Marie de Nazareth
To Jesus, through Mary
Icon of the Nativity of Mary in the crypt of the Church of Saint Anne in Jerusalem. Octave 444, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Byzantine feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on 8 September in the Byzantine rite. It is preceded by a pre-festival day and four post-festival days. The festival originated in Jerusalem, for the dedication of the Church of the Probatic Pool, next to the place where tradition places Anne's house.
To understand the liturgical prayers, we need to remember the story of the Nativity of Mary:
"Her parents, Joachim and Anna, lived as righteous people, but they had no children, and this barrenness was considered a disgrace. Joachim withdrew to pray in the countryside, and Anne was praying at the same time in her garden. An angel appeared to them both, announcing that they had conceived a daughter. Joachim set off joyfully for the city, entering through the Golden Gate. There he met Anne, who had come to tell him the good news. They returned home and Anne conceived"[1].
"On this day, the God who sits on spiritual thrones has prepared for himself a holy throne on earth; and he who wisely established the heavens, in his love for mankind, has prepared for himself a heaven full of life; for from a root without fruit for us men he makes his own Mother spring forth as a plant bearing Life. O God of wonders, the hope of the hopeless, Lord of powers, glory to you. [...]
Even if barren women have conceived illustrious children because it was the Lord's will, Mary surpasses them all in her divine splendour, for having been born marvellously of a mother who had been childless until then, she bore in the flesh the God of the universe, outside the laws of nature, without seed in her womb; she is the only door to the only Son of God who left it closed when he passed through it and, regulating all things wisely according to his good pleasure, for all men opera salvation ".
"The universal joy, the flower of the just for us has risen, from Joachim and Anne, the Virgin all worthy of our songs, who thanks to her extreme purity becomes the living temple of God and alone in all truth is recognised as his immaculate Mother. Through her prayers, O Christ our God, send peace to the world and the grace of salvation to our souls". [...]
Gen 28:10-17: Jacob's dream.
Ez 43:27-44:4: vision of the closed gate of the temple.
Pr 9:1-11 : the banquet of wisdom.
"Joachim and Anna from humiliating barrenness, Adam and Eve from death and the grave, together they were delivered by your birth, O Immaculate Virgin.
And your people on this day celebrate your nativity, freed, too, from the slavery of sin,
and they sing of the barren woman who gives birth to the Mother of God, the nourisher of our Life"[2].
"Both the prayers and the sighs of Joachim and Anna, moaning about their barrenness and lack of children, were accepted and reached the ears of the Lord; they produced a fruit which brought life to the world; while the former prayed on the mountain, the latter pondered her reproach in the garden; but the barren one joyfully gave birth to the Mother of God, the nourisher of our life."
"Through your birth, O Mother of God, joy was revealed to the whole world, for from you rose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, who, delivering us from the curse, brought us the blessing and, overcoming death, gave us the gift of eternal life."
"From the root of Jesse and the flank of David Mary, the handmaid of God, is born for us this day; the world rejoices, renewed, earth and heaven rejoice together. Families of the nations, praise her. Joachim triumphs, Anne rejoices and cries out: The barren woman gives birth to the Mother of God, the nourisher of our Life.
"This is the place of my rest; here I will sit, I have willed it."
"Through your Nativity, O Mother of God, joy was revealed to the whole world, for from you rose the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, who, delivering us from the curse, brought us blessing and, striking down death, gave us the gift of eternal life. His streams bring joy to the city of God; the Most High sanctifies the place where he dwells. We shall be filled with the good things of thy house: holy is thy temple, O wonder of righteousness.
Phil 2:5-11: The example of Jesus
Lk 10, 38-42. 11, 27-28 : Martha and Mary.
Source:
-Guillaume DENIS, LE SPOUTNIK : NOUVEAU SYNECDIMOS, DIACONIE APOSTOLIQUE, Parma 1997 ; Paris 2001, p. 781-792
-On the Kondakion of the Office of the Nativity (Byzantine Melkite tradition), sung by Sister Marie Keyrouz: Al-yawma-l-batûl, on line
-on lhe birth of Mary in the liturgies of the worldin the Encyclopédie mariale
-On the Nativity of Mary in the Coptic rite (1st bashans), in the Encyclopaedia of Marian Liturgies
-on the Nativity of Mary in the Roman rite (8 September)in the Encyclopédie mariale
-On the Solemnities and Feasts of the Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic liturgy), in the Marian Encyclopaedia
Synthèse Françoise Breynaert et l’équipe de MDN.