First reading: Is. 35:4–7a

Thus says the LORD: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

Second reading: Jas. 2:1–5

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?

Gospel: Mk. 7:31–37

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”—that is, “Be opened!”—And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

In other words

by Fr. Vicente Uy, SVD (Holy Name University, Tagbilaran City, Bohol)

Today is the feast of the Nativity of Mary.

Why is the nativity of Mary so important? The nativity of Mary is of vital importance because it prepares the way for the birth of Christ. Her birth will advance God’s plan of salvation for the world. Through Mary, the “Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

Here, we see the instrumentality of Mary in the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. We can see every human birth as a call for new hope in the world. This is true in a magnificent way in Mary. St. Augustine, in the light of Mary’s nativity, described her as “the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley.”

As we know it, birthday celebrations always bring happiness to the celebrant as well as to family and friends. In the case of Mary’s birth, it offers the greatest possible happiness to the world. Each time we celebrate her birth, we can confidently hope for an increase of peace in our hearts in particular, and in the world in general.

The connection between our Gospel reading today and the feast of Mary’s nativity may be seen in the opening prayer at Mass where it speaks of the birth of Mary’s Son as “the dawn of our salvation.” For through Jesus, the dawn of salvation has indeed come. Without him, we would, in a way, still be in darkness today.