The liturgical calendar took us on 8 September to the home of St Anne and St Joachim, where according to tradition the Virgin Mary was born! DAVID SULLIVAN, M.Afr. Rector of the Basilica of St. Anne I can say that the Nativity of the Virgin Mary that we celebrate here today at St Anne's is the world centre of this great feast. And it is also the site of a miracle of Jesus, which we read about in chapter 5 of John's gospel. That of the paralytic who stands at the edge of the pool waiting for the water to move. Then Jesus comes and asks him: do you want to be healed? Take up your mat and walk. So a place twice holy, both for the birth of Mary and for the miracle of Jesus! A basilica much visited by many pilgrims. A presence, however, that has unfortunately been decreasing since the beginning of the war. DAVID SULLIVAN, M.Afr. Rector of the Basilica of St. Anne And so a year of sadness but also of hope because we pray for peace and sadness is overcome by hope for Christians. So today was not a sad celebration, it was a celebration with moderation, of course, but it was a great prayer for peace. Given the current situation in the Holy Land, only local religious communities were present, but representatives of the whole world. They came to thank her who was predestined by God to be the Mother of his Beloved Son. HENRIQUE DOS REIS ESCUDEIROS Theology student For me to participate in these celebrations in the place where things happened according to tradition and according to our faith, is indescribable. And also to ask for those who work here in the Holy Land and are committed to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus. GEOFFREY MWANGI, M.Afr. Theology student I just arrived here on 15 August and today was a great day to participate in my first big celebration. Especially celebrating the Nativity of Mary in the very place where we believe she was born. It was a beautiful celebration and I am happy to be here. The Holy Mass was presided over by Brother Michel Muhindo, from the Custos of the Holy Land. It was concelebrated by the priests of the Franciscan community and the missionary religious White Fathers, custos of the place. Since this is French territory, Monsieur Quentin Lopinot, Vice Consul General, was also present in the church, and as is tradition, the prayer of blessing was addressed to France. It was also a moment to make a decision in the face of the challenges of this time, regarding the custody of life. Brother Michel wanted to highlight the absurdity of humanity's failure to guard its children. Mary's birth reveals to us that every life carries within it a divine plan. Br MICHAEL MUHINDO, ofm Custody of the Holy Land Mary's birth is an event for us and this means that Mary was predestined, as we read in the letter to the Romans. To be the mother of Jesus, the mother of Emmanuel, the God with us. So every birth is always an event, every child is preserved, is predestined for something. Today in a special way the Gospel invites us and we invite the whole world to preserve life, to guard life, to safeguard life in every way. And in a special way we pray for these children killed, because of the hardened hearts of some. At the end of the celebration, the procession made its way to the grotto of the Virgin's birth, for the veneration of the holy place. Br MICHAEL MUHINDO, ofm Custody of the Holy Land With the Nativity of Mary we ask for the grace to cherish life every day of our Christian life.