Today we celebrate the ‘Holy Name of Jesus.’

His name comes from the Hebrew name Yeshua meaning ‘to deliver,’ ‘to rescue.’That is what he was:

Jesus' Name. It was the Archangel Gabriel who first spoke the name of Jesus to His mother,

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus”

“…at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those 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”

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊      　

1 John 2:29-3:6

You know that he is the Just One:

Know, then, that anyone living justly is born of God.

See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we really are.

This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved,

we are God's children, and what we shall be has not yet been shown.

 

Yet, when he appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him,

for then we shall see him as he is. All who have such a hope, try to be pure, as he is pure.

Anyone who commits a sin, acts as an enemy of the law of God;

any sin acts wickedly, because all sin is wickedness. You know that he came to take away our sins,

and that there is no sin in him. Whoever remains in him has no sin, whoever sins has not seen or known him.

 

Ps 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6 All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

John 1:29-34

The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, is the Lamb of God,

who takes away the sin of the world! It is he of whom I said:

A man comes after me, who is already ahead of me, for he was before me.

I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing to prepare for him, so that he might be revealed in Israel."

 

And John also gave this testimony, "I saw the Spirit coming down on him,

like a dove from heaven, and resting on him. I myself did not know him, but God,

who sent me to baptize, told me, 'You will see the Spirit coming down,

and resting on the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit!

Yes, I have seen! And I declare that this is the Chosen One of God!"

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Remain in his presence and love."

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux encourages us to call on the name of Jesus,

as it is medicine for the soul, strengthening us when our faith is weak,

healing us when we are wounded by sin and restoring us when our emotions have gotten the better of us.

 

Jesus, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,"

heals us and takes away our sins. Saint John the Evangelist calls us to remain in Christ,

to maintain a strong relationship with him. However,

 

relationships only develop if we spend time with the other person and talk to him or her frequently.

If we call on the name of Jesus often, we will remain in his presence and remain in his love.

 

That friendship with Jesus will make us more and more like him,

shaping our choices and our actions, so that we will truly live as God's children and brothers and sisters.