The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The
Catholic Church observes the actual birthday (the day they were
born) of only two saints: Saint John the Baptist (June 24), and Mary,
Mother of Jesus (8th September).
Other saints, especially martyrs, are
venerated on the day of their death, which is called their dies natalis,
or "birthday", but meaning "the day of their birth into heaven".
The joy of the feast
The Benedictus antiphon at Morning Prayer sums up the joy of this feast:
Your birth, O Virgin Mother of God, announced joy to the whole world, for from you has risen the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. He released us from the ancient curse and made us blessed; he destroyed death and gave us eternal life.
Origin in St Ann's Basilica, Jerusalem
The origin
of the liturgy of this feast can be traced to the consecration of the
church in Jerusalem in the 6th century that has been traditionally known
as St. Ann's Basilica. The original church built in the 5th century was
a Marian basilica erected on the spot known as the shepherd's field and
thought to have been the home of Mary's parents. After its destruction
and reconstruction in the 6th century, the basilica was named in honor
of St. Ann.
Introduced to Rome
By the 7th century the liturgy
of the feast was introduced to Rome by monks from the East, where Pope
Sergius I (687-701) solemnised it with a litania, that is, a procession with prayers, from the Roman Forum to the Basilica of St. Mary Major's.
The date
The date, 8th September, was chosen as
the 8th day (an octave) after the start of the Byzantine New Year
and although it was celebrated on various other dates through the
centuries, 8th September predominated. Later, the feast celebrating
Mary's Immaculate Conception, was set to correspond with it, nine months
beforehand, on 8th December.
Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant
In the East,
Mary's birthday is celebrated as one of the twelve great liturgies. The
title for the liturgy in the East: "The Birth of Our Exalted Queen, the
Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary". The oldest existing sermon for
the liturgy was written by St. Andrew of Crete (660-740):
The present feast forms a link between the New and the Old Testament. It shows that Truth succeeds symbols and figures and that the New Covenant replaces the Old. Hence, all creation sings with joy, exults, and participates in the joy of this day. ... This is, in fact, the day on which the Creator of the world constructed His temple; today is the day on which, by a stupendous project, a creature becomes the preferred dwelling of the Creator.