Glory to Jesus Christ!
Your Nativity, O Virgin, * has proclaimed joy to the whole universe! * The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, * has shone from you, O Theotokos! * By annulling the curse, * He bestowed a blessing. * By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.
— Troparion for the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God
Today, 08 September, we commemorate the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary. This day is celebrated by the Church as a day of universal joy as it is foundational to our redemption, rooted in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This feast is one of the most ancient of the Marian feats and likely originated in Jerusalem or Syria, soon after spreading to all parts of the Christian world, both east and west. The Feast of the Nativity of Mary has a four day Afterfeast (similar to an octave on the western calendar), culminating on 12 September with the Leavetaking of the Feast.
