"She is the Flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious Lily of the valley." – St. Augustine
"She is the Flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious Lily of the valley." – St. Augustine
The Link, September 8, 2025
By Jairus Caden A. Accad
For Christian Catholics, the Blessed Virgin Mary is a plethora of divine facets. She is the great converter of rebels, the basilica designer, the master of the Rosary, the Undoer of Knots, and most importantly, the Mother of God whose nativity is celebrated on the 8th of September. This is the traditional birthdate the Catholic Church holds for Mary, and eagle-eyed Christians can spot its remarkable nine-month connection to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on the 8th of December. But at its core, the nativity of Mary accomplishes a vital part in salvation history, for it is through the materialization of her blessedness did the subsequent materialization of the Word of God come to be.
Admittedly, Mary’s youthful years are not wholly recorded in the Bible. But according to the Catholic News Agency (n.d.), early Christians consulted the writings of their concurrent teachers, presumably the Church fathers. One ancient but non-canonical writing, the Protoevangelium of James, details the upbringing of Mary and her early dedication to perpetual virginity. The discourse of the reliability of the aforementioned text is another matter. Nonetheless, Catholic Christians choose to trust in the four Marian dogmas of the Church and the Gospel records detailing the nativity and childhood of Jesus Christ.
Outside of the Biblical sphere, Mary is portrayed as a proactive figure in the history of the Church, tirelessly aiding Christians in their spiritual battles. She is especially known for her astonishing apparitions before religious and lay people. On one occasion, the Virgin Mary helped another Mary known as St. Mary of Egypt in the young woman’s struggle against lust. Through a forlorn cry to the Blessed Mother, St. Mary of Egypt overcame her lust and received Holy Communion. Years later, the Virgin Mary visited the Hill of Tepeyac in Mexico as a dark-skinned Aztec woman. There, she consoled the peasant St. Juan Diego and instructed the building of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This particular apparition would soon blossom into a devotion and the emblem of the right-to-life movement of the United States of America, for people consider the image of the ‘Mexican Mary’ as a model in protecting the embryos carried by mothers (Craughwell, 2016).
Today, the Blessed Virgin Mary continues to protect and bless those who invoke her. Her tender character as the “Handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38) and the Mother of Christians (John 19:26-27) inspires people to be grateful and humble in every turmoil of life. For Lourdesians, the Mother of Christ becomes their Mother too. She is revered as the Lourdesian master’s “Model of Faith”, and is celebrated as the patroness of Lourdes School of Mandaluyong under the title of Our Lady of Lourdes. Furthermore, her presence continues to saturate the academic and spiritual formation of her children through intimate encounters with her such as the Living Rosary celebration and the performance of the Panunuluyan, a dramatized portrayal of her struggles with St. Joseph during the night of the Birth of Christ. With her warm image framed in every classroom of the school and her intercession mentioned in every prayer, Mary proves her perennial care for her Lourdesian children and to the rest of creation.
And so, as gifts are traditionally given to birthday celebrants, the Catholic Church now joyfully offers her gifts to the Blessed Mother - Masses are being celebrated; flower bouquets are being fashioned; novenas are being recited; hymns are being sung; and hearts are being offered to God through Mary. On this special day, the Lourdesian community joins the Church in a universal birthday celebration in honor of the loving Mother Mary and her gifts to the militant, penitent, and triumphant Church. May the tender embrace of the Blessed Virgin Mary envelope the Earth and bring it to the love of the Triune God.
“She is the Flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious Lily of the valley.” - St. Augustine
References:
Catholic News Agency. (n.d.). The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Retrieved September 6, 2025, from
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-birth-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-357
Craughwell, T. J. (2016). Heaven Help Us: 300 Patron Saints to Call Upon for Every Occasion (2nd ed.). Chartwell Books.