Readings & Reflections: Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time & Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 12,2019
Our salvation begins when an archangel speaks the name of Mary. To be Christian is to cry on that Annunciation unceasingly. Saint Louis de Montfort wrote that “the salvation of each individual is bound up with the Hail Mary.” This prayer that names the holy name of the Mother of God “brought to a dry and barren world the Fruit of Life. It will cause the Word of God to take root in the soul and bring forth Jesus.” The holy name of Mary bears such power because of the unique bond between Mother and Son. “When God sent his Son born of a woman, he instituted a once and for all order of salvation in which the union of Mother and Child stands at the center” (Romanus Cessario, O.P.). To accept the divine privilege of speaking the name of Mary is to participate in that saving union.
Please click this link to watch the video on Who is Mary according to Scripture?
We are charged with: heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, the ability to forgive, peace, thankfulness. We can “put on love, that is, the bond of perfection” because we were loved that way when we were but God’s enemies. The measure we measure with: to do good, to bless, to give, to give more, to love, to be merciful. That is, to keep seeing the face of the compassionate, humble, gentle, patient, forgiving, crucified Jesus looking upon us with delight at all the goodness spilling into our lap.
AMDG+
Opening Prayer
“Lord, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart free that nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone”. Amen.
Reading I
Col 3:12-17
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one Body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R (6) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord! Alleluia.
R Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Gospel
Luke 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection 1 – Love your enemies
One of St Paul’s exhortations was to avoid being contentious with one another but instead love one another and do good as we have been, “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.”
Today, Jesus supports St Paul’s exhortation as He teaches us what we are supposed to do when someone oppresses us and hates us and unfairly takes what is ours. Even if we are right, Jesus wants us to give in to our transgressor and oppressor, so that in our humility and kindness, we may be able to win him to our side. So that we may be able to make him realize how wrong his actions were and be able to afford him the chance to be sorry, be repentant and in time, resolve to do good.
The approach Jesus wants us to take is for us to deny ourselves of the chance to claim what is rightfully ours but in deep love to give more of ourselves. He wants us to persevere and endure any injury that is inflicted on us and never to have a mind set of “get him before he gets you” and an attitude that the ‘best defense is a good offense and counter attack.’
If we follow Jesus and His way, we are not only able to avoid sin, return good for what is evil but we are able to give others a chance to re-consider their ways and have a change of heart. Rather than fight and condemn others, we are able to love, forgive and accept. Jesus said: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
When Jesus said love your enemies I consider it to mean that we need to have the will to forgive our enemies even before they say, “I am sorry” and asks for forgiveness. To be able to have such disposition is to be like God Who showed His love for us in that while we were yet sinners He sent His only begotten Son to die for us. We become Christ-like because just like Him Who willingly died for our cause, we are also able to willingly die to ourselves amidst the pain in our hearts and forgive our transgressor.
When we forgive, we are able to avoid our hearts from shrinking and becoming smaller and narrower with less and less room to take in the friendship and love that people want to give us. When we love and forgive, we make our hearts not only bigger but warmer, more open, and hopeful. Because we have such a heart we are able to see a very different world, a world filled with good people, a world of people who are struggling to get life right, people who will get to be what God wants them to be if we lend them a hand instead of turning away. If we love and forgive, we turn enemies into friends and bring wholeness to others just the way God does.
Always measure with love and forgiveness, “for the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Direction
The will to forgive should always be in us. To forgive is to love and be loved in return.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, see if my way is crooked and lead me in the way of old. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way. In Jesus, I pray. Amen
Reflection 2 – On Judging others
The followers of Christ must love, be merciful, be compassionate even when they find no return from their goodness. They will not be judged according to how others treat them, but according to how they treat others.
Judging others need respect. The respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury namely:
1) He becomes guilty of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assume as true without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
2) He becomes guilty of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them;
3) He becomes guilty of calumny that, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgment concerning them.
To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way. St. Ignatius of Loyola gives an advice: “Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understand it badly, let the former correct him with love.”
Dr. Gerald Jampolsky in his book, “Love is Letting Go of Fear” said, “Everything we think or say reacts on us like a boomerang. When we send out judgments in the form of criticism, fury or other attack-thoughts, they come back to us. When we send out only love, it comes back to us.” Then he asks a question, “Have you ever given yourself the opportunity of going through just one day concentrating on totally accepting everyone and making no judgments?” So I suggest that you try this once a month. For one day – say, the first Friday of each month, suspend all judgments. Spend one day of acceptance. Pull back from judging and just look and accept. See the difference it makes in your life.
Always think of a merciful God and forgiving God.
Reflection 3 – Taking responsibility for our actions
In the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The Golden Rule exhorts us to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And Jesus in today’s Gospel tells his listeners, “Be merciful just as also your Father is merciful.” One of the key characteristics of Christianity is that the standard by which God will treat us is based at least in part by our own behavior toward others. This gives us a great deal of responsibility for our actions. If we listen to God’s word, we can’t whine about God not being fair. In a very real way, we ourselves set the standard and have only ourselves to blame if we don’t like the treatment we receive.
We know that this works in our everyday lives. If we’re fair and honest in our dealings with others, they will most likely be fair and honest in return. When we find ourselves complaining about how we’re being treated, it doesn’t hurt to take a moment or two to reflect on whether we’ve done anything to warrant that treatment. Sometimes we haven’t. We can’t control what other people do, think and feel. But we can always control not only how we act but also how we react. Taking responsibility for our actions is part of growing in maturity.
At the beginning of this process, we find ourselves letting go of bad habits, of selfishness, of treating others rudely. But as we grow in wisdom and grace, we discover the positive side of this as well. It might begin with an exchange of gifts or mutual favors. But then we discover that we can give willingly to those in need, those who can’t repay us. We find that if we’re generous with our time and our resources, we will be blessed in unexpected ways in return. Our lives and our spirits expand with newfound love and generosity. We find ourselves doing good just for the pleasure of doing good.
This is Luke’s point when he tells us in his Gospel, “Give and gifts will be given to you, a good measure, packed together shaken down and overflowing… For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” We can’t necessarily control the results of our actions. But if we faithfully claim those actions and continue to do good in our own ways, we can trust the Divine Giver to see to it that we are more than fairly compensated. (Source: Diane M. Houdek, Weekday Homily Helps. Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, September 10, 2009).
Reflection 4 – Hard Sayings
To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. —Luke 6:29
Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy tells a story of an old cobbler named Martin. After the death of his wife and child, he cried out in despair to a godly old friend, “What now is a man to live for?” His friend replied, “For God, Martin. For God.” “And how must one live for God?” Martin asked. “Christ has shown us the way,” said the believer. “Buy the Gospels and read. There you’ll find out how to live for God. There everything is explained,” he said.
So that same day Martin bought a New Testament and began to read. The more he read, the more clearly he understood what God wanted of him and what it meant to live for God. And his heart grew lighter and lighter.
Then one day Martin read Luke 6:27-35, and it suddenly hit him that Jesus’ words were hard sayings. He pondered the command in verse 29, “To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.” As he began to see how his life didn’t measure up to Jesus’ words, he cried out, “O Lord, help me!”
We also may feel that obedience to Jesus’ words is too difficult for us. His hard sayings seem impossible to obey. Like Martin, we must cry out, “O Lord, help me!” Without Him we can do nothing. — David H. Roper
Obeying Christ can seem too hard,
But we must come to see
That all He asks is for our good
To make life full and free. —D. De Haan
The cost of obedience is nothing compared with the cost of disobedience (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).
Reflection 5 – Let The Healing Begin
Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. –Matthew 5:44
What goes through the minds of people whose lives are torn apart by a tragedy like murder? What keeps them going when a cherished loved one has been gunned down?
For Mae Allen, the answer is prayer. Her husband Jimmy, a small-town Virginia jeweler, had a loyal clientele and a reputation for fair treatment of his customers. He was shot to death in his store 15 years ago, and his murderer is still unknown.
On that cold winter afternoon, Jimmy Allen’s grandchildren were deprived forever of their loving Grandpa. Jimmy and Mae Allen’s 38-year marriage was cut short. And their daughter Vickie Fuquay, the mother of two of their grandchildren, had to depend on her mother’s comforting words to help her face the future without bitterness.
Mae Allen told Vickie, “Before you go to bed tonight, pray for the man who shot your daddy. The fact that he did this shows he doesn’t know Jesus.” Pray for a killer? It’s not the natural response to such a tragedy, but it was the best way to let the healing begin.
Anytime someone wrongs us, let’s search for the godly response. Praying for that person is perhaps the best medicine for a wounded heart. — Dave Branon
When the trials of this life make you weary
And your troubles seem too much to bear,
There’s a wonderful solace and comfort
In the silent communion of prayer. –Anon.
To see beyond earth’s shadows, look to Christ the light (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).
Reflection 6 – Do good to those who hate you
What makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is grace – treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return.
Give and forgive – the two wings of prayer
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) describes Jesus double precept to give and forgive as two essential wings of prayer:
“Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given you. These are the two wings of prayer on which it flies to God. Pardon the offender what has been committed, and give to the person in need” (Sermon 205.3). “Let us graciously and fervently perform these two types of almsgiving, that is, giving and forgiving, for we in turn pray the Lord to give us things and not to repay our evil deeds” (Sermon 206.2).
Bless and do not curse
Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil. How can we possibly love those who cause us harm or ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe in and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. His love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. That is why Paul the Apostle tells those who know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to “bless and not curse.. nor take revenge.. and to overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:14,17,21). Do you know the power of God’s love, mercy, and righteousness (moral goodness) for overcoming evil with good?
“Lord Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart free with your merciful love that nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone.” – Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2019/sep12.htm
Reflection 7 – Being Merciful
“Mature” Christians, who have truly become children of God, are those who have experienced their radical nothingness, their absolute poverty, been reduced to nothing. At the bottom of that nothingness, they have finally discovered the inexpressible tenderness, the absolutely unconditional love, of God. Henceforth their only support and hope is the boundless mercy of their Father God. For them, the words God speaks to the people of Israel through the prophet Zephaniah have come true, I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord.
“They do all the good they can. They receive what their neighbor may do for them with joy and gratitude, but in great freedom, because their support is in God alone. They are untroubled by their own weaknesses, nor do they blame others for not always meeting their expectations. Reliance on God alone protects them from all disappointment. It gives them great interior freedom, which they place entirely at the service of God and their fellow men, responding to love with love” (Source: Father Jacques Philippe, Magnificat, Vol. 17, No. 7, September 2015, pp. 134-135).
Reflection 8 – Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3); both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters.
The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV in Constantinople. After Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the entire Church.
Comment:
Mary always points us to God, reminding us of God’s infinite goodness. She helps us to open our hearts to God’s ways, wherever those may lead us. Honored under the title “Queen of Peace,” Mary encourages us to cooperate with Jesus in building a peace based on justice, a peace that respects the fundamental human rights (including religious rights) of all peoples.
Quote:
“Lord our God, when your Son was dying on the altar of the cross, he gave us as our mother the one he had chosen to be his own mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary; grant that we who call upon the holy name of Mary, our mother, with confidence in her protection may receive strength and comfort in all our needs” (Marian Sacramentary, Mass for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
Read the source: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1930
SAINT OF THE DAY
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THE NAME OF MARY – OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE HOLY NAME OF MARY
SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 BY LIZ ESTLER
O DULCIS VIRGO MARIA!
Oh sweet Virgin Mary!
How Sweet is the Name of Mary in Life and in Death*
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE HOLY NAME OF MARY
THE great name of Mary…given to the divine mother, was not found on earth, neither was it invented by
the mind or will of men, as were all other names in use among them; but, it came from heaven and was given to the Virgin by divine ordinance, as St. Jerome and others attest. “From the treasury of the divinity, oh Mary, came forth thy excellent and admirable name. For the Most Holy Trinity … gave to thee this name, next to the name of thy Son, so superior to every name, and attached to it such majesty and power, that when it is uttered, all in heaven, earth, and hell must fall prostrate and venerate it” [Richard of St. Laurence]. Among all the other privileges which the Lord has attached to the name of Mary, let us see how sweet he has made it to the servants of this most holy Lady in life, as well as in death.
Mary’s Sweet Name, Full of Grace and Blessings
St. Anthony of Padua attributes to the name of Mary the same sweetness as St. Bernard attributed to the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus, said the latter, the name of Mary, said the former, is joy to the heart, honey to the mouth, melody to the ear of their devoted servants. It is related in the life of the [Blessed]John Ancina, Bishop of Saluzzo, that when he pronounced the name of Mary, he experienced so great a
sensible sweetness that he even tasted it on his lips. And, we read in the holy Canticles, at the Assumption of the Virgin, the angels three times asked her name:
“Who is she that goeth up by the desert as a pillar of smoke?” [cf Song of Songs 3:6].“Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising?” [cf Song of Songs 6:10]. And in another:
“Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights?” [cf Song of Songs 8:5]
Why did the angels ask the name of this queen so often? “The sound of the name of Mary was so sweet to the angels, and they repeated the question that they might hear it repeated also” [Richard of St. Lawrence].
I do not hear speak of this sensible sweetness, since it is not commonly granted to all, but I speak of the salutary sweetness of consolation, love, joy, confidence, and strength, which the name of Mary universally gives to those who, with devotion, pronounce it….Speaking on this subject, Francone the Abbot says, that next to the holy name of Jesus, the name of Mary is so rich in blessings, that no other name is uttered on earth or in heaven from which devout souls receive so much grace, hope, and sweetness. “For the name of Mary contains in itself something admirable, sweet, and Divine, which, when it meets a friendly heart, breathes into it an odor of holy sweetness. And the wonder of this great name is that if heard a thousand times by the lovers of Mary, it is always heard as new, the sweetness they experience in hearing it spoken being always the same.”
In pronouncing the name of Mary, Blessed Henry Suso felt his confidence so much increased, and his love so joyfully enkindled, that amidst the joy and tears with which he pronounced the beloved name, he
thought his heart would have leaped from his mouth and affirmed that this most sweet name, as honeycomb, melted into the depth of his soul [and he exclaimed]: “Oh most sweet name! Oh, Mary, what must thou thyself be, if thy name alone is lovely and sweet?”
St. Bernard, too, says to her: “Oh great, oh merciful Mary, most holy Virgin, worthy of all praise, thy name is so sweet and lovely that it cannot be spoken without enkindling love to thee and to God in the heart of him who pronounced it; the thought of it alone is enough to console thy lovers, and inflame them with a far greater love to thee.” “If riches are a consolation to the poor, because by them they are relieved of their miseries, oh how much more does thy name console us sinners, oh Mary; far more than the riches of earth it relieves us in the troubles of the present life”[Richard of St. Lawrence].
“Thy name, oh Mother of God, is full of grace and divine blessings” [St. Methodius]. And, St. Bonaventure affirms that the name cannot be pronounced but it brings some grace to him who devoutly utters it. So great is the virtue of thy name, oh most compassionate Virgin, that no one can pronounce it, however hardened, however desponding may be his heart, and not find it wonderfully softened; for thou who consoles sinners with the hope of pardon and of grace.
Mary’s Name is Like Ointment or Oil:
Thy most sweet name is a sweet ointment, which breathes the fragrance of divine grace. “May this oil of salvation descend into the depths of our soul” by which St. Ambrose intends to say: Oh Lady, remind us often to pronounce thy name with love and confidence; for thus to name thee, either is a sign that we already possess divine grace, or that we shall soon recover it. And, as Landolph [or Ludolph] of Saxony expresses it: “The remembrance of thy name, oh Mary, consoles the afflicted, brings back the wanderer to the path of salvation, encourages the sinner, and saves him from despair.”
“Thy name is as oil poured out” [cf Song of Songs 1:3]. “The glory of her name is compared to oil poured out. As oil heals the sick, diffuses odor, and kindles flame; thus the name of Mary heals sinners, rejoices hearts, and inflames them with divine Love” [Blessed Alanus]. Richard of St. Laurence encourages sinners to invoke this great name because that alone will be sufficient to cure all their maladies, adding that there is no disease so malignant that it will not at once yield to the virtue of this name.
Devils Fear It
On the other hand, the devils, as Thomas à Kempis affirms, are in such fear of the Queen of Heaven that at the sound of her great name they flee from him who pronounces it as from burning fire. The virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget that there is no sinner living so cold in divine love, that if he invokes her holy name, with the resolution to amend, the devil will not instantly depart from him. All demons so greatly venerate and fear her name, that when they hear it pronounced they immediately release the soul which they held in their chains.
Angels Draw Closer
Just as the rebel angels depart from sinners who invoke the name of Mary, on the contrary, the good angels draw closer around those just souls who devoutly pronounce it. The frequent utterance of the name of Mary is a sign that we’re already living in divine grace, or that we shall soon receive that life; for this powerful name is effectual to obtain help and life for him who devoutly invokes it [St. Germanus].
A Tower of Strength
This admirable name is like a tower of strength, by taking shelter in which the sinner will be saved from death, since from this celestial tower the most abandoned sinners come forth securely defended and saved [Richard of St. Laurence]. Richard goes on to say it’s a tower of strength which not only shields sinners from punishment but also defends the just from the assaults of hell. Next to the name of Jesus there is no name which gives such support, and through which so great salvation is bestowed upon men, as this great name of Mary. Especially is it everywhere known, and the servants of Mary daily experience, that her great name gives strength to overcome temptations against chastity. Remarking on St. Luke’s words: “And the name of the Virgin was Mary” [cf Luke 1:27], he says that these two names, Mary and Virgin, are united by the evangelist to show the name of this most pure Virgin can never be separated from chastity. Hence St. Peter Chrysologus says the name Mary is a sign of chastity; whoever is in doubt whether he has yielded to temptations against purity, if he remembers having invoked the name of Mary may be sure that he has not violated chastity.
May the Name of the Virgin Mary be Blessed through the Ages!
Special Graces for Those Who Recite the Name of Mary
Let us, then, always follow the beautiful counsel of St. Bernard, who says: “In every danger of losing divine grace let us think of Mary, let us invoke the name of Mary together with that of Jesus, for these names are always united. Let these two most sweet and powerful names never depart from our heart and our lips, for they will always give us strength to keep us from falling, and to conquer every temptation.”Very precious are the graces which Jesus Christ has promised to those…devoted to the name of Mary, as he himself, speaking to his holy mother, gave St. Bridget to understand, revealing to her that whoever will invoke the name of Mary with confidence and a purpose of amendment, shall receive three special graces, namely:
- A perfect contrition for his sins,
- The grace to make satisfaction for them and strength to obtain perfection, and, lastly,
- The glory of paradise.
For, as the divine Saviour added: “Thy words are so sweet and dear to me, oh my mother, that I cannot refuse thee what thou doest ask.”
Finally, St. Ephrem adds that the name of Mary is the key of the gate of heaven to him who devoutly invokes it. Therefore, St. Bonaventure rightly calls Mary “the salvation of all those who invoke her as if it were the same thing to invoke the name of Mary and to obtain eternal salvation.” The invocation of this holy and sweet name leads to the acquisition of superabundant grace in this life, and sublime glory in another. “If you desire, then, brethren,” concludes à Kempis, “to be consoled in every affliction, have recourse to Mary, invoke Mary, honor Mary, recommend yourselves to Mary. Rejoice with Mary, weep with Mary, pray with Mary, walk with Mary, and with Mary seek Jesus; in a word, with Jesus and Mary desire to live and die. Do this and you will always advance in the way of the Lord; for Mary will pray for you, and the Son will surely graciously listen to the mother.”
Hope of the Dying
Very sweet, then, in life to her servants, is the most holy name of Mary, on account of the great graces which it obtains for them, as we have seen above; but sweeter still will it be to them in dying by the sweet and holy death she will obtain for them. [Servant of God] Father Sertorio Caputo, SJ, exhorted all called to the bedside of the dying, to often pronounce the name of Mary, saying that this name of life and hope, pronounced in death, is alone sufficient to scatter the enemies and to comfort the dying in all their anguishes. St. Camillus of Lellis also strongly recommended it to his religious, that they should remind the dying often to invoke the name of Mary and of Jesus, as he always practiced it with others. But, more sweetly he practiced it himself at the moment of his death, when … he named with so much tenderness his beloved names of Jesus and Mary, that he inflamed also with love of them all those who heard him. And at length, with his eyes fixed on their adorable image … the saint expired in celestial peace, pronouncing with his last breath the most sweet names of Jesus and Mary. This short prayer of invoking the holy names of Jesus and Mary, says à Kempis, which is as easy to retain in the memory as it is sweet to consider, is at the same time powerful to protect whoever uses it from all the enemies of our salvation.
“Blessed is he,” says St. Bonaventure, “who loves thy sweet name, oh Mother of God. Thy name is so glorious and admirable, that those who remember to invoke it at the moment of death, do not then fear all the assaults of the enemy.”
Father Fulgentius of Ascoli, OF Cap expired singing: “Oh Mary, Mary the most lovely of all beings, let me depart in thy company.” [And] Blessed Henry the Cistercian … died with the name of Mary on his lips! Let us pray [that] God to grant us this grace, that the last word we pronounce at death may be the name of Mary, as St. Germanus desired and prayed, “Oh sweet death, oh safe death, that is accompanied and protected by such a name of salvation, that God does not permit it to be invoked in death, except by those whom he will save!”
Oh, my sweet Lady and mother, I love thee much, and because I love thee, I love also thy holy name. I purpose and hope with thy aid always to invoke it in life and death [St. Liguori].
For the glory, then, of thy name, when my soul departs from this world, wilt thou come to meet it, oh blessed Lady, and take it in thy arms? Do not disdain, oh Mary, to come and comfort it, then, with thy sweet presence. Thou art its ladder and way to paradise. Wilt thou obtain for me the grace of pardon and eternal rest? Oh Mary, our advocate, to thee it belongs to shield thy servants, and defend their cause before the tribunal of Jesus Christ [St. Bonaventure].
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* Adapted from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s treatise on the most holy name of Mary, found in his work “The Glories of Mary”.
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Art: Vierge aux roses (Virgin with roses), Giovanni, 17th century, PD-US author’s life plus 70 years or less; Himmelfahrt Mariens, Mariano Salvador Maella, by 1819, PD-US author’s life plus 100 years or less; A leaf from the “Prayer Book of Sigismund I of Poland”, Stanislaw Samostrzelnik, 1524, PD-US author’s life plus 100 years or less; Detail from The ambry in the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Miami, Florida, Farragutful photographer, 25 January 2015, own work, CCA-SA 4.0 International; The Immaculate Conception, Giambattista Tiepolo, 1767-68, PD-US author’s life plus 100 years or less; Mariae Benedictum in Saecula (May the Name of the Virgin Mary be Blessed through the Ages) colorized detail of Pseudo-Gothic Triptych, Francisco Pallàs y Puig, between 1890 and 1899, PD-US author’s term of life plus 80 years or less; Der Sterbende (The Dying Man), Lucas Cranach the Elder, PD-US published in the U.S. prior to 1 January 1923; all Wikimedia Commons.
Read the source: http://www.spiritualdirection.com/2016/09/12/name-of-mary
About Liz Estler
Editor, SpiritualDirection.com. Liz holds a Master of Arts in Ministry Degree (St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts), Liturgy Certificate (Boston Archdiocese), and a BS degree in Biology and Spanish (Nebraska Wesleyan University – Lincoln). She has served as hospital chaplain associate, sacristan, translator and in other parish ministries. She was a regular columnist for a military newspaper in Europe and has been published in a professional journal. She once waded in the Trevi Fountain!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Most_Holy_Name_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary
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William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) – The Madonna of the Roses (1903)
The Feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an optional memorial celebrated in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church on 12 September. It has been a universal Roman Rite feast since 1684, when Pope Innocent XI included it in the General Roman Calendar to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Vienna in 1683.[1] It was removed from the Church calendar by Annibale Bugnini, Secretary to the Commission for Liturgical Reform during Vatican II, but restored by Pope John Paul II in 2002, along with the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.
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Meaning of the name[edit]
In Hebrew, the name Mary is Miryam. In Our Lady’s time, Aramaicwas the spoken language, and the form of the name then in use was Mariam. In the book, The Wondrous Childhood of the Most Holy Mother of God, St. John Eudes offers meditations on seventeen interpretations of the name “Mary,” taken from the writings of “the Holy Fathers and by some celebrated Doctors”.[2] The name of Mary is venerated because it belongs to the Mother of God.[3]
Meanings ascribed to Mary’s name by the early Christian writers and perpetuated by the Greek Fathers include: “Bitter Sea,” “Myrrh of the Sea”, “The Enlightened One,” “The Light Giver,” and especially “Star of the Sea.” Stella Maris was by far the favored interpretation. These etymologies suppose that the Hebrew form of the name is Maryãm, not Miryãm. The Hebrew name of Mary, Miryãm, (in Latin Domina) means lady or sovereign.[4]
Veneration[edit]
Mary’s name occurs in the first part and in the second part of the Hail Mary.
At Rome, one of the twin churches at the Forum of Trajan is dedicated to the Name of Mary (Santissimo Nome di Maria al Foro Traiano).[3]
Promoters of veneration of the Holy Name of Mary include: Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori. A number of religious orders such as the Cistercians, customarily give each member “Mary” as part of his/her name in religion as a sign honor and of entrustment to her.[5]
Feast day[edit]
The feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3).[6] Its object is to commemorate all the privileges bestowed upon Mary by God and all the graces received through her intercession and mediation.[7]
The entry in the Roman Martyrology about the feast speaks of it in the following terms:
- The Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a day on which the inexpressible love of the Mother of God for her Holy Child is recalled, and the eyes of the faithful are directed to the figure of the Mother of the Redeemer, for them to invoke with devotion.[8]
History[edit]
The feast day began in 1513 as a local celebration in Cuenca, Spain, celebrated on 15 September.[9] In 1587 Pope Sixtus V moved the celebration to 17 September.Pope Gregory XV extended the celebration to the Archdiocese of Toledo in 1622.[3] In 1666 the Discalced Carmelites received permission to recite the Divine Office of the Name of Mary four times a year. In 1671 the feast was extended to the whole Kingdom of Spain. From there, the feast spread to all of Spain and to the Kingdom of Naples.[7]
In 1683, the Polish king, John Sobieski, arrived at Vienna with his army on the octave of the Nativity of Mary. Before the Battle of Vienna, Sobieski placed his troops under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the following year, to celebrate the victory, Pope Innocent XI added the feast to the General Roman Calendar, assigning to it the Sunday within the octave of the Nativity of Mary.[10]
The reform of Pope Pius X in 1911 restored to prominence the celebration of Sundays in their own right, after they had been often replaced by celebrations of the saints. The celebration of the Holy Name of Mary was therefore moved to 12 September.[11] Later in the same century, the feast was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 in the reform of the Calendar by Pope Paul VI, as something of a duplication of the 8 September feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary,[12]but it did not cease to be a recognized feast of the Roman Rite, being mentioned in the Roman Martyrologyon 12 September. In 2002 Pope John Paul II restored the celebration to the General Roman Calendar.[1]
Legacy[edit]
One of the local traditions surrounding the development of the croissant, holds that the day was commemorated in Vienna by the creation of a new kind of pastry shaped in the form of a half-moon from the crest on the Turkish flag. It was eaten along with coffee which was part of the booty from the Turks.
William Joseph Chaminade chose the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary as the patronal feast of the Society of Mary (Marianists) rather than a day commemorating a particular dogma or devotion in order to focus on the person of Mary.[13]
A number of parishes and schools are dedicated in honor of the Holy Name of Mary.
References[edit]
- ^ Jump up to:a b Ann Ball, 2003 Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices ISBN 0-87973-910-X page 242
- Jump up^ Alessio, Mark. “The Most Holy Name of Mary”, Catholic Family News. September 2001
- ^ Jump up to:a b c Holweck, Frederick. “Feast of the Holy Name of Mary.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 7 Aug. 2013
- Jump up^ Carol O.F.M., Juniper. “Mariology”
- Jump up^ “The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary”, Archdiocese of Sydney
- Jump up^ Foley O.F.M., Leonard. Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast, (revised by Pat McCloskey O.F.M.), Franciscan Media, ISBN 978-0-86716-887-7
- ^ Jump up to:a b Peters, M. Danielle. “The Most Holy Name of Mary”, Marian Library, University of Dayton
- Jump up^ “Martyrologium Romanum” (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)
- Jump up^ Foley O.F.M., Leonard. Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons and Feast, (revised by Pat McCloskey O.F.M.) Franciscan Media
- Jump up^http://www.catholicdoors.com/homilies/2003/030912.htm
- Jump up^