What Do You Call Mary?

[laetitia crucis]

Another lovely Marian article -- this time from the blog of the [url="http://www.op-stjoseph.org"]Dominican Friars of the St. Joseph Province[/url].

[url="http://www.op-stjoseph.org/blog/what_do_you_call_mary/"]Source[/url].

[quote]
[b]"What Do You Call Mary?"[/b]
An Article by Fr. Michael Monshau, O.P.

Does your family have its own favorite title or name for Our Blessed Mother? For that matter, do you?

For most Catholic hearts, the beauty of springtime that continues to unfold with the arrival of May is enhanced by the recognition that this particular month is dedicated perennially to Our Blessed Mother. The month will begin with "May Crownings" (i.e. ritual celebrations performed early in May at which an image of the Blessed Mother is reverently crowned, typically with a beautiful arrangement of flowers) in Catholic homes and parishes around the world, often to the refrain of Mary E. Walsh's nineteenth century hymn, "O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May."

In many ways, expressions of love for Mary rank among the products of Catholic devotional spirituality at its best. As Our Lord assured us from the Cross, Mary is our Mother. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, "Mary has truly become the Mother of all believers. Men and women of every time and place have recourse to her motherly kindness and her virginal purity and grace, in all their needs and aspirations, their joys and sorrows, their moments of loneliness and their common endeavors. ... Mary, Virgin and Mother, shows us what love is and whence it draws its origin and its constantly renewed power." The Pope's carefully chosen words "Mary has truly become the Mother of all believers..." with its inclusion of the expression "all believers" (meant to include each one of us individually) introduces an intimate aspect of Marian devotion that can intensify and personalize one's relationship to Mary.

If Mary is mother to us all, it stands to reason that many of us will use a particularly beloved name for Our Mother, and indeed, it is part of our Catholic devotional patrimony to do so. Whereas Mary has many names and titles, and whereas many of us use many of these names and titles for her, the favored use of a particular name for her draws each of us individually into greater intimacy with her. The same is true for the various communities to which we belong. When any group, including a family, chooses a particular name or title for Our Lady, their use of that title draws them closer to Mary and to the mystery represented by the title in question. For example, if a family prays to the Madonna under the title of "Our Lady of Peace," the designation of that title presents an image of Mary who has a mission: the mission of peace. It's well known that many friendships (and even marriages) are formed because people became more intimately acquainted with each other by working together, by sharing a project; it becomes easier to relate to another if we share a mission with them. By calling upon Mary as Our Lady of Peace, it is reasonable to believe that not only will the believer find peace in his life through Our Lady's intercession, but that person will somehow become more intimately grounded in peace and become more of a peacemaker himself. One cannot pray to Our Lady of Peace without being reformed into a more ardent peacemaker himself or herself. Any title used in prayer for Mary draws one more intimately into the virtue or mystery represented by that title. Therefore, it behooves one to identify one's own favored title for Mary. Nations, religious communities, municipalities and families have been doing precisely that for centuries, and in doing so have been drawn into a closer relationship with Mary while simultaneously finding themselves drawn more deeply her work.

Consider the special bond that exists between Our Lady and various nations through the unique titles by which she is known in certain lands. For years Slovakia was victim to invasion and pillaging from foreign sources and was sustained in hope through the devotion of her people to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Accordingly, in 1717, the Slovak bishops asked the Pope, Benedict XIII, to proclaim Mary as the patroness of Slovakia under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows. She who had endured suffering throughout her own life lent strength to a nation that was on all-too-familiar terms with suffering. A Seventeenth-Century Luxembourg, afflicted by plague, famine and the Thirty Years war, turned for consolation to Mary, as Comforter of the Afflicted, and in doing so, found a symbol for national identity as well as a an understanding mother to guide her through such trying times. In Costa Rica she is Our Lady of Angels, in Cuba she is Our Lady of Charity and in Mexico she is Our Lady of Guadalupe. The faith flourished under atheistic Communism among the Polish people, who knew that politics notwithstanding, their nation was truly ruled by Our Lady, Queen of Poland. La Virgen de la Altagracia is her special title in the Dominican Republic, while her name is Our Lady of the Assumption in South Africa, Paraguay, Lebanon, Malta, Jamaica and France, where August 15 is the national feast day. The Albanians approach Mary as Our Lady of Good Counsel. The national patroness of the United States is the Immaculate Conception, by which title she is also well known in Argentina, Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, France, Korea, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Tanzania, Zaire and parts of the Philippines. The Swiss are devoted to the unusual title of Our Lady of the Hermits. These are, of course, only a small number of examples. Whatever name a nation uses most commonly for Our Lady creates special bonds for them with Mary, for in having their own unique name for her, they possess a special sign of intimacy with her.

Religious orders also frequently honor Mary under a particular title. For nearly eight centuries, the gospel preaching of the Dominicans has been inspired by Our Lady of the Rosary, the mysteries of which provide an outline for the gospel those friars are called to preach. The Servites promote devotion to the Sorrowful Mother whereas the Redemptorists are the faithful servants of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Ever since the young Saint Francis tried to repair the abandoned church of Our Lady of the Angels, Franciscans have flocked to Our Lady under that title. Of course, in the case of several institutes of consecrated life, their special title for Mary is proudly displayed in the name of the institute itself, such as the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Assumptionists. Every Cistercian abbey is to have its own title for Mary after which that particular abbey is named. All Religious are closely bonded to Our Lady, and for many of them, their Order's use of a particular name or title for Mary is an important symbol that helps to solidify the members of that community to her and to her work in the world, whether that work be promoting Eucharistic adoration (Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament), devotion to the Heart of Her Son (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart), peace, faith, hope, charity or any number of other virtues or mysteries.

Families, too, can place their homes and family life under the patronage of Mary using a particular name or title, and when they do so, they are also responding to Our Mother's desire to grow closer to each of us and to have us assist her in her work. A family of Polish heritage living in an English-speaking part of the world might find that their home culture as well as the faith that flourishes in that culture is strengthened in their family by claiming Our Lady of Czestochowa as the patroness of their home. People of Mexican heritage living outside of Mexico can do the same with Our Lady of Guadalupe. A family trying to overcome woundedness among its own members may find that Our Lady of Consolation helps to establish healing in that home. Families expecting a new child soon will find that Our Lady of the Visitation teaches them to continue to care for others (i.e. Elizabeth) while they devote much attention to the health of the mother and to preparations in the home for the new arrival. Families in crisis may well find grounding in Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt, the Sorrowful Mother or Our Lady of Hope.

What does it mean to claim a Marian title for one's individual or family patronage? How is that accomplished? To begin with, it can be a highly significant sharing time for a family to sit together and discuss which title for Mary is the most appropriate one for their family. Listening to the other members of the family exposes family members anew to some of the values held by the person who is speaking. Families can meet their own members in a new way simply by listening to the values that emerge as they discuss this topic. It could be a good idea to take several weeks to ponder together the appropriate choice. Perhaps a family pilgrimage to a Marian shrine, altar or church can feature into the discernment process.

Next, the family will want to choose a statue, picture, icon or other image of Mary under the title chosen. This image should be placed in an important location in the home, reminding family members of their choice to place their family and home under Mary's patronage under that particular title. This may well be the image used by the family for its own May Crowning prayer. It might become the family custom to end every family prayer with an aspiration to Mary under that title. For example, concluding the meal prayer with an aspiration to Mary, with the conclusion of the meal prayer and its "Amen," being immediately followed with the words, "Our Lady of Joy (or whatever title has been chosen), Pray for us." The family might even choose to follow that custom when they attend Mass together. After Mass, before leaving their pew, one of the parents might quietly intone the family Marian title to which family members will respond "Pray for us." This can happen so quickly and discreetly that it would hardly be observable to anyone else and surely would not disrupt the flow of foot traffic out of the church, yet it could be just enough to bond the family closer to each other and to Our Lady.

Each title for Mary has a feast day of its own in the annual calendar. Some of the more obscure titles might take a bit of research to find the date; searching the internet or the parish library for that date can be a good catechetical activity for youngsters. Furthermore, most dioceses have a diocesan library of some kind that one can visit if arrangements are made ahead of time; in some instances the diocesan office of religious education has a similar collection of resource materials. An arranged visit to such a library can serve to introduce the youngsters (and perhaps the adults) in the family to the chancery office or diocesan center. The task of finding the particular date on which Mary is honored under a specific title contains a sufficiently specific and short mission to provide the visit with a manageable time frame. Of course, once the Marian feast day in question has been determined, this day can become an annual family celebration, a tradition maintained as family time surrounding an important element of our faith. There are many ways in which such a special day can be observed within the home: a special meal, a special entertainment or treat, gifts designated for the mother; the inclusion of a specially chosen guest - perhaps the parish priest - for dinner. The godparents of the children (or other specially chosen guests) might be invited in for a family Rosary and refreshments that evening. The family may want to have a discussion identifying ways in which they are assisting Mary in her mission under the family title (for example, if the title Our Lady of Peace has been chosen, family members might reflect on her feast day about how successfully they have been peacemakers in the recent past.) A family might decide to choose a different family title for Mary each year, using a day like December 8th, Mary's birthday near the end of the year, to choose the next year's title. Finally, when Catholic neighbors or friends learn about this custom in the home, they too might want to establish it in their own homes. What a fine gift it would be to Our Lady in May to tell her that you were somehow responsible for encouraging devotion to her in another home.

May is Our Blessed Mother's special month. When the Church institutes such observances, it is her intention that the faithful find ways to participate in that observance. Choosing a particular name for Mary can draw all Catholics into a closer observance of Mary's month. Does your family have its own favorite title or name for Our Blessed Mother? For that matter, do you?[/quote]

-----

I must admit, this is one of my favorite topics to ponder and talk about.

My personal name for Our Lady has always been, "Sweet Mother" -- from my first real "meeting" with her, this is how I've always addressed her in prayer and in writing.

While in college, I placed my apartment under her patronage naming it "Villa Guadalupe" -- I had painted a life size image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the glass door of our back porch. I wanted to create a stained glass window effect. Only recently has this image been cleaned away (read: DESTROYED)... That was a day of mourning for me. One of my friends lives in that apartment now, and she's a fallen away Catholic -- with hard feelings against the Church. Anyhoo... I know Our Lady is still there, watching over her.

As for favorite advocations of Our Lady, mine is "Mary, Cause of Our Joy" (which was also the name given to me as a Sister). From the moment of our first meeting, she has always been a source of true joy for me -- for it is she that brings us Joy Himself.

I've had a difficult time finding the feast day for "Cause of Our Joy", but knowing the Missionaries of Charity have her under this title as their Patroness, I asked them while at World Youth Day. One of the Sisters said they used to celebrate this feast day on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but then when that was made a movable feast day, they placed this celebration on August 22nd -- the Queenship of Mary. So, I celebrate "Mary Cause of Our Joy" on August 22nd.

Though I have a deep love for Our Lady under the title of "Sorrowful Mother", even in that... she brings joy. Joy in sorrow, joy in pain, joy in her compassion and passion/suffering. When I see her, even at the Foot of the Cross... I can only imagine what kind of consolation she must have given Jesus, through her suffering and love. She is "laetitia crucis" -- the Joy of the Cross.

---

So. [b]What do you call Mary[/b]?









P.S. -- Also, this past summer I was given a gift in the Philippines of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. I've never really a deep devotion to Our Lady under this title, but... when I saw her eyes, she won me over. I think her joy was showing.

Hmmm.. I guess this would make sense as the MCs celebrated "Cause of Our Joy" originally on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary... "My Immaculate Heart will triumph"...

[AccountDeleted]

Thank you, that was a beautiful article. Yes, I have my own special name for Our Lady but it is private between us. I do love Our Lady of Perpetual Help though, since Our Lady has always been there to help me, and Our Lady of the Rosary, since it is through the Rosary that she brought me to her son.

And when my daughter left home under terrible circumstances several years ago, I entrusted her to the loving care of the Blessed Virgin and asked Mary to act as my daughter's mother now, since there was no more that my daughter would allow me to do at that time. Our Lady has obviously been doing a beautiful job of raising her because only last month my daughter phoned me and said the most amazing words of love to me that she would have been incapable of doing at the time she left home.

It is such a very special gift that Our Lord Jesus gave to us all when He made His mother our mother as well.

[Miss Hepburn]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' date='17 May 2010 - 08:58 AM' timestamp='1274104718' post='2111847']
My personal name for Our Lady has always been, "Sweet Mother" -- from my first real "meeting" with her,

[/quote]

Please, tell us more about your first meeting.

More of my paintings of Mary have sold than any other subject, btw.
I [i]also[/i] asked an artist to paint Our L of Q on a door ---never happened...
then I realized that I could!! But got caught up painting paintings to make a living.
There is something that draws people - even if they are not Catholic to my paintings
that I often call the MaDonna. I'm working on one for myself on a 5'X4' plywood.
[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]

Also, no one on the planet has more statues of Mary then me!

Edited May 17, 2010 by Miss Hepburn

[BG45]

Beautiful article.

Blessed Virgin usually, or BVM as a leftover of when I was converting.

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='Miss Hepburn' date='17 May 2010 - 11:04 AM' timestamp='1274108663' post='2111861']
Please, tell us more about your first meeting.

More of my paintings of Mary have sold than any other subject, btw.
I [i]also[/i] asked an artist to paint Our L of Q on a door ---never happened...
then I realized that I could!! But got caught up painting paintings to make a living.
There is something that draws people - even if they are not Catholic to my paintings
that I often call the MaDonna. I'm working on one for myself on a 5'X4' plywood.
[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]

Also, no one on the planet has more statues of Mary then me!
[/quote]

As a convert to Roman Catholicism (from evangelical Protestantism -- Baptist and Pentecostal), the most difficult aspect for me was Mary. I mean, of course she was the mother of Jesus, and also Mother of God -- I knew and respected this -- however, I just didn't "get" the bit about being "my" Mother, if that makes sense.

I struggled with this, and I prayed for the grace to "get it".

I think I finally "got it" during a nocturnal adoration at a "Come and See" with the [url="http://www.sistersofmary.org"]Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist[/url] (DSMME). It so happened the [url="http://jkmi.com/olgindex.asp"]Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe[/url] was visiting the DSMME for a few days. The Sisters placed the image in their chapel.

So, that evening I walked into their chapel for my Holy Hour and found myself in a dilemma.

Various thoughts that ran through my mind:
- Ooooh. Mary's here...
- Where should I sit? Right in front of Jesus? Or in front of Mary?
- Would I be "snubbing" Mary if I just sat and spoke with Jesus?
- Why can't I just talk to Jesus? I mean, He's RIGHT HERE.



To say the least, I knelt in a pew right between Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament, and Mary. I felt somewhat reluctant to talk to Our Lady, so I just spoke with Jesus.

However, during my little conversation, I felt like for the first time Jesus kind of laughed and said, "Hey, it's okay. You can talk to her. She is My Mother, but also [i]your[/i] Mother." It's like I finally had "permission". (So I did.) And that reality of her being "my" Mother hit me like a massive water balloon of grace along with the utter sweetness of her love. (I can't think of any other way to describe it... )

From that moment on, I suppose one could say that I finally "owned up" to accepting Mary as my Mother in a very real way. Now I never leave her side. I'm like one of those little kids that sits on their parent's foot ("Indian-style") refusing to let them leave the house.

-----

Sooo, have you ever found/made any statues or images of Mary as "Cause of Our Joy"? I've never been able to find any.

[Marie-Therese]

Laetitia, I come from the same background as you (Baptist with Pentecostal influence) so I know exactly what you mean.

For me, it was primarily the Rosary that brought about my conversion. It was the first Catholic devotion that I attempted. As I prayed the mysteries, I began to see each one through Mary's eyes. This completely removed any discomfiture I had with the concept of Marian devotion.

Now, Marian devotion is one of the strongest aspects of my faith. She is the most amazing role model. I usually refer to her as Holy Mother, although sometimes during prayer I may spontaneously give her some title of affection.

In terms of her titles, I am probably closest to her appearance as Our Lady of Fatima. Even though my spirituality is Carmelite, I don't see her in that manifestation when I think of her. Overall, the single image of her that I am most attached to is Bouguereau's [i]L'Innocence[/i]. That is exactly how I see her in my mind, so tender and adoring the Christ Child with whom she was entrusted.

[Miss Hepburn]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' date='17 May 2010 - 01:11 PM' timestamp='1274119914' post='2111987']
...sweetness of her love. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/getaclue.gif[/img] (I can't think of any other way to describe it... [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/love.gif[/img] )

From that moment on, I suppose one could say that I finally "owned up" to accepting Mary as my Mother in a very real way. Now I never leave her side. -----

Sooo, have you ever found/made any statues or images of Mary as "Cause of Our Joy"? I've never been able to find any. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/detective.gif[/img]
[/quote]

Are you good with posting pictures? Can you post Mary as "Cause of Our Joy"?
Or anyone else!!? [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]

There is nothing like a mother's love - thank you for your description.

I was held at 2 am after praying to her one night.
It was like I was a 2 year old being hugged and cooed over.
When I had prayed earlier - something happened - like a receiver
was picked up and it startled me because I
experienced there was someone at the other end so clearly!!
Well, I guess there WAS!
[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]

PS How fascinating to see you are a female -after seeing Q! Ha!

Edited May 17, 2010 by Miss Hepburn

[MissyP89]

Mama. I figure if it's good enough for the one who birthed me, why not use it for the one who watches out for me in Heaven?

Though at the end of my prayers (like in litany situations), I usually go with Our Lady of Victories or Mary, Mother of Our Hope, depending on what's going on in my life. Our Lady of Victories has prayed with me through many a spiritual battle.

[brightsadness]

Theotokos

[OnlySunshine]

I identify with Mary as Mary Immaculate or Mother of Mercy.

[Ephrem Augustine]

I think it is a real sign of maturity and ownership of your faith when you can begin to identify how you relate to Mary.

[quote]
If Mary is mother to us all, it stands to reason that many of us will use a particularly beloved name for Our Mother, and indeed, it is part of our Catholic devotional patrimony to do so. Whereas Mary has many names and titles, and whereas many of us use many of these names and titles for her, the favored use of a particular name for her draws each of us individually into greater intimacy with her. The same is true for the various communities to which we belong. When any group, including a family, chooses a particular name or title for Our Lady, their use of that title draws them closer to Mary and to the mystery represented by the title in question. For example, if a family prays to the Madonna under the title of "Our Lady of Peace," the designation of that title presents an image of Mary who has a mission: the mission of peace. It's well known that many friendships (and even marriages) are formed because people became more intimately acquainted with each other by working together, by sharing a project; it becomes easier to relate to another if we share a mission with them. By calling upon Mary as Our Lady of Peace, it is reasonable to believe that not only will the believer find peace in his life through Our Lady's intercession, but that person will somehow become more intimately grounded in peace and become more of a peacemaker himself. One cannot pray to Our Lady of Peace without being reformed into a more ardent peacemaker himself or herself. Any title used in prayer for Mary draws one more intimately into the virtue or mystery represented by that title. Therefore, it behooves one to identify one's own favored title for Mary. Nations, religious communities, municipalities and families have been doing precisely that for centuries, and in doing so have been drawn into a closer relationship with Mary while simultaneously finding themselves drawn more deeply her work.
[/quote]

Immaculate Conception

[quote]
Religious orders also frequently honor Mary under a particular title. For nearly eight centuries, the gospel preaching of the Dominicans has been inspired by Our Lady of the Rosary, the mysteries of which provide an outline for the gospel those friars are called to preach. The Servites promote devotion to the Sorrowful Mother whereas the Redemptorists are the faithful servants of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Ever since the young Saint Francis tried to repair the abandoned church of Our Lady of the Angels, Franciscans have flocked to Our Lady under that title. Of course, in the case of several institutes of consecrated life, their special title for Mary is proudly displayed in the name of the institute itself, such as the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Assumptionists. Every Cistercian abbey is to have its own title for Mary after which that particular abbey is named. All Religious are closely bonded to Our Lady, and for many of them, their Order's use of a particular name or title for Mary is an important symbol that helps to solidify the members of that community to her and to her work in the world, whether that work be promoting Eucharistic adoration (Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament), devotion to the Heart of Her Son (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart), peace, faith, hope, charity or any number of other virtues or mysteries.
[/quote]

Augustinian Devotions to Our Lady

Our Lady of Grace
Our Lady of Consolosation
Our Lady of Help
Our Lady of Good Counsel

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' date='21 May 2010 - 09:47 AM' timestamp='1274449657' post='2114657']
I identify with Mary as Mary Immaculate or Mother of Mercy.
[/quote]

I forgot one. I love the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is so beautiful!

But my most favorite image is that of the Miraculous Medal--Our Lady Immaculate.

[Apotheoun]

Theotokos

[dominicansoul]

Mom...I call her Mom...

[Ephrem Augustine]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' date='21 May 2010 - 04:43 PM' timestamp='1274478218' post='2114865']
I forgot one. I love the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is so beautiful!

But my most favorite image is that of the Miraculous Medal--Our Lady Immaculate.
[/quote]

There really is something about the images too. Some images are so tied to the names, that you can't even seperate the two, as in the case of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or the Immaculate Conception of the Miraculous Medal.
Same goes for the Augustinian Devotion Our Mother of Good Counsel.

Theotokos is the most universal title and devotion to our Lady. In fact it justifies all other titles and devotions.