Most Holy Name of Mary

“And the Virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27). It is thus that the evangelist identifies the maiden, whom the Archangel Gabriel invites to become the Mother of God’s only Son. The name “Mary” comes from “Maria,” which is Greek for the Hebrew “Miriam.” From reading the Old Testament, we know that Moses’s sister was named Miriam (Num. 26:59) and that it was she who led the Israelite women in song and dance after their people had crossed the Red Sea (Ex. 15:20–21). Various interpretations have been given to the name, but perhaps “beloved” is the most authentic. Because the Archangel Gabriel greeted Mary with the words “Blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:28), indeed she is the most “beloved” of all creatures, for she is the one whom God chose to be the Mother of his Son.

St. Bernard, in his second sermon (Missus est) in praise of the Virgin Mary, says: “Let us say something about this name.… In dangers, anguish, and doubt, call upon Mary. Let her name be always on your lips and in your heart. The better to obtain her help, imitate the example of her life. With her as your guide, you will never go astray; by invoking her, you will not lose heart; while she holds your hand, you will not fall; with her protecting you, you have nothing to fear; walking with you, you will not grow weary; enjoying her favor, you will reach your goal.” Thanks to Bernard’s sermons, devotion to the Holy Name of Mary spread through Europe, so that in 1523 the Diocese of Cuenca, Spain, was the first to be granted permission to celebrate this feast. Then Pope Innocent XI (1676–89), because of a remarkable Christian victory, extended it in 1683 to the universal Church.

For two months in 1683, Turkish troops, approximately 300,000 in number, surrounded Vienna. Because their presence was a threat to all Europe, Europe’s princes came to Vienna’s assistance. King John III Sobieski of Poland (reigned 1674–96) left Poland with an army of 25,000 on August 15 and marched toward Vienna. On arriving, he gathered the several small armies into one and took command—he only had 80,000 men. On the morning of September 12, a day within the octave of Mary’s Nativity, he attended Mass, received Holy Communion, and when Mass was over he addressed his officers saying: “Let us march with confidence under the protection of Heaven and with the aid of the Most Holy Virgin.” That day, the battle was bitter, but because the Turks were caught between crossfire, they were forced to retreat. Europe and Vienna were saved. The Christian army and world were convinced that this decisive victory was not due to military strategy but to the intercession of Mary, whose name King John had invoked before battle. The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary was originally observed on the Sunday following Mary’s Nativity, but Pius X (1903–14) changed the date to September 12, the anniversary of Vienna’s liberation.