Our Mother's Birthday

Today on Our Lady’s birthday – the birthday of the Mother of Carmel - I will content myself with sharing a text to be found on catholicireland.net.  ‘The origin of the liturgy of this feast can be traced to the consecration of the church in Jerusalem in the 6th century that has been traditionally known as the Basilica of St. Ann, the mother of Our lady. The original church built in the 5th century was a Marian basilica erected on the spot known as the shepherd’s field and thought to have been the home of Mary’s parents. After its destruction and reconstruction in the 6th century, it was named in honour of St. Ann.  By the 7th century the liturgy of the feast was introduced to Rome by monks from the East, where Pope Sergius I (687-701) solemnised it with a litania, that is, a procession with prayers. 8th September, was chosen as the 8th day (an octave) after the start of the Byzantine New Year and although it was celebrated on various other dates through the centuries, 8th Sept. predominated. Later the feast celebrating Mary’s Immaculate Conception, was set to correspond with it, nine months beforehand, on 8th December.  In the East, Mary’s birthday is celebrated as one of the twelve great liturgies. The title for the liturgy in the East: “The Birth of Our Exalted Queen, the Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary”. The oldest existing sermon for the liturgy was written by St. Andrew of Crete (660-740):’Today a shrine is fashioned for the world’s creator. Today a new dwelling is readied by creatures for the author of all creation’.  The present feast forms a link between the New and the Old Testament. It shows that Truth succeeds symbols and figures and that the New Covenant replaces the Old. Hence, all creation sings with joy, exults, and participates in the joy of this day. … This is, in fact, the day on which the Creator of the world constructed His temple; today is the day on which, by a stupendous project, a creature becomes the preferred dwelling of the Creator.’

Intercessions

RIP Chinaka, Jacqui

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Theresa K, Elena

Sophie – newborn having heart surgery; Sianna, young child in the post-operative phase; James, recovering from surgery

Ivy – sick child

Brian (recovering from Pneumonia)

Kevin (heart attack)

William Gove (in recovery)

Illness:  Katy Keeling, Noreen

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Mark – brain infection

Michael, Kira – vulnerable youngsters

Defence of the unborn and the elderly