Child of God, born for our good; tender, yet so strong that you crushed the brow — hardened in proud malice — of the infernal serpent. Leap of God, life out of our death, for you were the fitting core that brought to peaceful concord the immortal discord between God and man. Justice and peace have met today in you, most holy Virgin, and gladly the sweet kiss of peace has been given, altar and sign of the true Augustus. Of the bright dawn, of the sacred sun you are the first light; you are, of the just, the glory; of the sinner, firm hope; of the ancient storm, the calm (…) you are the arm of God, who stayed Abraham's rigorous blade, and for the true sacrifice gave us the gentlest Lamb.
This poem by Miguel de Cervantes, in language typical of the 16th century, shows us, through the beauty of its words, what the birth of the Virgin Mary means for us, believers.
May we, as we enter more deeply into the feast of 8 September, let ourselves be "moved by the resolve to embody the love of God in the concrete fabric of history."
Cervantes praises Mary as the Child of God born for our good, and extols her birth. Mary brings hope; in her womb the humanity and the divinity of Jesus Christ embrace. Called the first dawn, Mary is light and also opportunity for the sinner. She is the arm of God, who cradled, cared for, fed, taught and accompanied her Son, the Lamb of God.
Every 8 September, the Church celebrates one of its most ancient and special Marian traditions: the birth of the Virgin Mary. Together with those of Jesus and Saint John the Baptist, this is one of the only three "nativities" the Roman calendar commemorates, marking the moment when the salvation promised by the prophets began to come true. Tradition holds that its origin is linked to the feast of the dedication, in the 4th century, of an ancient Marian basilica in Jerusalem, on whose ruins the present Church of Saint Anne was built in the 12th century. Since Pope Sergius I made its cult official in Rome, in the 8th century, this feast has reminded us of the simple faith of a family that trusted fully in God.
In commemorating the birth of Mary, the Mother of so many different titles, the Church acknowledges the great love of the people of God, of every believer, for Mary. Mary is alive and present in the life of each of us: in our name and in our Mystery as Religious of the Assumption; in the chapels, hermitages and paintings that tell of her life. A holy card, a medal, recall what Saint John Damascene wrote:
We have very good reasons to honour the birth of the Mother of God, through whom the whole human race has been restored and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, has been transformed into joy.
Today she who is the divine gate of virginity sets out on her way. From her and through her, God, who is above all that exists, becomes present in the world bodily… Making use of her, God came down without undergoing any change; or rather, in his gracious condescension, he appeared on earth and lived among men.
As we recall your birth, it is impossible for us not to remember your whole life, given in self-offering. As we recall your birth, Our Lady, we give thanks because, once again, a life that does not close in on itself bears much fruit. So, happy birthday to the Mother who bore in her womb the blessed fruit, Jesus! In short and plainly, today tradition and poetry have beautifully reminded me that we can sing, with shouts of joy, as the people of God: happy birthday, Our Lady!
Ana Alonso, R.A.
León Community