The Nativity of the BVM, Saturday, 08-09-12

Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30 /  Matthew 1-16, 18-23

The Church celebrates the birth (or nativity) of three persons in the liturgy: Jesus, John the Baptist and Mary.

John the Baptist pointed out Christ as the Lamb of God and prepared the way for Him.

Mary conceived Christ, the Son of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit and she brought Christ into the world in the wonderful mystery of the Incarnation (God became man).

Sources other than the Bible gave the names of Mary's parents as Joachim and Anna and the Church celebrates their memoria on the 26th July.

Also Mary's birth was termed as miraculous because her parents were childless and they prayed for a child and it was God who answered their prayers, and in a way that is more than they can expect.

Because God has a special mission for Mary in His wonderful plan of salvation. With her birth, the plan of salvation took on concrete shape towards its fulfillment.

Jesus is the Saviour, and Mary is the one who mothered the Saviour; Jesus is the fullness of the expression of God's love and in Mary, that love was made flesh.

We rejoice with Mary as the Church celebrates her birth. And yet Mary would also want us to join her to give thanks and pray for the salvation of the world.

Just as she gave birth to Jesus our Saviour, every birth of a child is God's love made flesh and the promise of salvation is renewed.

And as Mary's children, let us join her to pray for the world's conversion and salvation.