The Holy Name of Mary

# The Holy Name of Mary

## History of the Feast

The devotion to the Holy Name of Mary originated in Spain during the 16th century, and it was introduced into the general liturgical calendar by Pope Sixtus V to be celebrated on September 17th, the octave of her Nativity. In 1914, Pope Pius X transferred the feast to September 12th, marking the anniversary of Vienna’s liberation from the Turks in 1683, attributed to the intervention of Mary. Following the liturgical reforms after Vatican II, this feast was removed in 1969 under Pope Paul VI but later reinstated as a facultative memorial in 2001 by Saint John Paul II.

## The Mystery Celebrated in Commemoration of the Holy Name of Mary

On September 12th, the Church traditionally celebrates the Holy Name of Mary, emphasizing a biblical and salvational historical motif. In Scripture, the name signifies the person; however, for ancient Hebrew culture, the person is inseparable from their community. The name represents a meeting point between the individual, their family, and the people to whom that family belongs.

In this sense, the name reflects a concept of personhood contrary to modern and post-modern Western individualism. In Western society, an individual constructs their name; in biblical faith, all are considered significant because they are part of a deep communion where the past is a gift for living the future with justice and integrity, not a restrictive limitation on freedom.

By naming their daughter Mary, her parents bestowed upon her the greatest treasure of Israel’s faith: liberation from the Lord’s hand in Egypt. Mary was indeed the name of Moses’ sister, the prophetess who, according to the Book of Exodus, guided women in giving thanks to God for the passage through the Red Sea (Ex 15:19-21). In bestowing such a treasure through her name, Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anne (according to apocryphal traditions), can be understood as a woman called to prophecy: a woman chosen to find life in God and to await Him for the fulfillment of the final exodus and liberation in the messianic times.

## Mariology: The Name and Vocation of Mary

> **The Name as a True Vocation**

Mary’s name, given to her by her parents, is truly a vocation because she commits herself to live in a way worthy of God who spoke to Moses, saying, “Tell the whole community of Israel that they must be holy, for I, the Lord their God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:1-2). This same God later promised the coming of Emmanuel, the righteous shoot from the house of David (Isaiah 7:14; Jeremiah 33:14-17).

> **Mary’s Response to Her Vocation**

The Gospel of Luke, proclaimed during the celebration, testifies that Mary responded with all her being, freely and voluntarily, in the fullness of her human nature and femininity, to this vocation inscribed in her name. She is chosen to give face, flesh, and form to the Holy One of God (Luke 1:35), the one who will be named Jesus (Luke 1:30). And it is this Jesus that the Church proclaims as “the Name given to mankind for their salvation” (Acts 4:12).

> **The Fulfillment of the Promise**

The fulfillment of God’s faithful promise is so profound that Mary, like Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17:5.15-16), in a sense needs her name to be changed, transformed, so she can participate in the work of him who makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). It is God himself who gives Mary a new name, declaring her “full of grace” (Luke 1:28; cf. John Paul II, *Redemptoris Mater*, 8-10).

> **A New Name and the Unprecedented Nature of Incarnation**

This new name signifies the unprecedented and unfathomable nature of the virgin birth of the true Son of God (Luke 1:35). The Gospel clearly states that today’s celebration centers on the name of Jesus, for his Person is our salvation. To adhere to him with all our being, following Mary’s example (cf. *Prayer over the Offerings*), is to confirm through our entire life the renouncements and choices made at Baptism (cf. *Prayer after Communion*).

The disturbance of Mary before the novelty of God’s work, the virgin conception of the Son of the Most High by the power of the Spirit and her consequent new name of Full of Grace, marks the beginning of her path of faith, which will lead her to become Servant of the Lord (Lk 1:38), the wise woman described in the first reading of the Eucharistic celebration, our Mother in the order of grace (cf. Collect Prayer; Preface; Jn 19:25-27; Vatican II Council, Lumen Gentium, 61) whose name blessed (cf. Entrance Antiphone; Lk 1:42) and blessed (cf. Communion Antiphone; Lk 1:45) is present in the hearts of faithful with love and grateful lips (cf. Preface). 

The Meaning of the Name Mary

«Her name was Mary [Μαριάμ]» (Lk 1:27)

The Virgin then received a name: Mary. The name of Mary may come from two roots, one Egyptian and another Hebrew. In Egyptian, myr means beloved, while in Hebrew, jam is an abbreviation of YHWH, the God of revelation and mercy. According to another etymology, Mary would mean elevated or sublime. 

Beyond various interpretations, one fact remains: God looked at Mary with tender love and called her to be the Mother of the Savior. All this is also recalled in the Preface of the Mass Votive of The Holy Name of Mary, where, after thanking the Father for Jesus Christ, in whose name is all our salvation (cf. Acts 4:12), God is praised and blessed for his name, person, and unique role in salvation history:

Mass

Entrance Antiphone Cf. Jdt 13:18-19

Blessed are you, Lord God Most High,

among all women on earth, O Holy Virgin Mary.

The Lord has filled your name with glory

so that all generations will sing your praises.

Collect Prayer

Grant, Almighty God,

the gifts of your mercy to all who celebrate the glorious name of the Holy Virgin Mary,

through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who is God, and lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.

Prayer over the Offerings

As we venerate the admirable name of the Holy Virgin Mary,

receive benignly, Lord, our offerings.

Make us, O Lord, a pleasing sacrifice in your sight.

Through Christ our Lord.

Preface

In your providence,
You wish the name of Mary to resound on the lips of the faithful.
The Christian people looks at her as a bright star,
Invokes her as Mother,
And in danger turns to her as a safe refuge.

Antiphona Communi Cf. Lk 1:48

All generations will call me blessed,
For God has looked upon his humble servant.

Prayer After Communion

Pour out on us, Lord, the grace of your blessing,
Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
That we may, celebrating her venerable name,
Receive her help in all our needs.

Through Christ our Lord.

To deepen reflection on the Holy Name of Mary and its veneration in Church tradition, consult the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus by Paul VI, which guides authentic Marian worship including devotion to the Name of Mary.

Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Marian Theology, Marian Apparitions and the Master’s in Mariology.