Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary

READINGS

Why is a person's name so important?

Responsorial Psalm Lk 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

R. (49) The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." R. (49) The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. "For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name." R. (49) The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. "He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit." R. (49) The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. "He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty." R. (49) The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name "He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever." R. (49) The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

Why is a name important?

In Genesis God gave Adam the duty to give each creature He created its name. If God thinks names are important then they are.

God often renamed people in the Old Testament. Abram was renamed Abraham. Sarai was given the name Sarah. Jacob was renamed Israel. Jesus renamed one of his disciples in the New Testament. He renamed Simon, Peter.

When God renames someone it is believed that they are being elevated and given a blessing. Abram was renamed Abraham. Abram means "exalted father" and Abraham means "father of many," which was the promise God made to Abraham for his obedience in offering his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.

In the Catholic Catechism of the Church, "Everyone's name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it." (CCC 2158) What a beautiful thought, "The name is the icon of the person." An icon is a sacred image of someone's image painted in prayer. Our names are a prayerful representation of our person.

Today we venerate the holy name of Mary, the Mother of God.

The name Mary can be traced back to ancient languages: in Hebrew the name is Myriam; in Aramaic Maryam; in Greek in the Old Testament, Miriam; and in the Greek and Latin of the New Testament, Maria. Mary's name has a meaning. It means "lady, beautiful one, or well-beloved." How true is the meaning of the Blessed Virgin Mary's name! She is "well-beloved" by the Most Holy Trinity and by faithful Catholics, even Muslims and some other religions.

Let us pray a rosary and place roses at Our Mother Mary's feet to honor her "yes" to doing the Father's Will.