Our Lady's Birthday

Icon. Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

We do not usually celebrate the birthdays of the saints. Instead we celebrate the day they died, because that is the day they were born into the joys of heaven. But the birthday of Mary, is an exception. We celebrate her birthday because she came into this world full of grace and because she was to be the Mother of Jesus.

In both the East and West, Mary is the most important of saints. St Matthew describes how, when the angel Gabriel came to her and said: 'Hail favoured one, the Lord is with you', she replied simply: 'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be be done unto me according to your word.'

When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, Elizabeth said: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.' It was on this occasion that Mary sang her beautiful Magnificat:

My soul glorifies the Lord, My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour

The next mention of Mary in the New Testament comes when St Luke recounts the family's journey to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12. Mary, he says, kept everything she saw and learnt of her son in her heart. From time to time, Mary is mentioned during Jesus' public ministry. At the wedding feast, she urges her son to do something when the wine runs out early.

At the crucifixion, according to St John, as Mary stood by the apostle watching her son die, Jesus said to her: "Behold your son" and to John "behold you mother". From that hour the disciple looked after Mary in his own home.

The last mention of Mary in the New Testament, is in the Acts, when we learn that she was with the disciples at Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came upon them all.