September 8 is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The occasion is truly special as it is only one of three birthdays that the Church celebrates – the other two being, of course, Christmas, the birthday of Jesus, and the day on which we remember John the Baptist’s birth, June 24.
While the exact date of Mary’s nativity is not mentioned in the Bible, the origin of the September 8 celebration may go all the way back to the Greek Church in the 6th century. A hundred years later the date was also embraced by the Roman Rite.
In any case, we can be certain that Mary did have a birthday, and it is truly wonderful that we can all celebrate it together.
We invite you to take a few moments to watch the video below, which through word, image, and music puts us in an appropriate mindset of awe and gratitude on this festive day.
And today we celebrate...