8 September 2025 (Monday) / The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary ‐ Feast / Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast

8 September 2025 (Monday)

The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary ‐Feast.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Micah 5: 1-4a or Romans 8: 28-30
Responsorial Psalm: 12(13):6‐7
Gospel: Matthew 1: 1-16, 18-23

First Reading : Micah 5:1‐4

The Lord says this: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old. The Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth. Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel. He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of his God. They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land. He himself will be peace.

OR:

Romans 8:28-30

We are well aware that God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good. He decided beforehand who were the ones destined to be moulded to the pattern of his Son, so that he should be the eldest of many brothers;
30. it was those so destined that he called; those that he called, he justified, and those that he has justified he has brought into glory.

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 12(13):6‐7

I exult for joy in the Lord.
Lord, I trust in your merciful love. Let my heart rejoice in your saving help.
I exult for joy in the Lord.
Let me sing to the Lord for his goodness to me, singing psalms to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
I exult for joy in the Lord.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Matthew 1:1‐16,18‐23

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother, Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother, Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother, Obed was the father of Jesse; and Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Azariah, Azariah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah; and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers. Then the deportation to Babylon took place. After the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor was the father of Zadok, eZadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob; and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God‐is‐with‐us.’

For our reflection today:

Today we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Mary, and this feast reminds us of the beginning of her extraordinary and unique journey. She was the one who gave Christ to the world and created the possibility for Him to say to many, “Follow me.” Although she did not hear the words “follow me” in the Evangelical sense, as we know them, we could say that Mary received this word and its essential meaning from the very beginning of her life, from her early years, and especially at the decisive moment when the great Good News was announced to her. This news was difficult for that young woman, but it was great and good, for her and for all humanity. And we know how Mary responded: “Behold the servant of the Lord,” and she accepted what God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, had asked of her. She accepted. So, on this solemn day, this Marian day, I hope that you will encounter Mary. I hope everyone, even those who are far off, who may have lost their way, will never let go of at least some connection with this wonderful woman, this humble woman, this servant of God who is Mary. But I also wish for you, I suggest to you, to experience your “self,” the mystery of your own human and Christian “self,” together with her: with Mary of Nazareth, with Mary of Calvary, with Mary of Pentecost, of the Upper Room, with Mary of so many places. (St. John Paul II, To the youth, Pastoral visit to Vicenza, 9 September 1991)

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed  and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)