For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

Alleluia Ping!

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Let’s not forget the reason why this great feast was instituted in the first place. It is on the date the great Polish king Jan Sobieski defeated the Turks at Vienna in 1683, and thus saved the remnants of Christian civilization.

September 12: The Most Holy Name of Mary and Militant Islam

Catholic Devotional: Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

A Homily on the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary

Catholic Caucus: Mary, The Power of Her Name [The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary]

September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Due to her feast day on September 15, the month of September has traditionally been set aside to honor Our Lady of Sorrows. All the sorrows of Mary (the prophecy of Simeon, the three days' loss, etc.) are merged in the supreme suffering at the Passion. In the Passion, Mary suffered a martyrdom of the heart because of Our Lord's torments and the greatness of her love for Him. "She it was," says Pope Pius XII, "who immune from all sin, personal or inherited, and ever more closely united with her Son, offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and motherly love. As a new Eve, she made this offering for all the children of Adam contaminated through his unhappy fall. Thus she, who was the mother of our Head according to the flesh, became by a new title of sorrow and glory the spiritual mother of all His members."

INVOCATIONS
Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.

TO THE QUEEN OF MARTYRS
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories. Amen.

TO THE MOTHER OF SORROWS
Most holy Virgin. and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never-ending joy at His triumph; obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

IN HONOR OF THE SORROWS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.

TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS
O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen. --Saint Bonaventure

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Litany of Our Lady Of 7 Sorrows

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of the Crucified, Sorrowful Mother, Mournful Mother, Sighing Mother, Afflicted Mother, Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother, Mother most sad, Mother set around with anguish, Mother overwhelmed by grief, Mother transfixed by a sword, Mother crucified in thy heart, Mother bereaved of thy Son, Sighing Dove, Mother of Dolors, Fount of tears, Sea of bitterness, Field of tribulation, Mass of suffering, Mirror of patience, Rock of constancy, Remedy in perplexity, Joy of the afflicted, Ark of the desolate, Refuge of the abandoned,. Shiled of the oppressed, Conqueror of the incredulous, Solace of the wretched, Medicine of the sick, Help of the faint, Strength of the weak, Protectress of those who fight, Haven of the shipwrecked, Calmer of tempests, Companion of the sorrowful, Retreat of those who groan, Terror of the treacherous, Standard-bearer of the Martyrs, Treasure of the Faithful, Light of Confessors, Pearl of Virgins, . Comfort of Widows, . Joy of all Saints, Queen of thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,	Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end, Amen.
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 1. The Prophecy of Simeon 2. The Flight into Egypt . 3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple 4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross 5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb.

Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me. With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven. Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen.

Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows

Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine

Our Mother of Sorrows

ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary

Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

From: Colossians 3:1-11

Seek the Things That Are Above

[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Avoid Sin

[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
[3] For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ
who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. [5] Put to
death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] 0n account of these the wrath of God
is coming. [7] In these you once walked, when you lived in them. [8] But now
put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth.
[9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its
practices [10] and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in
knowledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there cannot be Greek and
Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but
Christ is all, and in all.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-4. The more ethical and exhortatory part of the letter begins at this point. It is
a practical application of the teaching given in the earlier chapters, designed to
suit the circumstances that have arisen in the Colossian church.

By His death and resurrection the Son of God frees us from the power of Satan
and of death. “By Baptism men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ;
they die with him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him” (Vatican II,
“Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6). In other words, Christians have been raised to
a new kind of life, a supernatural life, whereby they share, even while on earth,
in the glorious life of the risen Jesus. This life is at present spiritual and hidden,
but when our Lord comes again in glory, it will become manifest and glorious.

Two practical consequences flow from this teaching—the need to seek the
“things that are above”, that is, the things of God; and the need to pass
unnoticed in one’s everyday work and ordinary life, yet to do everything with
a supernatural purpose in mind.

As regards the first of these the Second Vatican Council has said: “In their
pilgrimage to the Heavenly city Christians are to seek and relish the things
that are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2): this involves not a lesser, but a greater
commitment to working with all men to build a world that is more human”
(”Gaudium Et Spes”, 57). Work, family relationships, social involvements—
every aspect of human affairs—should be approached in a spirit of faith and
done perfectly, out of love: “The true Christian, who acts according to this
faith”, Monsignor Escriva comments, “always has his sights set on God. His
outlook is supernatural. He works in this world of ours, which he loves
passionately; he is involved in all its challenges, but all the while his eyes
are fixed on Heaven” (”Friends of God”, 206).

Ordinary life, everyday interests, the desire to be better and to serve others
without seeking public recognition of one’s merits—all this makes for holiness
if done for love of God. A simple life “hid with Christ in God” (verse 3) is so
important that Jesus Himself chose to spend the greater part of His life on
earth living like an ordinary person: He was the son of a tradesman. “As we
meditate on these truths, we come to understand better the logic of God.
We come to realize that the supernatural value of our life does not depend
on accomplishing great undertakings suggested to us by our over-active
imagination. Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God’s will,
in welcoming generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice” ([St] J.
Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 172).

This means that those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus in His
hidden life will be people full of hope; they will be optimistic and happy
people; and after their death they will share in the glory of the Lord: they
will hear Jesus’ praise, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been
faithful over a little; I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your Master”
(Matthew 25:21).

On the value of the hidden life, see the note on Luke 2:15.

5-17. The Christian, who in Baptism has risen with Christ, should not live for
himself but for God. This means that every day he needs to put off his old
nature and put on the new.

The “old nature”, the “old man”: one who lets himself be led by disorderly
passions (cf. Rom 7:8), who lets his body do evil in the service of sin (v. 5;
cf. Rom 6:12f). With the help of grace the old nature is being more and more
broken down, while the new nature is constantly being renewed (cf. 2 Cor
6:16). Impurity and the other vices need to be uprooted so as to make room
for goodness and its train of Christian virtues (vv. 12-13), especially charity
(v. 14), which are features of the new nature.

Christ’s disciple, who has been made a new person and who lives for the Lord,
has a new and more perfect knowledge of God and of the world (v. 10). Thanks
to this he see things from a more elevated viewpoint; he has a “supernatural
insight”. This enables him to love and understand everyone without distinction
of race, nation or social status (v. 11), and to imitate Christ, who has given
himself up for all. “The Only-begotten of the Eternal Father vouchsafed to become
a son of man, that we might be made conformable to the image of the Son of God
and be renewed according to the likeness of him who created us. Therefore let all
those who glory in the name of Christians not only look upon our divine Savior as
the most sublime and most perfect model of all virtues, but also, by the careful
avoidance of sin and the unremitting practice of holiness, so reproduce in their
conduct his teaching and life, that when the Lord appears they may be like to him
in glory, seeing him as he is (cf. 1 Jn 3:2)” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”, 20).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 6:20-26

The Beatitudes and the Curses

[20] And He (Jesus) lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. [21] Blessed
are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you
that weep now, for you shall laugh. [22] Blessed are you when men
hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your
name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! [23] Rejoice in that day,
and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in Heaven; for so their
fathers did to the prophets. [24] But woe to you that are rich, for you
have received your consolation. [25] Woe to you that are full now, for
you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and
weep. [26] Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their
fathers did to the false prophets.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

20-49. These thirty verses of St. Luke correspond to some extent to the
Sermon on the Mount, an extensive account of which St. Matthew gives
us in Chapters 5 to 7 in his Gospel. It is very likely that in the course
of His public ministry in different regions and towns of Israel Jesus
preached the same things, using different words on different occasions.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit each evangelist would have chosen
to report those things which he considered most useful for the instruction
of his immediate readers—Christians of Jewish origin in the case of
Matthew, Gentile converts in the case of Luke. There is no reason why
one evangelist should not have selected certain items and another diffe-
rent ones, depending on his readership, or why one should not have laid
special stress on some subjects and shortened or omitted accounts of
others.

In this present discourse, we might distinguish three parts—the
Beatitudes and the curses (6:20-26); love of one’s enemies (6:27-38);
and teaching on uprightness of heart (6:39-49).

Some Christians may find it difficult to grasp the need of practising
the moral teaching of the Gospel so radically, in particular Christ’s
teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is very demanding in what
He says, but He is saying it to everyone, and not just to His Apostles
or to those disciples who followed Him closely. We are told expressly
that “when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished
at His teaching” (Matthew 7:28). It is quite clear that the Master calls
everyone to holiness, making no distinction of state-in-life, race or per-
sonal circumstances. This teaching on the universal call to holiness
was a central point of the teaching of (Blessed) Monsignor Escriva de
Balaguer. The Second Vatican Council expressed the same teaching
with the full weight of its authority: everyone is called to Christian
holiness; consider, for example, just one reference it makes, in “Lumen
Gentium”, 11: “Strengthened by so many and such great means of
salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state—though each
in his or her own way—are called by the Lord to that perfection of sanc-
tity by which the Father Himself is perfect.”

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is not proposing an unattainable
ideal, useful though that might be to make us feel humble in the light
of our inability to reach it. No. Christian teaching in this regard is
quite
clear: what Christ commands, He commands in order to have us do
what He says. Along with His commandment comes grace to enable
us to fulfill it. Therefore, every Christian is capable of practising the
moral teaching of Christ and of attaining the full height of his calling —
holiness—not by his own efforts alone but by means of the grace which
Christ has won for us, and with the abiding help of the means of sanc-
tification which He left to His Church. “If anyone plead human weak-
ness to excuse Himself for not loving God, it should be explained that
He who demands our love pours into our hearts by the Holy Spirit the
fervor of His love, and this good Spirit our Heavenly Father gives to
those that ask Him. With reason, therefore, did St. Augustine pray:
`Give Me what Thou command, and command what You please.’
As, then, God is ever ready to help us, especially since the death of
Christ our Lord, by which the prince of this world was cast out, there
is no reason why anyone should be disheartened by the difficulty of
the undertaking. To him who loves, nothing is difficult” (”St. Pius V
Catechism”, III, 1, 7).

20-26. The eight Beatitudes which St. Matthew gives (5:3-12) are
summed up in four by St. Luke, but with four opposite curses. We
can say, with St. Ambrose, that Matthew’s eight are included in Luke’s
four (cf. “Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.”). In St. Luke they
are in some cases stated in a more incisive, more direct form than in
the First Gospel, where they are given with more explanation: for ex-
ample, the first beatitude says simply “Blessed are you poor”, where-
as in Matthew we read, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, which contains
a brief explanation of the virtue of poverty.

20. “The ordinary Christian has to reconcile two aspects of this life
that can at first seem contradictory. There is on the one hand “true
poverty”, which is obvious and tangible and made up of definite things.
This poverty should be an expression of faith in God and a sign that
the heart is not satisfied with created things and aspires to the Creator;
that it wants to be filled with love of God so as to be able to give this
same love to everyone. On the other hand, an ordinary Christian is
and wants to be “one more among his fellow men”, sharing their way
of life, their joys and happiness; working with them, loving the world
and all the good things that exist in it; using all created things to solve
the problems of human life and to establish a spiritual and material
environment which will foster personal and social development [...].

“To my way of thinking the best examples of poverty are those mothers
and fathers of large and poor families who spend their lives for their
children and who with their effort and constancy—often without com-
plaining of their needs—bring up their family, creating a cheerful home
in which everyone learns to love, to serve and to work” ([Blessed] J.
Escriva, “Conversations”, 110f).

24-26. Our Lord here condemns four things: avarice and attachment to
the things of the world; excessive care of the body, gluttony; empty-
headed joy and general self-indulgence; flattery, and disordered desire
for human glory—four very common vices which a Christian needs to
be on guard against.

24. In the same kind of way as in verse 20, which refers to the poor in
the sense of those who love poverty, seeking to please God better, so
in this verse the “rich” are to be understood as those who strive to
accumulate possessions heedless of whether or not they are doing so
lawfully, and who seek their happiness in those possessions, as if they
were their ultimate goal. But people who inherit wealth or acquire it
through honest work can be really poor provided they are detached from
these things and are led by that detachment to use them to help others,
as God inspires them. We can find in Sacred Scriptures a number of
people to whom the beatitude of the poor can be applied although they
possessed considerable wealth—Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Job,
for example.

As early as St. Augustine’s time there were people who failed to
understand poverty and riches properly: they reasoned as follows: The
Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor, the Lazaruses of this world,
the hungry; all the rich are bad, like this rich man here. This sort of
thinking led St. Augustine to explain the deep meaning of wealth and
poverty according to the spirit of the Gospel: “Listen, poor man, to my
comments on your words. When you refer to yourself as Lazarus, that
holy man covered with wounds, I am afraid your pride makes you des-
cribe yourself incorrectly. Do not despise rich men who are merciful,
who are humble: or, to put it briefly, do not despise poor rich men. Oh,
poor man, be poor yourself; poor, that is, humble [...]. Listen to me,
then. Be truly poor, be devout, be humble; if you glory in your ragged
and ulcerous poverty, if you glory in likening yourself to that beggar
lying outside the rich man’s house, then you are only noticing his pov-
erty, and nothing else. What should I notice you ask? Read the Scrip-
tures and you will understand what I mean. Lazarus was poor, but he
to whose bosom he was brought was rich. `It came to pass, it is
written, that the poor man died and he was brought by the angels to
Abraham’s bosom.’ To where? To Abraham’s bosom, or let us say, to
that mysterious place where Abraham was resting. Read [...] and
remember that Abraham was a very wealthy man when he was on earth:
he had abundance of money, a large family, flocks, land; yet that rich
man was poor, because he was humble. `Abraham believed God and
he was reckoned righteous.’ [...] He was faithful, he did good, received
the commandment to offer his son in sacrifice, and he did not refuse to
offer what he had received to Him from whom he had received it. He
was approved in God’s sight and set before us as an example of faith”
(”Sermon”, 14).

To sum up: poverty does not consist in something purely external, in
having or not having material goods, but in something that goes far
deeper, affecting a person’s heart and soul; it consists in having a
humble attitude to God, in being devout, in having total faith. If a
Christian has these virtues and also has an abundance of material
possessions, he should be detached from his wealth and act chari-
tably towards others and thus be pleasing to God. On the other
hand, if someone is not well-off he is not justified in God’s sight on
that account, if he fails to strive to acquire those virtues in which
true poverty consists.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Mass Readings

First reading	Colossians 3:1 - 11 ©
Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him. That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

First reading

Colossians 3:1 - 11 ©

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.
That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 144

Gospel	Luke 6:20 - 26 ©
Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said: ‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied. Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh. Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets. ‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now. Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry. Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep. ‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Gospel

Luke 6:20 - 26 ©

Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:
‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.

Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Office of Readings and Invitatory Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 88 (89)
The Lord's kindness to the house of David
I will sing for ever of the kindnesses of the Lord: to generation upon generation my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said “My kindness shall be established for ever”; your faithfulness will be established in the heavens. “I have made a covenant with my chosen one. I have sworn to David my servant: To all eternity I will set your descendants firm; I shall build your house to last for all generations”. The heavens will proclaim your wonders, O Lord, the assembly of your holy ones will proclaim your faithfulness. For who in the sky can be compared to the Lord? Who could resemble the Lord among all the sons of God? God is to be feared in the council of his holy ones, great and terrible above all who surround him. Lord God of hosts, who is like you? Yours is the power, and faithfulness surrounds you. You subdue the pride of the sea: when its waves rise high, you calm them. You have trampled Rahab underfoot, like a wounded man; through the strength of your arm you have scattered your enemies. Yours are the heavens and yours is the earth, you set firm the globe and all it contains. You made the north and the south, Tabor and Hermon will rejoice in your name. Your arm it is that has the power, your hand is strong, your right hand held high. Your throne is founded on justice and right, kindness and faithfulness are your attendants. Happy the people that knows the cry of praise! They will walk in the light of your presence, Lord, and rejoice in your name all the day – for you are the splendour of their strength, and by your good will our standard is held high. For our shields belong to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 88 (89)

The Lord's kindness to the house of David

I will sing for ever of the kindnesses of the Lord:
to generation upon generation
my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said
“My kindness shall be established for ever”;
your faithfulness will be established in the heavens.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one.
I have sworn to David my servant:
To all eternity I will set your descendants firm;
I shall build your house to last for all generations”.

The heavens will proclaim your wonders, O Lord,
the assembly of your holy ones will proclaim your faithfulness.
For who in the sky can be compared to the Lord?
Who could resemble the Lord among all the sons of God?
God is to be feared in the council of his holy ones,
great and terrible above all who surround him.

Lord God of hosts, who is like you?
Yours is the power, and faithfulness surrounds you.
You subdue the pride of the sea:
when its waves rise high, you calm them.
You have trampled Rahab underfoot, like a wounded man;
through the strength of your arm you have scattered your enemies.

Yours are the heavens and yours is the earth,
you set firm the globe and all it contains.
You made the north and the south,
Tabor and Hermon will rejoice in your name.
Your arm it is that has the power,
your hand is strong, your right hand held high.
Your throne is founded on justice and right,
kindness and faithfulness are your attendants.

Happy the people that knows the cry of praise!
They will walk in the light of your presence, Lord,
and rejoice in your name all the day –
for you are the splendour of their strength,
and by your good will our standard is held high.
For our shields belong to the Lord,
and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 88 (89)
In a vision you spoke to your holy ones. You said, “I have given strength to a warrior, I have raised a chosen one from the people. I have found David my servant, I have anointed him with my holy oil. For my hand will always give him support, my right arm will give him strength. The enemy shall make no headway against him, the son of iniquity shall have no power over him. I will crush his foes in his sight and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and kindness shall be with him and his strength will be triumphant through my name. I shall extend his power over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. He will call upon me: ‘you are my father, my God and my safe refuge’. And I shall make him my first-born, supreme over all the kings of the earth. My kindness to him will continue for ever, my covenant with him will remain firm. For all ages I shall establish his descendants, and for all the days of heaven his throne will stand”. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 88 (89)

In a vision you spoke to your holy ones.
You said, “I have given strength to a warrior,
I have raised a chosen one from the people.
I have found David my servant,
I have anointed him with my holy oil.
For my hand will always give him support,
my right arm will give him strength.

The enemy shall make no headway against him,
the son of iniquity shall have no power over him.
I will crush his foes in his sight
and strike down those who hate him.
My faithfulness and kindness shall be with him
and his strength will be triumphant through my name.
I shall extend his power over the sea,
and his right hand over the rivers.

He will call upon me: ‘you are my father,
my God and my safe refuge’.
And I shall make him my first-born,
supreme over all the kings of the earth.
My kindness to him will continue for ever,
my covenant with him will remain firm.
For all ages I shall establish his descendants,
and for all the days of heaven his throne will stand”.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 88 (89)
“But if his children abandon my law and walk no more in the paths of my decrees; if they profane my judgements and do not keep to my commandments, I will punish their transgressions with a rod, I will punish their wickedness with a beating. Even so, I will not turn my kindness away from him, nor will I be untrue to my word. I will not profane my covenant, I will not go against the word I have spoken. I have sworn in my sanctuary, once and for all: I will not lie to David. His seed shall remain for ever, his throne firm as the sun in my sight, just as the moon, stays firm for ever, a faithful witness in the sky”. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 88 (89)

“But if his children abandon my law
and walk no more in the paths of my decrees;
if they profane my judgements
and do not keep to my commandments,
I will punish their transgressions with a rod,
I will punish their wickedness with a beating.

Even so, I will not turn my kindness away from him,
nor will I be untrue to my word.
I will not profane my covenant,
I will not go against the word I have spoken.
I have sworn in my sanctuary, once and for all:
I will not lie to David.
His seed shall remain for ever,
his throne firm as the sun in my sight,
just as the moon, stays firm for ever,
a faithful witness in the sky”.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Reading	Habakkuk 2:5 - 20 ©
Wealth is indeed a treacherous thing. Haughty and unable to rest is he who is as greedy as Sheol, who is like death, insatiable, who assembles all the nations for his own ends, collects all the peoples to his own advantage. On him, will not all men make satires, and turn an epigram against him? They will say: Trouble is coming to the man who amasses goods that are not his, (for how long?) and loads himself with pledges. Will not your creditors suddenly rise, will not your duns awake? Then you will be their victim. Since you have plundered many nations, all that remains of the peoples will plunder you; for you have shed men’s blood and ravished the country, the city and all who live in it. Trouble is coming to the man who grossly exploits others for the sake of his House, to fix his nest on high and so evade the hand of misfortune. You have contrived to bring shame on your House; by making an end of many peoples you have worked your own ruin. For the stone from the very walls cries out, and the beam responds from the framework. Trouble is coming to the man who builds a town with blood and founds a city on crime. Is it not the will of the Lord of Hosts that the labouring of peoples should end in fire, and the toiling of nations come to nothing? For the country shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters swell the sea. Trouble is coming to the man who makes his neighbours drink, who pours his poison until they are drunk, to look at their nakedness. You are drunk with ignominy, not with glory. Your turn now to drink and show your foreskin. The cup from the Lord’s right hand comes round to you, and disgrace will overshadow your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon is going to overwhelm you, so will the slaughter of terrified beasts, for you have shed men’s blood and ravished the country, the city and all who live in it. Trouble is coming to the man who says to the piece of wood, ‘Wake up!’ to the dumb stone, ‘On your feet!’ (And that is the oracle.) Plated it may be with gold and silver, but not a breath of life inside it. What is the use of a carved image, or for its maker to carve it at all? It is a thing of metal, a lying oracle. What is the use of its maker trusting this and fashioning dumb idols? But the Lord is in his holy Temple: let the whole earth be silent before him.

Reading

Habakkuk 2:5 - 20 ©

Wealth is indeed a treacherous thing.
Haughty and unable to rest is he
who is as greedy as Sheol,
who is like death, insatiable,
who assembles all the nations for his own ends,
collects all the peoples to his own advantage.
On him, will not all men make satires,
and turn an epigram against him?
They will say:

Trouble is coming to the man who amasses goods that are not his,
(for how long?)
and loads himself with pledges.

Will not your creditors suddenly rise,
will not your duns awake?
Then you will be their victim.

Since you have plundered many nations,
all that remains of the peoples will plunder you;
for you have shed men’s blood and ravished the country,
the city and all who live in it.

Trouble is coming to the man who grossly exploits others for the sake of his House,
to fix his nest on high
and so evade the hand of misfortune.

You have contrived to bring shame on your House;
by making an end of many peoples
you have worked your own ruin.

For the stone from the very walls cries out,
and the beam responds from the framework.

Trouble is coming to the man who builds a town with blood
and founds a city on crime.

Is it not the will of the Lord of Hosts
that the labouring of peoples should end in fire,
and the toiling of nations come to nothing?

For the country shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters swell the sea.

Trouble is coming to the man who makes his neighbours drink,
who pours his poison until they are drunk,
to look at their nakedness.
You are drunk with ignominy, not with glory.

Your turn now to drink and show your foreskin.
The cup from the Lord’s right hand comes round to you,
and disgrace will overshadow your glory.

For the violence done to Lebanon is going to overwhelm you,
so will the slaughter of terrified beasts,
for you have shed men’s blood and ravished the country,
the city and all who live in it.

Trouble is coming to the man who says to the piece of wood, ‘Wake up!’
to the dumb stone, ‘On your feet!’
(And that is the oracle.)
Plated it may be with gold and silver,
but not a breath of life inside it.

What is the use of a carved image, or for its maker to carve it at all?
It is a thing of metal, a lying oracle.
What is the use of its maker trusting this
and fashioning dumb idols?

But the Lord is in his holy Temple:
let the whole earth be silent before him.

Reading	From a sermon by St Bernard of Clairvaux
On the stages of contemplation
Let us take our stand on the tower, leaning with all our strength on Christ, the most solid rock, as it is written: He has set my feet on a rock, he has guided my steps. Thus firmly established, let us begin to contemplate, to see what he is saying to us and what reply we ought to make to him. The first stage of contemplation, my dear brothers, is to consider constantly what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his eyes. We all offend in many things; our strength cannot match the rightness of God’s will and cannot be joined to it made to fit with it. So let us humble ourselves under the powerful hand of the most high God and make an effort to show ourselves unworthy before his merciful gaze, saying Heal me, Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved. And again, Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul because I have sinned against you. Once the eye of the soul has been purified by such considerations, we no longer abide within our spirit in a sense of sorrow, but abide rather in the Spirit of God with great delight. No longer do we consider what is the will of God for us, but rather what it is in itself. For our life is in his will. Thus we are convinced that what is according to his will is in every way better for us, and more fitting. And so, if we are concerned to preserve the life of our soul, we must be equally concerned to deviate as little as possible from his will. Thus having made some progress in our spiritual exercise under the guidance of the Spirit who gazes into the deep things of God, let us reflect how gracious the Lord is and how good he is in himself. Let us join the Prophet in praying that we may see the Lord’s will and frequent not our own hearts but the Lord’s temple; and let us also say, My soul is humbled within me, therefore I shall be mindful of you. These two stages sum up the whole of the spiritual life: when we contemplate ourselves we are troubled, and our sadness saves us and brings us to contemplate God; that contemplation in turn gives us the consolation of the joy of the Holy Spirit. Contemplating ourselves brings fear and humility; contemplating God brings us hope and love.

Reading

From a sermon by St Bernard of Clairvaux

On the stages of contemplation

Let us take our stand on the tower, leaning with all our strength on Christ, the most solid rock, as it is written: He has set my feet on a rock, he has guided my steps. Thus firmly established, let us begin to contemplate, to see what he is saying to us and what reply we ought to make to him.
The first stage of contemplation, my dear brothers, is to consider constantly what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his eyes. We all offend in many things; our strength cannot match the rightness of God’s will and cannot be joined to it made to fit with it. So let us humble ourselves under the powerful hand of the most high God and make an effort to show ourselves unworthy before his merciful gaze, saying Heal me, Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved. And again, Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul because I have sinned against you.
Once the eye of the soul has been purified by such considerations, we no longer abide within our spirit in a sense of sorrow, but abide rather in the Spirit of God with great delight. No longer do we consider what is the will of God for us, but rather what it is in itself.
For our life is in his will. Thus we are convinced that what is according to his will is in every way better for us, and more fitting. And so, if we are concerned to preserve the life of our soul, we must be equally concerned to deviate as little as possible from his will.
Thus having made some progress in our spiritual exercise under the guidance of the Spirit who gazes into the deep things of God, let us reflect how gracious the Lord is and how good he is in himself. Let us join the Prophet in praying that we may see the Lord’s will and frequent not our own hearts but the Lord’s temple; and let us also say, My soul is humbled within me, therefore I shall be mindful of you.
These two stages sum up the whole of the spiritual life: when we contemplate ourselves we are troubled, and our sadness saves us and brings us to contemplate God; that contemplation in turn gives us the consolation of the joy of the Holy Spirit. Contemplating ourselves brings fear and humility; contemplating God brings us hope and love.

Concluding Prayer
O God, you have redeemed us and adopted us. Grant to your beloved children that their belief in Christ may bring them true liberty and an eternal inheritance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Devotion to the Most Holy Name of Mary

The Most Holy Name of Mary

The Holy Name of Mary - The Power of Her Name

By St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Richard of St. Laurence states "there is not such powerful help in any name, nor is there any other name given to men, after that of Jesus, from which so much salvation is poured forth upon men as from the name of Mary." He continues, "that the devout invocation of this sweet and holy name leads to the acquisition of superabundant graces in this life, and a very high degree of glory in the next."
After the most sacred name of Jesus, the name of Mary is so rich in every good thing, that on earth and in heaven there is no other from which devout souls receive so much grace, hope, and sweetness.
Hence Richard of St. Laurence encourages sinners to have recourse to this great name, "because it alone will suffice to cure them of all their evils;" and "there is no disorder, however malignant, that does not immediately yield to the power of the name of Mary." The Blessed Raymond Jordano says, "that however hardened and diffident a heart may be, the name of this most Blessed Virgin has such efficacy, that if it is only pronounced that heart will be wonderfully softened." Moreover, it is well known, and is daily experienced by the clients of Mary, that her powerful name gives the particular strength necessary to overcome temptations against purity.

September 12th is the Feast Day of The Most Holy Name of Mary

In fine, "thy name, O Mother of God, is filled with divine graces and blessings," as St. Methodius says. So much so, that St. Bonaventure declares, "that thy name, O Mary, cannot be pronounced without bringing some grace to him who does so devoutly.". . grant, O Lady, that we may often remember to name thee with love and confidence; for this practice either shows the possession of divine grace, or else is a pledge that we shall soon recover it.

On the other hand, Thomas a Kempis affirms "that the devils fear the Queen of heaven to such a degree, that only on hearing her great name pronounced, they fly from him who does so as from a burning fire." The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget "that there is not on earth a sinner, however devoid he may be of the love of God, from whom the devil is not obliged immediately to fly, if he invokes her holy name with a determination to repent." On another occasion she repeated the same thing to the saint, saying, "that all the devils venerate and fear her name to such a degree, that on hearing it they immediately loosen the claws with which they hold the soul captive." Our Blessed Lady also told St. Bridget, "that in the same way as the rebel angels fly from sinners who invoke the name of Mary, so also do the good angels approach nearer to just souls who pronounce her name with devotion."

Promises

Consoling indeed are the promises of help made by Jesus Christ to those who have devotion to the name of Mary; for one day in the hearing of St. Bridget, He promised His Most Holy Mother that He would grant three special graces to those who invoke that holy name with confidence: first, that He would grant them perfect sorrow for their sins; secondly, that their crimes should be atoned for; and, thirdly, that He would give them strength to attain perfection, and at length the glory of paradise. And then our Divine Savior added: "For thy words, O My Mother, are so sweet and agreeable to Me, that I cannot deny what thou askest."

The Most Holy Name of Mary

St. Ephrem goes so far as to say, "that the name of Mary is the key of the gates of heaven," in the hands of those who devoutly invoke it. And thus it is not without reason that St. Bonaventure says "that Mary is the salvation of all who call upon her." "O most sweet name! O Mary, what must thou thyself be, since thy name alone is thus amiable and gracious," exclaims Blessed Henry Suso.

Let us, therefore, always take advantage of the beautiful advice given us by St. Bernard, in these words: "In dangers, in perplexities, in doubtful cases, think of Mary, call on Mary; let her not leave thy lips; let her not depart from thy heart."

Names of Jesus and Mary

In every danger of forfeiting divine grace, we should think of Mary, and invoke her name, together with that of Jesus; for these two names always go together. O, then, never let us permit these two most sweet names to leave our hearts, or be off our lips; for they will give us strength not only not to yield, but to conquer all our temptations.

"The invocation of the sacred names of Jesus and Mary," says Thomas a Kempis, "is a short prayer which is as sweet to the mind, and as powerful to protect those who use it against the enemies of their salvation, as it is easy to remember."

Hour of Death

Thus we see that the most holy name of Mary is sweet indeed to her clients during life, on account of the very great graces that she obtains for them. But sweeter still will it be to them in death, on account of the tranquil and holy end that it will insure them.

Let us then, O devout reader, beg God to grant us, that at death the name of Mary may be the last word on our lips. This was the prayer of St. Germanus: "May the last movement of my tongue be to pronounce the name of the Mother of God;" O sweet, O safe is that death which is accompanied and protected by so saying a name; for God only grants the grace of invoking it to those whom He is about to save.

Father Sertorius Caputo, of the Society of Jesus, exhorted all who assist the dying frequently to pronounce the name of Mary; for this name of life and hope, when repeated at the hour of death, suffices to put the devils to flight, and to comfort such persons in their sufferings.

The Most Holy Name of Mary said Devoutly is a Prayer

"Blessed is the man who loves thy name, O Mary," exclaims St. Bonaventure. "Yes, truly blessed is he who loves thy sweet name, O Mother of God! for," he continues, "thy name is so glorious and admirable, that no one who remembers it has any fears at the hour of death." Such is its power, that none of those who invoke it at the hour of death fear the assaults of their enemies. St. Camillus de Lellis urged the members of his community to remind the dying often to utter the holy names of Jesus and Mary. Such was his custom when assisting people in their last hour.

Oh, that we may end our lives as did the Capuchin Father, Fulgentius of Ascoli, who expired singing, "O Mary, O Mary, the most beautiful of creatures! let us depart together."

Let us conclude with the tender prayer of St. Bonaventure:

"I ask thee, O Mary, for the glory of thy name, to come and meet my soul when it is departing from this world, and to take it in thine arms." (End)

Maríæ

Excerpts from the Breviary for the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Sept. 12)

It is said: And the Virgin's name was Mary. Let us speak a few words upon this name, which signifieth, being interpreted, Star of the Sea, and suiteth very well the Maiden Mother, who may very meetly be likened unto a star. A star giveth forth her rays without any harm to herself, and the Virgin brought forth her Son without any hurt to her virginity. The light of a star taketh nothing away from the Virginity of Mary. She is that noble star which was to come out of Jacob, whose brightness still sheddeth lustre upon all the earth, whose rays are most brilliant in heaven, and shine even unto hell, lighting up earth midway, and warming souls rather than bodies, fostering good and scaring away evil. She, I say, is a clear and shining star, twinkling with excellencies, and resplendent with example, needfully set to look down upon the surface of this great and wide sea.

The Most Holy Name of Mary

O thou, whosoever thou art, that knowest thyself to be here not so much walking upon firm ground, as battered to and fro by the gales and storms of this life's ocean, if thou wouldest not be overwhelmed by the tempest, keep thine eyes fixed upon this star's clear shining. If the hurricanes of temptation rise against thee, or thou art running upon the rocks of trouble, look to the star, call on Mary. If the waves of pride, or ambition, or slander, or envy toss thee, look to the star, call on Mary. If the billows of anger or avarice, or the enticements of the flesh beat against thy soul's bark, look to Mary. If the enormity of thy sins trouble thee, if the foulness of thy conscience confound thee, if the dread of judgement appal thee, if thou begin to slip into the deep of despondency, into the pit of despair, think of Mary.

In danger, in difficulty, or in doubt, think on Mary, call on Mary. Let her not be away from thy mouth or from thine heart, and that thou mayest not lack the succour of her prayers, turn not aside from the example of her conversation. If thou follow her, thou wilt never go astray. If thou pray to her, thou wilt never have need to despair. If thou keep her in mind, thou wilt never fall. If she lead thee, thou wilt never be weary. If she help thee, thou wilt reach home safe at the last - and so thou wilt prove in thyself how meetly it is said: And the Virgin's name was Mary.

Women-Faith/Family

The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Optional Memorial
September 12th

Helen Hull Hitchcock

Collect: From the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary

First Reading (1st Option): Galatians 4:4-7
When the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.

First Reading (2nd Option): Ephesians 1:3-6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Gospel Reading:Luke 1:39-47
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

September 12, 2007

Holy Name of Mary

This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3); 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 in 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.

Comment:

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 (including religious rights) of all peoples.

Quote:

“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” (Marian Sacramentary, Mass for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Optional Memorial)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Colossians 3:1-11
Psalm 145:2-3, 10-13
Luke 6:20-26

Would we wish that our own hidden sins should be divulged? We ought, then, to be silent regarding those of others.

-- St. John Baptist de la Salle

I am not trying to cause trouble here, but I have a request to make. Is there any way that these threads can be taken off of the Evangelical Christian topic list? That makes them show up in my sidebar. It doesn’t exactly fit the category - to say the least! If they are going to make it a “protected” thread with the caucus label, then they should then honor that others don’t want it shoved in their face all the time, so to speak. I understand and respect the caucus label, but can the road run both ways?

In the past I have requested this of the poster, but never received an answer as to why they would do that. It just seems wrong at best. If you are going to have such topics, then I would hope that people would abide by them and not abuse them, as is occuring here, IMHO. I would also expect that people of other denominations would also be held accountable to place in others’ topics.

To be honest, it is rather annoying when skimming the sidebar for interesting threads when time is minimal and having to wade through all the ones that should not be there. To me, that is the purpose of the sidebarm, unless I am misunderstanding the purpose.

I can take them off.

UNfortunately, many evangelicals have requested that they be included. So I apologize to them.

I did not mean to offend anyone. Just that it had been requested. You can always ignore them. Or come and learn and leave quietly.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings (on USCCB site):
» September 12, 2007
(will open a new window)

Collect: Almighty God, our creator and guide, may we serve you with all our heart and know your forgiveness in our lives. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

« September 12, 2007 »

Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Old Calendar: Most Holy Name of Mary

In accordance with Jewish custom our Lady's parents named her eight days after her birth, and were inspired to call her Mary. The Hebrew name of Mary (in Latin Domina) means lady or sovereign; this Mary is in virtue of her Son's sovereign authority as Lord of the World. We call Mary our Lady as we call Jesus our Lord. When we pronounce her name, we affirm her power, implore her aid and place ourselves under her protection.

Most Holy Name of Mary

In accordance with Jewish custom our Lady's parents named her eight days after her birth, and were inspired to call her Mary. The feast of the Holy Name of Mary therefore follows that of her Birthday, as the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus follows Christmas. The feast originated in Spain and was approved by the Holy See in 1513; Innocent XI extended its observance to the whole Church in 1683 in thanksgiving to our Lady for the victory on September 12, 1683 by John Sobieski, king of Poland, over the Turks, who were besieging Vienna and threatening the West. This day was commemorated in Vienna by creating a new kind of pastry and shaping it in the form of the Turkish half-moon. It was eaten along with coffee which was part of the booty from the Turks.

The ancient Onomastica Sacra have preserved the meanings ascribed to Mary's name by the early Christian writers and perpetuated by the Greek Fathers. "Bitter Sea," "Myrrh of the Sea," "The Light Giver," "The Enlightened One," "Lady," "Seal of the Lord," and "Mother of the Lord" are the principal interpretations. These etymologies suppose that the Hebrew form of the name is Maryãm, not Miryãm. From the time of St. Jerome until the 16th century, preferred interpretations of Mary's name in the West were "Lady," "Bitter Sea," "The Light Giver," and especially "Star of the Sea." Stella Maris was by far the favored interpretation. The revival of Hebraic studies, which accompanied the Renaissance, led to a more critical appraisal of the meanings assigned to Our Lady's name. Miryãm has all the appearance of a genuine Hebrew name, and no solid reason has been discovered to warrant rejecting the Semitic origin of the word. The Hebrew name of Mary, Miryãm, (in Latin Domina) means lady or sovereign; this Mary is in virtue of her Son's sovereign authority as Lord of the World. We call Mary our Lady as we call Jesus our Lord, and when we pronounce her name we affirm her power, implore her aid and place ourselves under her protection.

Excerpted from Mariology by Juniper B. Carol, O.F.M.

Patron: People named Stella Maris, Estelle, Astrid, Astra, Muriel or Mary.

Symbols: Star of David, or six-pointed star appropriate for this feast.

Things to Do:

Learn the hymn Ave Maris Stella.
Pray the Divine Praises.

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 85 (86)
A poor man's prayer in time of trouble
Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and destitute. Keep my life safe, for I am faithful; O God, save your servant, who trusts in you. Take pity upon me, O Lord, for I call to you all the day long. Make your servant’s heart glad, for to you, O Lord, I have raised it. For you, Lord, are gentle and mild: you are kind to all those who call on you. Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord! Turn to the voice of my pleading! In my time of trouble I call on you, for you, O Lord, will hear me. No other god is like you, O Lord, and nothing compares with your works. All people – all nations you made – will come and worship before you; they will give glory to your name. For you are great, you work wonders: you alone are God. O Lord, teach me your paths, and I will come to your truth. Make my heart simple and guileless, so that it honours your name. I will proclaim you, Lord my God, and give you praise with all my heart. I will give glory to your name for ever, for your great kindness is upon me: you have rescued me from the deepest depths. O God, the proud rise against me, in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life: they do not keep you in their sight. And you, Lord, are a God of compassion, full of mercies, patient and true. Look upon me, have mercy upon me, give your strength and protection to your servant your servant, the child of your handmaid. Give me a sign of your goodness, let my enemies see it and be confounded; because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 85 (86)

A poor man's prayer in time of trouble

Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me,
for I am poor and destitute.
Keep my life safe, for I am faithful;
O God, save your servant, who trusts in you.

Take pity upon me, O Lord,
for I call to you all the day long.
Make your servant’s heart glad,
for to you, O Lord, I have raised it.
For you, Lord, are gentle and mild:
you are kind to all those who call on you.

Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord!
Turn to the voice of my pleading!
In my time of trouble I call on you,
for you, O Lord, will hear me.

No other god is like you, O Lord,
and nothing compares with your works.
All people – all nations you made –
will come and worship before you;
they will give glory to your name.
For you are great, you work wonders:
you alone are God.

O Lord, teach me your paths,
and I will come to your truth.
Make my heart simple and guileless,
so that it honours your name.
I will proclaim you, Lord my God,
and give you praise with all my heart.
I will give glory to your name for ever,
for your great kindness is upon me:
you have rescued me from the deepest depths.

O God, the proud rise against me,
in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life:
they do not keep you in their sight.
And you, Lord, are a God of compassion,
full of mercies, patient and true.
Look upon me, have mercy upon me,
give your strength and protection to your servant
your servant, the child of your handmaid.

Give me a sign of your goodness,
let my enemies see it and be confounded;
because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Canticle	Isaiah 33
The Lord will give just judgement
Hear what I have done, you who are far off, and you who are near, learn of my strength. In Sion, the sinners are afraid; the hypocrites tremble. Which of you could live with a devouring fire? Which of you will abide in everlasting burning? He who walks in justice, he who speaks fairly – he who rejects the spoils of robbery – he who throws back a bribe – he who blocks his ears against murderous counsels – he who shuts his eyes against evil sights – this is he who will dwell on high, secure in a fortress of rocks. Bread is given to him; his supply of water is secure. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Isaiah 33

The Lord will give just judgement

Hear what I have done, you who are far off,
and you who are near, learn of my strength.
In Sion, the sinners are afraid;
the hypocrites tremble.
Which of you could live with a devouring fire?
Which of you will abide in everlasting burning?

He who walks in justice, he who speaks fairly –
he who rejects the spoils of robbery –
he who throws back a bribe –
he who blocks his ears against murderous counsels –
he who shuts his eyes against evil sights –
this is he who will dwell on high, secure in a fortress of rocks.
Bread is given to him; his supply of water is secure.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 97 (98)
The Lord has brought salvation
Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders. His right hand, his holy arm, have brought him victory. The Lord has shown his saving power, and before all nations he has shown his justice. He has remembered to show his kindness and his faithfulness to the house of Israel. The farthest ends of the earth have seen the saving power of our God. Rejoice in God, all the earth. Break forth in triumph and song! Sing to the Lord on the lyre, with the lyre and with music. With trumpets and the sound of the horn, sound jubilation to the Lord, our king. Let the sea resound in its fulness, all the earth and all its inhabitants. The rivers will clap their hands, and the mountains will exult at the presence of the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge all the world in justice, and the peoples with fairness. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 97 (98)

The Lord has brought salvation

Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has worked wonders.

His right hand, his holy arm,
have brought him victory.
The Lord has shown his saving power,
and before all nations he has shown his justice.
He has remembered to show his kindness
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.
The farthest ends of the earth
have seen the saving power of our God.

Rejoice in God, all the earth.
Break forth in triumph and song!
Sing to the Lord on the lyre,
with the lyre and with music.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn,
sound jubilation to the Lord, our king.

Let the sea resound in its fulness,
all the earth and all its inhabitants.
The rivers will clap their hands,
and the mountains will exult at the presence of the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge all the world in justice,
and the peoples with fairness.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Short reading	Job 1:21 - 2:10 ©
Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord! we take happiness from God’s hand, must we not take sorrow too?

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Christ feeds and cares for the Church, for which he gave his very self. And so we pray: - Lord, look after your Church.
Blessed are you, shepherd of your Church, because today you give us light and life:: make us truly grateful for such wonderful gifts.
Look kindly on the flock you have gathered in your name:: let no-one perish from the flock your Father has given you.
Lead your Church along the path of your commandments:: may the Holy Spirit keep her faithful to you.
By the feast of bread and the Word, give life to your Church:: nourish her and give her the strength to follow you with joy.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Lord, in your kindness fill our deepest being with your holy light,
so that we may be steadfast in our devotion to you:
for your wisdom created us and your providence guides us.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

Then may I suggest that the right thing to do is to ping them separately and NOT put Evangelical Christian in the topic list. I have requested this in the past. And I am now requesting it again. :)

Vultus Christi

And the Virgin's Name Was Mary

The Most Holy Name of Mary

Sirach 24:17–21
Luke 1:46–48, 49–50, 53–54
Luke1:26–38

Victory in the Name of Mary

In 1683 Pope Innocent XI extended the existing Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary to the universal Church to thank Our Lady for the victory of John Sobieski, king of Poland, over the forces of militant Islam. On September 11th, 1683, Muslim Turks attacked Vienna, threatening the Christian West. The next day, Sobieski, invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary and placing his forces under her protection, emerged victorious.

A Feast Restored to the Roman Missal

In the culture of the Middle East one thinks more readily in terms of centuries than in terms of years. It would seem that Osama Bin Ladin chose September 11th for the attack on the United States in memory of that attack on the West on September 11th, 1683. Symbolic dates are important. Pope John Paul II restored the feast of the Holy Name of Mary with the publication of the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal in 2002, one year after the attacks of September 11th, 2001.

The Invocation of the Name of Mary

The Holy Mother of God is no stranger to the struggles of her children in this valley of tears. She is attentive to every situation that threatens this world of ours, to every assault against the Church and, when we invoke her Holy Name, she is quick to intervene. When it comes to calling upon the Name of Mary, there is no struggle too global and too enormous, and no struggle too personal or too little. In the Bible, the name wields a mysterious power. Names are not to be pronounced casually or lightly. Names are not to be taken in vain. The invocation of the name renders present the one who is named. So often as you pronounce the sweet Name of Mary with devotion and confidence, Mary is present to you, ready to help. So often as you pronounce the sweet Name of Mary, you have her full and undivided attention.

As Oil Poured Out

The saints, drawing on a verse from the Song of Songs, compare the Name of Mary to a healing oil. “Thy Name is as oil poured out” (Ct 1:2). Oil heals the sick, gives off a sweet fragrance, and nourishes fire. In the same way the Name of Mary is like a balm on the wounds of the soul; there is no disease of the soul, however malignant, that does not yield to the power of the Name of Mary. The sound of Mary’s Name causes joy to spring up; the repetition of Mary’s Name warms the heart. If you would touch the Heart of the Father, pronounce the Name of Jesus; if you would touch the Heart of Jesus, pronounce the Name of Mary.

Monastic Devotion

The Cistercians, the Carthusians, and the Olivetan Benedictines give to each and every monk and nun the sweet Name of Mary, as a sign of mystical identification with her, a pledge of entrustment to her, and a seal and safeguard of the monastic consecration. Father Gaucheron and Mother Marie des Douleurs deliberately chose this same age–old monastic custom for the Congregation of Jesus Crucified in 1930. They wanted each Sister to be continually reminded of her identification with the Blessed Virgin Mary in all her mysteries, especially in the “Yes” of the Annunciation and in her Compassion at the foot of the Cross. How precious this custom is! Every time a Sister is named, her mystical identification with Mary is reinforced, the protection of Mary is claimed over her, and the presence of Mary envelops her.

Of Mary Never Enough

The sophisticated and clever of the world, high and dry in their rationalism, smiled condescendingly at this naive practice of devotion. The reformers of 1968 judged it outdated and superfluous and, in seeking to make it optional, thought themselves wiser than their forbears. But the saints, I tell you, think otherwise. The saints understand the power of the Name of Mary. They understand that he or she who bears the Holy Name of Mary carries a shield against the poisonous darts of the enemy. Even whispered, the Name of Mary rejoices heaven and causes demons to tremble. For the saints there can never be too much of Mary. De Maria numquam satis. Of Mary, never enough! I cannot help but think that the suppression of the Name of Mary in so many monasteries and Congregations was a thorn in her maternal Heart.

Saint Bernard

No one has spoken more eloquently of the Holy Name of Mary than Saint Bernard. Last Sunday, at the end of his brilliant discourse at the Abbey of Heiligenkreuz, the Holy Father quoted Saint Bernard’s sermon on the Name of Mary. Allow his words to plant deep within your hearts the gift of an abiding devotion to Mary’s sweet Name:

Let us say a few words about this Name
which means “Star of the Sea”
and is so appropriate to the Virgin Mother.

She — I tell you — is that splendid and wondrous star
suspended as if by necessity over this great wide sea,
radiant with merit and brilliant in example.

O you, whoever you are,
who feel that in the tidal wave of this world
you are nearer to being tossed about among the squalls and gales
than treading on dry land:
if you do not want to founder in the tempest,
do not avert your eyes from the brightness of this star.

When the wind of temptation blows up within you,
when you strike upon the rock of tribulation,
gaze up at this star,
call out to Mary.

Whether you are being tossed about
by the waves of pride or ambition,
or slander or jealousy,
gaze up at this star,
call out to Mary.

When rage or greed or fleshly desires
are battering the skiff of your soul,
gaze up at Mary.

When the immensity of your sins weighs you down
and you are bewildered by the loathsomeness of your conscience,
when the terrifying thought of judgment appalls you
and you begin to founder in the gulf of sadness and despair,
think of Mary.

In dangers, in hardships, in every doubt,
think of Mary, call out to Mary.
Keep her in your mouth,
keep her in your heart.

Follow the example of her life,
and you will obtain the favour of her prayer.

Following her, you will never go astray.
Asking her help, you will never despair.
Keeping her in your thoughts, you will never wander away.

With your hand in hers, you will never stumble.
With her protecting you, you will not be afraid.
With her leading you, you will never tire.

Her kindness will see you through to the end.
Then you will know by your own experience
how true it is that the Virgin’s Name was Mary.

Posted by Father Mark on September 12, 2007 5:13 AM | Permalink