WORKOUT WEDNESDAY
10 TOP TITLES OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
As befitting the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven, Mary
has numerous titles and names. It's fascinating that one person can have so
many titles, but how else could we grasp the aspects of Our Lady merely by her
given name?
The Gospel of John doesn't even name Mary, only referring
to her as the mother of Jesus. We need more. And so, after surveying her many names,
we present these Top 10 Titles of Mary.
10. Queen of Peace - Mary officially received this title during World War I in
a proclamation by Pope Benedict XV. The Pope added "Queen of Peace"
into the Litany of Loreto in his call for peace among the warring nations.
9. Our Lady of Czestochowa, or The Black Madonna - Poland's national shrine to Mary. Legend has it that St.
Luke painted this icon on a table that Jesus built. Popes and pilgrims alike
have recognized the miraculous nature of the image that survived a church fire
with only the face of Mary becoming charred.
8. Mother of Perpetual Help - This painting shows the Madonna and Child attended by
the archangels Michael and Gabriel. The angels hold instruments central to the
Passion. The painting is heartbreaking. The Christ Child, having glimpsed the
instruments of torture, runs to His mother's protection. His right foot is
bare, indicating he was so frightened that he ran out of his sandal.
7. Our Lady of Guadalupe - This is the image Mary left on the cloak of Juan
Diego. Our Lady called herself coatlaxopeuh, which means "the one who
crushes the serpent." The word is pronounced "quat-la-supe,"
from which is derived the English version of "Guadalupe."
6. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - This is Mary of the brown scapular. The scapular comes to
us through the vision of St. Simon Stock. Many miracles have been attributed to
the scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
5. Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal - Mary's appearances to Catherine Laboure in 1830
marked the beginning of modern Marian apparitions. Mary gave Sr. Catherine the
design for this medal. The words on the medal prompted clarification on the
Immaculate Conception, which became dogma in 1854.
4. Mother of Mercy - Saint Odo, a 10th century abbot, is believed to
be the first to call Mary by this name. In the 11th century, this title was
incorporated into the prayer Salve Regina.
3. Blessed Mother - This seminal title derives from Gabriel's
greeting to Mary at the Annunciation, where she is called "blessed"
among all other women.
2. Immaculate Conception - The 1854 dogma issued by Pope Pius IX refers to Mary's
sinless nature at the moment of being conceived by her parents. The Immaculate
Conception was the first time a pope claimed a dogma to be infallible, even
though the idea of papal infallibility would not be officially proclaimed for
another 16 years. This is the definitive title of the Blessed Mother.
1. Theotokos - Mary's first and most important title means
"God-bearer." The title, defined by the Council of Ephesus in 431
A.D., refers to the Virgin Mary as the Mother of the incarnate Son of God.
On this SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY, choose your favorite
title for the Blessed Mother and add an enthusiastic, “Pray for us!” after it.
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