FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 8TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this special feast day, we humbly pray for us all and our various intentions. We pray for the sick and dying, especially for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed, those who are physically and mentally ill, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the poor and needy and for peace, love, and unity in our marriages, our families, and our world. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, the Bishops, the Clergy, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world…. Amen🙏

THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary refers to the birthday of Our Blessed Mother Mary We celebrate this feast on September 8, nine months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This feast has been celebrated for centuries and is said to have its origins in the fifth century. According to tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary was “of the lineage of Abraham, born of the tribe of Judah and of the progeny of King David, from whom the Son of God was born, made man by the work of the Holy Spirit, to free humanity from the ancient bondage of sin.” More than nineteen hundred years ago there dwelt in the little Galilean village of Nazareth a holy couple of the royal race of David, whose names were Joachim and Anne. They were already far advanced in years, and had almost ceased to hope that God would bless them with a child, when the long-felt desire of their hearts was gratified by the birth of a daughter, who would be forever blessed among women and make the names of Joachim and Anne known and honored through all future ages.

According to the “Protoevangelium of James”, an apocryphal writing from the late second century, describes Mary’s father St. Joachim as a wealthy member of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Sts. Anne and Joachim, were an aging infertile couple praying for a child. St. Joachim was deeply grieved, along with his wife St. Anne, by their childlessness. “He called to mind Abraham,” the early Christian writing says, “that in the last day God gave him a son Isaac.” Sts. Joachim and Anne began to devote themselves extensively and rigorously to prayer and fasting, initially wondering whether their inability to conceive a child might signify God’s displeasure with them. As it turned out, however, the couple were to be blessed even more abundantly than Abraham and Sarah, as an angel revealed to St. Anne when he appeared to her and prophesied that all generations would honor their future child: “The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.” God answered their prayer, as they received the promise of a child that will advance God’s plan of salvation for the world. This child was called Mary, the chosen one of Adam’s race, destined to be the Mother of the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, Who became her Child, to redeem and save the world. Mary’s birth was miraculous, as she was conceived without sin (Immaculate Conception), an exclusive grace God bestowed upon her because she was predestined to be the mother of the Incarnate Son of God.

After Mary’s birth, according to the Protoevangelium of James, St. Anne “made a sanctuary” in the infant girl’s room, and “allowed nothing common or unclean” on account of the special holiness of the child. The same writing records that 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.” “And Joachim brought the child to the priests,” the account continues, “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.’” The protoevangelium goes on to describe how Mary’s parents, along with the temple priests, subsequently decided that she would be offered to God as a consecrated Virgin for the rest of her life, and enter a chaste marriage with the carpenter Joseph.

Saint Augustine described the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an event of cosmic and historic significance, and an appropriate prelude to the birth of Jesus Christ. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley,” he said. The fourth-century bishop, whose theology profoundly shaped the Western Church’s understanding of sin and human nature, affirmed that “through her birth, the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.” Mary was born to be the mother of the Savior of the world, the spiritual mother of all men, and the holiest of God’s creatures. Because of her Son’s infinite merits, she was conceived and born immaculate and full of grace. Through her, Queen of heaven and of earth, all grace is given to men. Through her, by the will of the Trinity, the unbelieving receive the gift of faith; the afflicted are tendered the works of mercy; and the members of Christ grow in likeness of their Head. The birth of the Virgin Mary ushers in the dawn of the redemption of the human race through Jesus Christ. In Mary all human nature is exalted. We rejoice in her birthday, as the Church has done from the earliest times. This is one of the three birthdays in the Church Calendar—the Birth of Jesus (December 25), the Birth of John the Baptist (June 24) and the Birthday of Mary. All three were born without original sin, although Mary and Jesus were conceived without sin, and St. John was cleansed of original sin while in the womb at the Visitation of Mary. On this feast the Church unites in spirit with the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Law, with all who during long centuries of expectation watched and prayed for the coming of the Just One, Whose advent and work of redemption had their beginning in the birth of His Immaculate Mother. The Feast of September 8 in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary originated at Jerusalem, as did the Solemnity of August 15. It is a case of the Feast of the Basilica known at the end of the 15th century as the Basilica “of holy Mary where she was born”, and now known as the Basilica of St. Anne. Our Blessed Mother Mary is the Patron Saint of All people named Mary, in any form.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.🙏

The Memorare: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen 🙏

PRAYER: God, give Your servant heavenly grace, so that as the birth of the Blessed Virgin marked the beginning of salvation, this feast of the Nativity may serve to obtain peace for the world. Amen 🙏
 
Happy Birthday, our Blessed Mother Mary. We love you! Please pray for us.🙏

MEMORIAL OF SAINT ADRIAN OF NICOMEDIA, MARTYR; AND SAINT CORBINIAN, BISHOP: FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 8TH: On this special feast day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia, Martyr; Saint Corbinian, Bishop and Saint Thomas of Villanova, Bishops.

SAINT ADRIAN OF NICOMEDIA, MARTYR: St. Adrian of Nicomedia (d. 306 A.D.) also known as Hadrian or Saint Adrian. He was a pagan officer and Herculian Guard of the Roman Emperor Galerius Maximian at the imperial court of Nicomedia. He lived under the Christian persecutions of the Roman Emperor Galerius Maximian. Thirty-three Christians were seized in Nicomedia, brought before a judge, and ordered to be savagely beaten. With each new torture the men received, they bravely proclaimed their faith in Christ. They argued with the judge that by his tortures he was only increasing their heavenly glory, while guaranteeing his own damnation to hell. St. Adrian, a man of 28 years, was head of the praetorium and witnessed the steadfast faith of these men. While presiding over the torture of a band of Christians, St. Adrian asked them what reward they expected to receive from God. They replied, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”. St. Adrian was so impressed by the strength and faith shown by persecuted Christians that he declared himself a Christian, though he had not even been baptized. He was moved to the point of conversion, and exclaimed that he, too, would reject paganism to suffer and die for the name of Christ along with the other Christians. One of Adrian’s servants ran to tell his wife, Natalie, what her husband had done. St. Natalie, who was secretly a Christian, ran to the prison in joy at the news of her husband’s newfound faith, and encouraged him to stay strong and steadfast in it.

After St. Adrian refused to recant his profession of faith in Christ, becoming a convert to Christianity with his wife Natalia, he was immediately arrested and was thrown into prison with the other men and cruelly tortured. He was forbidden visitors, but accounts state that his wife Natalia came to visit him dressed as a boy to ask for his prayers when he entered Heaven. The next day his arms and legs were struck off, severed on an anvil, and he was then beheaded, dying in the arms of Natalia as a martyr. St. Adrian and fellow prisoners were tended by his wife, Saint Natalia until they were executed. St. Adrian was martyred at Nicomedia in Turkey on March 4, 306. After he was killed, St. Adrian and several other martyrs were taken to be burned. When the executioners began to burn their bodies, a thunderstorm arose and the furnace was extinguished; lightning killed several of the executioners. St. Natalia had to be restrained to not throw herself on the fire when St. Adrian’s body was being burned. Christians took St. Adrian’s body and buried him on the outskirts of Byzantium, at Argyropolis. St. Natalia went to live there herself, taking one of St. Adrian’s hands which she had recovered. When she herself died, she was buried with the martyrs. Saint Adrian was the chief military saint of Northern Europe for many ages, second only to Saint George, and is much revered in Flanders, Germany and the north of France. Saint Adrian is the Patron Saint of Plague, epilepsy, arms dealers, butchers, guards and soldiers. In the past, Our Lady’s Birthday in Rome included a procession from the church of St. Adrian in the forum (Sant’Adriano). His feast day is September 8th.

SAINT CORBINIAN, BISHOP: St. Corbinian (670-730), was a bishop ordained by Pope St. Gregory II, an evangelist to Germany. Though St. Corbinian was a great Apostle of Bavaria, he was a native of Chartres, in France. He was born in 670, a Frank named Waldegiso, but his mother quickly changed it to Corbinian. He lived as a hermit in a cell close to a Chapel for fourteen years. He was sought out for spiritual counsel, and the occurrence of miracles made his holiness further known. Various people desired to form a community with him as their superior, but the disruption in his life caused by the duties that this undertaking required made him decide to go to Rome.

A tradition relates that on his way to Rome, after a bear killed his pack horse, he had his servant place his pack on the back of the bear and proceeded with it to the Eternal City. At some point, St. Corbinian was made a bishop, and Pope St. Gregory II sent him to Friesling, in Bavaria, Germany to evangelize Germany. In Freising, he preached with great success. St. Corbinian had been protected by Duke Grimoald, but when the Duke disobeyed Church law and married the widow of his brother without a dispensation, St. Corbinian condemned the
Incestuous marriage of the local duke, Grimoald, to his brother’s widow. Grimoald persecuted him in return and the widow, Biltrudis, plotted to have St. Corbinian killed, but he fled to Meran. Eventually the Duke died in battle. St. Corbinian returned on the invitation of Grimoald’s successor, Huebert, and continued his work at Freising until he died in 730. He was originally buried at a monastery he had founded in Meran, but his body was later moved to Freising. He is the Patron Saint of Freising, Germany; Archdiocese of Munich, Germany.

Saint Corbinian, Bishop ~ Pray for us 🙏