Day: January 3, 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, FRANCISCAN OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

May you be Blessed today on the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus 3 January 2018

Posted on by AnaStpaul

May you be Blessed today on the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
3 January 2018

The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers

From a sermon by Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest (Sermo 49, De glorioso Nomine Iesu Christi, cap 2: Opera omnia, 4. 505-506) – Prepared by the Spiritual Theology Department of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross

“The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers because the shining splendour of that name causes His word to be proclaimed and heard.   And how do you think such an immense, sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world, if not because Jesus was preached?   Was it not through the brilliance and sweet savour of this name that God called us into  His marvelous light?   When we have been enlightened and in that same light behold the light of heaven, rightly may the apostle Paul say to us:  Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.

So this name must be proclaimed, that it may shine out and never be suppressed.   But it must not be preached by someone with sullied mind or unclean lipsbut stored up and poured out from a chosen vessel.   That is why our Lord said of Saint Paul:  He is a chosen instrument of mine, the vessel of my choice, to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.   In this chosen vessel there was to be a drink more pleasing than earth ever knew, offered to all mankind for a price they could pay, so that they would be drawn to taste of it.   Poured into other chosen vessels, it would grow and radiate splendour.   For our Lord said:  He is to Carry my name.

When a fire is lit to clear a field, it burns off all the dry and useless weeds and thorns. When the sun rises and darkness is dispelled, robbers, night-prowlers and burglars hide away.   So when Paul’s voice was raised to preach the Gospel to the nations, like a great clap of thunder in the sky, his preaching was a blazing fire carrying all before it.   It was the sun rising in full glory.   Infidelity was consumed by it, false beliefs fled away and the truth appeared like a great candle lighting the whole world with its brilliant flame.

By word of mouth, by letters, by miracles and by the example of his own life, Saint Paul bore the name of Jesus wherever he went.   He praised the name of Jesus at all times but never more than when bearing witness to his faith.   Moreover, the Apostle did indeed carry this name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel as a light to enlighten all nations.   And this was his cry wherever he journeyed:  The night is passing away, the day is at hand.  Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light;  let us conduct ourselves honourably as in the day.   Paul himself showed forth the burning and shining light set upon a candlestick, everywhere proclaiming Jesus, and Him crucified.

And so the Church, the bride of Christ strengthened by his testimony, rejoices with the psalmist, singing:  0 God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.   The psalmist exhorts her to do this, as he says, Sing to the Lord and bless his name, proclaim his salvation day after day.   And this salvation is Jesus, her saviour.” (Psalm 96:2)psalm 96 2

Prayer

Father,
you gave St Bernardine a special love
for the holy name of Jesus.
By the help of his prayers,
may we always be alive with the spirit of Your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 3 January – – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 3 January – – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus titular-feast-jesuit -3 Jan 2018-NO 2

The Mass for the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the titular feast day for the Society of Jesus, was offered today by Pope Francis in the Church of Jesus/Gesu Church in Rome, the Home of the Jesuits.   Today the Church reminds us “to let the centre of … [our] heart be occupied by Christ.”

“This is the restlessness that Peter Favre [Faber] had, man of great desires, another Daniel.   Favre was a “modest, sensible man of profound interior life and gifted with the gift of close relations of friendship with persons of all sorts” (Benedict XVI, Address to Jesuits, April 22, 2006).   However, he was also a restless, uncertain and never satisfied spirit.   Under the guidance of Saint Ignatius he learned to unite his restless but also gentle — I would say exquisite – sensibility with the capacity to take decisions.
He was a man of great desires;  he took charge of his desires, he acknowledged them.   In fact for Favre, it was precisely when difficult things were proposed that his true spirit was manifested which moved him to action (cf. Memoriale, 301).

Authentic faith always implies a profound desire to change the world.   Here is the question we should ask ourselves:   do we also have great visions and dash?   Are we also daring?   Does our dream fly high?   Does zeal devour us (cf. Psalm 69:10)?   Or are we mediocre and content with our laboratory apostolic programs?

Let us remember always:  the strength of the Church does not lie in herself and in her organisational capacity but is hidden in the profound waters of God.   And these waters agitate our desires and desires enlarge the heart.   It is what Saint Augustine says:  pray to desire and desire to enlarge the heart.   In fact it was in his desires that Favre could discern God’s voice.   Without desires one goes nowhere and it is because of this that we must offer our desires to the Lord.   Stated in the Constitutions is that “one’s neighbour is helped, with desires presented to God our Lord” (Constitutions, 638). Pope Francis 3 January 2014authentic faith - pope francis

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.   No one comes to the Father except through me.”…..John 14:6

LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME A SINNERthe jesus prayer - 3 jan 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – The Most Holy Name of Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – The Most Holy Name of Jesus

“Are you troubled?
Think but of Jesus – speak but the name of Jesus,
the clouds disperse
and peace descends anew from heaven.
Have you fallen into sin? So that you fear death?
..invoke the name of Jesus
and you will soon feel life returning.
No obduracy of the soul, no weakness,
no coldness of heart can resist this holy name –
there is no heart which will not soften
and open in tears at this holy name.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux – (1090-1153) – Doctor of the Churchare-you-troubled-st-bernard- for the holy name - august 2017

“The Name of Jesus is the glory of preachers
because the shining splendour of that Name
causes His word to be proclaimed and heard.
And how do you think such an immense,
sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world,
if not because Jesus was preached?
Was it not through the brilliance
and sweet savour of this Name
that God called us into His marvelous light?”

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)the name of jesus - st bernardine of siena - 3 jan 2018

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

“Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant”…Philippians 2:5-7phil 2 5-7

REFLECTION – “We, Jesuits, want to be conferred the name of Jesus, militate under the standard of His Cross and this means, to have the same sentiments of Christ.   It means to think like Him, love like Him, see like Him, walk like Him. It means to do what He did and with His same sentiments, with the sentiments of His Heart. The heart of Christ is the heart of a God who, out of love, “emptied” Himself.   Every one of us Jesuits who follow Jesus should be willing to empty himself.   We are called to this abasement, to be of the “emptied.”   To be men that do not live centred on themselves because the centre of the Society is Christ and His Church.”…Pope Francis (3 January 2014)we jesuits want to be - pope francis on 3 jan 2014 - my image 3 jan 2018

PRAYER – We pray, to the eternal Lord of the universe, through the help of Your glorious Mother, we may live to empty ourselves for the sake of the glory of Your Kingdom and our own eternal happiness with You.   Mary, Mother of God, help us to be messengers of your Son.   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, in union with God our Father, one God forever and ever.   All you holy Jesuit Saints in heaven, pray for us! Amen.jesuits-saints-pray-for-us- 3 jan 2016

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
From The Roman Breviary

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing,
no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ name,
The Saviour of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find?
Ah! this nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity.
Amenjesus the very thought of thee - roman breviary - 3 jan

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

3 January – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

3 January – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.   The Church reveals to us the wonders of the Incarnate Word by singing the glories of His name.   The name of Jesus means Saviour;  it had been shown in a dream to Joseph together with its meaning and to Our Lady at the annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel.

feast-of-the-holy-name-of-jesus-in-nomine-jesu-omne-genu-flectatur-coelestium-terrestrium-et-infernorum-philippians-2-10033c481cc136ea3897c694b37ca1bc23--names-of-jesus-jesus-is

Devotion to the Holy Name is deeply rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, especially in the Acts of the Apostles.   It was promoted in a special manner by St Bernard, St Bernardine of Siena, St John Capistrano and by the Franciscan Order.   It was extended to the whole Church in 1727 during the pontificate of Innocent XIII.   The month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.header - ihs

This feast marks no progress in the development of the Church year.   It merely embellishes the occasion just observed when the Child received the Name Jesus as had been foretold by the angel.   The feast is meant to impress on us Christians the dignity of the Holy Name.   It is a relatively new feast, stemming out of devotional piety. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to find in it some liturgical or ancient Christian dogma. What did a name signify originally?   The name should express the nature of a thing. Thus Adam in paradise gave the animals names in accordance with their being.   Among the Jews God’s name expressed His essence, Yahweh, i.e., I (alone) am who am (and cause all else to be).   The Jews had the highest respect for the name of God, a reverence that finds continuation in the Our Father:  “Hallowed be Thy Name.”

Persons who played prominent roles in the history of salvation often received their names from God Himself.   Adam — man of the earth;   Eve — mother of all the living; Abraham — father of many nations;   Peter — the rock.   The Saviour’s precursor was given the name God assigned him.   According to divine precedent, then, the name of the Redeemer should not be accidental, of human choosing but given by God Himself.   For His name should express His mission.   We read in Sacred Scripture how the angel Gabriel revealed that name to Mary:  “You shall call His name Jesus.”   And to St Joseph the angel not merely revealed the name but explained its meaning:   “You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”   The Messiah should not only be the saviour, but should be called Saviour.   With Jesus, therefore, the name actually tells the purpose of His existence.   This is why we must esteem His name as sacred. Whenever we pronounce it, we ought to bow our heads;  for the very name reminds us of the greatest favor we have ever received, salvation.BOW YOUR HEAD!

Excerpted from The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Posted in JESUIT SJ, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

3 January – Feast of the Holy Name, The Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus and Memorials of the Saints

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Optional Memorial) – moved to 3 January

The Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

—
St Pope Antherus
Bl Arnold Wala
St Athanasius of Cilicia
St Bertilia of Mareuil
St Bertille of Thuringia
St Blitmund of Bobbio
St Constant of Gap
St Cyrinus of Cyzicus
St Daniel Himmerod the Younger
Bl Daniel of Padua
St Eustadius
St Finlugh
St Fintan of Doon
St Florentius of Vienne
St Florentius of Vienne the Martyr
St Genevieve
Bl Gerard Cagnoli
St Gordius of Cappadocia
St Imbenia
St Kuriakose Elias Chavara
St Lucian of Lentini
St Melorius
St Peter of Palestine
St Primus of Cyzicus
St Salvator of Belluno
St Theogenes of Cyzicus
St Theonas
St Theopemptus of Nicomedia
St Wenog
Bl Bl William Vives
St Zosimus of Cilicia
—
Martyrs of Africa – 12 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in Africa, date unknown, exact location unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Acuta, Candidus, Constantius, Eugenia, Firmus, Hilarinus, Lucida, Martial, Poenica, Possessor, Rogatianus and Statutianus.

Martyrs of Tomi – 7 saints: A group of Christians martyred together, date unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Claudon, Diogenius, Eugene, Eugentus, Pinna, Rhodes and Rhodo. They were martyred at Tomi, Exinius Pontus, Moesia (modern Constanta, Romania).