Saolú na Maighdine Muire. //Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Ar an 8 Meán Fómhair ceiliúrtar breith na
Maighdine Muire. Is maith linn go léir ár
mbreithlaethanta a cheiliúradh, bímis óg nó
aosta. Tá an féasta seo á cheiliúradh san
Eaglais ón séú haois déag. Chuir Naomh St.
Romanos an Melodist, a bhí ina bhall d’Eaglais
an Oirthir tús leis nuair a chum sé iomann don
fhéasta. Leathanaigh an deabhóid go dtí an
Róimh sa seachtú haois agus ina dhiaidh sin go
dtí an tIarthar. Ba iad Joachim agus Anna
tuismitheoirí na Maighdine Muire. Tháinig
aingeal chuig Anna ag cur in iúl di go mbeadh
leanbh aici. De réir an tseanchais ní raibh aon
pháistí eile acu.
Go dtugaimid ómós di sa phaidir Cheilteach seo
agus sinn ag iarraidh uirthi teacht i gcabhair
orainn in am an ghátair:
A Mhuire na ngrást, a Mháthair Mhic Dé,
go gcuire tú ar mo leas mé.
Go sábhála tú mé ar gach uile olc,
go sábhála tú mé idir anam is chorp
Go sábhála tú mé ar muir is ar tír,
go sábhála tú mé ar leac na bpian.
Garda na n-aingeal os mo chionn,
Dia romham agus Dia liom. Áiméan.

On the 8th September we celebrate the birthday
of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Whether we are
young or old we all love to celebrate our
birthday. This feast of Our Lady has been
celebrated by the Church since the sixteenth
century. St. Romanos the Melodist, a member of
the Eastern Church, established the feast and
composed a hymn for the occasion. The
devotion spread to Rome in the seventeenth
century and after that to the West. Joachim and
Anna were Our Lady’s parents.
According to tradition they had no other children.
May we honour Our Lady as we say the
following Celtic prayer, asking her to be with us
always.
O Mary of Graces and mother of God,
O may you direct me and guide me aright
O may you protect me from Satan’s control,
O may you protect me in body and soul.
O may you protect me by land and by sea,
And may you protect me from sorrows to be;
A strong guard of the angels around me
provide;
May God be before me and God at my side.
Amen.