AIL MAR VE MARI
THE POWER OF OUR NA ME
AVE MARIA IS A SUMMATION AND MODEL FOR EVERY STUDENT
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2020
Naming something has always been a powerful act.
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God brought all the animals to Adam to see what he would call them (Gn 2:19). God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning father of the multitudes. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, and he became the head of a nation. Simon was changed to Peter, and he became the head of the Church. Fast forward a few thousand years and we instinctively still want to name things. However, names weren’t previously chosen simply for cadence or recall; they signified something deeper about the essence of the person. This is certainly true with the name Ave Maria. While many recognize the term Ave Maria is Latin for Hail Mary, others mistakenly think this was the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary in Luke’s gospel. Although it is a fair summary of the encounter, it is not Gabriel’s words verbatim. Gabriel did not say “Hail, Mary,” he said, “Hail, Full of Grace.” This is not insignificant. The term “Hail” is often followed by a title. For example, Hail Caesar, indicating royal authority. Even that bastion of Catholic thought, Wikipedia, says Caesar is a title of imperial character. ‘It is derived from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator, and later changed from a familial name to a title adopted by Roman Emperors.’ Another powerful example is when Jesus was enduring the passion. Recall the guards mocking Jesus by putting a crown of thorns on his head and saying, “All Hail, King of the
