September 8
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A Life Prepared by Grace
1. Introduction
Leader: Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the birth of the woman who would one day hear the angel's message and become the Mother of Jesus. Mary's story, however, did not begin at Nazareth. The ancient Christian tradition preserved in the Infancy Gospel of James tells us about Joachim and Anna, Mary's parents. They longed for a child and carried their pain before God. Anna prayed, God heard her prayer, and a child was born who would become Mary.
The story invites us to recognise something beautiful: God is quietly preparing people and events long before we can understand what He is doing. Mary's birth reminds us that every vocation begins with grace. Before Mary said her “Yes” to the angel, God had already been at work in her life. In the same way, our own vocation did not begin when we entered the Society of Jesus. God was already working in our lives through our families, teachers, friends, experiences, struggles and countless moments of grace.
Today, therefore, let us not simply celebrate Mary's birth. Let us ask ourselves: “Lord, what are You preparing in me? Where have You already been at work in my life?”
Let us place ourselves quietly in God's presence and allow ourselves to become aware of His loving gaze.
Pause for a moment of silence.
2. Hymn (During the hymn, all could go in procession and offer a flower to Mother Mary)
(Suggestions)
Hail Mary: Gentle Woman.
Let us mingle together (Joyful Melodies, Hymn No. 878)
Hindi Hymn: Audio
3. Scripture Reading
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke: 1: 46 - 49.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Pause
Leader: Let us remain silent for a moment and imagine Mary looking back on her life and recognising that everything is grace. She does not say, “Look at what I have achieved.” She says, “The Mighty One has done great things for me.”
Let us quietly ask ourselves: What great things has God done for me? What graces have brought me to this moment in my vocation? Who are the people through whom God has touched my life?
Pause for one minute.
4. Reflection from the Infancy Gospel of James
The Infancy Gospel of James tells the story of Joachim and Anna before Mary was born. Joachim was deeply distressed because he had no child. He withdrew to the wilderness and devoted himself to prayer and fasting. Anna too experienced deep sorrow. She went into her garden and prayed to the God of her ancestors, remembering how God had blessed Sarah with a son.
Then comes the turning point. Anna receives the message that the Lord has heard her prayer. She responds by promising to dedicate the child to God. The story presents Mary's birth not simply as the arrival of a child but as the fruit of prayer, trust and generous surrender.
Later, the narrative describes Mary being brought to the Temple and entrusted to God. The tradition therefore presents Mary's life as one oriented towards God from the beginning. This ancient Christian story helps us appreciate the significance of Mary's birth. Her life was not ultimately about herself. She was gradually prepared for a mission that was far greater than she could have imagined.
There is something deeply relevant here for our own vocation. A vocation is not something we possess; it is something we receive. And what we receive from God must eventually become something we return to God. Joachim and Anna received Mary as a gift. They did not ultimately claim her as their possession; they offered her back to God.
In a similar way, our vocation is God's gift. Our intelligence is a gift. Our abilities are gifts. Our studies are gifts. Our community is a gift. The people who accompany us are gifts. Even the opportunity to serve God's people is a gift. The question we need to ask is: Do I receive these gifts with gratitude, or do I slowly begin to possess them as though they belong entirely to me?
Pause for reflection.
5. Prayers
1. Lord our God, today we thank You for the gift of Mary. Through her, You prepared the way for the coming of Christ, our Saviour. We thank You for her faith, her humility, her courage and her complete openness to Your will. Her life reminds us that You can accomplish great things through a person who is willing to place herself entirely in Your hands. Teach us, like Mary, to recognise Your action in our lives and to receive Your gifts with grateful hearts.
All: Lord, hear our prayer
2. Lord Jesus, You have called each of us by name. Our vocation is not our achievement; it is grace. We did not create this call, nor did we earn it. You invited us to walk with You, and Your grace enabled us to respond. Help us never to take this call for granted. When we become tired, remind us of the love that first called us. When we become discouraged, remind us of Your faithfulness. When we become proud, remind us that everything is gift. May gratitude for our vocation become the foundation of our fidelity to You.
3. Lord, Mary's life teaches us that receiving a gift also means being willing to surrender it. Free us from possessiveness and from our need to control the future. Free us from personal ambitions that make us forget Your greater purpose. Help us to surrender our plans, our expectations, our talents and even our understanding of where our vocation should lead. Give us the freedom to say with Mary, “Let it be with me according to your word.” May our lives become available to You for whatever mission You entrust to us.
4. Lord Jesus, You called us to walk with You in the Society of Jesus. Through Mary, You entered our world in humility and simplicity. Teach us to become men who make space for You in our world. May our studies prepare us for service. May our formation make us more available. May our community make us more compassionate. May our prayer make us more attentive to Your Spirit. When the time comes to be sent, may we be ready to go wherever You call us, trusting that Your grace will accompany us.
Leader: Hail Mary
Leader: On this feast of the Nativity of Mary, let us entrust our vocation, our community and the Society of Jesus to her maternal care.
All: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
6. Concluding Prayer
God our Father, today we thank You for the birth of Mary, the Mother of Your Son. Through the humble story of Mary, we are reminded that You often begin Your greatest works quietly. Before there was a manger, there was a family. Before there was a public ministry, there was a hidden life. Before Mary stood beneath the Cross, she first learned to say “Yes.”
Before we know where our vocation will lead us, You are already working within us. Give us the grace to trust Your hidden work. Teach us to recognise our vocation as a gift, to receive our formation with gratitude and to surrender our future without fear.
Like Mary, may we become people who listen, receive and respond. May our lives become a simple “Yes” to Your will. And when we look back upon our journey, may we be able to say with Mary, “The Mighty One has done great things for me.”
Through the intercession of Mary, may we grow as true companions of Jesus, ready to love, serve and go wherever we are sent. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
7. Angelus
Sources:
https://www.gospels.net/infancyjames
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