“Maria! …And suddenly I’ve found how wonderful a sound can be!”
Colors, fabrics, and feet flew everywhere around him at the high school dance, yet this young man stood stunned as he spoke the name of the young lady he admired.
“The most beautiful sound I ever heard… All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word…”
Many of us know this scene from the musical West Side Story. I wonder how many of us realize that this name—Maria, Mary, Marie, Miriam, and all its derivatives—is actually so beautiful and important that the Church has dedicated a day on the calendar to it for hundreds of years! In our time, that day is September 12, the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, and the saints encourage us to call on her name every day.
Do we know why her name is so important?
Imagine that an archangel appeared to you on a seemingly ordinary day. What if this heavenly being addressed you with a new name? That is what happened to Mary: “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you,” Gabriel proclaimed (cf. Luke 1).
“But let us think of Mary’s wonder,” Pope Francis once reflected before praying the Angelus, “only then did she discover her truest identity. Indeed, by calling her by that name (full of grace), God reveals her greatest secret to her, which was previously unknown to her.”
This was all clearly overwhelming for Mary. Gabriel continued to speak with her in a more familiar tone,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
Mary did not understand. She sought understanding by asking a question, but we may guess that she realized there was no way for her to truly understand what was proposed to her. She courageously concluded;
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done unto me according to your word.”
Mary’s name is powerful because it is the name of the human being whose humble cooperation with God’s grace brought Jesus Christ into the world, to conquer sin and death.
If you’ve ever winced or felt near-physical pain when you’ve heard a particular person’s name, you can ever-so-slightly understand why the name of Mary is repugnant to Satan. Many saints have testified that demons flee from a repentant person who calls on her name.
Some people throughout history, among them Blessed Giovanni Ancina, have even been given a profound gift; whenever they spoke the name of Mary, their lips would taste sweet!
“Maria!” sings an enamored Tony in West Side Story. “I’ll never stop saying Maria!” Neither should we. In addition to praying the Rosary, we can reverently pray at any time the names of the Holy Family; “Jesus, Mary, Joseph.” To such a prayer spoken with devotion and humility, heaven answers while hell trembles.
This should teach us the power of a name. When we are baptized, we are adopted as a child of God by name. When we are confirmed, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit by name. All of the sacraments, all of our prayers, all rites of the Church are prayed in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church professes:
“God calls each one by name. 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” (no. 2158).
What is your name? Do you realize how precious a treasure your name is? That it is known by angels, by saints, by demons? Most importantly, do you realize that at this very moment, God is calling you by your name?
The power of Mary’s name is a reminder that your name and mine can become icons of Heaven’s presence and victory, if we cooperate humbly with God’s grace.
Blessed Mother Mary, pray for us! Help us to see God’s love for us today. Help us to respect our name and the names of others.
Originally written by Pilgrim Center of Hope for Today's Catholic newspaper.
Angela Sealana is the Communications & Media Coordinator for Pilgrim Center of Hope, having served at the apostolate since 2010. She also serves on the PCH Speaker Team.
Pilgrim Center of Hope provides events, experiences, and media; initiating a desire in people to encounter Jesus Christ in their daily journey of life. See what’s happening & let us journey with you! Visit PilgrimCenterOfHope.org.
