Today, on January 3, the Church celebrates the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. The Church reveals to us the wonders of Jesus as the Incarnate Word of God by expounding upon the glories of his holy name. The name of Jesus means “God saves.” The name Jesus had been revealed to Joseph in a dream and to Mary when the Angel Gabriel announced the Good News of Jesus’ birth to her in the Annunciation. Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus is rooted in the Sacred Scripture and in the Early Church as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus was popularized by Church leaders such as the Cistercian Abbot St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. John of Capistrano, and the Franciscan Order. This feast was first extended to the entire Church in 1727 under Pope Innocent XIII. The month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.
Our psalm states today: “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.” As we continue to journey through the days bof the Christmas season, which will end on January 12, we may reflect upon the way that the saving bpower of God is shown to the world through Jesus and through our relationship with him. By respect Jesus’ name, by trying to live out the values of God’s kingdom that he proclaimed, and by trying to bring his ministry to others through our words and our actions, we bring the saving power of God to the reality of our lives here on earth. That is the mandate we have as disciples of Christ.
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