Feast of the Holy Name of Mary - 12th September 2008

On the feast of the Holy Name of Mary let us read the words of the Doctor of the faith St. Alphonsus Ligouri

The following is a text for the book by St. Alphonsus Ligouri called the Glories of Mary.

THE great name of Mary, which was 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 that are in use among them;but it came from heaven, and was given to the Virgin by divine ordinance, as St. Jerome, St. Epiphanius f St. Antoninus, and others attest.

The name of Mary was drawn from the treasury of the divinity, as Richard of St. Laurence says: From the treasury of the divinity, oh Mary, came forth thy excellent and admirable name; for the Most Holy Trinity, the same author goes on to say, 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.Among 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.

To begin with life, the holy anchorite, Honorius,says, that the name of Mary is full of all divine sweetness.And the glorious 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.

We read in the holy Canticles, that 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?' 'Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising?' And in another: 'Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights?'; Richard of St. Laurence in quires why the angels so often asked the name of this queen, and answers: 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.

The enamored St. Bernard, too, addressing his good mother with tenderness, 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 enkind ling love to thee and to God in the heart of him
who pronounces it; the thought of it alone is enough to console thy lovers, and inflame them a consolation to the poor, because by them they are relieved of their miseries, oh how much more, says Richard of St. Laurence, 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.

For more about the Holy Name of Mary refer to Chapter X of The Glories of Mary.