What’s in a Name?
BY MARY ARCEMENT ALEXANDER
I have always loved my name, especially together with my middle name Katherine. As I was thinking of what to write about for May’s issue regarding our Mother Mary, I decided to first research the origin of our name. The name Mary means “Beloved,” 1 the etymology from an Egyptian verb meaning “to love.” Also from the verb mara, “to be rebellious,” or the verb marar, “to be bitter or strong.” I must admit, I have been rebellious and bitter a time or two. If you stop and think about it, Mary was also. First, in order to say yes to God she needed to be a bit rebellious and most certainly strong, rebelling against the cultural norms of the day, but not God. Secondly, because Mary was fully human, I imagine she had a part of herself, perhaps very tiny, that felt some bitterness about being pregnant so young with no husband. I imagine her bitterness was fleeting though, especially once she fully absorbed the enormity of carrying the Lord and Savior of the world in her womb. Lastly, Mary is most certainly our eternal Beloved Mother. It is an honor to be her namesake.
I grew up with an earthly mother who adored our Heavenly Mother. My mom’s mother passed away at the age of 37 when my mom was eleven years old. As a result, she looked to Mary as her new “mama.” After giving birth to my brothers back to back, (they are thirteen months apart), she prayed vehemently for another girl. My mom specifically prayed for a healthy baby girl, and if that happened she would name me Mary Katherine instead of Katherine Mary, (Katherine is her favorite name). As it turned out, I am definitely a girl, and being born ten pounds and six ounces made me beyond healthy. God, of course, knew all along that Mary is a more fitting name for me, rebellious, bitter, strong, et al.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38
This one statement from Mary still amazes me. Even though in the era Mary lived, young teens were very different from those of today, she still chose to be the Lord’s servant. Let that sink in for a moment. What were you doing as a young teenager? I was most certainly not saying I wanted to be the Lord’s servant. Instead, I was an awkward teenage girl doing her best to blend in with the crowd hoping no one noticed my awkwardness. I never wanted to be different. Having everyone like me topped my priority list, which ultimately led to many years of people-pleasing (which, by the way, never works with humans.) Mary, on the other hand, only concerned herself with pleasing God. She was willing to stand out in the crowd. She was willing to be different, to be very different! Although she was willing to be noticed, unbeknown to her, she would be noticed for more than two thousand years. Mary’s “yes” to God is an inspiration to me. I believe each “no” I say to people is a “yes” to God. My “no” to another request led me to say “yes” to being a columnist for The Catholic Connection (one of the best “yeses” of my adulthood!).
A canticle is a hymn or chant. One of my favorite canticles is the one spoken by Mary in Luke’s gospel, 1:46-55. One of the comments in the New American Bible regarding this passage states that although Mary is praised for being the mother of Jesus, because of her belief she reacts as a servant. This brings us back to Luke 1:38. I must reiterate once more, Mary was thirteen! She simply astounds me. As you read it, pause along the way allowing her words to flow like a hymn, soothing your soul, refreshing your mind while simultaneously firing up your love for The Mighty One.
And Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
As Catholics, we are all too familiar with just about every living non-Catholic thinking we worship Mary. It definitely gets old to hear, but as I grow more in love with my Catholic faith as well as growing in my understanding of it (it’s a lot, y’all!), I feel more confident in my devotion to Mary. Jesus loved his mama. I firmly believe this. Although scripture does not talk much about His childhood, I believe she was His rock. I believe as a small boy, He ran to her each time He was sad and needed a hug. I believe He called for her in the middle of the night when He had a bad dream. I believe he protected her against anyone or anything. I believe Jesus was a “mama’s boy.” The next time someone tells you to stop worshiping Mary, leave them with this question: “If God truly is omnipotent and perfect in every way, why would He have chosen a young Jewish girl to carry His Son in her human womb?” Let us not forget, God did not need Mary, rather, He chose Mary. God could have very easily created Jesus as He created everything in the Heavens and on Earth. God does not need us. He chooses us.
Mother Mary, pray for us.
1https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Mary.html
