Our Lady of Guadalupe

Date: September, 8

Only three birthdays are celebrated on the Church’s liturgical calendar, the Nativity of Our Lord (December 25th), the Nativity of His Forerunner, John the Baptist (June 24th), and the Nativity of His Mother on September 8th.

Thus, the Church uniquely honors the three principal figures connected to the Incarnation and the Redemption. Mary’s birth lies at the confluence of the two Testaments – bringing to an end the stage of expectation and the promises, and inaugurating the era of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.

It is probable that Joachim is named in Luke’s genealogy of Jesus back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38). Here Heli, a short form of Eliachim or Jehoachim, is given. This tradition would then account for Joachim appearing in a second-century apocryphal work, which also provides his wife’s name as Anne.

Saints Joachim and Anne are the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They only had one child – the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary was conceived and born in the normal way. However, having been justified at her conception (the Immaculate Conception), rather than in the womb as John the Baptist (Luke 1:41), or by Baptism, as we are, she was born “full of grace” (Luke 1:28). In this gift of God she grew by her cooperation without sinning to the end of her life.

PRAYER

Dearest Mother Mary, your conception was immaculate and your birth glorious. You were conceived without sin, born without sin, and remained sinless throughout your life. In Heaven, you radiate the beauty and splendor of God and will do so for all eternity.

Please pray for me, that I will more fully imitate your many virtues, so that I can be a fitting instrument of your divine Son in the world. Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.