Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
Today, September 12th, is the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, celebrating the fact that victory, when it comes, comes through Mary.
One
The Battle of Vienna
In 1571 the Muslim Holy War to destroy Christianity and conquer Europe was stopped at the Battle of Lepanto, due primarily to lots and lots of ordinary people praying the Rosary. I’ll share that story with you on October 7th, on the Feast of Lady of Victory.
With that failed sea invasion, the Muslims sought to conquer Europe and Christianity by land. By 1683, the Islamic forces had reached the heart of Europe and laid siege to Vienna. The Emperor fled Vienna and King Louis XIV of France ignored their cries for help. Less than 15,000 defenders were trapped within the city walls of Vienna, while the Muslim army swelled to more than 150,000. If Vienna fell, nothing would stop the Muslims from sweeping through the rest of Europe. The small number of fighters left in the city were abandoned by their leaders and surrounded by a much larger force bent on their destruction. It certainly looked like there was no hope.
But God and Our Lady never abandon their children.
Two
King Jan Sobieski and Mary
Blessed Marco d’Aviano, a Franciscan monk and chaplin to the Christian army in Vienna encouraged everyone trapped in the city under siege to resist by praying the Rosary every day.
Rejected by the King of France, Pope Innocent XI then appealed to King Jan Sobieski of Poland to come to the aid of Vienna and all European Christianity. Sobieski led the most feared cavalry in Europe, called the Winged Hussars because they had sown eagle’s feathers to the back of their armor so that they looked like eagles flying as they rode into battle.
More importantly, Sobieski was ardently devoted to Mary and the Rosary. When he received word from the Pope, he summoned his cavalry and army and went straight to Czestochowa, where the miraculous Icon of the Black Madonna is kept. There they consecrated themselves to Mary, then marched more than 400 miles to Vienna.
Sobieski ordered his army to pray the Rosary as they journeyed.
Three
Sobieski and his forces arrived outside of Vienna on the evening of September 11th, 1683.
This was supposed to be the day Islam launched its final blow to Christianity, but they did not account for Sobieski and the Mother of God.
At 4:00 a.m., on the morning of September 12th, King Jan Sobieski and his forces celebrated Mass and reconsecrated themselves to Mary. Without hesitation, they threw themselves into the assault. Sobieski’s soldiers ran with abandon down the hill toward the Muslim army, shouting as they ran, “Jesus and Mary, save us!”
While the famed cavalry, the Winged Hussars charged with 18,000 strong, the largest cavalry charge ever. And Jesus and Mary did save them, as well as the city of Vienna. By the end of the day, the massive Muslim Army was completely destroyed and those who survived fled in disarray, leaving everything behind in their camps.
After the battle, King Jan Sobieski related the events of the victory to Pope Innocent XI, describing to the pontiff exactly what had happened that day. He said, “I came, I saw, and God conquered!”
Upon his return to Poland, Jan Sobieski went immediately to the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa on a pilgrimage of thanksgiving and laid the captured Muslim flag before the miraculous icon of Mary.
Once again, the victory came through Mary, the Rosary and the countless faithful who responded to her call. In gratitude, the Pope declared September 12th the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. And that is why I only drink Sobieski vodka!
Four
What enemies do we face?
Sure, we have external enemies – Satan and the world that spreads temptations and ideas that seek to destroy Christianity in the world and in us. But in this spiritual battle the enemy with the most potential to destroy us…is myself.
In this spiritual battle, that which causes me to fail in heroism and become a coward and a traitor is my disordered desires, feelings, and vices. Our greatest enemy is to be ruled by our own misplaced desires that cause us to do all kinds of terrible things to ourselves and others.
We are ruled by the desire: To be better than anyone else because we think our identity and worth depend upon it. The desire for the praise and esteem of others. The desire to escape the call to holiness, to escape our responsibilities, to escape our pain or boredom. By anger over the things that are beyond our control. By eating to console our pain and drinking to drown our pain. By lust. By gossiping and tearing others down instead of striving to rise above.
What are the disordered feelings that attack you the most?
Five
Jesus and Mary, Save us!
If we want to be victorious in this spiritual battle, then ask yourself, “What messed up feelings or desires attack me?”
Overwhelming pressures? Anger? Fears about something you can’t control? Worry that some bad thing will happen?Feelings of resentment, bitterness and regret? The urge to escape through busyness, entertainment, food, alcohol, pain killers, pornography?
Identify the feeling or desire that has taken you hostage and threatens to destroy you. Write it down.
To be victorious over these enemies we must identify specifically the disordered feelings and desires that control us. Admit that you are powerless to defeat them by yourself. Then, like Sobieski and his forces cry out, “Jesus and Mary, save us!” Entrust them to Jesus and Mary and say, “Jesus and Mary, I consecrate my anger, my feeling of being overwhelmed, my worries to you.”
Then think, what is the right way to think about this and the right way to act? And make the resolution to live that today.
Every time this enemy strikes, turn again saying, “Jesus and Mary save us!”
Submit the wrong thought or emotion to them. Choose the right thought and behavior to live. And save us they will!