On this blessed feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, we hear in our liturgical services bits and pieces of the story of her conception and birth. But today, in lieu of my own unworthy ramblings, I’d like to give you the whole story (though slightly edited!), from the main source of our information about this mystery: the Proto-Gospel of James, a so-called “apocryphal gospel,” an early Christian account of some of the events not recounted in the canonical Scriptures. It has relative merit as a testimony to the faith of the early Church, as do many other Christian writings, but the Church has not considered it Holy Scripture because we cannot be infallibly sure of all its details.
Nevertheless, under the infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church has considered at least some of its basic elements to be worthy of belief. This has always been part of the task of the Church: to discover and proclaim the truth, and to reject falsehood. So she has judiciously drawn upon this document for the celebration of this feast of Our Lady.
The following account most likely has some legendary elements in it, so in that sense it has something of the character of a historical novel: it is based on history, that is, it is essentially a true story, but it is embellished where the details are no longer known. With that little caveat, let us listen to the story of the birth of the Mother of God.
“In the records of the twelve tribes of Israel was Joachim, a man rich exceedingly; and he brought his offerings double, saying: ‘There shall be of my superabundance to all the people, and there shall be the offering for my forgiveness to the Lord for a propitiation for me.’ For the great day of the Lord was at hand, and the sons of Israel were bringing their offerings. And there stood over against him Rubim, saying: ‘It is not right for you first to bring your offerings, because you have not produced children in Israel.’ And Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and went away to the registers of the twelve tribes of the people, saying: ‘I shall see the registers of the twelve tribes of Israel, as to whether I alone have not produced children in Israel.’ And he searched, and found that all the righteous had raised up children in Israel. And he called to mind the patriarch Abraham, that in the last days God gave him a son, Isaac.
“Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and did not come into the presence of his wife; but he retired to the desert, and there pitched his tent, and fasted forty days and forty nights, saying in himself: ‘I will not go down either for food or for drink until the Lord my God shall look upon me, and prayer shall be my food and drink.’
“And his wife Anna mourned in two mournings, and lamented in two lamentations, saying: ‘I shall bewail my widowhood; I shall bewail my childlessness.’ And the great day of the Lord was at hand; and Judith her maid-servant said: ‘How long will you humiliate your soul? Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand, and it is unlawful for you to mourn. But take this head-band, which the woman that made it gave to me; for it is not proper that I should wear it, because I am a maid-servant, and it has a royal appearance.’
“And Anna said: ‘Depart from me; for such things are not for me, and the Lord has brought me very low…’ And Anna was grieved exceedingly, but she put off her garments of mourning, and cleaned her head, and put on her wedding garments, and about the ninth hour went down to the garden to walk. And she saw a laurel, and sat under it, and 
prayed to the Lord, saying: ‘O God of our fathers, bless me and hear my prayer, as You blessed the womb of Sarah and gave her a son Isaac.’
“And gazing towards the heavens, she saw a sparrow’s nest in the laurel, and made a lamentation in herself, saying: ‘Alas! Who begot me? And what womb produced me?—because I have become a curse in the presence of the sons of Israel, and I have been reproached, and they have driven me in derision out of the temple of the Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like the birds of the heavens, because even the birds of the heavens are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like the beasts of the earth, because even the beasts of the earth are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like these waters, because even these waters are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like this earth, because even the earth brings forth its fruits in season and blesses You, O Lord.’
“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, saying: ‘Anna, Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.’ And Anna said: ‘As the Lord my God lives, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God; and the child shall minister to Him in holy things all the days of its life.’ And behold, two angels came, saying to her: ‘Behold, Joachim your husband is coming with his flocks.’ For an angel of the Lord had gone down to him, saying: ‘Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go down hence; for behold, your wife Anna shall conceive.’
“So Joachim went down and called his shepherds, saying: ‘Bring me here ten she-lambs without spot or blemish, and they shall be for the Lord my God; and bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall be for the priests and the elders; and a hundred goats for all the people.’ And, behold, Joachim came with his flocks; and Anna stood by the gate, and saw Joachim coming, and she ran and hung upon his neck, saying: ‘Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me exceedingly; for behold the widow no longer a widow, and I, the childless, shall conceive.’ And Joachim rested the first day in his house.
“And on the following day he brought his offerings… And Joachim said: ‘Now I know that the Lord has been gracious unto me, and has remitted all my sins.’ And he went down from the temple of the Lord justified, and departed to his own house. And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anna brought forth. And she said to the midwife: ‘What have I brought forth?’ And she said: ‘A girl.’ And said Anna: ‘My soul has been magnified this day.’ And she laid her down. And the days having been fulfilled, Anna was purified, and gave the breast to the child, and called her name Mary.
“And the child grew strong day by day; and when she was six months old, her mother set her on the ground to try whether she could stand, and she walked seven steps and came into her bosom; and she snatched her up, saying: ‘As the Lord my God lives, you shall not walk on this earth until I bring thee into the temple of the Lord. And she made a sanctuary in her bed-chamber, and allowed nothing common or unclean to pass through her…
“And when she was a year old, Joachim made a great feast, and invited the priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel. And Joachim brought the child to the priests; and they blessed her, saying: ‘O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations.’ And all the people said: ‘So be it, so be it, amen.’ And he brought her to the chief priests; and they blessed her, saying: ‘O God most high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost blessing, which shall be for ever.’ And her mother snatched her up, and took her into the sanctuary of her bed-chamber, and gave her the breast.
“And Anna made a song to the Lord God, saying: ‘I will sing a song to the Lord my God, for He has looked upon me, and has taken away the reproach of mine enemies; and the Lord has given the fruit of His righteousness, singular in its kind, and richly endowed before Him. Who will tell the sons of Rubim that Anna nurses a child? Hear, hear, you twelve tribes of Israel, that Anna nurses.’ And she laid Mary to rest in the bed-chamber of her sanctuary, and went out and ministered unto them. And when the supper was ended, they went down rejoicing, and glorifying the God of Israel.”
Let us also go down rejoicing, for the all-pure Virgin Mary is born—she who would give birth by the power of the Most High to the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer, who will bring us to Paradise, where we will be reborn, as it were, immaculate and radiant, washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb, and filled with everlasting joy.
