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The Most Holy Name of Jesus (Optional Memorial)

He is the Son of God. (John 1:34)

Parents-to-be often spend hours and hours flipping through books or searching the Internet for that perfect name for their child. They are looking for a name that not only sounds pleasant but has significance: Claire, for example, means brilliant, and Drew means trustworthy.

Mary and Joseph didnt have to bother with all of that. An angel told them their sons name before he was even born (Luke 1:31; Matthew 1:21). He was to be called Jesus, which means God saves. As in most Jewish families, the name of this child was seen as a sign of what kind of a man he would grow into. And more powerfully than all others, Jesus fully embodied all that his name said he would be: he literally saved us from our sins!

So why do we still celebrate Jesus name today if he has already fulfilled his destiny? Because his is the name by which we are saved. According to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, The sweet name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with noble sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good works, and nourishes pure affections. . . . This name is the cure for all diseases of the soul.

Of course, Bernard was not implying that the name of Jesus worked like a magic spell. Like John in todays Gospel, he knew that without the Holy Spirits revelation and power, Jesus name would be like any other name. The Catechism teaches us: To pray Jesus is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him (CCC 2666).

So ask the Spirit to reveal Jesus to you today. Call on his name with faith and trust. Believe that the Spirit will reveal Jesus to you in a way that fills your heart with confidence and joy, no matter what situation you may face.

Lord Jesus, your name is my salvation! May your name, Jesus, be ever in my thoughts, on my lips, and in my heart.

1 John 2:293:6 Psalm 98:1, 3-6

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The WORD Among Us daily meditation - wau.org