St. Anthony of Padua said, “The name of Mary is sweeter to the lips than the honeycomb, more delightful to the ear than a sweet song, more entrancing to the heart than the purest joy.”

Every September 12, we celebrate the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary. But have you ever wondered when this devotion began?

Just four days after celebrating the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church gives us another Marian celebration, this time in honor of her holy name.

The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and was later extended throughout Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, following the victory of the forces of King John Sobieski of Poland against the Ottoman forces at Vienna, Pope Innocent XI extended the celebration to the universal Church, assigning it to September 12.

With the revision of the Roman Missal in 1970 following the Second Vatican Council, the feast was removed from the universal calendar, although the Votive Mass remained. Pope John Paul II later restored the celebration in the third edition of the Roman Missal, issued in 2002 and published in 2003, as an optional memorial.

The name Mary comes to us through several ancient languages: Myriam in Hebrew, Maryam in Aramaic, Mariam in Greek, and Maria in Greek and Latin. Various interpretations associate the name with meanings such as “lady,” “beautiful one,” “well-beloved,” “high,” and “exalted.”

These meanings beautifully resonate with the words of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” — Luke 1:28

The name Mary, being the name of the Blessed Mother, therefore deserves our love and reverence. We can understand her name in four beautiful ways.

First, Mary is a name of honor. We honor her as the Mother of our Divine Savior. We rightly call her Mother of God, for Jesus Christ, true God and true man, entered the world through her by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Second, Mary is a most holy name. Her name reminds us of the grace she received from God and of the words of the angel: “full of grace” and “blessed among women.”

Third, Mary is a maternal name. She is our Mother, given to us by Christ as He hung upon the Cross: “Behold, your mother” (cf. John 19:26–27). She remains close to her children with a mother’s tenderness and care.

Finally, Mary is a name of hope. In moments of fear, distress, uncertainty, and doubt, we turn to her and ask for her maternal protection and intercession. As we pray in the Hail Holy Queen: “Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”

Saint Alphonsus Liguori carried throughout his life a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. In The Glories of Mary, his reflection on the Holy Name of Mary is fittingly titled “How Sweet is the Name of Mary in Life and in Death.”

He was not alone in this devotion. St. Anthony of Padua spoke of Mary’s name as “joy in the heart, honey in the mouth, and melody to the ear.” St. Bonaventure and St. Bernard likewise encouraged the faithful to remember and invoke Mary’s name, especially in times of danger, distress, and doubt.

Most of all, we remember our very own St. Pedro Calungsod, whose missionary journey brought him to the Marianas under the patronage of the Most Sweet Name of Mary.

In every phase of our lives, we call upon the holy and sweet name of our Blessed Mother. We call her name when we are afraid; when we are uncertain; when our hearts are weary; and when we simply need the comforting presence of a mother.

For Mary will always be our Mother and our Queen—a mother who never abandons her children and who never keeps us for herself, but always leads us closer to her Son.

Most Holy Name of Mary, be our sweetness in moments of sorrow, our comfort in moments of distress, and our hope in every season of our lives.