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| Decorated letters 'IHS' (Netherlands or Germany, 15th c) |
“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Today, on the 8th day of Christmas and the first day of 2015, we’re
celebrating the Feast of the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus. We’re remembering what
happened when, eight days after his birth, our Lord was circumcised and
received the name Jesus.
But why all the fuss? What’s the big
deal about the circumcision of a Jewish baby boy? And what’s in a name?
Wouldn’t the one we call Jesus by any other name be our Lord and Savior? Why
celebrate this feast at all?
What is in a name? Well, judging from
the number of baby-name books and websites, there’s a lot at stake in a name! Parents feel a lot of pressure to pick
names for their kids—perusing lists of baby names, focus-grouping possible
names with friends and family—all to choose the name for their child that is Just Right.
Not too trendy, not too passé, but with just the right mix of associations and
family history and vowel sounds and surname-fittedness. Naming has become
almost like branding. Some parents even hire consultants to help in the naming
process. One such consultant calls herself a “nameologist” and charges as much
as $350 for her services.[1] Apparently,
naming is a Big Deal.
If our Lord had been born in 2014, I
suppose he might have been named Yosef or Daniel or Ori—the top three names last
year for boys born in Israel. Let’s be glad he got named Jesus—“Ori Christ” just
doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, does it?
Anyway, Mary and Joseph didn’t have a
say in the matter. The angel Gabriel
told Mary what her son would be called. I suppose that must have come as
something of a relief for the Blessed Virgin. I mean, her life has just been
turned upside down by the news that she’s going to bear the Savior of the world—at
least she didn’t have to worry about what to name him!
Jesus—as the One who named him knew—is
just the right name for the babe borne in Bethlehem. Jesus, or Ἰησοῦς in Greek, is the same as the
Hebrew name Yeshua, which comes from the Hebrew for “The Lord saves” or “Yahweh helps.” In the
Gospel of Matthew this etymology becomes explicit when an angel explains to
Joseph that Mary’s son is to be named Jesus because
“he will save his people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21). Jesus is the Savior; in him, the God of Israel
brings salvation to the whole world. “In Christ,” says St. Paul, “God was
reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). So the name Jesus is just
right for the babe born for us in Bethlehem, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And so, Christians throughout the ages
have shown great reverence for the Name of Jesus, “the name which is above
every name” (Phil. 2:9). Newly baptized Christians have received emblems with
the monogram of the Name of Jesus—I.H.S., representing the Greek spelling of
his name, “iota”, “eta”, “sigma.” I.H.S. for Ἰησοῦς. Orthodox Christians stamp this monogram
into the bread they will consecrate in the Eucharist. A similar motif adorns the altars here at
Incarnation. And many of us show reverence for the Lord by bowing our heads at
the mention of his Name in the liturgy. These practices anticipate the day
when, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).
That last line, of course, comes from the
well-known passage in the letter to the Philippians where St. Paul describes,
as it were, how Jesus made his name. “Christ
Jesus,” he writes,
“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, being
born in the likeness of men. And being
found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
death on a cross. Therefore God has
highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” (2:6-10)
Jesus made his Name through humility
and obedience.
He, our God and Creator, humbled
himself and took on our human nature and dwelt among us.
He who gave the law to Moses, submitted
himself to what he commanded, and was circumcised on the eighth day.
He who is Life itself, was obedient even
unto death.
For us and for our salvation, he was
incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man. For us he suffered death and was
buried. Therefore, says St. Paul, Christ
Jesus has been given “the name which is above every name.” Because of his humble
obedience, his Name is holy. And one day the whole creation will bow the knee
at the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How holy is the Name of Jesus to you? How
does your life hallow his Name?
Here we are, gathered together in
Jesus’ Name to worship the one Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here we are,
listening to his Word, and preparing to receive the Sacrament of his Body and
Blood. Here we are, inclining our head at Jesus’ Name, bowing before his Cross,
kneeling to receive the Gifts of God. The Name of Jesus is at least this holy to us.
But how do I bow my knee at the Name of
Jesus in the rest of my life? How far do I imitate his humility? How far do I follow
his example of obedience to the Father? How far do I say with him, “Not my
will, but thine, be done”?
What I do and say and think shows how
holy the Name of Jesus is to me.
Names are powerful. A name resonates
with the whole story of the one named. A name can evoke a whole complex of
memories and emotions and images. Think of the name of someone you dearly love.
What comes to mind? How do you say the name of your beloved? How does it sound
to you? — You might say that the name of your beloved is engraved on your
heart. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
St. Ignatius of Antioch was either the
second or third bishop of Antioch—perhaps even appointed by the Apostle Peter.
He was martyred in Rome very early in the second century. On his journey to
martyrdom, he wrote letters to nearby churches and also to a fellow bishop.
Seven of Ignatius’ letters have come down to us, and they show him to be passionately
devoted to Jesus. He wrote to the church in Rome that he longed, as he put it, “not
merely be called a Christian, but really be found to be one.” His desire to imitate
the passion of Christ was fulfilled when he was fed to wild beasts. In icons,
he’s shown with two lions chewing on him.
There’s a striking story about the
martyrdom of St. Ignatius in the Golden
Legend, a very popular medieval collection of saints’ Lives. Here’s how it goes:
“In the
midst of all sorts of torments blessed Ignatius never ceased calling upon the
name of Jesus Christ. When the executioners asked him why he repeated this name
so often, he replied: ‘I have this name written on my heart and therefore
cannot stop invoking it.’ After his death those who heard him say this were
driven by curiosity to find out if it was true, so they took the heart out of
his body, split it down the middle, and found there the name Jesus Christ inscribed in gold
letters.”[2]
Now, while this story has all the feel
of the legendary about it, I think it points to something significant and true.
Ignatius had the name of Jesus written on his heart, perhaps not in gold
letters, but certainly in love.
He loved the Lord so much that it was
as if the Name of Jesus was inscribed on the core of his being.
The love of Christ had so filled his
life that it couldn’t help but spill out.
He had the Holy Name of Jesus written
on his heart and therefore his whole life.
In this new year, may the same be true
of us.
Please pray with me: “Eternal Father,
who didst give to thine incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of
our salvation: Plant in every heart, we beseech thee, the love of him who is
the Savior of the world, even our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Amen.
[1]
Alexandra Alter, “The Baby-Name Business,” WSJ
(June 22, 2007).
[2]
Golden Legend, trans. William Granger
Ryan (Princeton University Press).