The Holy Name of Jesus
Meditation for the Feast of the Holy Names of Jesus.
I.
The name of Jesus was given to the Incarnate Word not by men, but by God himself: And his name shall be called Jesus, (Luke1:31) that is, Savior. A name of gladness, a name of hope, a name of love.
A name of gladness, because if the remembrance of past transgressions afflicts us, this name comforts us, reminding us that the Son of God became man for this purpose, to make himself our Savior.
My beloved Savior, You came down from heaven to seek me, and I, a miserable sinner, have turned my back upon You and despised Your grace and Your love! But, notwithstanding this, You willed my salvation, O my Jesus! and I thank You for it and love You.
II.
A name of hope, because he that prays to the Eternal Father in the name of Jesus may hope for every grace he asks for: If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it you. (John 16:23)
O my God! trusting to this promise, in the name of Jesus I ask of You the pardon of my sins, holy perseverance, and the gift of Your love. Grant, above all, that the remainder of my life may not be spent in displeasing You, but only in loving You and doing Your will, as You deserve that I should do.
III.
A name of love. St. Bernardine of Sienna says that the name of Jesus is a sign that represents to us how much God has done for the love of us. For the name of Jesus brings to our remembrance all the sufferings which Jesus has endured for us in his life and at his death. Wherefore a devout writer says to him, "O Jesus! how much has it cost You to be Jesus, that is to say, my Savior!".
O my Jesus I beseech You, do You write Your name on my poor heart and on my tongue, in order that when I am tempted to sin, I may resist by invoking You; so that if I am tempted to despair, I may trust in Your merits; and that if I feel myself tepid in loving You, Your name may inflame my heart at the recollection of how much You have loved me. Your name, then, will always be my defense, my comfort, and the fire that shall keep me always inflamed with Your love. Make me, therefore, always to call You my Jesus, and to live and die with Your holy name on my lips, saying even with my last breath, "I love You, my Jesus; my Jesus, I love You." O Mary, my Queen! make me when I am dying invoke you continually, together with your Son Jesus.
~ St. Alphonsus de Liguori, The Incarnation Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ, Rev Eugene Grimm, Trans., Redemptorist Fathers, Brooklyn, Publishers (1927) pp. 320-321. Imprimatur +Patrick Cardinal Hayes, 1927.
Meditation for the Feast of the Holy Names of Jesus.
I.
The name of Jesus was given to the Incarnate Word not by men, but by God himself: And his name shall be called Jesus, (Luke1:31) that is, Savior. A name of gladness, a name of hope, a name of love.
A name of gladness, because if the remembrance of past transgressions afflicts us, this name comforts us, reminding us that the Son of God became man for this purpose, to make himself our Savior.
My beloved Savior, You came down from heaven to seek me, and I, a miserable sinner, have turned my back upon You and despised Your grace and Your love! But, notwithstanding this, You willed my salvation, O my Jesus! and I thank You for it and love You.
II.
A name of hope, because he that prays to the Eternal Father in the name of Jesus may hope for every grace he asks for: If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it you. (John 16:23)
O my God! trusting to this promise, in the name of Jesus I ask of You the pardon of my sins, holy perseverance, and the gift of Your love. Grant, above all, that the remainder of my life may not be spent in displeasing You, but only in loving You and doing Your will, as You deserve that I should do.
III.
A name of love. St. Bernardine of Sienna says that the name of Jesus is a sign that represents to us how much God has done for the love of us. For the name of Jesus brings to our remembrance all the sufferings which Jesus has endured for us in his life and at his death. Wherefore a devout writer says to him, "O Jesus! how much has it cost You to be Jesus, that is to say, my Savior!".
O my Jesus I beseech You, do You write Your name on my poor heart and on my tongue, in order that when I am tempted to sin, I may resist by invoking You; so that if I am tempted to despair, I may trust in Your merits; and that if I feel myself tepid in loving You, Your name may inflame my heart at the recollection of how much You have loved me. Your name, then, will always be my defense, my comfort, and the fire that shall keep me always inflamed with Your love. Make me, therefore, always to call You my Jesus, and to live and die with Your holy name on my lips, saying even with my last breath, "I love You, my Jesus; my Jesus, I love You." O Mary, my Queen! make me when I am dying invoke you continually, together with your Son Jesus.
~ St. Alphonsus de Liguori, The Incarnation Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ, Rev Eugene Grimm, Trans., Redemptorist Fathers, Brooklyn, Publishers (1927) pp. 320-321. Imprimatur +Patrick Cardinal Hayes, 1927.
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