The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a very special day in the Catholic Church, as it celebrates the birth of Mary, and therefore the birth of Jesus. The feast day is marked on September 8th each year.
It is said that during this time period, Heaven was filled with joy and celebration. The angels praised God for his great power and mercy. They sang songs of praise and adoration to God for creating such a beautiful creature as our Lady.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was born without sin and lived a holy life, one full of love, charity and grace. She gave herself over completely to God’s will, constantly offering up prayers on behalf of all humanity. She is often referred to as “Our Lady,” because she is considered to be our mother as well as our Queen.
Prayer To The Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary
We are gathered here today to honor the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, who was born on this day 2,000 years ago. The Nativity of Mary is one of the most important feasts in the Christian calendar, and has been celebrated since ancient times.
Mary was born in a town called Nazareth in Galilee at the time when Herod ruled Judea. She was born to a young Jewish girl named Joachim and his wife Anna. They were very poor although they had never been married before. But God sent them this little girl to be their daughter.
Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin may bring deeper peace to those for whom the birth of her Son was the dawning of salvation.
When Mary grew up she became engaged to Joseph who had been told by an angel that he would soon be married to a woman from his family and that she would give birth to a son whose name would be called Jesus Christ. The angel told Joseph that he should take care of this child as if it were his own son because it would one day save everyone from sin.
9 Day Novena To The Blessed Virgin Mary
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
Beata Dei genetrix,
nitor humani generis,
per quam de servis liberi
lucisque sumus filii;
Maria, virgo regia,
David stirpe progenita,
non tam paterna nobilis
quam dignitate subolis,
Tu nos, avulso veteri,
complanta novo germini;
per te sit genus hominum
regale sacerdotium.
Tu nos culparum nexibus
sacris absolve precibus;
tua promentes merita
ad cæli transfer præmia.
Sit Trinitati gloria,
o Virgo nobilissima,
quæ te suorum munerum
thesaurum dat magnificum.
Or:
O Mary, you embody
all God taught to our race,
For you are first and foremost
in fullness of his grace;
We praise this wondrous honor
that you gave birth to Him
Who from you took humanity
and saved us from our sin.
Melody: Au fort detresse 76.76D; Music: 17th century Flemish Melody Text: Michael Gannon
Or:
Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine;
Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!
Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread;
Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!
Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood;
Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!
Mary the temple, Christ the temple’s Lord;
Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!
Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest;
Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!
Mary the mother, Christ the mother’s Son
By all things blest while endless ages run. Amen.
Melody: Mary the Dawn; Music: Anon Text: Anon, alt. by the Dominican Sisters of Summit
or:
When you heard the call of God
Choosing to fulfill his plan,
By your perfect act of love
Hope was born in fallen man.
Help us to amend our ways,
Halt the devil’s strong attack,
Walk with us the narrow path,
Beg for us the grace we lack.
Mary, show your motherhood,
Bring your children’s prayers to Christ,
Christ, your son, who ransomed man,
Who, for us, was sacrificed.
Virgin chosen, singly blest,
Ever faithful to God’s call,
Guide us in this earthy life,
Guard us lest, deceived, we fall.
Mary, help us live our faith
So that we may see your son;
Join our humble prayers to yours,
Till life’s ceaseless war is won.
Praise the Father, praise the Son,
Praise the holy Paraclete;
Offer all through Mary’s hands,
Let her make our prayers complete.
Melody: Gott sei dank 77.77 Music: Freylinghausen’s , 1670-1739 Text: V.S.S. Coles, 1845-1929
PSALMODY
Antiphon 1: The Virgin Mary came forth from the root of Jesse, and the Spirit of the Most High came to dwell in her heart.
Psalm 122
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
Let us go to God’s house.
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgment
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
Peace be to your homes!
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: Peace upon you.
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good. Glory…
Antiphon 1 The Virgin Mary came forth from the root of Jesse, and the Spirit of the Most High came to dwell in her heart.
Antiphon 2 Today we commemorate the birth of the Virgin Mary. God saw her beauty and visited her in her lowliness.
If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising,
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat,
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways. Glory…
Antiphon 2 Today we commemorate the birth of the Virgin Mary. God saw her beauty and visited her in her lowliness
The Pardon Prayer
The angel who appeared to the children called himself “the Angel of Peace” and “the Angel of Portugal.”
He taught them the following prayer:
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.
The Angel’s Prayer
On one occasion, the three children saw the angel prostrate himself before a host and chalice that hung in the air. Worshiping the Eucharist, the angel prayed:
Most Holy Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
The Eucharistic Prayer
During the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, the children found themselves “moved by an interior impulse” (as Lucia later explained) to say the following prayer together:
Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The Sacrifice Prayer
The Blessed Mother taught the children to offer all their personal sacrifices to God by praying:
O My Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The Rosary Decade Prayer
The Blessed Mother stressed the critical importance of praying the Rosary daily for the conversion of sinners and for peace in the world. She asked that the following prayer be recited at the end of each Rosary decade:
O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
Commit to Praying the Five Fatima Prayers
These five Fatima prayers—given to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta by Our Lady and the Angel of Peace—are a heavenly gift to help us pray effectively for the souls caught in the unseen battle that rages around us every day. These prayers should be memorized and recited daily as we offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the many sins committed against God.
Since they are not widely known, it would be ideal to share them with friends and family. Many miracles and conversions have been attributed to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, as she continues to intercede for sinners that all may come to know Christ’s mercy.
Let’s also honor the annual feast of this apparition. May 13th is the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, and October 13th is the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun.
In keeping the truths and requests of this apparition close to our hearts, we can please the Blessed Mother—and grow in our love for her Son, Jesus Christ.