The Church has celebrated Mary’s birth since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 (nine months earlier).
Scripture does not give an account of Mary’s birth. However, the apocryphalProtoevangelium of James fills in the gap. This work has no historical value, but it does reflect the development of Christian piety. According to this account, Anna and Joachim are infertile but pray for a child. They receive the promise of a child that will advance God’s plan of salvation for the world. Such a story (like many biblical counterparts) stresses the special presence of God in Mary’s life from the beginning.
St. Augustine (August 28) connects Mary’s birth with Jesus’ saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. “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.” The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary’s Son as the dawn of our salvation and asks for an increase of peace.
I saw this as a nice account of how we as Catholics came to celebrate the Birthday of Mama Mary if it isn’t in the bible! We all have birthday’s as does Mary! I like the information as to how we came to celebrate Mary’s birthday in Sept.
Sometimes people say that we don’t really know Sept. 8 is Mary’s real birthday, so why celebrate it then? She does have a birthday and birthday’s are celebrated. Even in today’s modern world there are many people who don’t know their exact birthday. Take the family who adopts a child from…lets say, China. The baby had been left on the orphanage door step. The orphanage estimated the age of the baby and assigns a birthday. The family brings the child home and a doctor might asses the age of the child and from there the family chooses a day to celebrate the birth of their child! No one questions why the birthday is being celebrated on the chosen day, for everyone knows the actual birthday will not be know while on this earth. But still the birthday is celebrated!
Thank you Mama Mary for your Yes to God’s will for your life, help me to always say Yes to God’s will in my life!