First Friday Holy Hour - January 2025 - The Most Holy Name of Jesus

 As we gather in the stillness of this evening, we come to adore in the Eucharist, the same Jesus whose Holy Name we have honored throughout this day—He who was named on the eighth day, in fulfillment of the law and in anticipation of our salvation.

In the Eucharist, we encounter Him personally, intimately. Christ is truly here, body, blood, soul, and divinity, just as He was in the manger, just as He was on the Cross, just as He will be in glory at the end of time. And before Him, we echo the words of St. Paul: “At the Name of Jesus every knee should bend… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This morning I shared how liturgically, the Holy Name of Jesus is reverenced by the priest, every time the name of Jesus is mentioned, the priest is instructed to give a slight bow of the head. Well, now in his presence, we do not simply bow, we kneel, for he is truly here.

Throughout the centuries, the name of Jesus has been used for prayer. Both in our public prayer, liturgically, and also in our private prayer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always”

This insight highlights that prayer does not always require long or elaborate formulas. At its heart, prayer is a loving communion with God, and sometimes the simplest forms of prayer are the most powerful.

Simply to recite the name of Jesus, gently and slowly can be a powerful mode of prayer. Repeating the Holy Name in our hearts fosters an interior silence and calm that opens us to God’s presence. And that is a prayer that can be prayed in the car, in line at the grocery or doctor’s office, or when we have to spend time with someone who really gets under our skin. Jesus. Jesus.

 In the midst of anxiety, stress, or temptation, simply reciting Jesus’ name recollects us and reminds us of His mercy, power, and abiding love.

This evening, before the Blessed Sacrament, I invite you to spend some time simply gazing at the Eucharist and reciting the name of Jesus.

To quote again St. Bernardine of Siena, that great preacher of the Holy Name—St. Bernadine said, “Glorious name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven, through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength to the toiler, you sustain the weary” for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

January 3 2025 - The Most Holy Name of Jesus

 

On this 10th day of the Christmas season, we celebrate an event taking place on the 8th day of the Lord’s earthly life. As we heard in today’s Gospel, “When eight days were completed for his circumcision, the child was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel.” 

The Name of Jesus is repeated almost a thousand times in the New Testament.  St. Paul even describes the reverence that is to be given to the Holy Name of Jesus. at the Name of Jesus every knee should bend; 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.”

We reverence his name because we reverence, and show highest respect and honor to Him. Liturgically, this is observed, whenever the priest pronounces the name of Jesus in the prayers, he bows his head.  His name is not just reverenced liturgically, though. The second commandment forbids us from taking the name of the Lord in vain. 

We are to use the name of Jesus in prayer, in worship, always with respect and love. 

The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus spread particularly in the 15th century St. Bernardine of Siena. The great preacher Saint Bernardine was moved by stories of the apostles healing in the name of Jesus, demons being cast out in the name of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins comes through the name of Jesus, the name of Jesus makes heaven exult and hell tremble. The name that contains his power and help. The name, which recalls that God comes in the flesh to save us.

He was also concerned with the resurgence of paganism. 15th century Italy saw a concerning resurgence of the cult of apollo, the pagan Greek god of the son. So St. Bernardine took the three Greek letters, Iota, Eta, Sigma, IHS, which are the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, and emblazoned them on vestments and sacred vessels and banners, to replace the false pagan worship with the authentic worship of the true Son of the Father. At the time, there was also deep political division between two groups: the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. St. Bernardine urged people to adopt the IHS rather than the banners of these two groups.

St. Bernadine said, “Glorious name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven, through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength to the toiler, you sustain the weary”.  Not only did St. Bernadine speak these beautiful words, but many miracles occurred giving testimony to the power of the Holy Name.  

In a time of political division and secular godlessness, we do well to invoke the powerful name of Jesus, to emblazen it in our churches and homes and on our hearts, that the true God may be made known, and worshipped, and loved, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

For the conversion of all those who have turned their hearts from Christ, for those who have fallen into serious sin, for a strengthening of all of the faithful in virtue. And that through the Holy Name of Jesus, God may bring the faithless to believe in His Son and increase the faith of those struggling to believe.

For Christians who are persecuted throughout the world, especially those who face martyrdom, that they may have a faith that is constant and pure.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body. 

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

January 01 2025 - Mary, the Holy Mother of God - Blessings in the New Year

 

Yesterday, at morning Mass, I considered how December 31 is a good day for looking back on the year—a good day for considering how God has been with us throughout in the joys and challenges of the year. 

So, as a little spiritual exercise yesterday, I went through my 2024 calendar, day by day, week by week, month by month, and considered the ways I experienced God and the ways God called me to service in the last year, and recalled some of those joys and challenges. 

Throughout 2024, there were masses, holy hours, anointings of the sick, rcia sessions, meetings with the grieving, funerals and burials, weddings, meals and visits to parishioners’ homes, meetings regarding our capital campaign and church sound system and other maintenance related issues. There were staff meetings, marriage and other sacramental preparation meetings, meetings where I offered spiritual direction, and meetings where I received spiritual direction, meetings for annulments, planning meetings, and then all of those wonderful parish events like our clam bake, Lenten simple soup dinner, and parish picnic. Events with the school, family gatherings, gatherings with brother priests, diocesan meetings, events, and liturgies. I was reminded how I climbed to the top of the bell tower for the eclipse on  April 8, and attended a friend’s music recital at Cleveland Institute of Music on April 24, how I had the great honor of sitting on jury duty, and the amazing Italian dinner I had with a priest friend prior to his reception of his doctoral degree. There was my 15th anniversary of priestly ordination, and the week in Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. 2024 was certainly a year of grace and  blessing. I even improved a little on my golf game, making my first eagle on the 9th hole over at little met. 

I really do recommend a similar exercise. Go through your past year. Consider the blessings. Thank God for the blessings that were evident, and the challenges, which in retrospect, could perhaps be considered as blessings in disguise.

Our readings on this Holy Day all speak of blessing. Our first reading from the book of Numbers contains a literal prayer of blessing. Aaron the brother of Moses was instructed to pray words of blessing over the people of Israel. Our psalm, sings to God asking God to extend his blessing upon us and to the end of the earth. Just like you can go through your personal calendar, one could flip through the pages of the bible to consider how God has blessed his people in every age—forming Israel, teaching and forming his people, corrected them, and preparing them for the birth of the Messiah.

On this Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, on this octave day of Christmas, we celebrate how God has blessed us, answering that petition for worldwide blessing through Mary, the Mother of Jesus. He has made Mary a blessing to all people—for the role she has played in our salvation and the role she continues to play, both in example and also as the most powerful of heavenly intercessors. We are blessed, we are better, for knowing her faithfulness and her love in bringing about the greatest blessing possible. 

As we prayed in our Collect prayer, “Through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary, God has bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation”. There is no greater blessing than that, no greater gift, the grace of eternal salvation. And today the Church universal thanks God for her, through whom eternal salvation Himself was born. 

And as we celebrate how God made Mary a blessing for all people, on this first day of the calendar year, we consider how we, too are to be a blessing for others, every day this year. 

Again, going through my calendar, wasn’t just an examination of the record of events of the last year. Honestly, it was very moving to consider how many times God used others, yourselves included, to bless me, to shape me, to encourage and strengthen me, to correct me, and to simply show me the depths of His love and goodness. 

The saints recommend, not simply a yearly examination, but a daily examination—to grow in awareness of God’s presence and God’s blessing. At the end of the day, before bed, sit in a nice chair with the tv and social media off, and consider the conversations, the lessons, the unexpected joys and the mistakes. Thank God for the blessings and ask God’s mercy upon your faults. And to conclude, as priests and consecrated religious do, sing or recite a song to Mary, the salve regina, regina coeli, or a simply hail mary.

Like Mary, we are meant to contemplate the mystery of God in our hearts, that we like her may serve God as blessings for others for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.