September 8
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, exactly nine months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in the womb of St. Anne which is celebrated on December 08.
According to tradition and the 'Protoevangelium of James', which according to historians was written prior to 200 AD, Mary's parents were St. Joachim and St. Anne. They were wealthy and well respected in their community but were childless for many years. Owing to this they were greatly grieved as childlessness was considered among the Israelites as a sign of lack of favor from God. St.Joachim and St.Anne devoted their time in prayer and penance seeking God's favor ardently. Finally God answered their prayers by granting them His most precious creation, Mary through whom salvation would come into the world.
It is written that an angel appeared to St.Anne and prophesied to her that all generations would honor their child. St. Anne made a sanctuary at home so that the child could be raised in the most holy way. When she was one year old, her father “made a great feast, and invited the priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel.” According to the Protoevangelium of James “...Joachim brought the child to the priests, ....and they blessed her, saying: 'O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations' . . . And he brought her to the chief priests, and they blessed her, saying: 'O God most high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost blessing, which shall be for ever.'”. Soon after, St. Anne and St. Joachim made a vow to consecrate her to God.
In fulfilment of their vow, the Blessed Virgin was presented in the temple at the young age of three. From thereon, concealed from the world, she remained in holy retirement, learning the Scriptures, serving in the temple, growing in virtues and graces in preparation for her role designed by God for the salvation of mankind. As Saint Ambrose wrote, “She who had the good company of holy thoughts, did not desire the conversation of other virgins; but then she was least alone, when she was alone: for, how can it be said that she was alone who had with her so many devout books, so many archangels, so many prophets.”
In this holy retirement, completely disengaged from the world, God the Father wrought in her tender soul the most precious graces befitting her role as the Mother of God and making her ‘full of grace’. Her holiness was unique and by God’s grace she remained free from every personal sin throughout her whole life. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love.” CCC 492