The name Mary, the meaning of which has been discussed for centuries, is one of the most popular in the Saints and in the world. Different peoples have different sounds: Mary, Mari, Mariam, Marika, Maliya, Marie, Mairi, Marichka, and even in Korean Sourarin.
Find out further how the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary affects character, how to determine the heavenly patron and when name days are celebrated.
Saints named Mary
Venerable Mary of Egypt (mid 5th - early 6th centuries)
The future great ascetic was born in Egypt in the middle of the 5th century. At the age of 12, she ran away from her parents’ home and settled in the “metropolis” of that time - Alexandria. Here, for 17 years, Mary led an extremely dissolute life, so that she herself later confessed to one holy ascetic: “I lost my chastity and gave myself over to unrestrained and insatiable fornication. For more than seventeen years I indulged in sin without restraint and did everything for free. I didn't take money not because I was rich. I lived in poverty and made money from yarn. I thought that the whole meaning of life was to satisfy carnal lust.”
One day, Mary decided to join a group of pilgrims who were going to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On her way to the Holy Land, she continued to seduce Christians traveling with her. Finally, when Maria found herself in the city, she decided to go with everyone to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, but a miracle happened. As soon as she approached the doors of the temple, an invisible force stopped her, not allowing her to go further. The girl was embarrassed and in bewilderment tried to enter several more times, but to no avail. She was overcome with horror. Seeing the icon of the Mother of God at the entrance to the temple, Mary, gradually realizing the reason for what had happened, with tears began to pray to the Mother of God to intercede for her before God, vowing to completely change her life. After this, she was finally able to enter the temple, where she cried for a long time at the Holy Sepulcher, becoming more and more aware of what had happened to her over these 17 years.
She said goodbye to her old life and retired to the harsh Jordanian desert. Maria spent 47 years in complete solitude, leading a strict ascetic life. At moments when the memories of her past life began to confuse her and pull her back from the desert with irresistible force, the saint fell to the ground and lay there all day until the temptation passed. So, for many years she eradicated sin in herself, gradually transforming into a great righteous woman.
No one would have known about her great feat if miraculous coincidences had not brought St. Zosima of Palestine (460–560) to Mary. From a young age, religiously striving in the monastic life, he once asked himself the question: “Will there be a man in the desert who has surpassed me?” Then an Angel appeared to Zosima and ordered him to go beyond the Jordan River and move to the monastery located there. According to the custom of this monastery, all monks spent the period of Great Lent alone in the desert and gathered in the monastery only for Easter. Elder Zosima did the same. Traveling through the desert, he met the Venerable Mary, who confessed her past life to him and told the saint about how many years of her loneliness had passed.
Elder Zosima was amazed by what he heard. The Venerable Mary achieved such inner holiness that sometimes she became visible. So, the Monk Zosima saw her as if rising from the ground during prayer, and another time - walking across the Jordan River, as if on dry land.
Maria, saying goodbye to Zosima, asked him to return to the place of their wonderful meeting in a year, so that she could receive communion before the upcoming holiday of the Resurrection of Christ. And the elder fulfilled her request at the appointed time.
A year later, the monk again came to the same place, but found the saint already deceased. With tears, he buried the great righteous woman and, returning back to the monastery, told the monks about her life and great feat in the desert.
Other famous saints named Mary:
Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene (1st century) is one of the so-called myrrh-bearing women, who was the first of Christ’s followers to see Him risen. Even during His ministry, the Lord healed the saint from demonic possession. From that moment on, Mary relentlessly followed Christ, not even leaving Him at the Cross, when all the disciples, except John the Theologian, left their Teacher. After the Ascension of the Savior, the saint traveled a lot, spreading Christianity everywhere. Mary spent the last years of her life in Ephesus (Asia Minor), helping preach to John the Theologian. This is where she died. Some of the relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary are now kept on Holy Mount Athos.
Mary, the sister of the Apostle Philip (1st century), actively helped her brother and the Apostle Bartholomew in his apostolic preaching. In the Phrygian city of Hierapolis, according to the testimony of church historian Nicephorus Callistus, the apostles and Mary were captured and imprisoned. The Apostle Philip was executed, and Bartholomew and Saint Mary were released. Having mourned her brother and buried him, the righteous woman went to preach in Lycaonia (Asia Minor). Here she peacefully ended her life.
Prophetess Mariam (sister of the prophet Moses) - little is known about her life from the book of Exodus. After the famous passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea, the prophetess sang a solemn hymn to God at the head of the choir: And Miriam sang before them: Sing to the Lord, for He was highly exalted; He cast horse and rider into the sea (Exodus 15:21 ). There is a known case when Mariam grumbled when she learned that Moses had married an Ethiopian, for which she was stricken with leprosy for seven days. However, her righteousness and faithfulness to God were rewarded with the gift of prophecy. The saint died in the 40th year after the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt in the place of Kadesh (west of modern Syria).
The name Mary in the Saints
In the Saints, the name of the virgin who gave birth to Jesus Christ appears every month, a total of 25 times. Both church and secular have the same name form.
Meaning of the name
The name comes from the Hebrew Mariam.
It has different meanings: “rejected”, “sad”, “mistress”, “beloved”, “desired”. The name is considered royal, because in all centuries it was given to newborns from a noble family. At the same time, the affectionate form Mashenka is often found in Russian fairy tales, as the name of kind peasant girls.
From early childhood, Mashutka already understands the peculiarity of her name when she listens to fairy tales. Growing up, a woman develops inner pride for bearing such a holy name.[/tds_info]
Main features
The energy of the name makes Masha confident, decisive, and thorough.
Character
Opposites coexist in Masha’s character. She knows how to be tough with strangers, but sensitive and warm-hearted with family and friends. For the sake of the family, without hesitation, she is ready to sacrifice personal interests. Sensual and passionate, she can be detached. Behind this mask, Mashunya hides her emotional experiences and emotions. Over the years, such a “piggy bank” of passions turns her into a demanding, serious lady. However, she is able to sympathize and come to the rescue. Thanks to the combination of rigor and warmth, bearers of this name achieve success in medicine and pedagogy.
Despite her outward emotional stinginess and severity, Masha cannot be called a frozen berry. She is mobile, active, sociable, with a sense of humor.
Mom Masha lives for her own children and is ready to give them everything, loves them so much that she even forgets about the interests of other people.
Great and famous people with the name Maria:
Mary Stuart (1542-1587) - Queen of Scots, in 1559-1560 - Queen of France. Claimed the English throne. In an attempt to unseat another contender, Elizabeth I, Mary hatched the idea of a conspiracy against her, but her plan was exposed. She appeared in court. On February 8, Mary was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle. Her tragic fate became a very popular plot in literature and art.
Maria Taglioni (1804–1884) is one of the most significant figures in ballet art in the 19th century. She was born into the family of choreographer and choreographer Philippe Taglioni, which predetermined her future fate. In 1822, she made her debut in Vienna, after which Maria did not leave the stage until 1847. Towards the end of her life she gave ballet lessons. On her tombstone, in the Père Lachaise cemetery, it is written: “Earth, do not press it too hard, because it walked so lightly on you.”
Maria Klavdievna Tenisheva (1867–1928) - enamel artist, philanthropist, teacher, collector, public figure. . The wife of a major industrialist, Prince Vyacheslav Tenishev. On her husband's estate, she founded a school and vocational school near the Bezhitsa plant, a unique agricultural school. The princess loved art and had excellent artistic taste. Thanks to her work, the enamel business was revived in Russia. In St. Petersburg she opened a studio for training those wishing to receive a higher art education, and in Smolensk - an elementary drawing studio. The princess collected a collection of watercolors, which she then donated to the Russian Museum, and her collection of Russian antiquities served as the basis for a museum in Smolensk. The charitable activities of Maria Tenisheva were interrupted by the revolution. She died in exile - in the suburbs of Paris.
Maria Alexandrovna Hartung (Pushkina) (1832–1919) - the eldest daughter of A. S. Pushkin. The poet especially loved her and repeatedly mentioned her with tenderness in his letters. She married Leonid Hartung, manager of the Imperial Stud Farms in Tula and Moscow. The couple loved luxurious receptions where they held balls. At one of them, Maria met L.N. Tolstoy. The writer subsequently reflected her external features in the image of Anna Karenina. Later, the tragic death of her husband left the widow in a difficult financial situation. Her relatives actively helped her until Maria received an invitation to become a trustee and chairman of the first Pushkin Public Library in Moscow. She died at the age of 86, in the midst of the Civil War.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie (1867–1934) was the first two-time Nobel Prize winner in physics and chemistry. She was born in Warsaw in the family of a teacher. Her childhood was difficult: her mother gradually faded away due to tuberculosis, and one of her sisters also died. However, Maria graduated from school with flying colors and continued her education at the Sorbonne, where she excelled. In 1895, Marie married physicist Pierre Curie. Together with her husband, she studied radioactivity (discovered the elements radium and polonium). However, experimental activities with such dangerous substances undermined her health. She died on July 4, 1934.
Maria Bochkareva (1889–1920) was one of the first Russian female officers. She was born into a poor peasant family. When the First World War (1914–1918) began, Maria decided to enlist in the active army. To do this, she had to write a separate petition addressed to the emperor, which was approved. During the fighting, the “woman in uniform” showed unprecedented courage and heroism, for which she was awarded the St. George Cross. In 1917, she organized the famous “women’s death battalion,” which proved especially effective during the collapse of the Russian army on the Western Front. After the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia, Maria did not recognize their legitimacy. She made a propaganda trip to the United States and Europe, trying to find support in the fight against Soviet power. Upon returning to Russia, Maria Bochkareva was arrested and shot a few months later.
Name day of Mary according to the Orthodox calendar
Every person has a heavenly patron - this is a saint, whose name was received at baptism. The name day, or name day, is celebrated on the day when the church honors the memory of the named saint. For Mary these are the following dates:
- January 31, June 5, July 19, October 11, in honor of Mary of Radonezh.
- February 8, the day of remembrance of Mary of Constantinople.
- February 11, July 17, in honor of Maria Romanova, Grand Duchess.
- February 19, commemoration of the Virgin Mary of Asia.
- April 2 and 14, in honor of Mary of Egypt.
- April 30, veneration of the memory of Mary of Bethany.
- June 20, in honor of Mary of Caesarea.
- June 22, commemoration of Mary of Persia.
- July 6, in honor of Princess Maria of Vladimir.
- August 4, April 30, the day of remembrance of the myrrh-bearing Mary Magdalene.
- August 22, another commemoration of Mary of Constantinople, patrician.
These are not all namesake days associated with the commemoration of saints named Mary by the Orthodox Church: there are 37 of them in total. Of these, more than 20 times the memory of new martyrs canonized after 2002 is venerated.
If the saint is remembered several times a year, the namesake can be celebrated the same number or once, on the date closest to her birthday (counted forward on the calendar).
The Most Holy Theotokos is the patroness and intercessor of all Christians. Name days are not celebrated on the Mother of God holidays.
When was Maria born
Winter Maria is the standard of restraint. She is a woman of few words and does not waste time discussing meaningless topics. In a family, such a girl, even in the face of disagreements and problems, behaves with restraint and adheres to her husband’s point of view.
Masha, born in the spring, is an optimistic person who, with her cheerful mood, warms the hearts of the people around her. He is distinguished by his gentle nature, but if necessary he can firmly defend his position and sharply express his own opinion. This girl's life is full of positive emotions.
Mashenkas are born in the summer, impressionable and vulnerable. It will not be difficult to offend their subtle nature. Therefore, such girls often avoid conflict situations and quarrels, but if this is impossible, she would rather give in than passionately prove her point of view. She is reserved in the family and is the first to compromise in order to preserve relationships.
Maria, whose birthday falls in one of the autumn months, is suspicious; she tragically experiences even minor failures. She approaches every activity in life very responsibly, which leads to success. She takes the choice of a life partner seriously, which helps the girl make the right choice and create a strong and prosperous family.
Table: name horoscope
| Zodiac sign | Characteristic |
| Aries | An absent-minded and impulsive person who may not keep his promises. Often leaves the job halfway. Such a girl has many useless but sincere impulses, she is full of enthusiasm. Maria-Aries never gives in to despondency, she is always young at heart. |
| Taurus | Determined, stubborn and unflappable personality. Mary-Taurus can become an excellent leader due to her honesty and determination. He perfectly finds a common language with others and knows how to impose his opinion on others. Honest and self-confident. |
| Twins | A sociable, active, emotional woman, for whom spiritual values come first, not material wealth. Mary-Gemini remains objective in any situation. She is an open person, loneliness depresses her, she constantly meets new interesting people. |
| Cancer | Silent and shy personality. At first glance, she seems resigned, cautious and happy with everything, but in reality her soul is full of feelings and ardor. Maria-Cancer is extremely modest and does not like to focus attention on herself. Keeps her opinion to herself; it is easier for such a girl to agree with the point of view of others. |
| a lion | Expansive, narcissistic woman. She has big plans for life, she doesn’t get hung up on little things, and confidently moves forward. The enthusiasm that drives Mary-Leo does not always lead to the right path. Trusts people who can use it. She believes that she is always right, because of this, to some, such a girl may seem to many to be an arrogant upstart. |
| Virgo | Balanced, attentive and cautious personality. He understands people well, does not like to talk about useless things. Mary-Virgo is patient, she thinks about her every step, thinks for a long time before any action. She often hides her emotions, so men consider such a girl to be somewhat cold. |
| Scales | Flexible, good-natured and graceful. A wonderful diplomat, he can competently smooth out any differences. Maria-Libra is an attentive listener; she can compromise and delicately impose her position on others. She is only interested in real gentlemen. |
| Scorpion | A scrupulous, diligent and emotional woman who has great inner potential. Maria-Scorpio can easily adapt to her environment, hiding her true feelings. It is almost impossible to argue with her. If she has already decided to do as she sees fit, then this is not discussed, and her decision will be the final verdict. |
| Sagittarius | Direct, curious and risk-taking personality. There are no restrictions for her at all. If such a girl has a goal, she will achieve it at any cost, even if she has to go over her head. For this person, the main thing is the result. Maria-Sagittarius constantly demonstrates her superiority in relation to others, which does not cause their approval. |
| Capricorn | A firm and patient woman. Initially, when meeting her, she is perceived as a pleasant person, but behind her apparent gentleness hides incredible stubbornness. Extremely independent, not used to asking for help, does not accept it from others. But at the same time, she herself will help friends and relatives; Mary-Capricorn likes to be useful to others. |
| Aquarius | An aloof and original personality. She has many illusory ideas and plans, but it is simply impossible to convince the girl of their illusory nature. She is not worried about the usual vision of things; Mary-Aquarius has her own views on life. The young lady’s personal life is quite difficult. |
| Fish | A sophisticated and proud personality who is faithful to his work and will bring any undertaking to its logical conclusion. She is very upset by failures. It is not easy for such a girl to meet people. She is incredibly suspicious and hot-tempered, she can “explode” over a trifle. Only an assertive and original man will be able to find the key to the heart of Mary-Pisces. |
Characteristics of the birthday girl Maria:
From the Hebrew language - bitter; according to other interpretations - excellent. In ancient texts the name was written using only consonants; in the 7th century. it began to be read in the Bible as Miriam, and in the Gospel as Miriam. Hence the Russian names - Marianna, Maryama, Maryana. Perhaps it comes from the Hebrew name Mariam, which, according to one version, comes from the root meaning “rejected,” according to another, from the word “sad.” Orthodox tradition translates the name as “mistress.” According to the third version, the name comes from the word “mrim” - “beloved”, “desired”; according to the fourth - from the word “mara” - “to refuse”, “to resist”.
Mary Magdalene angel day
On August 4, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saint Mary Magdalene.
On August 4, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saint Mary Magdalene - an incredible woman who was crazy, but became a disciple of Jesus Christ, was the first to see Him risen and was the first person to say the phrase “Christ is risen!”
A woman was once born and raised in Magdala, whose name will forever go down in gospel history. The Gospel does not tell us anything about Mary’s youth, but Tradition tells us that Mary of Magdala was young, beautiful and led a sinful life. The Gospel says that the Lord cast out seven demons from Mary. From the moment of her healing, Maria began a new life. She became a faithful disciple of the Savior.
The Gospel tells that Mary Magdalene followed the Lord when He and the apostles passed through the cities and villages of Judea and Galilee preaching the Kingdom of God. Together with pious women - Joanna, the wife of Chuza (Herod's steward), Susanna and others, she served Him from their estates (Luke 8:1-3) and, undoubtedly, shared evangelistic works with the apostles, especially among women.
The Gospel tells that Mary Magdalene was also on Calvary at the time of the Lord’s crucifixion. When all the Savior’s disciples fled, she fearlessly remained at the Cross along with the Mother of God and the Apostle John.
Thanks to Mary Magdalene, the custom of giving each other Easter eggs on the day of Christ's Holy Resurrection spread among Christians all over the world. Already in old age, Mary Magdalene moved to Ephesus, where the holy Apostle John worked tirelessly, who wrote the 20th chapter of his Gospel from her words. There the saint ended her earthly life and was buried.
Her holy relics were transferred in the 9th century to the capital of the Byzantine Empire - Constantinople and placed in the church of the monastery in the name of St. Lazarus. During the era of the Crusades, they were transferred to Italy and placed in Rome under the altar of the Lateran Cathedral. Some of the relics of Mary Magdalene are located in France near Marseille, where a magnificent temple was erected in her honor at the foot of a steep mountain.
