September 12th is the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. It is not by mere chance that the Mother of God would receive this name. Joachim and Ann, Mary’s parents, were devoted to God in a most holy manner. It must be assumed that God would have played a part in the inspiring of Mary’s name. This beautiful designation brings with it three possible meanings. Sovereignty, bitterness and resistance. No doubt Mary is sovereign. She suffered bitterly at the foot of her Son Jesus’ cross. And for us, she will resist Satan.
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Originating in Spain, the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary was approved by the Holy See in 1513. It was extended worldwide by Pope Innocent XI in 1683, when John Sobieski (King of Poland) defeated the Turks who had surrounded Vienna and threatened the West. Polish soldiers had implored Mary’s patronage in the face of distress, and this victory was attributed to Her intersession. |
Mary’s name is celebrated as:
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O Mary, my tender Mother, imprint thy Name, with that of Jesus, upon the inmost recesses of my heart. Obtain for me of God, in my last hour, to utter thy blessed Name and that of thy Son, with lively faith and ardent love, in order that by the virtue of these holy Names, the enemies of my salvation may be put to flight, and I may resign my soul into the hands of my Heavenly Father. Amen. Prayer by Cardinal Alexis-Henri-Marie Lepicier, O.S.M., 1922 |
