling truth of God’s deliberate plan of salvation that sweeps across the entire history of mankind. St. Matthew lists the Blessed Virgin Mary in the genealogy to confirm the her virgin maternity of Jesus; while all those in the genealogy are identified as “father of”, Joseph is revealed to be “husband of” Mary (not “father of”) Jesus; this confirms the virgin birth of Jesus and Joseph’s legal, but not biological, fatherhood.
Tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents were the elderly St. Joachim and St. Anne. While they had wealth, St. Joachim and St. Anne, like Abraham and Sarah before them, endured years of infertility until God granted them the blessing of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; God miraculously intercedes to cause the Blessed Virgin Mary to be born without Original Sin. Tradition holds the Blessed Virgin Mary was born in Jerusalem and was formally consecrated to God, taking a vow of virginity at a very early age; the Holy Catholic Church remembers this blessed event with the Feast of the Presentation of Mary (November 21).
Celebrated on September 8, nine months following the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), the Blessed Mary’s birthday is remembered by the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, a feast celebrated in the Holy Catholic Church since at least the 6th Century. The Blessed Mother’s birth and childhood continue to be venerated at the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem, thought by many to have been built on the site where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Marvel at the Divine Knowledge and Power of Jesus, Person of the Trinity: He creates and inspires Isaiah to prophesize that He will be born to a virgin; He causes Mary to be born as the Immaculate Conception, a perfect vessel to carry the Son of God in her womb, and protects Her virginity; He sends the Holy Spirit to allow Mary to supernaturally conceive Him, the Son of Mary.
Uphold the dignity of women and motherhood
Realize: In contrast to God’s marvelous blessings to St. Anne and the Blessed Virgin Mary which uphold their beautiful dignity as women and as mothers, today there is a broad cultural movement to diminish women by the stigmatization of traditional femininity (receptivity, sensitivity, gracefulness, gentleness, nurturing, caregiving, homemaking, etc.) and the rejection of motherhood (excessive career focus, few children, abortion, etc.).
Believe: Reflect upon the Dignity of Women (CCC 369-373, 382, 2334, 2353, 2390-2391, 2393).
Pray: Bless Virgin Mary, pray that I grow in the Virtue of Observance (a part of Justice) so I respect the dignity of all women, and I honor women by being polite, respectful and chivalrous; (if married: and I cherish and make many loving sacrifices for my wife to honor her as a woman and mother).
Uphold and protect the dignity of children
Realize: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates the birth and childhood of the little girl Mary, and is a reminder of the great blessing of children and Jesus’ great love for children: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them…” (Mk 10:14).
Believe: Reflect upon The Dignity and Care of Children (CCC 2221-2231, 2252-2253).
Pray: Blessed Virgin Mary, pray that I grow in the Virtue of Defense/Protection (a part of Justice) so I uphold the dignity of children, I protect their innocence from evil influences, and I strive to draw children to Jesus and His Holy Catholic Church.