Happy, happy birthday, our dear Mama Mary!

September 8, Mama Mary’s birthday, is one of the most attended masses, according to Fr. Tito Caluag of the daily Kapamilya mass.

Many Filipinos have a personal devotion to Mama Mary. She is also our country’s patroness, under the title of Immaculate Conception, as officially declared by Pope Pius XII on September 12, 1942.

Because the Catholic Church used to require babies to be baptized with Christian names, many Filipino baby girls have been and are named Maria, after Mama Mary.

Many Filipino females, me included, carry the name Maria or Maria+ a second name.

At home, family members may have another nickname or bansag for them, used exclusively within the intimate confines of home. In school, they are either called Maria but often, they are called by their second name.

Outside the Philippines, many are simply called Maria. So, if there are many Filipinos working in the same section with the same first name, that may create some confusion since most Filipino females have been used to being called by their other names instead of Maria!

Anyway, a rose by any other name, is still a rose. Or "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," according to William Shakespeare.

Mama Mary has several names or titles that can be gleaned from the Litany prayed within the Holy Rosary.

Rosary devotees, most especially, are very familiar with the following “titles for Mary, Mother of Jesus” --

Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins,

Mother (of Christ, of divine grace, most pure, most chaste, inviolate, undefiled, most amiable, most admirable, of good counsel of our Creator, of our Savior),

Virgin (most prudent, most venerable, most renowned, most powerful, most merciful, most faithful),

Mirror of justice, Seat of wisdom, Cause of our joy, Spiritual vessel, Vessel of honor, Singular vessel of devotion, Mystical rose,

Tower (of David, of ivory), House of gold, Ark of the covenant, Gate of Heaven, Morning star,

Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, Help of Christians, and,

Queen (of angels, of patriarchs, of prophets, of apostles, of martyrs, of confessors, of virgins, of all saints, conceived without original sin, assumed into heaven, of the most holy Rosary, and, of peace).

Pope Francis added the following titles- Solace of migrants and Queen of families- in his revised litany.

The Secular Franciscan Order noted that Deacon Dave & Thérèse Ream, O.F.S. compiled beyond 49 titles of Mama Mary!

However she is called, she remains our Mama Mary, our mother and our intercessor to God.

During this pandemic, the faithful call on her when they pray this portion of the revised Oratio Imperata issued by the CBCP:

“We fly to Your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petition in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

Our Lady, health of the sick, pray for us.”

Mama Mary is fondly celebrated for her obedience, for saying yes to God’s mission for her: to bear the Child Jesus, our Redeemer and our Savior.

Although she may have had questions about her mission, although she had to bear the pains of seeing her Son Jesus crucified on the cross, “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

And she never wavered in her faith in God!

For this, thank you, our dear Mama Mary!

On your birthday, together, we pray:

“Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death,

Amen.”