The Catholic Defender: Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Most Holy Name of Mary feast day honors Mary, the Mother of God, as blessed. It takes place each year on September 12th, four days after the feast of the Birth of the Blessed Mother. The feast day encourages us all to pray for her intercession to deepen our love of Christ and our relationship with the Lord.

"May the sweet Name of Mary be my hope and my refuge."may receive strength and comfort in all our needs.Amen.”

Prayer from the Mass for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Lord our God,

when your Son was dying on the altar of the cross,

he gave us as our mother

the one he had chosen to be his own mother,

the Blessed Virgin Mary;

grant that we who call upon

the holy name of Mary, our mother,

with confidence in her protection

may receive strength and comfort in all our needs. Amen.”

Mary's name evokes tenderness and maternity. All Christians should call upon the blessed name of the Mother of God as the most powerful intercessor before the throne of Her Son in heaven. Her name puts us in relationship with her. She is not far away.

This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus; both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters.

The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV of Constantinople. After Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the entire Church.

Mary always points us to God, reminding us of God’s infinite goodness. She helps us to open our hearts to God’s ways, wherever those may lead us. Honored under the title “Queen of Peace,” Mary encourages us to cooperate with Jesus in building a peace based on justice, a peace that respects the fundamental human rights of all peoples.

"And Mary said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. ' And the angel departed from her." "His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do [it]." "And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies Magnifies the Lord.