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100 Names of Mary: Stories and Prayers
by Anthony F. Chiffolo
St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2002; 216 pages
Owing to the intricacies of publishing schedules I found myself listening, on Holy Thursday, to a forthcoming musical treatment of the story of the Nativity. Despite, or perhaps because of, the off-kilter thematic juxtaposition of the music and the day, I was most struck by the simple reality that the Nativity is first and foremost a great story, regardless of season or one’s beliefs about its literal, theological, or poetic truth. And chief among the elements that make this story great is the figure of Mary. It is no surprise, given the sheer power of her presence in the Nativity story, that she has continued to be present to Christians throughout the ages in numberless ways.
In 100 Names of Mary, Anthony F. Chiffolo surveys Mary’s presence in Christian thought and devotion via the names by which she has come to be known. Mary’s names focus on her character, on her relationship with believers, on the locales of apparitions: she is Advocate, Cedar of Lebanon, Reconciler, Our Lady of the Highways, Our Lady of Lourdes. She speaks to the faithful in many contexts and languages, bringing a consistent message of hope and redemption. She reveals herself to be a figure worthy of attention as she points the way toward her son.
Chiffolo reviews the lore and stories, as well as pertinent theological aspects, of each of the names he describes. As the reader encounters these perspectives on Mary, he or she is invited to see the mother of Jesus through a lens that illuminates her character and message in a particular way. In relating the stories behind various apparitions, Chiffolo includes sketches of the individuals who experienced the apparitions, helping to make them credible witnesses, if not to a “verifiable vision” then to the inherent truth of what Mary has to say to her hearers.
Each name of Mary is accompanied by a traditional prayer related to that name, and by a new prayer, authored by Chiffolo, that opens up that quality of Mary in a twenty-first century context. The book concludes with “A New Litany of Mary,” a powerful, all-encompassing contemporary prayer, and is illustrated by Madonna images from the ancient to the contemporary.
In writing this book, Chiffolo says, “I have had to put aside my preconceived beliefs, to adopt a certain naiveté that would allow me to consider Mary’s story anew. . . . I believe that I developed a deeper and more honest relationship with her. At the same time, I have, I feel, only just begun to recognize the magnificence of the redemption story.” That Chiffolo has allowed the stories to speak for themselves is the strength of this book. Piety and sweetness often overcome any consideration of Mary; in 100 Names of Mary, we meet this “Queen of Peace” on solid ground.
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