MARY, OUR MOTHER

THE MOST HOLY NAME OF MARY

"Is thy name Mary, maiden fair?
"Such should, methinks, its music be.
"The sweetest name that mortals bear,
"Were best befitting thee.
"And she to whom it once given
"Was half of earth and half of heaven."
Amen. (Oliver Wendel Holmes)

Our salvation began when the Archangel Gabriel spoke the name of Mary: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God." [Luke 1: 30] And because of Mary's Fiat: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word" [Luke 1: 38], Our Savior, Jesus, the Son of God became Man and we have been praising Our Lady with the "Ave Maria!" from generation after generation in thanksgiving.

There was once a woman who had great devotion to Our Lady. And like Our lady, she had one child, but the child was "brain damaged", and though he was happy in his own way, he never learned to talk.
He could say just two words, which his mother had taught him with much patience: "Ave Maria". He seemed to love saying those words over and over. If someone asked him his name, he would only answer "Ave Maria." Everyone grew to love this "Ave Maria Boy," as they called him, and they were all sorry when one day he died.
On the day of his burial, a marvelous miracle happened. As soon as the grave was covered over, a green shoot appeared, and by evening, it was a tall and beautiful lily growing out of the grave. The mourners were startled and insisted that the gravedigger uncover its roots to find where it grew; as he removed the covering, the face of the child came into view and the mystery was solved -- the miraculous lily was springing from the child's lips. The mother and everyone rejoiced at such a wonderful sign from heaven; her little boy had been dumb in life, except for his "Ave Maria," but now from his grave he was preaching a most eloquent sermon on Our Blessed Mother and her goodness to those who have confidence in her Name! [Thanks to Fr. L. Hull, C.SS.R. for this story.]

"Thy name and thy remembrance are the desire of my soul: my soul hath desired thee in the night." (Isaias 26: 8)

When we honor the Holy Name of Mary on September 12 we are simply following the unwavering devotion of the Church from the dawn of Christianity. This devotion is appealing and powerful. There are about seventy different meanings for the name of mary. The most appealing one is that Mary means "beloved of God." It is from two words, one Egyption, "myr," which means beloved, the other Hebrew, "iam," which means God. Mariam was Moses and Aarons sister, (these are Egyptian names too) who was the first woman in the Bible to be known as Mary.

This explanation seems most correct when we consider that the Blessed Virgin was truly beloved of God. Of all men and women she was the only one who was always pleasing to God, because she alone was always free from sin (the Immaculate Conception), and thus always beloved of the Almighty. From all eternity God loved her. Out of love He created her; out of love He preserved her from sin; out of love He adorned her with every grace and beauty. In every sense her name is holy.

No wonder Mother Church honors her name. No wonder the Saints and Fathers of the Church have sung her praises. A few examples:
Saint Bonaventure:
"Blessed is the man who loves thy name, O Mary. Yes, truly blessed is he who loves thy sweet name, O Mother of God, for thy name is so glorious and admirable, that no one who remembers it has any fears at the hour of death."

Saint Anthony of Padua:
"O name of Mary! Joy in the heart, honey in the mouth, melody in the ear of her devout clients."

Fr. Thomas A Kempis, Author of "Imitation of Christ":
"Greet Mary frequently with the 'Ave Maria!' Salute Mary, think Mary, honor Mary, lean on Mary, commend yourself to Mary and repeat the Name of Mary. Be with Mary everywhere, be silent with Mary, pray with Mary, rejoice with Mary, be sad with Mary, work with Mary, walk and sit with Mary, and be recollected with Mary."

Saint Louis de Montfort:
"The salvation of each individual is bound up with the Hail Mary."

Saint Alphonsus de Liguori:
"Mary herself promised Saint Gertrude as many graces at death as she should have said 'Hail Marys.' Blessed Alan asserts, 'that as all heaven rejoices when the "Hail Mary" is said, so also do the devils tremble and take to flight.' "

So, dear friends, let us whisper quietly and lovingly: "Mary . . . Mary . . . Mary." And as we call out to her, "Hail Mary," remember the meaning of that title, "Beloved of God." Then we can understand why the Church has selected this verse from Scripture for the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary:

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
You have been blessed, O Virgin Mary, above all other women
on earth by the Lord the most high God; He has so exalted
your name that your praises shall never fade from the
mouths of men. (see Judith 13: 23, 25)