Selected
from the Writings of St. Alphonsus Maria
JESUS
OUR SAVIOUR.
Consider
that the Infant Jesus, eight days after His Birth, showed Himself
even then to be our Saviour,
by
shedding His divine Blood for us in the Circumcision, and taking the
Name of Saviour.
O
most merciful Infant God, I give Thee thanks, and I beseech Thee by
the pain which Thou didst feel, and by the Blood which Thou didst
shed in Thy Circumcision, to grant me the grace and the power to tear
out of my heart all earthly affections.
Behold
how the Eternal Father, having sent His Son to suffer and die for us,
wills that on this day He should be circumcised, and should begin to
shed His Divine Blood, which He has to shed for the last time on the
day of His death upon the Cross in a sea of contumely and sorrow. And
wherefore? In order that this innocent Son should thus pay the
penalties which we have deserved. The Holy Church exclaims: “O
admirable condescension of divine pity towards us! O inestimable love
of charity! To redeem, the slave Thou hast delivered Thy Son to
death!”
O
Eternal God, who could ever have bestowed upon us this infinite gift
but Thou Who art infinite goodness and infinite love. O my God, if in
giving me Thy Son, Thou hast given me the dearest treasure Thou hast,
it is right that I should give myself entirely to Thee. Yes, my God,
I give Thee my whole self; do Thou accept of me, and permit me not to
leave Thee again.
Behold,
on the other hand, the Divine Son, Who, humble, and full of love
towards us, embraces the bitter death destined for Him in order to
save us sinners from eternal death, and willingly begins on this day
to make satisfaction for us to the divine justice with the price His
Blood. He
humbled himself, says
the Apostle, becoming
obedient unto death, even to the death of cross.—(Phil. ii.,
8). Thou, therefore, O my Jesus, accepted death for my love; what,
then, shall I do? Shall I continue to offend Thee by my sins? No,
Redeemer, I will no longer be ungrateful to Thee. I am sorry from my
heart that I have caused Thee so much bitterness in times past. I
love Thee, O infinite Goodness, and for the future I will never cease
to love Thee.
Our
Redeemer has said: Greater love than this no hath, that a man lay
down his life for his friends.—(St. John xv., 13). Thou, O my
Jesus, as St. Paul tells us, hast shown greater love than this toward
us, by giving Thy life for us who were enemies. Behold one of them, O
Lord, at Thy feet. How many times have I, a miserable sinner,
renounced Thy friendship because I would not obey Thee! I now see the
evil I have done; pardon me, Jesus, for I could wish to die of
sorrow. I now love with my whole soul, and I desire nothing else but
to love Thee and to please Thee. O Mary, Mother of God my Mother,
pray to Jesus for me.
THE
NAME OF JESUS CONSOLES.
This
great Name of Jesus was not given by man, but by God Himself; “The
Name of Jesus,” says St. Bernard, “was preordained by God.” It
was a new Name: A
new name which the mouth of the Lord shall
name.—(Is.
lxii.,
2). A new Name which God could give only to Him Whom He destined to
be the Saviour of the world. A new and an eternal Name; because, as
our salvation was decreed from all eternity, so from all eternity was
this Name given to the Redeemer. Nevertheless this Name was only
bestowed on Jesus Christ in this world on the day of His
Circumcision: And
after eight days were accomplished that the child should be
circumcised, his name was called Jesus. The
Eternal Father wished at that time to reward the humility of His Son
by giving Him so honourable a Name. Yes, while Jesus humbles Himself,
submitting in His Circumcision to be branded with the mark of a
sinner, it is just that His Father should honour Him by giving Him a
Name that exceeds the dignity and sublimity of any other name: God
hath given him a name that is above all names.—(Phil. ii., 9). And He commands that this Name should be adored by
the Angels, by men, and by devils: That
in the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those that are in
heaven, on earth, and under the earth.—(Ibid.
ii., 10). If, then, all creatures are to adore this great Name, still
more ought we sinners to adore it, since it was in our behalf that
this Name of Jesus, which signifies Saviour, was given to Him; and
for this end also He came down from Heaven, namely, to save sinners:
“For us men and for our salvation He came down from Heaven, and was
made Man.” We ought to adore Him, and at the same time to thank God
Who has given Him this Name for our good; for it is this Name that
consoles us, defends us, and makes us burn with love.
The
Name of Jesus consoles us; for when we invoke Jesus, we find relief
in all our afflictions. When we have recourse to Jesus, He wishes to
console us because He loves us; and He can do so, because He is not
only Man, but He is also the Omnipotent God; otherwise He could not
properly have this great Name of Saviour.
The
Name of Jesus signifies that the bearer of it is of infinite power,
infinite wisdom and infinite love; so that if Jesus Christ had not
united in Himself all these perfections, He could not have saved us:
“If any one of these,” says St. Bernard, “had been wanting,
Thou couldst not call Thyself Saviour.”
Thus, when speaking of the Circumcision, the Saint says: “He was
circumcised as being the son of Abraham, He was called Jesus as being
the Son of God.” He is branded as man with the mark of sin, having
taken upon Himself the burden of atoning for sin; and from His very
Infancy He began to satisfy for the crimes of men, by suffering and
shedding His Blood.
The
Name of Jesus is said by the Holy Spirit to be as oil poured out: Thy
name is as oil poured out.—(Cant.
i., 2) And so indeed it is, says St. Bernard; for as oil serves for
light, for food, and for medicine, so especially is the Name of Jesus
is light: “it is a light when preached.” And how was it, says the
Saint, that the light of Faith shone forth so suddenly in the world
that in a short time so many Gentile nations knew the true God, and
became His followers, if it was not through hearing the Name of Jesus
preached? “Whence, think you, shone forth in the whole world, so
bright and so sudden, the light of Faith, except from the preaching
of the Name of Jesus?” Through this Name we have been happily made
sons of the true light, that is, sons of the Holy Church; since we
were so fortunate as to be born ml bosom of the true Church, in
Christian and Catholic kingdoms—a grace which has not been granted
to greater part of men, who are born amongst idolaters, Mahometans,
or heretics.
Further,
the Name of Jesus is a food that nourishes our souls. “The thought
of it is nourishment.” This Name gives strength to find peace and
consolation even in the midst of the miseries and persecutions of
this world. The holy Apostles rejoiced when they were ill-treated,
and reviled, being comforted by the Name of Jesus: They went
from the presence of the council rejoicing that were counted worthy
to suffer for the name of Jesus.—(Acts.
V., 41).
It
is light, it is food, and it is also medicine to those who invoke it:
“When pronounced, it soothes and anoints.” The holy Abbot says:
“At the rising of the light of this Name, the clouds disperse, and
calm returns.” If the soul of any one is afflicted and in trouble,
let him pronounce the Name of Jesus, and immediately the tempest will
cease and peace will return. Does any one fall into sin? Does he run
in despair into the snares of death? Let him invoke the Name of Life,
and will his life not be renewed? He shall immediately be encouraged
to hope for pardon, by calling on Jesus, Who was, destined by the
Father to be our Saviour, and obtain pardon for sinners. Euthymius
says that if when Judas was tempted to despair, he had invoked the
Name of Jesus, he would not have given way to temptation: “If he
had invoked that Name, he would not have perished.” Therefore, he
adds, no sinner can perish through despair, however abandoned he may
be, who invokes the Holy Name, which is one of hope and salvation:
“Despair is far off where His Name is invoked.”
But
sinners leave off invoking this saving Name, because they do not wish
to be cured of their infirmities. Jesus Christ is ready to heal all
our wounds; but if people cherish their wounds, and will not be
healed, how can Jesus Christ heal them? The Venerable Sister Mary of
Jesus Crucified, a Sicilian nun, once saw the Saviour, as it seemed,
in a hospital, going round with medicines in His hands, to cure the
sick people who were there; but these miserable people, instead of
thanking Him and begging Him to come to them, drove Him away. So do
many sinners, after they have of their own free will poisoned their
souls with sins, refuse the gift of health, that is, the grace
offered them by Jesus Christ, and thus remain lost through their
infirmities.
But,
on the other hand, what fear can that sinner have who has recourse to
Jesus Christ, since Jesus offers Himself to obtain our pardon from
His Father, He having paid by His death the penalty due to us? St.
Laurence Justinian says: “He Who had been offended, appointed
Himself as Intercessor, and Himself paid what was owing to God.”
Therefore, adds the Saint, “if thou art bound down by sickness, if
sorrows weary thee, if thou art trembling with fear, invoke the Name
of Jesus.” O poor man, whoever thou art, if thou art weighed down
by infirmity or by grief and fear, call on Jesus, and He will console
thee. It is enough that we pray to the Father in His Name, and all we
ask will be granted to us. This is the promise of Jesus Himself,
which He repeated many times, and which cannot fail: If
you ask the Father anything in my name, He will give it to you.—(Jo.
xvi.
23). Whatsoever
you shall ask of the Father in My name that will I do.—(Jo. xiv.,
13).
Selected
from the Writings of Saint Alphonsus Maria
HIS
NAME WAS CALLED JESUS.
(Gospel,
Luke ii., 21).
The
Name of Jesus is a divine Name, announced Mary on the part of God by
St. Gabriel: and
thou shalt call His name Jesus.—(Luke, i., 31). For that reason it was called a name above all
names.—(Phil. ii., 9). And it was also called a Name in which alone
salvation is found: whereby
we must be saved.—(Acts
iv., 12). This great Name is likened by the Holy Spirit unto oil: Thy
name is as oil poured out.—(Cant.
i., 2). For this reason, says St. Bernard, that as oil is light,
food, and
medicine,
so the Name of Jesus is light to the mind, food to the heart, and
medicine to the soul.
It
is light to the mind. By this Name the world was converted from the
darkness of idolatry to the light of Faith. We who have been born in
these regions, where before the coming of Christ our ancestors were
Gentiles, should all have been in the same condition had not the
Messias come to enlighten us. How thankful ought we not, then, to be
to Jesus Christ for the gift of Faith! And what would have become of
us if we had been in Asia, in Africa, in America, or in the midst of
heretics and schismatics? He who believes not is lost: He
that believeth not shall be condemned.—(St. Mark xvi., 16) And thus probably we also should have been lost.
O
Jesus, Thou Who didst make the power of Thy Name to shine forth to
deliver us from the servitude of sin, and the slavery of the devil,
deign now and always to preserve our souls from all unworthy
subjection. O Jesus all powerful, if the eyes of our souls had not
been opened and enlightened by the light of Faith which Thou hast
taught us by Thy own mouth, how should we ever have been able to know
Thy divine mysteries! Without Thy aid we should always have been
buried in the darkness of ignorance and the shadow of death. May
thanks be ever given to our sweet Jesus Who has had compassion on us,
and, in opening the gates of Heaven to us, has made us heirs of His
Eternal Kingdom.
The
Name of Jesus is also food that nourishes our hearts; yes, because
this Name reminds us of what Jesus has done to save us. Hence this
Name consoles us in tribulation, gives us strength to walk along the
way of salvation, supplies us with courage in difficulties, and
inflames us with love for our Redeemer, when we remember what He has
suffered for our salvation.
Lastly,
this Name is medicine to the soul, because it renders it strong
against the temptations of our enemies. The devils tremble and fly at
the invocations of this Holy Name, according to the words of the
Apostle: That
at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those that are in
heaven, on earth, and under the earth.—(Phil.
ii., 10). He who in temptation calls upon Jesus shall not fall, and
shall be saved: Praising,
I will call upon the Lord; and I will be saved from my enemies.—(Ps.
xvii., 4). And who was ever lost who when he was tempted invoked
Jesus? He alone is lost who does not invoke His aid, or who, whilst
the temptation continues, ceases to invoke Him. Oh, that I had always
called upon Thee, my Jesus; for then I should never have been
conquered by the devil! I have miserably lost Thy grace, because in
temptation I have neglected to call Thee to my assistance. But now I
hope for all things through Thy Holy Name. Write, therefore, O my
Saviour, write upon my poor heart Thy most powerful Name of Jesus,
so
that, by having it always in my heart by loving Thee, I may have it
always on my lips by invoking Thee, in all the temptations that hell
prepares for me to induce me to again become its slave, and to
separate myself from Thee. In Thy Name I shall find every good. If I
am afflicted, it will console me when I think how much more afflicted
Thou hast been than I am, and all for the love of me. If I am
disheartened on account of my sins, it will give me courage when I
remember that Thou camest into the world to save sinners. If I am
tempted, Thy Holy Name will give me strength, when I consider that
Thou canst help me more than hell can cast me down; finally, if I
feel cold in Thy love, Thy Name will give me fervour, by reminding me
of the love that Thou bearest me. I love Thee, my Jesus! To Thee do I
give all my heart, O my Jesus! Thee alone will I love! Thee will I
invoke as often as I possibly can. I will die with Thy Name upon my
lips; a Name of hope, a Name of salvation, a Name of love. O Mary, if
thou lovest me, this is the grace I beg of thee to obtain for me—the
grace constantly to invoke thy name and that of thy Son; obtain for
me that these most sweet Names may be the breath of soul, and that I
may repeat them constantly during life, in order to repeat them with
my last breath. Jesus and Mary, help me; Jesus and Mary, I love You;
Jesus and Mary I recommend my soul to You.
THE
NAME OF JESUS A NAME OF GLADNESS.
The
Name of Jesus was given to the Incarnate Word not by men, but by God
Himself. And
thou shalt call his name Jesus. It
is the Name of our Saviour, a Name of Gladness, a Name of Hope, a
Name of Love. Thy Name, then, O Jesus, will always be my defense, my
comfort, a fire to keep me always burning with Thy love.
Consider
that the Holy Name of Jesus is not a Name invented by man, but it
comes from God, Who wished it to be made known by the Archangel
Gabriel, as St. Luke testifies: His
name was called Jesus .
. . by
the angel —
(St. Luke ii.,21). St. Bernard also says that this Name is not a
simple figure of things, or a shadow without reality. Jesus is a Name
that expresses perfectly the hypostatic union of the Divine nature
and the human nature. The world could not have been saved by God, for
God could not suffer, nor by a mere man, because man is limited and
finite. This is the reason why the Holy Name Jesus,
which
signifies the same as Saviour,
as
the Angel declares, has been given to the Son of God, made Man
through Mary, to show that it was both as God and Man He accomplished
the redemption of mankind by delivering men from the slavery of sin.
In short, Jesus
is
a Name that comprises Infinity, Eternity, Immensity, Wisdom, Justice,
Mercy, and all the adorable Perfections of God. What happiness for us
to be reconciled with the Eternal Father through the merits of this
divine Mediator Who of His -
infinite
goodness paid our debt in His precious Blood! Adorable Jesus! if Thou
hadst sacrificed Thyself to deliver Thy people from the hands of
their enemies in order to acquire an eternal Name, it would be but
fair that this Name should surpass and eclipse every other name, even
that of the Seraphim, as St. Paul says: Being, made so much, better than the angels, as he hath inherited a
more excellent name than they.—(Heb. i.,
4). And if the Eternal Father has wished that this Name should be
that of His Son, mayest Thou grant that, having experienced on earth
its happy effects, we may arrive at the complete happiness of Heaven
to praise Thee and to bless Thee for all eternity.
The
Name of Jesus is a Name of Gladness, a Name of Hope, a Name of Love.
It is a Name of Gladness because if the remembrance of past
transgressions afflicts us, this Name comforts us in the remembrance
that the Son of God became Man for this purpose—to make Himself our
Saviour. In fact, as soon as the Name of Jesus passes from the heart
to the tongue, by the light of the divine Name darkness is dispersed,
the mind is calmed the heart is strengthened, the faculties brighten
up, and everything returns to life. There is no name in the world
equal to the Name of Jesus in sweetness “Nothing is sweeter to
chant,” says St. Bernard “nothing more agreeable to hear, nothing
more charming to think of, than the Name of Jesus, the Son of God.”
Oh,
how happy shall we be if in all our trials, in all occasions of
sorrow, we take care to invoke the glorious Name of Jesus, and while
invoking it with our lips to consecrate our hearts to Jesus! It is a
Name of Hope, because he that prays to the Eternal Father in the Name
of Jesus may hope for every good he asks for. If
you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it to you.—(St.
John. xvi.,
23).
It
is a Name of Love. It is a sign that represents to us how much God
has done for the love of us. The Name of Jesus brings to our
remembrance all the suffering which Jesus endured for us in life and
in death. Therefore a devout writer exclaims: “O Jesus, how much I
cost Thee to be Jesus—that is, my Saviour!”
O
sweet Jesus, our Love and our Hope! Do Thou write Thy Name on my poor
heart and on my tongue, in order that when I am tempted to sin, I may
resist by invoking Thee; so that if I am tempted to despair I may
trust in Thy merits; and that if I feel myself tepid in loving Thee,
Thy Name may inflame my heart at the recollection of how much Thou
hast loved me.
Thy
Name, then, will always be my defense, my comfort, and the fire that
shall always keep me inflamed with Thy love. Make me, therefore,
always to call Thee my Jesus and to live and die with Thy Holy Name
on my lips saying even with my last breath: “I love Thee, my Jesus;
my Jesus, I love Thee.” O Mary, my Queen, make me when I am dying
invoke thee continually, together with thy Son Jesus.
THE
NAME OF JESUS OUR DEFENCE.
The
Name of Jesus defends us. Yes, it defends us against all the deceits
and assaults of our enemies. For this reason the Messias was called
God
the Mighty—(Is. ix.,
6); and His Name was called by the Wise Man a strong tower: The
name of the Lord is a strong tower—(Prov.
xviii., 10); that we may know that he who avails himself of this
powerful Name will not fear all the assaults of hell. St. Paul writes
thus: Christ
humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of
the
cross.—(Phil.
ii., 8). Jesus Christ during His life humbled Himself in obeying His
Father, even to die on the Cross; which is as much as to say, as St.
Anselm remarks, He humbled Himself so much that He could humble
Himself no more; and therefore His divine Father, as a reward for the
humility and obedience of His Son, raised Him to such a sublime
dignity that there could be no higher: God
hath given him a name which is above all names; that in the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth
and under the earth.—(Phil. ii.,
9, 10). God gave Him a Name which is so great and powerful that it is
venerated in Heaven, on earth, and in hell. A Name powerful in
Heaven, because it can obtain all graces for us; powerful on earth,
because it can save all who invoke it with devotion; powerful in
hell, because this Name makes all the devils tremble. These rebel
angels tremble at the sound of this most Sacred Name, because they
remember that Jesus Christ was the Mighty One Who destroyed the
dominion and power they formerly had over man. They tremble, says St.
Peter Chrysologus, because at this Name they have to adore the whole
majesty of God “In this Name the whole majesty of God is adored.”
Our Saviour Himself said that through this powerful Name His
disciples should cast out devils. In
my name they shall cast out devils.—(St.
Mark xvi., 17). And in fact, the Church in her Exorcisms always makes
use of this Name in driving out the infernal spirits from those who
are possessed. And priests who are assisting persons dying call to
their aid the Name of Jesus, to deliver them from the assaults of
hell, which at that last moment are so terrible.
In
the Life of St. Bernardine of Sienna, we see how many sinners the
Saint converted, how many abuses he put an end to, and how many
cities he sanctified, by trying, when he preached, to induce the
people to invoke the Name of Jesus. St. Peter says that there is no
other Name given to us by which we can find salvation but the ever
blessed Name of Jesus:
For there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must
be save
(Acts
iv., 12). Jesus is He Who has not only saved us, but continually
preserves us from the danger of sin by His merits, each time we
invoke Him with confidence: Whatsoever
you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do.—(St.
John xiv., 13).
In
temptations, then, I repeat with St. Laurence Justinian, “whether
you are tempted by the devil are attacked by men, invoke the Name of
Jesus.” If the devils and men torment you and urge you to sin call
on Jesus, and you will be delivered; and if temptations do not cease
to persecute you, continue to invoke Jesus, and you will never fall.
Those who practice this devotion have experienced that they keep
themselves safe, and that they always come off victorious.
Let
us always add the holy Name of Mary, which likewise terrible to hell,
and we shall always be secure. “This short prayer—Jesus and
Mary—is easy to remember,” says Thomas a Kempis, “and powerful
to protect; is strong enough to deliver us from all the assaults of
enemies.”
THE
NAME OF OUR SAVIOUR –
A
NAME OF GREAT POWER
Consider
that the Name Jesus
signifies
Saviour;
and
St. Peter—(Acts iv., 12)—assures us that the Eternal Father has
not given to men any other Name by which they may be saved amidst the
snares of this deceitful world, than the adorable Name of Jesus. It
is this Name that makes the truth of Faith shine everywhere, and that
calls all men from the abyss of darkness to the adorable light of the
Gospel. It is by virtue of this adorable Name that the Apostle gave
light to the blind, made the lame walk, healed the sick, raised the
dead to life, and filled the whole world with wonder. And if the
Angel at first announced that Jesus would bring life into the world
by delivering it from the cruel slavery into which Adam had plunged
it, this good Saviour confirmed this promise Himself when He declared
that He had come so that His sheep might have
life, and might have it more abundantly.—(St.
John. x.,
10). By virtue of His Name we see idolatry overthrown, to the great
confusion of pagan princes and priests, who did all in their power to
uphold it.
O
amiable and Holy Name of Jesus, may the Seraphim of Heaven give Thee
suitable thanks for me, and never cease to praise Thee by ever
repeating that Thou dost merit all glory, all honour, and all power.
My sweet Saviour, I hope to obtain, by virtue of Thy Name, the
salvation of my body and soul; I hope that with this glorious Name in
my heart and on my lips, victorious over the world and the flesh, I
shall have the happiness to sing Thy praises and to bless the august
Trinity for ever and ever.
Consider
also the efficacy of the adorable Name of Jesus in making our prayers
pleasing to God, and in obtaining all that we ask of Him. This Name
opens for us the way to arrive promptly at the feet of the Most High
and to have our prayers heard at once. The Gospel attests that the
prayers of Jesus Himself have always been heard by virtue of His
great Name, and that He authorizes us to say, when speaking to God: “
Our Father, Who art in Heaven.” In consideration of the Name of
Jesus, God looks with a favourable eye upon our petition. For this
reason Jesus exhorted the Apostles, and exhorts us all, that we
should ask of the Father in His Name, in order to be sure that we
shall obtain what we seek: If
you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you.—(St. John. xvi., 23). It is enough for Him to hear the petition,
and He will bestow upon us the favours that have been asked of Him in
the Name of His Beloved Son, with Whom He is well pleased, and Who,
in order to satisfy His offended justice has shown Himself obedient
even unto death.
We
should, then, know how to profit by the efficacious power of the Holy
Name of Jesus; being sure that our prayers will be heard, we should
often, every hour of the day, repeat our prayers to the Eternal
Father, and we shall advance in perfection on the road of the divine
precepts, until we attain the happiness of seeing and possessing Him
for all eternity in Heaven.
O
Sweet Jesus, our Love and our Hope, since Thou hast deigned to assume
mortal flesh, in order to open to us the gate of mercy, and to render
our prayers efficacious by virtue of Thy glorious Name, grant that
our prayers for the grace of perseverance may be heard, so that
faithful to the Divine law to the end of our lives, we may, with Thy
Holy Name on our lips, pass from this valley of tears to the glory of
Paradise.
<<<†††>>><<<†††>>><<<†††>>>
+
JMJ
U.I.O.G.D.
Ave
Maria!
Jesus,
Mary, Joseph, we love Thee, save souls.
O
God come to our assistance. Jesus, Mary, Joseph please make haste to
help us!
+
+ + Jesus, Mary, Joseph + + +
From
the book - Sermons of the Cure of Ars – St. John Mary Vianney
THE
GLORY AND THE POWER OF THE HOLY NAME.
“He
humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the
Cross. For which cause God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him
a name which is above all names.”—Phil. ii. 8-9.
Dearly
beloved in the Lord! On this Sunday we celebrate in an especial
manner the festival in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus, that Name
which is, for every Christian, the noblest and dearest, the holiest
and the most consoling. By honoring and loving the Name of our
Saviour, we show our respect and love for Him who bears this blessed
Name. In this sense we honor and praise the names of the Saints whose
memory will never die, but will always be honored by God and men; we
think with joy of their exalted and heroic virtues, their living and
steadfast faith, their self-sacrificing love for their neighbor,
their untiring zeal to help their fellow men to that true happiness
and salvation which comes from God alone—yes, truly the names of
the Saints, and, above all, that of the Queen of Saints, and the
names of all God’s elect, are dear to us, and we pronounce them
with reverence and love; indeed, it would be a sin not to do so.
But
there is a Name which is above all other names, a Name which we must
always pronounce with the greatest reverence, with the most blissful
happiness and the tenderest love; and that is the Name of Jesus. And
why do we all cherish in our hearts so profound a respect, such love
and devotion for this Most Holy Name? First—On account of its glory
and excellence, and then (second) because of its wonderful power and
abundance of grace.
Let
us make this the subject of our meditation in the Name of Jesus: “Who
humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the
Cross. Wherefore God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name
which is above every name.”
1.—Beloved in the Lord! No one is able to explain the great mystery
revealed on earth by Christ, the Incarnate Son of God. According to
the expression of St. Paul, the Apostle, in his letter to the
Colossians, this mystery, which the Apostle says is Christ Himself,
has been hidden from all eternity in God. When in the fullness of
time it was revealed, it received a name which showed us distinctly,
in the light of faith, the great and wonderful signification of the
Incarnation of the Son of God and our redemption. God, the Eternal
Father, wished to choose the name Himself which His well-beloved Son
should bear upon earth, and He announced this name to the world by an
angel from Heaven. For, commissioned by God, and sent by Him, the
archangel Gabriel brought the message to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
“Behold, thou wilt conceive in thy womb and bear a Son, and His
name shall be called Jesus.” And the angel said to Joseph: “Joseph,
son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that
which is conceived in Her is of the Holy Ghost. And She shall bring
forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save
His people from their sins” (St. Matthew 1: 20-21).
And,
again, as we have heard on the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord:
“And after eight days were accomplished that the Child should be
circumcised His name was called Jesus, which was called by the angel
before He was conceived in the womb” (St. Luke 2: 21).
The
name of Jesus, therefore, was not given to our Saviour by man or
angel, but by God Himself. This most holy Name was from all eternity
hidden with the mystery of the Incarnation in the bosom, in the
heart, of the Father, and descended at the same time with the
fulfillment of this mystery from Heaven, so that we men might express
in a worthy manner our respect and our gratitude for what the Son of
God, in His human nature, out of His incomprehensible love for us,
had done and suffered for our salvation. “Thou shalt call His name
Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins” (St. Matthew
1: 21); but not only His chosen people, but all mankind, as the
Apostle St. John says, so as to bring together all the dispersed
children of God, to be made one here upon earth and one in Heaven.
“Jesus Christ,” says this same Apostle, “is the propitiation
for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole
world” (I. St. John 2: 2). As St. Paul says, Christ Jesus is the
only Mediator between God and man. The name of Jesus means,
therefore, Saviour, Redeemer and Mediator, and reminds us of all that
the Son of God accomplished here upon earth to redeem us and to make
us eternally happy. It reminds us of His entire earthly life, from
His birth, until His death, of all the steps that He took, of the
miracles that He worked, of all the sick that He cured, of all the
dead that He raised to life, of the sinners whom He forgave, of the
Sacraments which He left in His Church—in a word, of everything
which the Incarnate Son of God did, and still does, not only to
render us happy here upon earth, but also to make us happy and to
bless us for all eternity. The name of Jesus is, therefore, for us
the dearest and the most glorious name.
Our
Saviour merited this name for Himself. It is the name of honor, which
belongs to the Son of God, who died upon the Cross to save the fallen
world. This name is the reward, the price of victory, which He
received from His Heavenly Father; the praise and the renown which He
will receive forevermore from the grateful Christian world. This is
taught and proclaimed to us, by the great Apostle of the people, in
the most thrilling words, when he says of Christ: “He humbled
Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.
Wherefore God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name which
is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow
of those that are in heaven, on earth and under the earth; and that
every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the
glory of God the Father.”
And,
behold, as it was said, so it has come to pass. The name of Jesus was
placed over the head of the crucified Saviour on Golgotha; Jesus
Nazarenus, Rex Judaeorum (Jesus
of Nazareth, King of the Jews), but now it shines over heaven and
earth, to the glory of God the Son. All the angels and saints in
heaven pronounce this glorious Name with indescribable jubilation and
rapture. All the faithful on earth praise the Name of their greatest
Benefactor with the most profound reverence and intense gratitude.
The suffering souls in purgatory sigh with ardent longings as often
as they think of this Holy Name, and their desire is to praise and
glorify this Holy Name with all the elect in heaven. Who amongst us
would dare to utter this Most Holy Name with indifference or without
circumspectness? No, O Jesus, how could we possibly be guilty of such
an offense against Thee! With the most profound reverence, and ardent
love, we will forevermore preserve Thy Glorious Name in our hearts,
and give utterance to it with our tongues. And we will also call upon
it with the most complete confidence.
II.—For this reason, beloved Christians, listen to a few words on the
wonderful power of the Name of Jesus. In the first place, it is the
Saviour Himself who assures us of the wonderful power of His divine
Name, for He says of those who believe in Him: “They
shall cast out devils in My Name, they shall speak new tongues, they
shall pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, it shall
not harm them. They shall lay their hands upon the sick and heal
them.”
Of
the power of His Name, Jesus says, further, that every prayer offered
up in His Name shall be heard. “Amen, amen, I say unto you, if you
ask the Father anything in My Name, He will grant it unto you.
Hitherto you have not asked for anything in My Name, but pray, so
that you may receive, that your joy may be perfect.”
Holy
Scripture and the traditions of our Holy Church teach us the
innumerable times that the Lord has kept this His promise, and how
powerful and full of blessing is His Holy Name.
Peter
and John, in the early days of the Church, went up into the Temple to
pray. A man who had been lame from his birth was sitting at the door
of the Temple, which was called “the beautiful,” and he begged an
alms of the Apostles. Peter felt himself possessed of treasures which
surpassed all the wealth of this earth, and, fortified by our
Saviour’s promises, he spoke to the lame man: “Look at us!” The
latter did so, in the hope of receiving something from them. But
Peter said to him, “I have neither gold nor silver, but what I have
that I will give thee: In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene,
arise and walk!” And the lame man jumped up and went with them into
the Temple to praise God.
St.
Paul had arrived at Philippi, the capital of Macedonia. He went
through the streets of the city toward a house of prayer. On the way
he was met by a servant girl, who was possessed by an evil spirit.
The Holy Apostle took pity upon the unfortunate girl, and, confiding
in the Lord’s promises, said to the evil spirit: “I command thee,
in the Name of Jesus Christ, depart out of her!” And the devil
immediately departed out of her.
A
goblet full of poison was handed to the Apostle St. John; he uttered
the Name of Jesus over it, and the poison did not harm him.
Endowed
with the power of the Holy Name, the Apostles went out to convert the
world. Not only did they work numberless miracles, but, also, those
who believed in their words performed miracles in the Name of Jesus.
At the sound of this Divine Name, the temples of the pagans
collapsed. Before it the spirits of darkness fled. Through this
victorious Name the teachings of Jesus were disseminated over the
face of the earth. In this Name the Church carries on her divine
mission every day until the end of the world; in it she teaches,
prays, blesses and consecrates. But, my dear Christians, each and
every one of us can experience in ourselves the wonderful power and
effects of this consoling Name. Yes, O Christian soul, if you call
upon the Name of Jesus with devotion, you will most certainly obtain
all things necessary for your salvation. This Most Blessed Name will
give you advice in difficulties, courage in dangers, fortitude and
strength in temptations, perseverance in good, consolation and joy,
in trouble and suffering. When the Apostles of the Lord were scourged
at Jerusalem, they rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to
suffer ignominy for the Name of Jesus.
The
more devoutly we reverence and call upon the Name of Jesus, the more
will our Saviour show a tender and perceptible love toward us. “My
Jesus,” says St. Augustine, “so soon as I begin to utter Thy
Name, I perceive an unearthly sweetness in my mouth, and an amazing
change of heart.” “The Name of Jesus,” says St. Bernard, “is
as honey in the mouth, a sweet sound in the ears, and a joy to the
heart.” How sweet and consoling is the Name of Jesus, in all the
pains and sufferings of this changeable life, but it is sweetest of
all at the hour of death. With the Name of Jesus on their lips, the
Saints of God breathed forth their souls. Jesus was their last
prayer, their last sigh. “Lord Jesus, receive my soul!” This is
how St. Stephen prayed when they were stoning him to death, and so he
died in the Lord. “Jesus, my love!” sighed the holy martyr
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, as they led him to his death, to be torn
asunder by the wild beasts. When they ordered him to deny the Name of
Jesus, he replied, quietly and firmly: “I will never cease to utter
His Name. And if you could prevent me from pronouncing it with my
mouth, you could not efface it from my heart.” Confessing the Most
Holy Name of Jesus, and whilst pronouncing the same most fervently,
the holy Bishop died the glorious death of a martyr.
Grant
to us, also, O Jesus, that Thy ever-blessed Name may be to us as long
as we live, and especially at the hour of our death, our consolation
and our hope, and in heaven our eternal joy and blessedness. Amen.
REV. H. N., D.D.
From
the 1957 Raccolta -
I.
An Invocation of the
Holy Name of Jesus
The
faithful who devoutly invoke the holy Name of Jesus may gain:
An
indulgence of 300 days
A
plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, when they repeat this
invocation daily for a whole month;
A
plenary indulgence at the hour of death, if they have been accustomed
to invoke the holy Name frequently during life, provided that, after
confession and Communion, or at least an act of contrition, they
devoutly invoke the Holy Name of Jesus with their lips if possible,
otherwise in their hearts, and accept death with resignations from
the hand of God as the wages of sin.
II.
Litany of the Most Holy
Name of Jesus
Indulgence
of 7 years.
A
plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions for the daily
and devout recitation (hereinafter referred to as "the usual
conditions") of this litany.
LITANY
OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
Lord,
have mercy on us.
Christ,
have mercy on us.
Lord,
have mercy on us.
Jesus,
hear us.
Jesus,
graciously hear us.
God
the Father of Heaven,
Have
mercy on us.
God
the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have
mercy on us.
God
the Holy Spirit,
Have
mercy on us.
Holy
Trinity, one God,
Have
mercy on us.
Jesus,
Son of the living God, Have mercy on us.
Jesus,
splendor of the Father, Have mercy on us.
Jesus,
brightness of eternal light,
Jesus,
King of glory,
Jesus,
sun of justice,
Jesus,
Son of the Virgin Mary,
Jesus,
most amiable,
Jesus,
most admirable,
Jesus,
the mighty God,
Jesus,
Father of the world to come,
Jesus,
angel of great counsel,
Jesus,
most powerful,
Jesus,
most patient,
Jesus,
most obedient,
Jesus,
meek and humble of heart,
Jesus,
lover of chastity,
Jesus,
lover of us,
Jesus,
God of peace,
Jesus,
author of life,
Jesus,
example of virtues,
Jesus,
zealous lover of souls,
Jesus,
our God,
Jesus,
our refuge,
Jesus,
father of the poor,
Jesus,
treasure of the faithful,
Jesus,
good Shepherd,
Jesus,
true light,
Jesus,
eternal wisdom,
Jesus,
infinite goodness,
Jesus,
our way and our life,
Jesus,
joy of Angels,
Jesus,
King of the Patriarchs,
Jesus,
Master of the Apostles,
Jesus,
teacher of the Evangelists,
Jesus,
strength of Martyrs,
Jesus,
light of Confessors,
Jesus,
purity of Virgins,
Jesus,
crown of Saints,
Be
merciful, spare us, O Jesus.
Be
merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus.
From
all evil, deliver us, O Jesus.
From
all sin, deliver us, O Jesus.
From
Your wrath,
From
the snares of the devil,
From
the spirit of fornication,
From
everlasting death,
From
the neglect of Your inspirations,
By
the mystery of Your holy Incarnation,
By
Your Nativity,
By
Your Infancy,
By
Your most divine Life,
By
Your labors,
By
Your agony and passion,
By
Your cross and dereliction,
By
Your sufferings,
By
Your death and burial,
By
Your Resurrection,
By
Your Ascension,
By
Your institution of the most Holy Eucharist,
By
Your joys,
By
Your glory,
Lamb
of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb
of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O
Jesus.
Lamb
of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O
Jesus.
Jesus,
hear us.
Jesus,
graciously hear us.
Let
us pray.
O
Lord Jesus Christ, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive,
seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you."
Grant, we beg of You, to us who ask it, the gift of Your most divine
love, that we may ever love You with our whole heart, in word and
deed, and never cease praising You.
Give
us, O Lord, as much a lasting fear as a lasting love of Your Holy
Name, for You, who live and are King for ever and ever, never fail to
govern those whom You have solidly established in Your love. R. Amen.
III.
Hymns
Jesu, dulcis memoria
(Jesus, the very thought of Thee)
Jesus,
the very thought of Thee
With
sweetness fills the breast!
Yet
sweeter far Thy face to see
And
in Thy Presence rest.
No
voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor
can the memory find,
A
sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name,
The
Savior of mankind.
O
hope of every contrite heart!
O
joy of all the meek!
To
those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How
good to those who seek!
But
what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor
tongue nor pen can show
The
love of Jesus, what it is,
None
but His loved ones know.
Jesus!
our only hope be Thou,
As
Thou our prize shalt be;
In
Thee be all our glory now,
And
through eternity. Amen.
Indulgence
of 5 years
(A
plenary - the usual conditions)
Jesu decus angelicum (O
Jesus, Thou the beauty art)
O
JESUS, Thou the beauty art
of
Angel worlds above!
Thy
name is music to the heart,
enchanting
it with love!
Celestial
sweetness unalloyed!
who
eat Thee hunger still,
who
drink of Thee still feel a void
which
naught but Thou canst fill!
O
my sweet Jesus! hear the sighs
which
unto Thee I send!
to
Thee my inmost spirit cries
my
being’s hope and end!
Stay
with us, Lord, and with Thy light
illume
the soul’s abyss;
scatter
the darkness of our night
and
fill the world with bliss.
O
Jesu! spotless Virgin flower!
our
life and joy! to Thee
be
praise, beatitude and power,
through
all eternity! Amen.
Indulgence
of 5 years
(A
plenary - the usual conditions)
Jesu, Rex Admirabilis
(Jesus, Admirable King)
O
JESUS, King most wonderful!
Thou
Conqueror renowned!
Thou
Sweetness most ineffable!
in
whom all joys are found!
When
once Thou visitest the heart,
then
truth begins to shine;
then
earthly vanities depart;
then
kindles love divine.
O
Jesu! Light of all below!
Thou
font of life and fire!
surpassing
all the joys we know,
and
all we can desire.
May
every heart confess Thy name,
and
ever Thee adore;
and
seeking Thee, itself inflame
to
seek Thee more and more.
Thee
may our tongues for ever bless;
Thee
may we love alone;
and
ever in out lives express
the
image of Thine own. Amen.
Indulgence
of 5 years
(A
plenary - the usual conditions)
IV.
DEVOUT PRACTICES
The
faithful who during the MONTH OF JANUARY perform some special act of
devotion in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus are granted:
An
indulgence of 7 years once on any day of the month;
A
plenary indulgence - on the usual conditions - if this act of
devotion is repeated daily or the entire month.
~~~~~~
The
faithful who recite five times the doxology Glory be the Father
together with the ejaculation:
Blessed
be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!
may
gain:
An
indulgence of 300 days
†IHS†
The
faithful who, after Confession and Communion, visit some church or
oratory, public or even semi-public, on the Feast of the Most Holy
Name of Jesus, and pray for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff
may gain: A PLENARY INDULGENCE
V.
Prayers to the Holy
Name of Jesus
O
GOOD JESU, according to Thy great mercy, have mercy on me. O most
merciful Jesus, by that Precious Blood which Thou didst will to shed
for sinners, I beseech Thee to wash away all mine iniquities and look
graciously upon me, a poor and unworthy sinner, as I call upon Thy
holy Name. Therefore, O Jesus, do Thou save me for Thy holy Name’s
sake.
(An
indulgence of 500 days)
O
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son to be the Saviour of
mankind and didst command His name to be called Jesus; mercifully
grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name
we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
(An
indulgence of 5 years
