The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
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Sinless [1] Immaculate Without Original Sin | |
Venerated in | |
Feast |
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Attributes | Birth of Mary, by her mother Saint Anne |
Patronage | Senglea, Malta as Virgin of Nativity; Mellieħa, Malta; Naxxar, Malta; Xagħra, Gozo; Cuba as Our Lady of Charity; Borongan, Philippines; Vailankanni, India as Our Lady of Good Health; Pampanga, Philippines – Virgin of Remedies; Egypt as Our Lady of Zeitoun; order of Slaves of the Immaculate Child; order of Sisters of Charity of the Maria Bambina; St. Mary's Syrian Cathedral Manarcad, Kerala; Our Lady's Nativity Parish, Pangil, Laguna, Philippines |
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, Marymas [a] [b] or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.
The modern Biblical canon does not record Mary's birth. The earliest known account of Mary's birth is found in the Gospel of James (5:2), an apocryphal text from the late second century, with her parents known as Saint Anne and Saint Joachim. [2]
In the case of saints, the Church commemorates their date of death, with Saint John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary as the few whose birth dates are commemorated. The reason for this is found in the singular mission each had in salvation history, [3] but traditionally also because these alone were holy in their very birth (for Mary, see Immaculate Conception; John was sanctified in Saint Elizabeth's womb according to the traditional interpretation of Luke 1:15).
Devotion to the innocence of Mary under this Marian title is widely celebrated in many cultures across the globe in various prayers and hymns such as the Novena in Honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. [4]
The Gospel of James, which was probably put into its final written form in the early second century, describes Mary's father Joachim as a wealthy member of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. He and his wife Anne were deeply grieved by their childlessness. [5]
Pious accounts place the birthplace of the Virgin Mary in Sepphoris,[ citation needed ] where a 5th-century basilica is excavated at the site. Some accounts speak of Nazareth and others say it was in a house near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. It is possible that a wealthy man such as Joachim had a home in both Judea and Galilee. [6] However, Charles Souvay, writing in the Catholic Encyclopedia, says that the idea that Joachim possessed large herds and flocks cannot be asserted with certainty, as the sources for this are "of very doubtful value." [7]
The earliest document commemorating Marymas comes from a hymn written in the sixth century. The feast may have originated somewhere in Syria or Palestine in the beginning of the sixth century, when after the Council of Ephesus, the cult of the Mother of God was greatly intensified, especially in Syria. [8] This supposition is supported by the presence of hymns for the feast in the Georgian Chantbook of Jerusalem [9] which was compiled in the mid-6th century; the hymnographic content pre-dates this terminus ante quem. [10]
The first liturgical commemoration is connected with the sixth century dedication of the Basilica Sanctae Mariae ubii nata est, now called the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem. The original church, built in the fifth century, was a Marian basilica erected on the spot known as the Shepherd's Pool and thought to have been the home of Mary's parents. [2] In the seventh century, the feast was celebrated by the Byzantines as the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since the story of Mary's Nativity is known only from apocryphal sources, the Latin Church was slower in adopting this festival. [8] At Rome, the Feast began to be kept toward the end of the 7th century, brought there by Eastern monks. [3]
The Diocese of Angers in France claims that St. Maurilius instituted this feast at Angers in consequence of a revelation about 430. On the night of 8 September, a man heard the angels singing in heaven, and on asking the reason, they told him they were rejoicing because the Virgin was born on that night; but this tradition is not substantiated by historical proofs. [8]
Marymas is traditionally celebrated as a liturgical feast on 8 September, nine months after the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated on 8 December, according to the General Roman Calendar, many Lutheran calendars, [11] most Anglican calendars, [12] and the Tridentine calendar. This date is also used by the Byzantine and Western Rite Orthodox Churches, [13] [14] The Syriac Orthodox Church, [15] and the Armenian Apostolic Church. However, Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches celebrate the feast on 9 May (1 Bashans, EC 1 Ginbot).
In churches following the Old Julian calendar, such as the Russian Orthodox Church, the feast is celebrated on 8 September of the Julian calendar, which is observed on 21 September of the Gregorian calendar.[ citation needed ]
Previous to the reforms by Pope Pius XII, the General Roman Calendar of 1954 kept the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an Octave since the Octave was established by Pope Innocent IV in 1243. [8]
Saint Andrew of Crete says that the whole creation is jubilant on this special day because the birth of Mary is a joyful prelude to the gift of humanity's salvation. [16]
In France, Marymas is known as "Our Lady of the Grape Harvest" among the winegrowers. The best grapes are brought to the local church to be blessed and then some bunches are attached to the hands of the statue of Mary. A festive meal that includes the new grapes is part of this day. [17]
In Kerala, the feast of Mary's Nativity, called Nalpiravi (നൽപിറവി), is a major celebration among Saint Thomas Christians and is always celebrated as an octave. An eight-day abstinence (Ettu Nombu) of meat and alcohol is observed from 1 September until 8 September. During this period, vegetarian food is prepared in all families of Saint Thomas Christian and churches organize charitable activities, evangelical conventions and special prayers to honor Virgin Mary. Praying Kontha (The Holy Rosary) in groups is an important custom during these days. [18] On the day of Marymas, a ceremonial pudding called Pachoru (പാച്ചോറ്) which is made using milk, rice and jaggery is prepared in churches and distributed to the devotees in the afternoon as part of the feast celebration. [19] In houses, Theenmura (a festive meal including meat and fish dishes) is prepared. [18]
In Goa, the feast of Mary's Nativity, called the Monti Fest, is a major family celebration, serving as a thanksgiving festival blessing the harvest of new crops, and observed with a festive lunch centered on the blessed grain of the harvest. [20] Showering flowers on a statue of the Virgin Mary is an important custom in Konkan region. [21] [22] In Mangalore it is the feast of Mary's Nativity, called the "Monthi Fest". On this day every Mangalorean Christian eats pulses and vegetables. The priest blesses a branch of grain which is added to food. Before the feast on 8 September there are nine days of novena followed by the offering of flowers on baby Mary's statue. [21] [22]
In Mumbai, the feast of Mary's Nativity is celebrated with a week long event called Bandra Fair. It begins on 8 September, if it falls on a Sunday, or on the Sunday after that date and is held in the Mumbai suburb of Bandra in the localities surrounding Mount Mary Church.[ citation needed ]
In Malta, the feast of the nativity of the Virgin Mary (Maltese: Il-Bambina) is referred to as Victory Day (Maltese: Jum Il-Vittorja), since the day coincides with three major victories throughout Maltese history. [23] Namely: a turn in the tide of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, the surrender of French troops occupying the island in 1800, and the end of the Siege of Malta during the Second World War in 1942. [24]
The Bambina, celebrated in traditional Maltese feasts in four localities, those being Naxxar, Senglea and Mellieħa in Malta and Xagħra in Gozo. Mary is also honored as Our Lady of Victories. Churches are decorated for the occasion with red damask hangings. Depending on the locality, the structure of the feast changes. However, they generally consist of brass band concerts/marches, fireworks and liturgical functions such as a procession with a likeness of the Bambina. [24] At Fort St Angelo, Mass is celebrated at the Chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, and later, a second Mass at the Chapel of St Anne. [23]
The scene was frequently depicted in art, as part of cycles of the Life of the Virgin. Medieval depictions of Mary in infancy often include her birth by Saint Anne. In late medieval depictions the setting was often in a wealthy household.
In 1730, devotion to Mary in her first infancy among the Franciscan nuns in Lovere, Italy, where a wax statue of the Santissima Maria Bambina was venerated and later brought to Milan under the care of Sisters of Charity. In Southern France, the devotion penetrated into the bride gift wedding custom of Globe de Marièe, where the baby Mary is placed on the cushion, representing children and fertility as one of the ideal wishes of a newlywed bride.
A similar devotion showcasing the toddler years of Mary began to develop, mainly in former Spanish territories such as Mexico, Guatemala and the Philippines, where the La Niña María is portrayed as a prepubescent girl.
In 19th-century Mexico, the Conceptionists nun Sister Magdalena endorsed a devotion to the infant Virgin, using the Cabeza or head of a cherub angel from a damaged monstrance to create a Santo image. Later, Marian visionary, Rosario Arrevillaga, began a religious order devoted to the same Marian title called the Order of the Slaves of the Immaculate Child.
Pope Benedict XV recognised the Marian image in Senglea, Malta under the Marian title "Our Lady of Victories", crowned by Archbishop Mauro Caruana on 4 September 1921. The image which once adorned a Catholic galleon was shipwrecked in 1618 near the Dalmatian islands and was rescued to the present town, which also celebrates its feast on 8 September. The state is also widely known as Maria Bambina. [25]
In the Philippines, pious Catholics adopted the same devotion to the toddler Virgin, dressing her in pastel colours and crowning her with flowers to emphasise her virginity and innocence, as opposed to the traditional diadem reserved for images of adult saints. Similar to Hispanic traditions, candies and cakes are popularly offered in the infant Virgin's honour, emphasizing her honorific title as La Dulce María or the Sweet Mary. On 27 December 2018, the House of Representatives of the Philippines officially approved bill #7856, in honor of the Virgin Mary's birthday for 8 September as a working holiday. On 13 August 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11370, a law declaring 8 September a special working holiday in the entire country to commemorate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Though unrelated, certain places with Marian devotion juxtapose the Feast of Mary's birthdate with their own respective localised images such as the following:
The Milan Cathedral is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. [26] The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral is located in Biloxi, Mississippi. [27] There is also a Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Juneau, Alaska. [28] The Nativity of Mary, Blessed Virgin Catholic Church in High Hill, Texas is a historic church built in 1906. [29] The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Lorain, Ohio was founded in 1898 to serve the Polish-American community. [30] Nativity of Mary Catholic Church and School is located in Bloomington, Minnesota and is part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul-Minneapolis. [31] The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Singapore, built in 1852, is located in Hougang.
The Nativity of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Madison, Illinois, is part of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the Midwest. [32] The Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh, is the first Greek Orthodox women's monastery in America, founded in 1989. [33]
The birth of Mary is narrated in the third sura (chapter) of the Qur'an with references to her father Imran, after whom the chapter is named, as well as her mother, Hannah. Hannah prayed to God to fulfil her desire to have a child [34] and vowed, if her prayer was accepted, that her child (whom she initially thought would be male) would be dedicated to the service of God (a direct parallel to the Old Testament Hannah, whose mothering of the judge and prophet Samuel followed an identical storyline). She prayed for her child to remain protected from Satan (Shayṭān) and Muslim tradition records a hadith , which states that the only children born without the "touch of Satan", were Mary and Jesus. [35]
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus, is the Mother of God. The Church of the East historically regarded her as Christotokos, a term still used in Assyrian Church of the East liturgy. Other Protestant views on Mary vary, with some holding her to have lesser status. She has the highest position in Islam among all women and is mentioned numerous times in the Quran, including in a chapter named after her. She is also revered in the Baháʼí Faith and the Druze Faith.
According to apocrypha, as well as Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's canonical gospels. In writing, Anne's name and that of her husband Joachim come only from New Testament apocrypha, of which the Gospel of James seems to be the earliest that mentions them. The mother of Mary is mentioned but not named in the Quran.
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus as follows:
We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.
The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the Theotokos, and her being taken up into heaven. The Feast of the Dormition is observed on August 15, which for the churches using the Julian calendar corresponds to August 28 on the Gregorian calendar. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Dormition not on a fixed date, but on the Sunday nearest 15 August. In Western Churches the corresponding feast is known as the Assumption of Mary, with the exception of the Scottish Episcopal Church, which has traditionally celebrated the Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15.
The Annunciation is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son through a virgin birth and become the mother of Jesus Christ, the Christian Messiah and Son of God, marking the Incarnation.
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known in the East as The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, is a liturgical feast celebrated on November 21 by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglo-Catholic Churches.
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 December, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September. It is one of the most important Marian feasts in the liturgical calendar of the Latin Church.
Marian hymns are Christian songs focused on Mary, mother of Jesus. They are used in devotional and liturgical services, particularly by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.
The Intercession of the Theotokos, or the Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, is a Christian feast of the Mother of God celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches on October 1 . The feast celebrates the protection afforded the faithful through the intercessions of the Theotokos.
Marian devotions are external pious practices directed to the person of Mary, mother of Jesus, by members of certain Christian traditions. They are performed in Catholicism, High Church Lutheranism, Anglo-Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, but generally rejected in other Christian denominations.
The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is a feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus Christ, whom she had circumcised on the eighth day after his birth according to Levitical Law. Christians see him as the Lord and Son of God.
The Nativity of John the Baptist is a Christian feast day. It is observed annually on 24 June. The Nativity of John the Baptist is a high-ranking liturgical feast, kept in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism. The sole biblical account of the birth of John the Baptist comes from the Gospel of Luke.
Anglican Marian theology is the summation of the doctrines and beliefs of Anglicanism concerning Mary, mother of Jesus. As Anglicans believe that Jesus was both human and God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, within the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglican movement, Mary is accorded honour as the theotokos, a Koiné Greek term that means "God-bearer" or "one who gives birth to God".
Joachim was, according to Christianity, the husband of Saint Anne, the father of Mary, and the maternal grandfather of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Gospel of James, part of the New Testament apocrypha. His feast day is 26 July, a date shared with Saint Anne.
Mariology is the Christian theological study of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mariology seeks to relate doctrine or dogma about Mary to other doctrines of the faith, such as those concerning Jesus and notions about redemption, intercession and grace. Christian Mariology aims to place the role of the historic Mary in the context of scripture, tradition and the teachings of the Church on Mary. In terms of social history, Mariology may be broadly defined as the study of devotion to and thinking about Mary throughout the history of Christianity.
Marian feast days in the liturgical year are celebrated in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The number of Marian feasts celebrated, their names can vary among Christian denominations.
The veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church encompasses various devotions which include prayer, pious acts, visual arts, poetry, and music devoted to her. Popes have encouraged it, while also taking steps to reform some manifestations of it. The Holy See has insisted on the importance of distinguishing "true from false devotion, and authentic doctrine from its deformations by excess or defect". There are significantly more titles, feasts, and venerative Marian practices among Roman Catholics than in other Western Christian traditions. The term hyperdulia indicates the special veneration due to Mary, greater than the ordinary dulia for other saints, but utterly unlike the latria due only to God.
The Feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an optional memorial celebrated in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church on 12 September. It has been a universal Roman Rite feast since 1684, when Pope Innocent XI included it in the General Roman Calendar to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. It was removed from the Church calendar in the liturgical reform following Vatican II but restored by Pope John Paul II in 2002, along with the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.
The Feast of the Conception of the Virgin Mary is a liturgical holiday celebrated on December 9 by the Orthodox Church and a number of Eastern Catholic Churches. It is also the name given in the Catholic Tridentine calendar for 8 December. In the present General Roman Calendar, the feast is called the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the holy day was once called the Feast of Conception of Saint Anne.
The Infant Mary, also known as the Divine Infantess, the Virgin Child, Baby Mary, Little Mary, Wee Mary, Little Immaculate Mary, Child Mary, and as Divina Infantita in Mexico and Maria Bambina in Italy, is a Catholic devotion to the infant or child Mary, parallel to devotion to the infant Jesus.
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