A great way to usher in the New Year is to begin it in the Name of our Lord Jesus, the name above all names. And rightly so, the Roman Catholic Church commemorates 3rd January as the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. St Paul in his epistle acknowledges the greatness of the name of Jesus saying–“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…” (Philippians 2:10).
Worthy of all praise and honor, this name so highly exalted by His faithful ones is connected with healing, liberation, wholesomeness, transformation, love, joy, peace and considerably more. To the one who believes in Him, the name of Jesus is the calm to one’s storm. It dispels fear, eases pain and quells the power of darkness when called upon with faith. For this reason, the Holy Name of Jesus must always be assigned a place of high honor.
Etymology of the Name Jesus
The name of Jesus has its roots in Aramaic (Isho), Hebrew (Yeshua), and Classical Latin (Iesus) and is also related to another biblical name, Joshua. Essentially, the name means the Lord is Salvation indicating His mission to save people from their sins.
Wonder of His Name
Through the name of Jesus, every grace and blessing is received as promised by Christ “If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you.” (John16:23). Therefore, the Church has made it its customary practice to conclude prayers in the name of Jesus. Even Our Lord’s prayer begins with “Our Father, Holy be your Name…” recognizing that God’s Name is Holy.
Mark 16: 17-18 speaks of the inconceivable things this wondrous Name can do – “In my Name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.”
Further in Acts 3:6, on encountering a lame man, the apostles Peter and John tell him that they have no silver or gold to give him as alms but can give him what they can. Saying so, they continue to say, “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Instantly, the man’s feet and ankles become strong and he begins walking and praising God.
Deep love of St Bernadine of Siena for the Name of Jesus
A notable Saint who had reverenced the Holy Name of Jesus and worked hard to foster its devotion was St Bernadine of Siena. During his mission of preaching in the cities of Italy, he carried a copy of the monogram of Christ’s Name (IHS) which had been painted on a wooden tablet. (Although there is a Greek interpretation of IHS, in Latin it is interpreted as Iesus Hominum Salvator which translates as Jesus, Savior of Men. During the blessing of the sick, the symbol was held aloft to be venerated by the devout seeking God’s help. And during the veneration, many miracles of healing were reported. The saint was also known to encourage people have the monogram placed on the gates of their cities and doors of their homes to act as a means of securing divine favors.
Much is being spoken of concerning the mighty Name of Jesus worldwide and the miracles that follow on merely pronouncing His Name. This reminds me of a miracle that one of my family member experienced in the year 2022 when he had severe abdominal pain. He was rushed for scan suspecting inflammation of the gall bladder. The doctors were expecting the worst. Given the severity of pain he was in, he just couldn’t pray so I reminded him on the phone that merely uttering the name of Jesus would bring healing. With faith, he repeated the name of Jesus and went through the scan. To everyone’s surprise, the pain subsided and the report turned out to be normal.
By our experiences, we know that the Holy Name of Jesus fills our soul with sweetness and relief, works as remedy for our infirmities and is a refuge to the penitent sinner. We have on different occasions been given to understand the pervasive power and salvific nature of this beautiful name. So, why not consider nurturing a good habit of invoking Jesus’ Name with faith in all circumstances in the coming years? Let’s begin with the pious recitation of the Litany to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, one of the litanies that is said to carry partial indulgence. Ring in the New Year in the Name of Jesus and savor its sweetness.
