Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
In today's first reading, Saint Paul wrote this about the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and it is beautiful:
". . .God greatly exalted himand bestowed on him the namethat is above every name,that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bend,of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue confess thatJesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father."
When we were preparing for the Vietnamese-English bilingual Mass for the Holy Vietnamese Martyrs, back in November, Fr. Charlie noted that my name is in the prayer. My name "phúc" with the word "hạnh" means "happy, blissful, beatific" (according to Google Translate). Growing up, I always understood from my parents that "hạnh phúc" means "good fortune". Our names mean something.
In the Gospel of Luke, which we heard proclaimed at the Vigil Mass, the angel told Mary that her Son will be named Jesus because "he will save his people from their sins." It is a name given to Christ by his Father in heaven. Many have been healed and freed from sin in the name of Jesus. One of the prayers of blessings that I use ask God for "health in mind and body and protection in spirit and soul as [he/she/they] invoke Holy Name, through Christ our Lord" for the person(s) who I am blessing. Therefore, with humble and contrite heart, let us call on the Holy Name of Jesus and never profane it.
. . .
Gospel of the Day
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
the child was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
they took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment