The feast of the Very holy name of Mary It was granted by the Vatican, in 1513, to a diocese of Spain, Cuenca. Suppressed by San Pio V, it was restored by Sixtus V and then extended in 1671 to the Kingdom of Naples and Milan. On September 12, 1683, having Giovanni III Sobieski with his Poles won the Turks who besieged Vienna and threatened Christianity, the Blessed Innocent XI, in thanksgiving, extended the party to the universal Church and set it on Sunday between the eighth of the Nativity. Pope San Pio X brought it back to September 12th.
According to the Roman martyrology, the meaning of this anniversary is to recall “the ineffable love of the Mother of God towards his most holy Son and is proposed to the faithful the figure of the Mother of the Redeemer so that he is devotedly invoked”.
In the history of exegesis there have been different interpretations of the meaning of the name of Mary. Here are some.
Byzantine Marian icon
BITTERNESS
This meaning was given by some rabbis: they derive the name Miryam from the root Mrr = in Hebrew “be bitter”. These rabbis claim that Mary, sister of Moses, was called so because, when she was born, Pharaoh began to make the life of the Israelites bitter, and made the decision to kill Jewish children. This interpretation can be accepted by us Christians thinking how much pain and how much bitterness has suffered Mary in accompanying us: (Lam. 1:12) You who pass through the way, consider and observed if there is a pain similar to my pain … Furthermore, the devil, of which the pharaoh is a figure, makes war on the woman’s lineage, making life bitter to the true devotees of Mary, who, moreover, protected from their queen.
Teacher and lady of the sea
According to this interpretation, the name of Mary would derive from Moreh (Ebr. Maestra-Signora) + Yam (= sea): Like Maria, the sister of Moses, he was a teacher of Jewish women in the passage of the Red Sea and teacher in the song of Vittoria (cf es 15,20), so “Maria is the teacher and the lady of the sea of this century, who she makes us cross leading us to the sky” (S. Ambrogio, Exhort. to virgins).
Other ancient authors who suggest this interpretation: Filone, S. Girolamo, S. Epifanio. This typological parallel between Mary sister of Moses and Mary, Mother of God, is taken up by S. Agostino, Which calls Maria “Tympanistria Nostra” (Mary sister of Moses and the shy player of the Jews, Maria Ss. It is the Tympanistria, that is, of the Christians: the Canticle of Moses of the New Testament would be the Magnificat, sung precisely by Mary: this interpretation is supported today by P. Le Deaut, one of the greatest connoisseurs of tergumic and Jewish literature in general, according to this author, voluntarily this parallelism.
Illuminator, Stella del Mare
According to this interpretation, the name of Mary derives from: nominal prefix (or participial) m + ‘or (heb. = Light) + yam (= sea): thus S. Gregorio Taumaturgo, S. Isidoro, S. Girolamo (together with the previous one). Some authors believe that S. Girolamo actually did not interpret the name as “Stella del Mare”, but as “Stilla Maris”, that is: drop of the sea. The presence of the “sea” root in the name of Mary, suggested different interpretations and/comparisons of Mary with the “sea”: Pietro di Celles (+1183) Maria = “Mare of thanks”: from here Montfort resumes: “God the father gathered all the waters and called them sea, gathered all the graces and called them Mary” (true devotion, 23). Qohelet 1.7: “All rivers enter the sea”; S. Bonaventura argues that all the graces (= all the rivers) that the angels, apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins have had “merged” in Mary, the sea of graces. S.Brigida: “That’s why Mary’s name is sweet for angels and terrible for demons”.
seasonal rain
According to this interpretation, the name of Mary derives from Moreh (heb. First rain -season) Maria is considered as the one who sends a “rain of grace” and “rain of grace itself” from heaven. This interpretation, which C. in Lapide attributes to Pagninus, is partially taken up by S. Luigi di Montfort in the fiery prayer: commenting PS. 67:10 “Pluviam Voluntariam elevates Deus, hereditatem Tuam Laborantem you comfort” (abundant rain or god put aside for your inheritance), Montfort says: “(more 20) What is, Lord, this abundant rain that you have separated and chosen to reinvigorate your exhausted legacy? They are perhaps not these missionary saints, children of Mary your bride, that you have to choose and gather for the good of your church So weakened and stained by the sins of his children? “Mary, rain of graces, will form and send a rain of missionaries to earth.
height
According to this interpretation, the name of Mary would derive from Marom (hexexes, Excelsis): this hypothesis is supported, among the ancients from Caninius, and, among the modern, by Vogt, especially on the basis of the recent discoveries of the Ugaritic texts, which have allowed the understanding of many Jewish roots. Luca 1:78 “For Viscera Misericordiae of our in Quibus Visitvit Nos Orient”. This verse, based on the Greek text and the retroversion in Hebrew, can be translated as follows: “He visited us from above a sun that rises: Christ is the sun that arises that comes from above (the Father)” or “has visited us a sun that arises” from above “= from Maria”
