Knight of the Immaculata: July-September 2024, No. 37
Dear Knights of the Immaculata!
St. Bonaventure declared the name of Mary "cannot be pronounced without bringing some grace to him who does so devoutly." The Introit for the Mass of the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, taken from Psalm 44, is an eloquent testimony to the reason we celebrate this beautiful name:
"All the rich among the people shall entreat Thy countenance: after her shall virgins be brought to the King: her neighbours shall be brought to Thee in gladness and rejoicing. My heart hath uttered a good word: I will speak my works to the King."
We are presented to Christ by His Mother. She presents our needs and petitions to Him; she is the instrument of His mercy and of the disposition of the "Treasury of Grace" won by Him for us on Calvary; she consoles our hearts and through her maternal care, imparts to her children whatever peace or happiness we can know in this vale of tears - nothing less than the peace of Christ. We may struggle to maintain this peace in our bruised and weary hearts, but Our Lady is always ready and eager to share it with us again and again. Yes, the name of Mary, this brief, simple name, speaks volumes to us.
The Church links the feast of the Holy Name of Mary with that of her Nativity, celebrating it within the octave of the Nativity. We may therefore reflect a moment on some thoughts suggested by the name of Mary.
It is:
1st.
A name of Power. The name Mary in Syriac means mistress, lady, sovereign, because Mary is the Sovereign Queen of Heaven and Earth. Hence, St. Bernard says that the Mother of God could not have received a name that better expresses her excellence, her greatness, and her dignity.
2nd.
It is a name of Protection. For it also signifies "Star of the Sea." St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi had a vision once, in which she saw a stormy sea with many vessels on it. Some were tossed hither and thither, absolutely at the mercy of the waves, till finally they sank below the surface. Others struggled on with the utmost difficulty against the storm, expecting every moment to go down. One alone rode triumphant and uninjured through the stormy waves. At the helm stood an august Lady of commanding presence, who with one hand ruled the boisterous waters, and with the other guided the vessel safely and tranquilly amid the waves. And St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi understood that this vessel represented the company of Mary's devout children whom she herself directs to the harbour of eternal salvation.
The most holy name of Mary, joined to that of Jesus, possesses a hidden power which puts to flight the demon, and fills the soul of him who utters it in loving faith, with consolation and hope. It is a certain fact that God has attached a beneficent power of sanctification and life to the devout uttering of these two names by the faithful, and this precisely because Jesus and Mary are the dearest objects of His love. It is, then, the duty of every good Christian to pronounce these two holy names frequently and with faith, hope and reverence. We should call upon them in our needs, and do all in our power to prevent their unworthy usage by the lips of the profane.
Fr. Karl Stehlin
Warsaw, on the 27th of June,
Feast of the Mother of Perpetual Help
