Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary

Today (and every September 12) the Church celebrates the Most Holy Name of Mary, a feast day established by Pope Innocent XI in 1684. This venerable tradition honors the name of the Mother of Jesus Christ as a sign of grace, protection, and maternal intercession. To call upon the Blessed Virgin Mary is to beseech the Queen of Heaven and Earth, asking her to lift the faithful from the depths of human brokenness.

Today’s readings sound a bold warning against idolatry (the worship of an idol or physical object as if it were a deity). In 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, Saint Paul makes this matter plain: no soul can share the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Fellowship with both Christ and those who reject him provokes the wrath of God. Sister Columbus, my 3rd-grade catechism teacher, would add Ouija boards and using the Lord’s name in vain to the list of dangerous behaviors.

The choice admits no compromise. Choose either the cup of salvation or the cup of ruin.

The Psalmist points toward hope, “The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord” (Psalm 16:13). Gratitude becomes the proper response to mercy received. Christ himself promises this reward in John 14:23: “If a man loves me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and will come unto Him.”

The road to salvation runs thick with trial, doubt, and illness. Through every hardship, fix your gaze upon Christ. The rich tradition of the Church comforts the suffering and consoles those drawing near to eternity. What a blessing to belong to so great a faith.

Some history of the Congregation … On September 12, 1863, Father Eymard received approval from the bishop of Angers, France, Bishop Angebault, to establish the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament.

Let Us Pray:

Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen, Mary, Mother of God, ever Virgin. You were chosen by the Most High Father in Heaven, consecrated by Him, with His Most Holy Beloved Son and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. On you descended and still remains all the fullness of grace and every good. Hail, His Palace. Hail, His Tabernacle. Hail, His Robe. Hail, His handmaid. Hail, His Mother. And Hail, all holy Virtues, who, by grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are poured into the hearts of the faithful so that from their faithless state, they may be made faithful servants of God through you. Amen. (Saint Francis of Assisi’s prayer praising Mary, the Mother of Jesus)