When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew....
What's in a name? Shakespeare's Juliet argued that her lover's last name Montague should mean nothing to her Capulet family. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet!"
True, but names do matter, which is why the star-crossed lovers end in tragedy.
It's also why the Lord changes our names when he claims us as his own. He promises to protect us and warns the nation: “Do not touch my anointed ones, to my prophets do no harm.” (Psalm 105:15) In today's gospel he renamed twelve disciples as apostles. On today's feast we remember the Most Holy Name of Mary, and that we may invoke her name as we ask favors of God.
Children of large families like my own know the blessing and burden of a good name. They have to live up to the family's reputation. Or, in some cases, live down to it. Family doesn't disappear because it's a nuisance, nor can any ideas, opinions, or ideologies dismiss them as unimportant. Societies change but human nature does not. When Adam set about naming all the creatures, he completed God's work, breathing meaning and significance onto them as God had breathed life into them.
The Old and New Testaments make much of names. Despite the Tetragrammaton's appearance in every book of the Hebrew Bible, devout Jews do not utter the word out of reverence for God. Jesus almost certainly never pronounced it, nor did his disciples. In its place in the New Testament are only circumlocutions like Lord of Lord, or Most Holy One. Every Jew knew the referent but would not speak the Name.
The surest way to bring God's wrath upon oneself is to bear false witness in the name of God. It is explicitly condemned in the Decalogue, but Jesus urged his disciples not to swear at all. Just don't! If you're a Christian you already have the name of Christ on you, which should mean to your friends, acquaintances, and enemies that you always speak the truth. If that is the case, swearing in God's name or one of God's circumlocutions only raises doubt about your credibility. A simple, true statement carries its own weight; it can be said quietly and does not need to be repeated.
However, we speak the Holy Name of Jesus often, especially in our prayers; and would have the whole world know his Name. We are as eager to sing of Jesus as we are reluctant to utter the Tetragrammaton.
The Most Holy Name of Mary weighs considerably less than the Name of God or Jesus, but it is dear to the heart of everyone who loves the Lord. She is mother, sister, and daughter to us. She is our confidant and friend, our counselor and companion. She prays with us whenever we pray, and prays for us when we cannot. Her appearances in strange and faraway places, along with her innumerable shrines and churches, tell us that she goes with us like the Lord himself.
Mary is a helpmate to Jesus as Eve was to Adam. Their ministrations complement each other and assure us the Father's sacrificial love for us. God continues to make us holy as we pray in her name and preach in his name.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.