Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
The feast of today may have a variable date: it takes the place of Sunday when the latter falls before Epiphany, as is the case this year. In the past, it was set on the second Sunday after Epiphany.
The Old Covenant surrounded the Name of God with deep awe: this Name was as formidable as it was holy, and the honor of uttering it did not belong to all the children of Israel.
But when the fullness of time came, when the mystery of love was about to be revealed, the Name of Jesus descended first from heaven, as a foretaste of the presence of the Lord who was to bear it. The Archangel said to Mary, "You will give Him the Name of Jesus"; for Jesus means Savior. How sweet that Name will be to the man who was lost!
If, at this divine Name, every knee must bend in heaven, on earth, and in hell, is there a heart that does not stir with love upon hearing it spoken? But let Saint Bernard tell us of the power and sweetness of this blessed Name. Here is how he expresses himself, on this subject, in his 15th Sermon on the Song of Songs:
“The Name of the Bridegroom is light, food, and medicine. It enlightens when it is proclaimed; it nourishes when one thinks of it privately; and when one calls upon it in tribulation, it brings comfort and anointing. Let us now consider each of these qualities.
“From where do you think this great and sudden light of the Faith has spread throughout the world, if not from the preaching of the Name of Jesus? Is it not by the light of this blessed Name that God has called us into His marvelous light? By which, being enlightened, and seeing in this light another light, we see Saint Paul rightly say, ‘You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.’
“Now, the Name of Jesus is not only light; it is also food. Do you not find yourselves comforted every time you call this sweet Name to your heart? What in the world nourishes the spirit of him who thinks upon it as this does? What, in the same way, restores the weakened senses, gives energy to the virtues, makes good morals bloom, and sustains honest and chaste affections? All the food of the soul is dry, unless it is moistened by this oil; it is tasteless, unless it is seasoned with this salt.
“When you write to me, your account has no flavor for me unless I read the Name of Jesus in it. When you argue or confer with me, it has no interest for me unless I hear the Name of Jesus resounding in it. Jesus is honey to my mouth, melody to my ear, jubilation to my heart; and still a healing medicine.
“Is one of you sad? Let Jesus come into his heart; let Him pass from there to his mouth, and immediately, at the coming of this divine Name which is true light, every cloud will vanish, serenity will return. Does someone fall into sin; and even, in despair, rush toward death? If he invokes the Name of Jesus, will he not immediately begin to breathe again and live?
“Who ever remained in the hardness of heart, as so many others do, or in lethargy, rancor, or the languor of boredom? Who, by chance, having the fountain of tears dry, has not suddenly felt it flow more abundantly and more sweetly as soon as Jesus has been invoked?
“O my soul! you have an excellent antidote, hidden like in a vessel, in this Name of Jesus! Jesus is a salutary Name and a remedy that will never fail for any disease. Let it always be in your heart, always at your hand: so that all your feelings and actions may be directed toward Jesus.”
(Source: Dom Guéranger – FSSPX.News) Illustrations: Flickr / Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Source: https://fsspx.be/fr/news/fete-du-saint-nom-jesus-28523
கருத்துகள் இல்லை:
கருத்துரையிடுக