Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Most Holy Name of Mary (EF/OF), September 12

Not, for some reason, included in the 1962 Benedictine calendar, but certainly in the calendar of the Universal Church.


C17th
Battle of Vienna, 1683

Older editions of the martyrology note that the feast was established in response to her aid at the Battle of Vienna, in 1683:

"The Feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated by order of the Sovereign Pontiff, Innocent XI, on account of the signal victory gained over the Turks, at Vienna in Austria, through her protection."

The  most edition, however, gives a more politically correct account of the rationale for the feast:
"The Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a day on which the inexpressible love of the Mother of God for her Holy Child is recalled, and the eyes of the faithful are directed to the figure of the Mother of the Redeemer, for them to invoke with devotion."

2 comments:

Brian M said...

Do you have any ideas about why it is not included in the Diurnal, and may I ask how one might commemorate it using the MD? Perhaps using the Common of the BVM at Lauds, after the collect of the Sunday preceding?

Kate Edwards said...

Brian - I fear the 'reformers' dida thorough purge of the Benedictine calendar that went further than the changes to the Roman 1962 version! The feast was in the older monastic antiphony, and was ccut out of the OF but later restored.

In order to celebrate it in the Office, use all from the common of the BVM, except for the collect.

If you have a missal, you should use the collect as it is given there. Alternatively you can find it online at divinum officium.