HOLY NAME OF MARY
Romans,
Chapter 3, Verse 15-17
15 Their feet are quick to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery are in their ways, 17 and the way of peace they know not.
All
have sinned. All human beings are under the power of sin. Therefore, all are in
need of the grace of God. Sins power is very much like that of a slave dealer
or like that of sickness. No one is innocent. Thus, is the human condition
without Christ.
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.
Much
has been written about the great challenges the Church faces in contemporary
culture. The great modern "isms" confront a us daily—relativism,
individualism, and consumerism, to name a few.
·
″Relativism
holds that absolute truth and enduring values are illusory.
·
″Individualism
gives "strong emphasis [to] the individual and individual choice,
which often eclipses the sense of community or of the common good."
·
″Consumerism
puts "focus on material satisfaction to the detriment of spiritual
values".
Given
this cultural climate, it is hardly surprising that there is a lack of a sense
of sin and a dropping rate of participation in Church life. In fact, the heart
of every person in Christ must be about the heart of Jesus Christ, and the
central mystery of his life, the Paschal Mystery: "The person and mission
of Jesus, culminated in his Death and Resurrection, this is ultimately the
central content of all the Scriptures". People of God can understand their
own lives properly and be able to see their own experience in the light of the
Death and Resurrection of Jesus". In a culture often dominated by
relativism, individualism, and consumerism, the proclamation of the salvation
of Christ is truly Good News. It allows people to see there is another way; it
paves the way for conversion; it brings hope. God can open up a space in the
human heart, a space that he alone can fill. Christ is about calling persons
back to fruitful participation in the Sacrament of Penance, especially if it
has been years since their last confession.
Noise
is everywhere, on the crowded train, in the busy office, in the pub, the school
playground, and even at home. We simply can’t seem to get away from the buzz of
everyday life. Sometimes it’s just all too much. We know that peace and quiet
are good for the both the body and the mind, but it’s increasingly difficult in
today’s world to experience real quiet, and that’s why a National Quiet Day is
so important.
” Everything
that’s created comes out of silence. Your thoughts emerge from the nothingness
of silence. Your words come out of this voice. Your very essence emerged from
emptiness. All creativity requires some stillness.”
~ Wayne Dyer
~ Wayne Dyer
Every
day we are surrounded by the chatter of TV, the radio, even our friends and
family. Few are the opportunities we have to engage in a little quiet
contemplation, giving our vocal chords a rest to simply listen to the world
around us and simply experience it. Quiet Day is dedicated to taking a little
time to free your voice and mind from the rigors of conversation.
History of Quiet Day
Quiet
Day was established to remind us to slow down and give silence a chance. During
this celebration, you are encouraged to simply not speak, and preferably to
take a chance to not communicate at all. The sounds of our voices, and in fact
our active interaction with others has served to keep us spiritually silent and
separated from the world around us, and in some odd ways from the very people
we interact with every day. Quiet Day allows you to engage the world around you
by removing the shield that is the wall of words we use every day. In India,
there are meditation retreats where time is spent kneeling and in
contemplation, sometimes as many as 10 days in succession. These are called
Vipassana retreats, a word which means “to see things as they really are” and
comes from ancient Buddhist practices. While Quiet Day is just one day, the
principles included in these retreats can be applied to your one Day of
Silence. The peace and clarity it can bring has the possibility of opening your
mind to things about your life that have long since been buried in verbal
noise.
How to Celebrate Quiet Day
The
best way to celebrate Quiet Day is to head somewhere to experience your time in
silence uninterrupted. If the weather is pleasant you can head out to a park or
to walk among the trees, just getting out in nature and letting your mind
wander and find peace. If you must go in and go to work or encounter other
people, carry a card that says “I’m spending a day in silence.” that you can
flash, letting people know that you are attempting to not speak for the day.
Let Quiet Day be your vacation from vocalization!
Peace and quiet is good for you, both physically and mentally. Studies have shown that taking time for quiet can have a positive effect on your body and in some cases can even lower blood pressure and reduce the heart rate. However, it is increasingly difficult in today’s world to experience real quiet, and that’s why we are establishing the first ever Quiet Day. In these busy times, more people are suffering from stress. Often made worse by the relentless invasion of unwanted noise in our lives, stress levels can be lowered by reducing your exposure to noise and taking a little sanctuary in silence.
10. “No
testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and
he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he
will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”
-1 Cor 10:13
-1 Cor 10:13
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
55.
When you bring order
into your life your time will multiply, and then you will be able to give God
more glory, by working more in his service.
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