When they take Our Blessed Lord's Name in vain....

ya didn’t get the memo?

well, let me get you up to speed really fast….

1) Have you heard of the 10 Commandments? Yes, oh great! The second one says “Do not take the Name of the Lord in vain.”

2) Some people are Christian. We believe Jesus is God. We are offended when people use His Name disrespectfully.

3) Got it??? Good.

It’s the month of the Holy Name of Jesus and I’m on the warpath!

I might suggest doing some role-playing with your friends or family to develop ways of dealing with genuinely difficult social situations such as this. It is simply a skill that needs to be learned.

“Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword.”

Matthew 10:32

January is the Month of the Holy Name of Jesus

~ 2022 ~

"This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein."

Psalms 117:24

[Edited since posting.]

Holy Mother Church begins the new year honoring Our Lady as “Mother of God.” What could be more consoling or joyful? If she has this new year in her hands, what have we to fear? If we honor her this day, surely graces will come upon us and our families, even if hard times are ahead. Though it is not a holy day of obligation in the US, why would we want to miss this opportunity to flee to her at the outset of the year, showing our love for her and making reparation to her Immaculate Heart? And what a wonderful time to begin the Communion of Reparation 5 First Saturdays! January 1st also commemorates Our Lord’s first shedding of blood, his circumcision at 8 days old, in the old calendar. This is also the moment He received His Holy Name in the Temple, not to be confused with the Presentation, which was 40 days after birth. We are still in the Cycle of Christmas and remain joyful that a Savior has been given to us!

We celebrate 6 Doctors of the Church this month. On the 2nd, St. Basil and St. Gregory Nazianzen share the day. They were actually friends and colleagues, along with Basil’s brother St. Gregory of Nyssa. The 3 are referred to as “The Three Cappadocians,” as they were all influential early theologians. Each month, I have been researching the best known works of the Doctors, along with how you can obtain them. This takes time to do the research and get you the best resources. I will continue to do so as time allows (which is not tonight), otherwise I will simply provide links to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Remember, it would take 35 years to read each of the Doctors, if you read one per year!

The 22nd is the 49th Anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion in all 50 states. Lord, have mercy. Many of you do not need this reminder, but if you have not been active in the pro-life movement, please pray on it and consider getting involved. All human rights are currently being eroded before our very eyes, which was predictable when the fundamental right to life was taken from the unborn. When you defend them, you defend our whole future!

Nomen Chisti Apostolate is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus and Our Lady of Fatima. “Nomen Christi” means “Name of Christ” in Latin. How can we honor His Name this month? There are many ways to do so….attending Mass on the feast, prayers and devotions and considering how we defend His Name when it is disrespected in our presence…please see The Second Commandment-What Does it Mean to Us?

The following is a partial listing of old and new feasts this month, for your consideration. Where “old” or “new” is indicated, it is the second occurring feast. Please consult your own calendars for more detail…

1/1-CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD / MARY HOLY MOTHER OF GOD / First Saturday

1/2-EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD / MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS / St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church / St. Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor of the Church

1/3-MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS (new)

1/4-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, First American Saint

1/5-St. John Neumann

1/6-EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD (trad) / Sts. Caspar, Balthasar & Melchior, the Three Magi (non-standard)

1/7-First Friday

1/9-BAPTISM OF OUR LORD / THE HOLY FAMILY

1/13-BAPTISM OF OUR LORD (trad) / St. Hilary of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church

1/14-St. Hilary of Poitiers (trad)

1/21-St. Agnes, Martyr, invoked in Canon

1/22-+++Anniversary of US Court Decision Roe vs. Wade, Day of Prayer for Unborn+++

1/24-St. Timothy, Disciple of St. Paul / St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church

1/25-Conversion of St. Paul

1/26-Sts. Timothy & Titus, Disciples of St. Paul / St. Polycarp, Martyr

1/27-St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church

1/28-St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church

1/29-St. Francis de Sales (trad)

1/31-St. John Bosco, Founder of the Salesian Society

Image from cornerstonepca.com

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Regarding this feast, again, we will look at the wonderful commentary by Sylvester P. Juergens SM, Doctor of Sacred Theology, in The New (as of 1958) Marian Missal :

“Its origin is traced to the XVIth century, when it was celebrated by the Franciscan Order. In 1721 Pope Innocent XIII made the keeping of this solemnity universal.”

Here are some excerpts from this Tridentine Mass:

“In the Name of Jesus let every knee bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: and let every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.”

“O Lord our Lord: how admirable is Thy Name in the whole earth!”

“O God, Who didst constitute Thine only-begotten Son the Savior of mankind, and didst bid Him to be called Jesus: mercifully grant, that we who venerate His holy Name on earth, may fully enjoy also the vision of Him in heaven.”

“For there is no other Name under heaven given to man, whereby we must be saved.”

“Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations: that we may give thanks to Thy holy Name, and may glory in Thy praise.”

“Thou, O Lord, our Father and our Redeemer: from everlasting is Thy Name.”

“Alleluia, alleluia. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy Name. Alleluia.”

“I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Thy Name for ever: for Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon Thee, alleluia.”

“May Thy blessing, O most merciful God, by which every creature lives, sanctify, we beseech Thee, this our Sacrifice, which we offer unto Thee to the glory of the Name of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that it may be well-pleasing to Thy Majesty for Thy praise, and profit us unto salvation.”

“All the nations Thou hast made shall come and adore before Thee, O Lord, and they shall glorify Thy Name: for Thou art great; and dost wonderful things: Thou art God alone. Alleluia.”

“O almighty and everlasting God, who didst create and redeem us, look graciously upon our prayer, and with a favorable and benign countenance deign to accept the Sacrifice of the saving Victim, which we have offered to Thy Majesty in honor of the Name of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ:

that through the infusion of Thy grace we may rejoice that our names are written in heaven, under the glorious Name of Jesus, the pledge of eternal predestination.”

This missal gives daily inspirational messages from a work called The Following of Christ. Here is the message for today, which is quite relevant during these confusing times:

“When thou hast Christ, thou art rich, and He is sufficient for thee. He will provide for thee, and be thy faithful procurator in all things: so that thou needest not to trust in men.”

+++

As in the Mass for the Circumcision, red vestments are worn today. That is something to meditate upon. What do you think is the reason?

January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. The month begins with the feast which commemorates the moment Our Lord received His Holy Name. A few days later, we celebrate the feast of this Name in both the old and new calendars. Let us find devotions this month which honor and glorify His Name and always defend it from profanation!