Mary : The Woman Honored Above All Women

      

Scripture References—Matthew 1; 2;12:46; Luke 1; 2; John 2:1-11;19:25; Acts 1:14

Name Meaning—No female has been honored as has Mary by millions of peoples in all the world who have named their daughters Mary. This Hebrew name has ever been popular in all countries of the Western world, and has altogether some twenty variations, the most conspicuous being Maria, Marie, Miriam and Miriamme. 

Mary is about the only feminine name that has pronounced masculine forms such as Mario, Marion and Maria. Elsden C. Smith says that Mary heads the list of female names in America, the estimated number some ten years ago being 3,720,000—Marie, 645,000—Marion, 440,000—Marian, 226,000. “The name of Mary has been given at least 70 different interpretations in a frantic effort to get away from the Biblical significance of bitterness.” Today the most common name for girls is the Biblical Mary, just as the Biblical John is for boys. In Christian lands the name of Mary is first.

The Annunciation

"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary." Luke 1:26-27

Today marks exactly nine months until Christmas. It was around this time the angel announced to Mary she would give birth to the Lord. Mary was at first afraid of this "birth announcement," but then she rejoiced at the thought of being the mother of the Messiah. She went straight to her cousin, Elizabeth, with the fantastic news.

Elizabeth had good news of her own. Although old and childless, she was also expecting. Mary and Elizabeth had plenty to hob-nob about. For three months these two moms-to-be delighted in their miracles. They probably did all the first-century versions of things expectant mothers do today: knitted baby clothes, collected blankets, diapers, bibs, toys, rattles, and pacifiers (a small piece of chamois, maybe?) I picture them as two birds on a perch, chattering and chirping about their impending families. Expectant mothers deserve this kind of luxury, right?