Colligite Fragmenta – Most Holy Name of Jesus Sunday

In the calendar of the Vetus Ordo, the Roman Rite, in proximity to what for centuries was called the Feast of the Circumcision – that moment when Our Lord formally received the Name prescribed on the Father’s behalf by the Archangel Gabriel – on this Sunday we liturgically venerate the Most Holy Name of Jesus.

This is a relatively new feast, originally celebrated by the Franciscans.  Innocent XIII extended it to the whole Church in 1721.

We can hardly do better to introduce this Sunday than to cite the Introit of the Mass from Philippians 2:10-11

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Names are associated in the Bible with roles.  God made Adam and named him, “dust of the earth… Adamah”.  The Father named the Second Adam, the Incarnate Word, Jesus, according to His role, “God saves”.  God changes the names of key figures.  Abram is renamed as Abraham and Sarai as Sarah.  Jacob’s name is changed to Israel and Simon becomes Peter.  Each was chosen by God for special role, and He named them accordingly.  In fact, it is possible that we could receive a new name in Heaven.  In Rev 2 we read in the message to Pergamum, holding fast to the name of “him who has the two-edged sword” (i.e., Christ, v. 13) against Satan and thus who conquers, “I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it” (v.17).

Christ received His “role” Name “Jesus” at his Circumcision.  He already had a Name from all eternity, His “being” Name, which God spoke to Moses from the burning bush: I AM.  “I AM” was so sacred to the Jews that they would not pronounce aloud the four letters which made it up in Hebrew.  There are moments in the Lord’s earthly life when He uses this “being” Name.  Consider the force of His “being” Name in the Garden of Gethsemane in John 18.  The betrayer, Judas, led soldiers to the Garden to apprehend the Lord.  Then,

… Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When he said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Christ spoke, in the Greek account, Ἐγώ εἰμι… I AM” and they fell down.  One would imagine that soldiers in the ancient world were physically strong.  They could not stand the power that came from this Jesus when he said, “I AM”.  The Lord’s Name is mighty indeed.

In Mark 9:38 John said to Christ, “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.”

In Acts 16:16-18, Paul exorcized a girl who had a demon that made her make predictions.  She had been following Paul around, shouting.

…“These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

St. Paul used the Name of Jesus 219 times in his Letters.

What did Christ say about His own Name?  Look at John chapters 14-16.  For example, in ch, 14:

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

… and in ch. 15: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

And in ch. 16:

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

What do the saints say about the Holy Name of Jesus?

St Bernard says,

When I utter the name of Jesus, I see before me a man of meekness, humility, kindness, and mercy, Who at the same time is the Almighty God, Who heals and strengthens me… It is He alone who experiences it, that can know what sweetness, what a paradise even in this valley of tears, it is truly to love Jesus.

St. Anselm says,

Let Jesus be ever in thy heart. Let Him be thy food, thy delight, thy consolation.

St Anselm asks all Christians to cherish the beautiful name of Jesus, to have it always in their hearts, that it may be their only food and their only consolation.

It is said of St. Francis of Assisi that he asked a follower to pick up scraps of paper from the floor in case upon any of then was written the Holy Name of Jesus.  And yet it seems these days, and indeed, not just in our days, the Holy Name is used as an expletive.

We must honor the Holy Name of Jesus with great confidence and love.  Calling upon His Holy Name strengthens us to combat the Enemy.  The invocation of the Holy Name is a constant in the rites of exorcism to our day.

With unwavering faith we should pray in times of temptation.  Call on Jesus’ Most Holy Name.  We can pray in His Name for others we know of who are struggling with addictions, who have fallen into vices, who have drifted away from the Faith.  Through the power of Jesus’ Holy Name, we should often pray for our spouses, for children, siblings, political leaders.  How helpful it could be for us all to invoke the Holy Name when praying for priests, religious, bishops.

We should develop good habits of speech concerning the Holy Name and never misuse or abuse it.  It comes directly from God and invokes God.  In the First Commandment of the Decalogue God focuses on what we might do wrong with our hands (Exodus 20:4: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image…”) and in the Second Commandment on what we might do wrong with our words (Exodus 20:7: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain”).  When we hear it spoken frivolously or badly, perhaps we might make reparation with recitation of the Litany of the Most Holy Name, one of the litanies approved for public use.  Perhaps there could be recitations of this Litany (and others) at regular times in parishes so that people could benefit from their power to form us.

Keep in mind not only love for the Name but also the fear which is Its due.  Do not exclude the fear which is really reverential awe.  In the book of Malachi, speaking of the Name of God, we read, “But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall” (Malachi 4:2).

Our habit of reverently invoking the Name of Jesus will prompt us in moments of need and temptation, even in our last moments and final breaths.  Take the example of the Good Thief who called on Jesus by Name and, as Fulton Sheen put it, “stole Heaven”.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth!  (Ps 8:1)