The Nativity of the Mother of God

Anna, truly you surpass all mothers,
until your own daughter becomes a mother.
On the eighth day Anna brought the Mother of God into the world.

The opening Greek verses praise Anna, whose daughter would become the Mother of God, and mark the feast on the eighth day.

On 8 September we celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos as God’s gift to humanity. According to Church tradition, her childless parents, Joachim and Anna, prayed fervently and were blessed with Mary. Joachim is associated with the lineage of David and Anna with that of Aaron. The Church commemorates both parents on 9 September.

Mary’s birth and childhood are not described in the New Testament. In Luke’s Gospel, the Annunciation brings the Archangel Gabriel’s message that she will give birth to the Son of God.

The feast has ancient roots in Jerusalem and spread throughout the Orthodox East. It became established in Rome during the seventh century and is associated with Pope Sergius I (687–701). Veneration of the Theotokos links its history with the life of the Church in East and West.

Your birth, O Mother of God, proclaimed joy to the whole world, for from you rose the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God. Having abolished the curse, He bestowed the blessing; and having destroyed death, He granted us eternal life.

The troparion proclaims that Mary’s birth brought joy to the whole world: from her arose Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, who replaced the curse with blessing, overcame death and gave eternal life.

Churches and communities dedicated to the Mother of God

Throughout the Orthodox world, churches are dedicated to her Nativity. On 13 April 2024, Archbishop Simon of Brussels and Belgium celebrated the consecration and Divine Liturgy at the parish in Kortrijk. Representatives of the Orthodox community attended, together with the Russian Federation’s ambassador to Belgium, Alexander Tokovinin, and his wife. The occasion illustrates the growth of Orthodox spiritual centres in northern Europe.

A church of the Mother of God also stands above Tbilisi’s historic Metekhi district. Saint Shushanik is honoured there, and her tomb is associated with the church. Tradition links the Metekhi rock with Saint Abo of Tbilisi; a small church at its foot is dedicated to him.

The present Metekhi church dates from the thirteenth century and was built on the site of an earlier church. Distinguishing the age of the site from that of the surviving building highlights the long continuity of Christian life in Tbilisi.