September 8, 2026
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 636
Reading 1
The LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.
or
Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the
Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me."
R. With delight I rejoice 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
The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
or
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090826.cfm
Commentary on Micah
5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 1:1-16,18-23
The Gospel reading is the genealogy of Jesus as given by
Matthew at the beginning of his Gospel. It is largely an artificial composition
divided into three sets of 14 generations—42 altogether. It begins with
Abraham, the Father of God’s people and there follow many names from the
biblical account in the Hebrew Testament.
It is a very mixed group of people, including the very good
and the not good at all. There are also four women in the list, each of them
with a special interest of their own. It represents the very diverse history of
loyalty and infidelity which was the story of God’s people. Jesus, the
incarnate Son of God, is truly identified with our world.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us…
(John 1:14)
He dwelt among all of us, the good, the bad and the
indifferent. Mary, too, was born into this world and, like her Son, was without
sin—though unlike him, she was fully part of this world. The ancestry leads
down to Joseph, the “husband of Mary”. But it is of Mary that Jesus the Messiah
is born.
There is a choice of texts for the First Reading. The first
comes from the prophet Micah. He has been speaking against the rulers of Israel
who are paying dearly for their sinful ways. In today’s passage he is speaking
of the restoration of Israel through a Messiah. Just before today’s passage he
speaks against Jerusalem (called Bat-gader, a symbolic name), which
is under siege by the Assyrians. But in today’s passage he contrasts the
powerful ruler of Israel under siege with the tiny city and clan of
Bethlehem-Ephrathah:
…who are one of the little clans of Judah…
For, from this tiny, insignificant place:
… shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
His origins are from the royal Davidic line.
The Lord will give up these people until the time:
…when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
“She who is in labor has brought forth” (i.e. ‘given birth’)
is a clear reference to Mary, mother of the Messiah. And that Son with the
strength of Yahweh:
…shall stand and feed his flock…he shall be great
to the ends of the earth…
The Gospels will show how all of these predictions are
fulfilled in Jesus. And the birth of the Incarnate Messiah comes through Mary.
It is not surprising, then, that we celebrate the birth of such a person in a
very special way—and that she herself, in preparation for this, should be
blessed with special favours and graces.
The second choice for the First Reading is from Paul’s
Letter to the Romans. He speaks of how all are picked out specially by God:
We know that all things work together for good for those
who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
This is an important statement for us to take on board. We
see it in Mary’s acceptance of the angel’s invitation, even though she did not
fully understand its implication at the time.
Like Mary, all of us have been called by God to be
“conformed to the image of his Son”, so that he becomes the first among many
brothers and sisters. Mary, too, was of course, even as Mother, totally
conformed to the Way of her Son. The last words also apply in a special way to
Mary:
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those
whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also
glorified.
Mary, from the first moment of her existence, was totally
conformed to the will of her Son, and so deserves the special glory which she
merited after her death.
https://sacredspace.com/commentary
Tuesday,
September 8, 2026
Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
God our Father,
You redeem us and make us Your
children in Christ. Look upon us, give us true freedom and bring us to the
inheritance You promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives
and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Reading - Matthew 1: 1-16, 18-23
The Book of the genealogy of Jesus
Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of
Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez
became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of
Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of
Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the
father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse
the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother
had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the
father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of
Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father
of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of
Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his
brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the
father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the
father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the
husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is
how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to
Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the
Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to
expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention
when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his
people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said
through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and
they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”
Reflection
Today, September 8th, Feast of
the Nativity of Our Lady, the Gospel gives us the genealogy, or birth
certificate, of Jesus. By means of the list of His ancestors, the Evangelist
tells the communities who Jesus is and how God acts in a surprising way in order
to fulfill His promise. On our birth certificate there is our name and the name
of our parents. Some people, to say who they are, also recall the names of the
grandparents. Others are ashamed of their ancestors, of their families, and
hide behind appearances which deceive. The birth certificate of Jesus has many
names. On the list of names there is a great novelty. At that time, the
genealogy indicated only the names of the men. This is why it is surprising
that Matthew also mentions five women among the ancestors of Jesus: Tamar,
Rahab, Ruth, the wife of Uriah and Mary. Why does he choose precisely these
five women and not others? This is the question which the Gospel of Matthew
leaves for us.
•
Matthew 1: 1-17: The long list of names – the
beginning and the end of the genealogy. At the beginning and at the end of the
genealogy, Matthew clearly makes us understand Jesus’ identity: He is the
Messiah, son of David and son of Abraham. As descendant of David, Jesus is the
response of God to the expectations of the Jewish people (2 Sam 7, 12, and 16).
As descendant of
Abraham,
He is source of blessings and of hope for all nations of the earth (Gen 12-13).
Therefore, in this way, both the Jews and the pagans who formed part of the
communities of Syria and of Palestine at the time of Matthew could see that
their hope was fulfilled in Jesus. .
•
Drawing up the list of the ancestors of Jesus,
Matthew adopts a plan of 3 X 14 generations (Mt 1: 17). The number two is the
number of the divinity. Number 14 is two times 7, which is the number of
perfection. At that time, it was something common to interpret or calculate
God’s action by using numbers and dates. By means of these symbolic
calculations, Matthew reveals the presence of God throughout the generations
and expresses the conviction of the communities who said that Jesus appeared at
the time established by God. With His coming history reaches its fulfillment.
•
The message of the five women mentioned in the
genealogy. Jesus is the response of God to the expectation both of the Jews and
of the pagans, but it is in a completely surprising way. In the stories of the
four women of the Old Testament, mentioned in the genealogy, there is something
abnormal. The four of them were foreigners, and they will conceive their sons
outside the normal schema of the behavior of that time, and they do not keep
the requirements of the laws of purity of the time of Jesus. Tamar, a
Canaanite, a widow, dresses as a prostitute of Jericho to oblige Judah to be
faithful to her and to give her a son (Gen 38: 1-30). Rahab, a prostitute from
Jericho, makes an alliance with the Israelites. She helped them to enter the
Promised Land and professed faith in a God who liberates from the Exodus.
(Judges 2: 1-21). Bathsheba, a Hittite, wife of Uriah, was seduced, abused and
made pregnant by King David, who in addition to that, ordered her husband to be
killed (2 Sam 11: 1-27). Ruth, a Moabite, a poor widow, chose to remain with
Naomi and adhere to the people of God (Rt 1: 16-18). Advised by her mother-in-law
Naomi, Ruth imitates Tamar and spends the night together with Boaz, obliging
him to observe the law and to give her a son. From their relation Obed was
born, the grandfather of King David (Ruth 3: 1-15; 4: 13-17). These four women
question the models of behavior imposed by the patriarchal society. And thus,
their conventional initiative will give continuity to the descendants of Jesus
and will bring salvation to all the people. Through them, God realizes His plan
and sends the promised Messiah. Truly, God’s way of acting surprises and makes
one think! At the end the reader will ask, “And Mary? Is there something
irregular in her? What is it? We get the response from the story of Saint
Joseph which follows in (Mt 1: 18-23).
•
Mathew 1: 18-23: Saint Joseph was just. What was
irregular in Mary is that she became pregnant before living together with
Joseph, her betrothed, who was a just man. Jesus says, “If your justice is not
greater than the justice of the Pharisees and the scribes, you will not enter the
Kingdom of Heaven.” If Joseph had been just according to the justice of the
Pharisees, he would have denounced Mary and she would have been stoned. Jesus
would have died. Thanks to the true justice of Joseph, Jesus was able to be
born.
Personal Questions
•
When I present myself to others, what do I say
about myself and about my family?
•
If the Evangelist mentions only these five women
together with over forty men, no doubt, he wants to communicate a message. What
is this message? What does all this tell us about the identity of Jesus? And
what does this say about us?
Concluding Prayer
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingship and
tell of Your might, making known Your mighty deeds to the children of Adam, the
glory and majesty of Your kingship. (Ps 145: 10-11)
The Birthday of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
Clearly there is no historical record of the birth of Mary.
The Church does believe, however, that from the very moment of her conception
she was totally free from sin and remained free of sin for her whole life. It
was not acceptable that Jesus, the Son of God, should be conceived in a body
tainted by sin. Her birth is certainly something to celebrate. The Church, too,
has given names to her parents—Joachim and Ann—and we celebrated their feast on
26 July.
Churches both in the East, in Constantinople (now Istanbul),
and in the West, in Rome, have been celebrating Mary’s birth since the 6th and
7th centuries. The liturgy traces its origins to the consecration of a church
in Jerusalem, known as St Ann’s Basilica, in the 6th century. Before that there
had been a 5th century basilica in honour of Mary on a site known as the
‘Shepherd’s Field’ and supposedly the home of Joachim and Ann. It was replaced
by a new basilica in the 6th century which was consecrated to St Ann.
Monks from the East brought the feast to Rome in the 7th
century. From there it spread through the western Church. By the 13th century
it had been raised to a solemnity with a major octave and a vigil which was a
fast day. Pope Sergius I (687-701) instituted a procession from the Roman Forum
to the basilica of St Mary Major for the feast.
Following the liturgical reforms of Pope St Pius X, the
feast had just a simple octave and in 1955, Pope Pius XII abolished the octave
altogether. The liturgy now has the rank of feast.
The date, September 8, was chosen as the octave day of the
former Byzantine New Year. Although the feast was celebrated on various dates
over the centuries, September 8 predominated. The feast celebrating Mary’s
conception without sin, on December 8, was later set to correspond to nine
months preceding Mary’s birth (just as the Annunciation precedes the Birth of
Jesus by nine months).
In the Eastern Church, Mary’s birthday is celebrated as one
of the twelve great liturgies. The title for the liturgy in the East is: The
Birth of Our Exalted Queen, the Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary.
https://sacredspace.com/commentary/f0908s/
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