Biography
Today we celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Romanus, a sixth-century lyricist in the Eastern tradition, first refers to the feast. The tradition spread and was celebrated in Rome within a century. The Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel from the 2nd century, tells us the account of Our Lady’s birth. Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna, longed for a child. Anna prayed to the Lord and in response, God sent an angel telling her she’d conceive. When Mary was born, the couple rejoiced, vowing to make their daughter a gift unto the Lord. Her birth becomes, as John Paul II wrote, “…the purest dawn of our Redemption,” as her life brought forth the coming of our Savior. [1][2][3] Written by Sarah Ciotti Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD [1] Catholicpedia: The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (1917) for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. s.v. “Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” [2] Catholicpedia: The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (1917) for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. s.v. “The Protoevangelium of James.” [3] John Paul II, General Audience, September 8, 2004. Thank you for praying with us. If you feel called, your Lenten offering helps carry this prayer to more hearts and languages. Contribute now