Mary, the first tabernacle: celebrating the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Towards the end of his long reflection in Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV exhorts the faithful to join their prayers with those of the Blessed Virgin Mary (#299):

At the end of this reflection, I would like to propose a sober yet demanding program of Christian life with which we can navigate this epochal change in the light of the Gospel. This avenue emerges through contemplating God’s plan, living ecclesial unity by partaking of the Eucharist, building a world centred on the common good and praying in union with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On this the birthday of Mary we celebrate the moment when Mary is born into a world awaiting its saviour.  Together with her son, Jesus, and cousin, John the Baptist, today is only one of three days in the liturgical calendar when we celebrate a birthday.  The seasons are marked in this way:

The Annunciation and conception of Jesus on 25 March;

The birth of John the Baptist on 24 June;

The birth of Mary on 8 September; and

The birth of Jesus on 25 December.

Mary may be seen as the ‘first Tabernacle’ because she carried Jesus within her before his birth. Just as the Eucharist is reverently reserved in a tabernacle, Mary bore Christ physically in her womb. Nine months ago, we celebrated the Immaculate Conception of Mary on 8 December. God chose her to bring Christ, the Saviour of the world, into human history.

Mary first conceived Christ in her heart through faith before conceiving Him in her womb. The flesh that Christ offers in the Eucharist is the same human nature He received through Mary.   St Augustine affirmed that the Virgin “conceived in her heart before her womb” (Discourses, 215, 4)