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8th September Universal Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady. The Gospel of the Birth of Mary is described in the so-called " lost" books of the Bible---and in the Protevangelium of St. James the Less . I prefer to quote it exactly as it was written centuries ago. " And it came to pass, that when the feast of the dedication drew near, Joachim, with some others of his tribe, went up to Jerusalem, and at that time , Issachar was the high-priest; " Who, when he saw Joachim along with the rest of his neighbours, bringing his offering, despised both him and his offerings, and asked him, " Why he, who had no children, would presume to appear among those who had? Adding, that his offerings could never be acceptable to God, who was judged by him unworthy to have children; the Scripture having said, Cursed is every one who shall not beget a male in Israel. " He further said, that he ought first to be free from that curse by begetting some issue, and then come with his offerings into the presence of God. " But Joachim being much confounded with the shame of such reproach, retired to the shepherds, who were with the cattle in their pastures; " For he was not inclined to return home, lest his neighbours, who were present and heard all this from the high-priest, should publicly reproach him in the same manner…. " But when he had been there for some time, on a certain day when he was alone, the angel of the Lord stood by him with a prodigious light. " To whom, being troubled at the appearance, the angel who had appeared to him, endeavouring to compose him said: " Be not afraid, Joachim, nor troubled at the sight of me, for I man angel of the Lord, sent by Him to you, that I might inform you, that your prayers are heard, and your alms ascended in the sight of God. " For he hath surely seen your shame, and heard you unjustly reproached for not having children: for God is the avenger of sin, and not of nature; " And so when he shuts the womb of any person, he does it for this reason, that he may in a more wonderful manner again open it, and that which is born appear to be not the product of lust, but the gift of God " For the first mother of your nation, Sarah, was she not barren even till her eightieth year: and yet even in the end of her old age brought forth Isaac, in whom the promise was made a blessing to all nations. " Rachel also, so much in favour with God, and beloved so much by holy Jacob, continued barren for a long time, yet afterwards was the mother of Joseph, who was not only Governor of Egypt, but delivered many nations from perishing with hunger. " Who among the judges was more valiant than Samson, or more holy than Samuel? And yet both their mothers were barren. " But if reason will not convince you of the truth of my words, that there are frequent conceptions in advanced years, and that those who were barren have brought forth to their great surprise: therefore Anna your wife shall bring you a daughter, and you shall call her name Mary; " She shall, according to your vow, be devoted to the Lord from her infancy, and be filled with the Holy Ghost from her mother’s womb; " She shall neither eat nor drink anything which is unclean, nor shall her conversation be without among the common people, but in the temple of the Lord; that so she may not fall under any slender or suspicion of what is bad. " So in the process of her years, as she shall be in a miraculous manner born of one that was barren, so she shall, while yet virgin, in a way unparalleled, bring forth the Son of the most High God, who shall be called Jesus, and, according to the signification of his name, be the Saviour of all nations. And this shall be a sign to you of the things which I declare, namely, when you come to the golden gate of Jerusalem, you shall there meet your wife Anna, who being very much troubled that you returned no sooner, shall then rejoice to see you. " When the angel had said this he departed from him……… to be continued. Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas. |
