Catholics celebrate Virgin Mary’s birthday today
TODAY, September 8, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorating the birth of the Mother of God and our spiritual mother.
Catholics all over the world honour the Blessed Virgin Mary on this beautiful feast, recognising her as a shining example of Christian virtue. Mary’s life teaches us that, even amid the struggles and difficulties of earthly life, it is possible to remain faithful to God and journey towards heaven.
As her children, let us humbly turn to our Blessed Mother and ask her to help us understand and cultivate the virtues she practised to a heroic degree throughout her earthly life.
DEEP HUMILITY
Mary’s profound humility teaches us that every good thing we accomplish is ultimately made possible by God’s grace working in our lives. She called herself the “handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1:38), and in the Magnificat she proclaimed: “He has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant” (Lk 1:48).
May Mary obtain for us meek and humble hearts, so that we may give God the glory for our successes and achievements and humbly learn from our failures.
LIVELY FAITH
Faith is one of the three theological virtues—faith, hope and charity. At its core, faith is believing in God and His Word, even when we cannot see or fully understand His plans.
Mary is the woman of faith par excellence. At the Annunciation, she believed God’s message and trusted His promise, despite not knowing how everything would unfold.
When we are tempted by doubt or uncertainty, may we turn to Mary, the woman of faith, and ask for her powerful intercession.
PROMPT OBEDIENCE
At the Annunciation, Mary gave her free and trusting consent to God’s will: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
Her response reveals a heart completely surrendered to God. May Mary teach us to obey God’s Word and trust His will, even when His plans are difficult for us to understand. Like Christ, who became “obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8), may we learn to place God’s will above our own.
A LIFE OF PRAYER
Mary was a woman deeply united with God. Scripture tells us that she “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19).
Mary’s life was marked by contemplation, trust and communion with God. In moments of joy, uncertainty and sorrow, she remained close to Him.
May Mary inspire us to become constant, fervent and faithful in prayer, especially when we experience spiritual dryness, discouragement or weakness. Indeed, prayer is essential to our spiritual life and our journey towards salvation. As the saying goes, “What air is to the lungs, prayer is to the soul.”
SELF-DENIAL AND SACRIFICE
Mary lived a life of self-denial and sacrifice, always allowing God’s will to take precedence over her own desires. She was God-centred rather than self-centred.
From the Annunciation to Calvary, she continually surrendered herself to God’s plan.
May we learn from Mary to deny ourselves when necessary, make sacrifices for the good of others and allow God to have greater room in our lives.
SURPASSING PURITY
Among the sublime virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary is her spotless purity. She is honoured by the Church as the Immaculate One, a model of holiness and purity of heart.
In a world where purity is often disregarded, Mary reminds us of the beauty of a heart devoted entirely to God.
May she obtain for us pure hearts, noble thoughts and holy desires, helping us to live with dignity and holiness.
ARDENT LOVE
Of all the virtues we are called to practise, love—charity—is the greatest. St Paul beautifully describes this virtue in 1 Corinthians 13.
Mary’s love was directed first towards God and then towards her neighbour. At the Annunciation, she demonstrated her total love for God through her unconditional “yes” to His will. Immediately afterwards, she went in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth, putting love of neighbour into action (Lk 1:39–45).
May Mary teach us to live the two great commandments: to love God above all things and to love our neighbour as ourselves.
HEROIC PATIENCE
Mary manifested extraordinary patience throughout her life. Christian patience is more than simply waiting; it is trusting in God’s providence and believing that He knows the right time and the right way for everything to unfold.
Consider Mary’s journey to Bethlehem while pregnant, the hardships surrounding the birth of Jesus, and the difficulties she experienced. Consider also the sorrow she endured when the twelve-year-old Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem and was not found by His parents for three days, before He was found in the Temple (Lk 2:41–51).
Most especially, think of Mary standing faithfully beside the Cross as her beloved Son suffered and died (Jn 19:25).
Through every trial, Mary trusted God’s plan. When our patience is tested, may we turn to our Blessed Mother and ask her to help us trust God, persevere and remain faithful.
ANGELIC KINDNESS
Mary was also a model of kindness and graciousness. She welcomed others with warmth, compassion and genuine concern. Her visit to Elizabeth is a beautiful example of this. Mary did not remain focused on herself after receiving the extraordinary news of the Annunciation; she went in haste to serve and support her cousin.
As St Francis de Sales wisely observed, “One can attract more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a barrel full of vinegar.”
Kindness can draw people closer to Christ, while harshness and rudeness can drive them away.
May Mary teach us to speak gently, listen attentively, welcome others warmly and treat everyone with genuine charity.
HEAVENLY WISDOM
One of the beautiful titles given to Mary in the Litany of Loreto is “Seat of Wisdom.”
True wisdom enables us to recognise what is most important in life: loving God, seeking holiness and working for the salvation of souls.
Mary possessed this heavenly wisdom because her heart was centred on God. She teaches us not merely to seek earthly success, but to pursue what leads to eternal life.
May Mary, Seat of Wisdom, obtain for us the wisdom to make good decisions, the grace to recognise what truly matters and, above all, the perseverance to remain faithful to God until the end.
As we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us not merely admire her virtues but earnestly ask for the grace to imitate them always.
Mary, our Mother and our model, pray for us.
Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother Mary!
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