On Friday, January 3rd, we celebrated the feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. Regularly, we Franciscans promulgate the Holy Name of Jesus.
The first person which comes to mind is surely the Franciscan friar St. Bernardine of Siena (b.1380 – d.1444). Let us not forget that in his preaching and conversion missions to the turbulent cities of Italy, he always made sure to carry with him a copy of the monogram of the Holy Name, encircled with rays, painted on a wooden tablet. These rays held the symbol aloft when they blessed the sick. How many great miracles were reported which came from these blessings. And everything was done in the Holy Name of Jesus. At the conclusion of his sermons, St Bernardine of Siena showed this emblem to the faithful and asked them to prostrate themselves in adoration of the Redeemer of humanity. He urged the faithful to have the monogram of Jesus placed over the gates of their cities and above the doors of their residences to remind them always of the blessings of their Lord and Savior.
The symbol that St. Bernardine used is the most common Christogram, showing the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, iota-eta-sigma, or ΙΗΣ. The Greek letter iota is represented by I, and the eta by H, while the Greek letter sigma is represented by S. “IHS” is sometimes understood as meaning Iesus Hominum Salvator (“Jesus, Savior of men” in Latin) or related to it is In Hoc Signo – short for In hoc signo vinces meaning, “in this sign you will conquer.”
Let us now taste some of the delicacy St Bernardine left to us concerning the Name of Jesus. In one of his sermons entitled On the Eternal Gospel, St Bernardine preached the following:
This most Holy Name was the object of all the deepest longings of our fathers in the faith, the restless waiting of centuries, long years of weariness and prayerful expectation. Now in the era of grace it has been made known to us. Hide from us, Lord, I pray, your claim to power; withhold your claim to vengeance; your claim to justice. Our prayer is to hear the name of Jesus a name that speaks of mercy; then, indeed, your voice would be that speaks of mercy; then, indeed, your voice would be sweet to our ears, your countenance beautiful to behold.
The name of Jesus is an indispensable foundation of the faith since he it is who makes us children of god. Our Catholic faith is grounded in the knowledge and light of Jesus Christ, the light of the soul, the door to life, the secure foundation of eternal salvation. Not to have the faith or to abandon it is, so to speak, to sept out into the darkness of the night without a light, stumbling headlong into hazards with eyes closed. However well developed human reason may be it is a blind guide for man’s mind to follow in his attempts to understand the secrets of heaven. It is to build a house without foundations, or ignore the door and make an entry through the roof. That foundation is Jesus Christ, both light and door, when revealing himself to erring man as the true way, holding out to every man the light of faith by which the unknown God may be sought: the search leading to faith, and faith to discovery. This foundation upholds the Church built in the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus is the crowning glory of the preacher, for it is Jesus who illuminates and strengthens, and gets ready hearing for the preacher’s words. What, after all, is the source of the extraordinary world-wide burning light of faith if not Jesus, proclaimed by the preacher? Surely God has called us into his own wonderful light by the light and attraction of this name. To the enlightened, who in that light see light, the words of the Apostle may aptly be applied: “Once you were all darkness, now you are light in the Lord: walk then as children of light.”
Glorious name! Beautiful name! Name that tells of love and excellence! Through you we have forgiveness of our sins, victory over our enemies, healing in sickness, strength and joy as we suffer the trials of life. You are recompense to the man of faith, learning to the preacher, strength to the worker, perseverance to the weak. In the furnace of your burning love our desires are enkindled, our prayers are granted, contemplative souls are entranced. Through you all who are glorified come in triumph to everlasting glory. Most merciful Jesus, grant through your most holy name that we too may be numbered amongst those who share your kingdom.
Obviously the Name of Jesus is powerful because it points to the person of Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God. Like St Bernardine, even St Faustina recognized in the Name of Jesus the strength and light of her soul. Let us appreciate what she wrote to us in entry 862 of her Diary:
January 2, [1937]. The Name of Jesus. Oh, how great is Your Name, O Lord! It is the strength of my soul. When my strength fails, and darkness invades my soul, Your Name is the sun whose rays give light and also warmth, and under their influence the soul becomes more beautiful and radiant, taking its splendor from Your Name. When I hear the sweetest name of Jesus, my heartbeat grows stronger, and there are times when, hearing the Name of Jesus, I fall into a swoon. My spirit eagerly strains toward Him.
In entry 873 we learn that for St Faustina the Name of Jesus is the prevailing of Jesus over Satan in moments of temptation. January 8. [1937]. On Friday morning, as I was going to the chapel to attend Holy Mass, I suddenly saw a huge juniper tree on the pavement and in it a horrible cat who, looking angrily at me, blocked my way to the chapel. One whisper of the name of Jesus dissipated all that. It was certainly the Name of Jesus who must have motivated Faustina to offer her day for the sinners who were dying. Hence she wrote:
I offered the whole day for dying sinners. During Holy Mass, I felt the closeness of the Lord in a special way. After Holy Communion, I turned my gaze with trust toward the Lord and told him, “Jesus, I so much desire to tell You something.” And the Lord looked at me with love and said, And what is it that you desire to tell Me?
“Jesus, I beg You, by the inconceivable power of Your mercy, that all the souls who will die today escape the fire of hell, even if they have been the greatest sinners. Today is Friday, the memorial of Your bitter agony on the Cross; because Your mercy is inconceivable, the Angels will not be surprised at this.” Jesus pressed me to His Heart and said, My beloved daughter, you have come to know well the depths of My mercy. I will do what you ask, but unite yourself continually with My agonizing Heart and make reparation to My justice. Know that you have asked Me for a great thing, but I see that this was dictated by your pure love for Me; that is why I am complying with your requests.
Let us pray together with St Bernardine of Siena’s prayer to the Holy Name of Jesus:
Jesus, Name full of glory, grace, love and strength! You are the refuge of those who repent, our banner of warfare in this life, the medicine of souls, the comfort of those who morn, the delight of those who believe, the light of those who preach the true faith, the wages of those who toil, the healing of the sick. To you our devotion aspires; by you our prayers are received; we delight in contemplating you. O Name of Jesus, you are the glory of all the saints for eternity. Amen.