Invocation is the protection of a community by a saint.
Invocation is the protection , protection and defense of a people or an entity by a saint or a divinity . The etymology of the term takes us to the Latin word advocatĭo .
For example: “The founder of the city placed the town under the dedication of San Marcos” , “This school is protected by the dedication of Mother Mary” , “The temple owes its name to the dedication of Our Lady of Mercy ” .
Invocation as celebration
The idea of dedication is also used to name the celebration that takes place in honor of a religious figure. This commemorative intention can also be expressed through an entity that takes the name of the divinity in question.
It is common for a city or a nation to have a protective virgin or a patron saint . This advocacy is due to the intention of obtaining protection from the religious entity.
The notion of invocation, on the other hand, is used with reference to a particular period of the existence of the divine individual or the exact moment in which he made his appearance in a certain place. By extension, we speak of invocation with respect to the images of the divinity and the particular days on which tribute is paid to him.
The idea of Marian devotion usually refers to the appearance of the Virgin Mary on the earthly plane.
The Virgin Mary
It is important to know, in addition to everything mentioned, that there is also a Marian devotion . This term is used to refer to all types of attributes, characteristics, gifts or even appearances that have to do with the Virgin Mary , the mother of Jesus .
Specifically, we can determine that two fundamental types of Marian devotions are being established:
- The earthly ones , which refer to the appearances that the Virgin is considered to have made on Earth and give rise to the construction and erection of sanctuaries, chapels and churches in her honor. Thus, for example, we come across temples like that of Covadonga , in the town of the same name; that of Pilar , in Zaragoza , and that of Veracruz , in Mexico , for example.
- Mystical Marian invocations . In this case, they refer to supernatural phenomena or mysteries and acts that revolve around the aforementioned figure.
Precisely all of the above is what has given rise to the existence of a long list of names for women that use Mary as their first noun. Examples are María Dolores, María del Carmen, María de Lourdes, María de las Mercedes ... These names, which are in turn based on invocations of the Virgin, start from the idea of naming the mother of Jesus simply in another way.
Advocacy in the legal profession
In ancient times, finally, advocation was used as a synonym for advocacy .
From this meaning, the endorsement is associated with protection or guardianship : “The project is carried out with the endorsement of the Higher Council of the Arts,” “Without the endorsement of the technical secretary, this project will not prosper.”