The Virgin Birth of the Virgin Mary 

    But the Jewish custom was to formally give a name to a daughter on the 15th day from her birth, as is 

indicated in Sacred Scripture, and not on the 20th day. Nor could the 20th day have meant the 20th day of the 

Jewish month, for the Virgin Mary was born near the end of the month of Av. Counting forward 15 days 

would not bring us to the 20th day of the next month. And, even though Blessed Anne Catherine mistakenly 

believed that the Virgin Mary was born on September 8, she does not describe the events of the naming 

ceremony as having occurred on the 20th of the September. 

    On the other hand, if we count forward 15 days from the Virgin Mary's actual birth date on August 5, we 

arrive at August 19 (counting inclusively). The Virgin Mary was born very early in the day, about midnight, so 

we must include in the count of the 15 days the day of her birth.

540

 According to Blessed Anne Catherine, there 

were many preparations which had to be made beforehand on the day of the ceremony, and after the 

ceremony there was a meal.

541

 Thus the naming ceremony described by Blessed Anne Catherine most likely 

occurred near the close of the 15th day, before sunset. Since the Jewish day begins and ends at sunset, the 16th 

day (August 20) would be seen by the Jews as beginning at sunset just after the ceremony on August 19. Also, 

August 20 would be the first full day after the Virgin Mary's naming ceremony, the first full day when she was 

called Mary. 

    The 8th and the 15th day inclusive from birth always fall on the same day of the week as the birth. This 

timing made it convenient for the Jews in ancient times to determine and remember the day of the naming 

ceremonies for newborns. Thus the counting of these days is inclusive, counting the day of birth as day one. 

    The above explanation for the date and time of the Virgin Mary's naming ceremony agrees with both the 

indications of Sacred Scripture, that a daughter would be named on the 15th day from birth, and the words of 

Blessed Anne Catherine, that the angels sang of the 20th day as the day she would be called Mary. To accord 

with the date and time of the actual event and with the words of the angels, I suggest that the Church place the 

celebration of the Virgin Mary's Naming Day on August 20, but begin the celebration with a vigil service on 

the evening of August 19, the time and day of the actual event. (More suggested changes to the Christian 

liturgical calendar are found in chapter 15 of this book.) 

The Naming Ceremony 

    It may seem strange to some that the Jews had a special ceremony for naming the child, and that it was held 

some length of time after the child's birth. Yet we have a similar custom in the Christian Faith. The holy 

Sacrament of Baptism also includes the formal naming of the child, called the child's christening, and this 

Sacrament is generally given some length of time after the child's birth. The ancient custom of the Jews is not 

so different from our custom today. 

     Joachim then laid the child in the hands of the high priest, who, lifting her up in offering as he prayed, laid 

her in the cradle on the altar. He then took a pair of scissors which, like our snuffers, had a little box at the end 

to hold what was cut off. With this he cut off three little tufts of hair from the child's head and burnt them in 

a brazier. Then he took a vase of oil and anointed the child's five senses, touching with his thumb her ears, 

eyes, nose, mouth, and breast. He also wrote the name Mary on a parchment and laid it on the child's 

breast . Hymns were sung and after that the meal began . 

542

    Blessed Anne Catherine describes the Naming Ceremony of the Virgin Mary. Notice that a few tufts of the 

infant Mary's hair are cut off and burnt. The ancient custom of the Jews was to burn lambs and other animals 

offered as a sacrifice to God (e.g. Numbers 29). The burning of three little tufts of the Virgin Mary's hair, while 

she was in a cradle on the altar, symbolizes the offering of the child Mary as a living sacrifice to God. This 

ceremony included writing the child's name on a parchment while she was on the altar and laying it upon the 

child. This action signifies that the child is given a name before God, as if to say,  This is the name that God 

gives you, the name that God will speak when He calls to you.  

129