Today September 8

Rejoice, today is the feast day of the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "a mother who loves without a shadow of selfishness." - Angelus Book of Saints. Conceived without sin, she was born without sin, "not deprived of sanctifying grace and prone to sin, but pure, holy, beautiful and glorious." - Butler's Lives. My grandmother read a book about Cleopatra, urging that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, but my mom countered "No, I don't think so. I think Mary was the most beautiful woman in the world." She is certainly one of the most heralded. Shortly after the story of the Fall in Genesis, we hear the prediction of her coming: a woman, whose seed would crush the serpent's head (Gen 3:15), sometimes called the Protoevangelium, or first gospel.

And her feast was kept from ancient Christian times in the East. It was celebrated in the West at least as early as the year 600 AD, when it was written down on the church calendar at Auxerre. It is also mentioned by St. Willibrord (in 704) and ordered to be kept by the whole church by Pope St. Sergius ( reigned 687-701 AD). So, pretty early.

And her honor (not worship, of course) is kept to this day. Prophesied by Mary herself: "From henceforth all generations will call me blessed." And so we do, every time we say a Hail Mary. "Blessed art thou among women . . ." Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us.