Homily for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we join people worldwide in celebrating the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is believed that the celebration of Mary's birth began at some point in the Sixth Century, possibly even earlier.

 

Scripture does not tell us anything about the birth of Mary. However, while being rather debatable, the somewhat fictional Protoevangelium of James could fill in the gap. While it has no historical value, it shows us some of the early development of Christian piety. According to this account, Mary's parents, Anna and Joachim, prayed for a child and received the promise of a child who would be an active participant in God's salvation plan. Much like many biblical stories, this one stresses God's remarkable presence in Mary's life from its beginning.

 

Saint Augustine connected Mary's birth with the mission of salvation of Jesus. He said, “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth, the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.” Indeed, her life and her cooperation with the plan of God opened the way for the One who would change our sinful nature forever, in this life and the next.+