Happy Birthday to Our Lady

Today is the Birth of the Virgin Mary (yesterday in the Eastern Church). Mary's parents are, by tradition, Saints Joachim and Anne. Tradition tells us that they wanted a child and promised God that they would dedicate any child born, to Him. When Mary was a girl, they took her to the temple to be taught by the rabbis there.

The Church celebrates only 2 birthdays of saints--St. John the Baptist and Our Lady. A saint's feast day is normally his or her day of death--when they enter into heaven.

Let us celebrate the birthday of Our Mother today.

AVE MARIA, 
gratia plena, 
Dominus tecum. 
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, 
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. 
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, 
ora pro nobis peccatoribus, 
nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. 

Amen.