"Let My Heart Rejoice in Your Salvation"

Today's Mass Readings

Today we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Mary. There is not historial evidence that Mary was born on this particular day. There is a lovely medieval legend giving the reason for the date: The feast was made September 8 because in the fifth century a pious farmer at Angers in France one night had a vision of angels singing in Heaven. When he inquired for the reason he was told that they were rejoicing because the Blessed Virgin was born that night. It happened to be September 8. So the good farmer went to the Bishop, Saint Maurilius (430), who, after convincing himself of the farmer's sincerity, established a feast in honor of the birth of Mary to be celebrated annually on that day. (Weiser, Francis X. S.J., The Holyday Book, Harcourt, Brace and Company, Inc., New York 1956). Mary's birth lies at the confluence of the two Testaments--bringing to an end the stage of expectation and the promises and inaugurating the new times of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. Mary, the Daughter of Zion and ideal personification of Israel, is the last and most worthy representative of the People of the Old Covenant but at the same time she is "the hope and the dawn of the whole world." With her, the elevated Daughter of Zion, after a long expectation of the promises, the times are fulfilled and a new mode of salvation is established. (Lumen Gentium 55)

The birth of Mary is ordained in particular toward her mission as Mother of the Savior. Her existence is indissolubly connected with that of Christ: it partakes of a unique plan of predestination and grace. God's mysterious plan regarding the Incarnation of the Word embraces also the Virgin who is His Mother. In this way, the Birth of Mary is inserted at the very heart of the History of Salvation. (M. Valentini, Dictionary of Mary, pp. 36-7.)

The Church usually celebrates the passing of a person, that is, the person's entry into eternal life. Besides the birth of Christ, the Christian liturgy celebrates only two other birthdays: that of St. John the Baptizer and of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It is not the individual greatness of these saints that the Church celebrates, but their role in salvation history, a role directly connected to the Redeemer's own coming into the world. (Father Johann G. Roten, S.M).

Each of us has role to play in the history of salvation. The best way to honor Mary is fulfil our part like Mary did. Today's second reading tells us: "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." All we have to do is to to fulfil God's plan in the small details of our daily living - then everything will work for good.

Let us end this reflection by praying the Hail Mary...