The Holy Name Mary and More

It should come as no surprise that Catholics hold the name of Mary in high regard. After all, Mary is the Mother of God, our Heavenly Mother, the New Eve. In many cultures with a heavy Catholic influence, Mary, Marie or Maria are often the name chosen for daughters.

My mother’s first name is Maria. All of her sisters are also named Maria in honor of the Blesses Mother. Their middle names are different. With the exception of my mother (for reasons I don’t know) each sister was called by their middle name – Carmen, Pillar, Teresa, – you get the idea. In our family, my sisters share the middle name of Marie. I was suppose to be named Rose Marie, but the hospital made a mistake, giving me a long first name and no middle name. That’s okay by me, I like Rosemarie. Only my mother called me by my given full name. To everyone else, I’m Rose.

So why all this rambling about the name Mary? Today is the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. This day commemorates all the privileges given to Mary by God and all the graces we have received through her intercession and meditation.

The feast was first celebrated in 1513 at Cuenca in Spain and assigned to September 15, the octave day of Mary’s Nativity. It was not added to the Universal observation of the church until 1683 by Pope Innocent XI. The Church sought to give thanks to Mary for her intersession when the citizens of Vienna prayed for protection as the city was besieged by the Turks. An army of over half a million invaders reached the city walls. The King of Poland, with a much small army, came to assist and made ready for battle. This was during the octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, and the people prayed vigilantly to her. After receiving Communion, the Polish army marched out to face the Turks. Suddenly the Turks were struck with panic and fled, leaving the city unharmed. Pope Innocent XI declared that the day be the Feast Day of the Name Mary, as it had been for over 100 years in Spain.

Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son,
So that everyone who believes in Him might have eternal life
Alleluia, alleluia
(John 3:16)

---

While my faith comes first, and often is the source of some delicious recipes, today’s National Day has far more influence on the food selection. And for good reason – it’s National Chocolate Milkshake Day. Now we all know that you can’t have a Chocolate Shake without also indulging in a big, fat classic Cheeseburger. Burgers and shakes just naturally go together like Malt Shops and car hops.

Enjoy!

---

Classic Cheeseburger
1-1/3 lb Ground Sirloin
1 tablespoon Mesquite Seasoning
4 Sesame Seed Hamburger Buns
4 tablespoons Butter, softened
2 medium Tomatoes, firm
4 Green Leaf Lettuce Leaves
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
4 slices American Cheese
8 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing

Place ground sirloin in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with Mesquite Seasoning. Work seasoning into the ground meat without over working the beef. Divide into 4 third-pound sections. Form into patties. Wrap in plastic, chill well.

While the patties chill, heat a griddle or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Split buns, lightly butter cut side and set aside. Rinse lettuce leaves, pat dry and place in refrigerator to chill. Cut and discard root and end from tomatoes, leaving middle section. Slice each middle section into 4 even slices. Wrap in plastic, chill until ready to use.

Cook burgers on griddle or grill until medium, cooked through while still a little pink, about 5 or 6 minutes per side. Season cooked patties with salt and pepper to taste. Top each burger with a slice of cheese. Keep warm, allowing cheese to melt.

Toast buns, cut side down until lightly golden. Slather toasted buns with dressing. Place a lettuce leaf and 2 slices of tomato on each bottom bun. Top with cheeseburger then the top bun.

Triple Chocolate Milkshake
2 cups Chocolate Milk
6 cups Chocolate Ice Cream
4 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
½ cup Chocolate Syrup
Whipped Cream for serving
Mint Leaves for garnish, optional
Maraschino Cherries for garnish, optional

Chill four 12-oz Milkshake Glasses in the freezer.

Pour 1 cup of chocolate milk into a blender. Add ice cream, and cocoa powder. Finish with remaining cup of milk. Blend until smooth.

Note: If necessary, make milkshakes in batches to mix more easily in blender.

Drizzle chocolate syrup inside the well-chilled glasses. Pour milkshakes evenly into the glasses. Top with whipped cream, mint leaves and cherries as desired. Serve with straws and enjoy.