Mary’s birth tied to defence of life

By Klysha Best

On September 8, faithful Catholics around the world  celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, honouring her birth and pivotal role in salvation history.

In Port of Spain, the faithful gathered for a Mass for Life at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception to mark this solemn occasion. The Mass was organised by the Emmanuel Community to conclude their 40 days of prayer and advocacy.

In his homily, celebrant Fr Jesse Maingot OP connected the celebration to a core tenet of the Catholic faith, stating, “When we come here to celebrate life, we come here to celebrate the defence of life.”

He established that Mary’s nativity introduced “a whole new life” into the world—the life of God’s kingdom and the dawn of salvation. “It’s a life greater than natural life,” he proclaimed. “It’s a life that God has invited us into, which is the life of the risen Lord. That’s the mission of the Church: to bring this life to the world.”

Reflecting on the Gospel, Fr Maingot underscored how the fulfilment of ancient prophecies from Micah and Isaiah affirms the truth of the Christian narrative. “We know Jesus didn’t pop out of thin air,” he noted, emphasising that Mary’s cooperation was essential to the divine plan.

“There’s no Incarnation without Mary,” he stated. “Without her openness to God, her openness to life… To celebrate her birthday is to celebrate the birth of the new Eve.” He elaborated on the doctrine of her Immaculate Conception, describing her sinless state as the dawn of a “new humanity,” a restoration of the communion with God fractured by original sin.

This communion, he explained, is accessed through grace—a real and tangible force. Contrasting his own experience of life without faith, which he described as bearing the “weight of broken humanity,” with a life open to sacraments and prayer, he illustrated the transformative power of divine grace. This led him directly to the contemporary application of this theology: the defense of human dignity.

Fr Maingot broadened the understanding of pro-life ministry, extending it to post-abortion healing for women and men “haunted by their decision,” emphasising the Church’s role in offering God’s mercy to heal profound shame and guilt. He also spoke against euthanasia, calling for a recognition of “the gift of the elderly” and the mysterious, redemptive value of suffering.

His message was one of hope and healing, exemplified by a poignant story from Medjugorje where a woman was miraculously healed from a wheelchair on her birthday—a testament to “the healing love of Jesus”. He concluded by rooting the defence of life in the Eucharist, calling it “the bread of life” that fuels this mission. He ended with a call to prayer as the essential force to “heal the heart of our nation.”

Fr Maingot reminded all that the celebration of Mary’s birth is intrinsically linked to the celebration of the divine grace that elevates human nature and compels a unwavering defence of every human life, from conception to natural death.