From the Tridentine Mass:
Hail, holy Parent, that didst bring forth the King who ruleth Heaven and earth for ever and ever!
Bestow upon Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly grace: that as the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin was the beginning of our salvation, so the solemn feast of her Nativity may bring us an increase of peace.
O Virgin, Mother of God, He whom the whole world cannot contain, enclosed himself in thy womb being made man.
Alleluia, alleluia! Happy are thou, O holy Virgin Mary, and of all high praise most worthy: for out of thee hath risen the sun of justice, Christ our God. Alleluia!
Truly blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary: the Creator of all things thou didst bear; Him who made thee thou didst bring forth and a Virgin evermore thou dost remain.
Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the Eternal Father.
From The New Marian Missal, Sylvester P. Juergens, SM, Doctor of Sacred Theology, writes:
“At the time of Mary’s birth, the whole world was plunged in darkness. The heathen nations were steeped in vice and pride. The Jews too, had corrupted their ways and departed from God. Everywhere there was sin and gloom, scarce any bright spot on the face of the earth. But when Mary was born, a light arose amid the darkness: the dawn of the glorious day that was to usher in the Redeemer. So too, the darkness of the sinner’s soul is dispersed by Mary’s holy influence. Where the love of her is born in the soul, all becomes full of light, and Jesus comes to make His habitation there. Mary, in the first hour of her life, brought more glory to God than all the Saints of the Old Testament. In her were made perfect the obedience of Abraham, the chastity of Joseph, the patience of Job, the meekness of Moses, the prudence of Josue. It is because she is the model and pattern of these and all other virtues, that she can communicate them to us.”
To fully practice the Catholic Faith, is to remain continually in a state of joy, primarily due to our Communion with Christ, but also due to the celebration of such wonderful feasts, as the one we celebrate today. No matter what happens around us, we cannot help but be joyful. And this is just a foretaste of the eternal joy of Heaven. The prayers above from the Mass are some of the most beautiful and moving, as they describe the wonder of Mary’s role as Mother of God. Let us honor her birth today, all over the world, to console her sorrowful Heart in this month of September. Let us show Our Lord there is love for His Mother on earth, that His mercy may descend upon us at this time of great need.
As the missal states above, the “world was plunged in darkness” when Mary was born. We are in great darkness once again. But Holy Church reminds us today, through Our Lady, that there is always hope and reason for joy. May we hold onto this knowledge through the coming days and show all those around us that we truly are different, we truly represent something apart from the world. May we draw all we come in contact with to the Everlasting Light of the Most Holy Trinity!
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