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At the name of Jesus Bowing at the mention of Jesus’ name is an old practice that has since fallen into wide disuse Msgr. Charles Pope June 10, 2018 Question: I was taught to nod my head when the name of Jesus was spoken. I see some priests and congregants do it, but not most. What is the current practice? — Diane Garrett, via email Answer: Liturgically it is not required. This is a pious custom that, while less common today, is still observed by many. This is not only in the liturgy, but at any time the name of...

“Flog your enemies with the Name of Jesus, for there is no weapon more powerful in heaven or on earth.” – St. John Climacus“Blessed be the Name of Jesus.” – The Divine Praises Among the spiritual weapons in our arsenal, there are none as powerful as the Holy Name of Jesus. The saints have healed the sick, conquered temptation, demolished heresies, driven away demons, and converted sinners by invoking this powerful name. It is the name that signifies our hope and our salvation. In fact, Jesus is the most powerful name in heaven and earth, and Scripture tells us that “at...

What does IHS stand for? The meaning of the Holy Name of Jesus   January 3rd, Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus In the Extraordinary Form, the feast of the Holy Name is of the “second class” (making it equal to Sundays throughout the year, complete with the recitation of the Gloria and the Credo), but in the Ordinary Form the memorial of the Holy Name was not even included in the calendar after 1970. Happily, the feast was re-instituted as an optional memorial by Bl. John Paul II – we should think that the Name deserves at...

Image above taken from In the Sight of Angels blog (The following is excerpted from St. Francis de Sales's sermon for the Feast of the Circumcision, 1 January 1622, as printed in "The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales For Advent and Christmas," published by TAN Books.) "Now, how are we to pronounce the sacred name of Jesus so that it may be beneficial and profitable to us?...This name certainly ought not be pronounced carelessly or thoughtlessly. It is not enough to be aware that is is a two-syllable word, nor even less to speak it merely with the mouth....

What on earth could draw a crowd of men like you see pictured above? (No, it's not a diaconate ordination in Santa Barbara -- though it's close.) It's just a typical rally of the Holy Name Society for the Archdiocese of New York in 1936. As Dr. McNamara points out: Founded by the Dominicans in the thirteenth century to venerate the name of Jesus, the Holy Name Society was introduced to the United States in the 1860’s. By the 1950’s there were over two thousand societies in the United States, and it was common for most men in the parish...

At Georgetown University today, while sitting in the press section at Gaston Hall awaiting the arrival of President Obama for a "major address" on economics, I overheard a reporter discussing the advance text of the speech. The reporter said that senior presidential adviser David Axelrod had compared Obama during his European trip to one planting seeds for a harvest. Along the same lines, he noted, in today's speech, Obama was set to use another Gospel analogy: that of the "house built upon a rock." And so it came to pass, beneath Gaston Hall's beautiful painting of Morality, Faith, and Patriotism,...

Statue of St. Francis de Sales in the parish of the same name in New York City, taken from Catholic Churches of Manhattan "O my Jesus! fill our hears with the sacred balm of thy Holy Name, that so the sweetness of its fragrance may penetrate our senses, and perfume our every action. But that our hearts may be capable of receiving this sweetness, they must be circumcised: take, therefore, from them whatever could displease thy divine sight. O glorious Name! named by the heavenly Father from all eternity, be thou for ever written on our souls; that as thou,...

<p>"The Name of Jesus is Light, and Food, and Medicine. It is Light, when it is preached to us; it is Food, when we think upon it; it is the Medicine that soothes our pains when we invoke it. Let us say a word on each of these. Tell me, whence came there, into the whole world, so bright and sudden a light, if not from the preaching of the Name of Jesus? Was it not by the light of this Name that God called us unto [H]is admirable Light? Wherewith being enlightened, and in this light, seeing the Light, we take these words of Paul as truly addressed to ourselves; Heretofore, you were darkness; but now, light in the Lord."</p>

January 3, 2009                                       Christmas Weekday       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Jn 2:29–3:6 If you consider that God is righteous,you also know that everyone who acts in righteousnessis begotten by him. See what love the Father has bestowed on usthat we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.Beloved, we are God’s children now;what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall...

----------The Holy Name of Jesus----------   INTRODUCTION As children the Sisters of Mercy taught us to bow our head whenever we heard the name of Jesus or said His name ourselves. This pious practice has not been promoted by the "Renewed Church of the Modernists." Children are no longer taught to do this and as they grow into adults and have children of their own, they are unaware of it. Jesus' name is known far and wide, but as a word with which to swear profanely. His Name is blasphemed, He is depicted as a homosexual doing unspeakable things...

I would like to recommend this devotion for a McCain/Palin victory on Nov. 4th.

Holy Name Pledge Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ true God and true Man. Blessed be the name of Jesus. I believe O Jesus. That Thou are the Christ. The Son of the Living God. I proclaim my love. For the Vicar of Christ on Earth. I believe all that as sacred truths Which the Holy Catholic Church Believes and teaches. I promise to give good example By the regular practice Of my faith. In honor of His Divine Name I pledge myself against perjury Blasphemy, profanity and obscene speech. I pledge my loyalty...

Cardinal Francis George has long opposed politics at the communion rail. But Sunday's anti-war protest at the start of his Easter homily spotlighted a frustrated faction in the Roman Catholic Church who believe committed Catholics must do more than preach and pray for peace. Chicago police charged six protesters Sunday with felony criminal defacement of property and two counts of simple battery for spattering parishioners' clothes with stage blood. Five of the protesters are being held in lieu of $25,000 bail. The sixth, who served time in prison for illegally entering a U.S. military installation, received $35,000 bail. Gerard Powers...

Devotion to the Holy Name   Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS" ("And His Name was called JESUS") Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known My Name." Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord." Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name." Apocalypse 15:4 "Who...

The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. Our reflections are on the name of Jesus, its power in our lives. Whoever enters on the path of sanctity must keep his focus clear. What are we doing? Whom are we following? How are we to act? Why are we acting as we are? All of these questions can be answered in one word: Jesus. What are we doing? Better, what should we be doing? What Jesus told us to. Whom are we following? Jesus. How are we to live? As Jesus did. And why?...

January 3, 2006 Most Holy Name of Jesus Psalm: Tuesday 4 Reading I1 Jn 2:29—3:6 If you consider that God is righteous,you also know that everyone who acts in righteousnessis begotten by him. See what love the Father has bestowed on usthat we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.Beloved, we are God’s children now;what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,for we shall see him as he...

September 12, 2005Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Psalm: Monday 40 Reading I1 Tm 2:1-8 Beloved:First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,for kings and for all in authority,that we may lead a quiet and tranquil lifein all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior,who wills everyone to be savedand to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God.There is also one mediator between God and men,the man Christ Jesus,who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time....

Devotion to the Holy Name Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS" ("And His Name was called JESUS") Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known My Name." Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord." Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name." Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall...

The Holy Name of Jesus Let us speak a word on the name given to Our Divine Lord on the Feast of the Circumcision. The gospel from the Feast of the Circumcision would have us understand that the shedding of Jesus’ blood is related to His name. It is appropriate that He be given this name on the day of His circumcision, for He could not be Saviour without pouring out blood, nor give blood without being Saviour. He could, of course, have saved the world without shedding His blood, but that would not have been enough to satisfy the...

January 3, 2004Christmas Weekday Psalm: Saturday 3 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Gospel Reading I1 Jn 2:29–3:6 If you consider that God is righteous,you also know that everyone who acts in righteousnessis begotten by him. See what love the Father has bestowed on usthat we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.Beloved, we are God's children now;what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,for we shall see him as...