Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 15 By Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P. What does theName ofJesus mean? The Holy Name of Jesus is, first of all, an all-powerful prayer. Our Lord Himself solemnly promises that whatever we ask the Father in His Name, we shall receive.1 God never fails to keep His word. For this reason the Church ends her prayers with the words which give them a new and divine efficacy: Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, when we say the Name of Jesus, let us ask God for all that we need with absolute confidence of being heard. But the Holy Name is something greater still. Each time we say JESUS, we give God infinite joy and glory, for we offer Him all the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. Saint Paul tells us that it is by His Passion and Death that Our Lord merited the Name Jesus.2 Each time we say JESUS, we gain indulgences which we may apply to the souls in Purgatory, thus relieving and lib1. Cf. St. John 14:13. 2. Philippians 2:8-9 – He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even to death on a cross. Therefore God also has exalted Him and has bestowed upon Him the Name that is above every name. erating a great number of these holy souls from their torments. They thus become our close friends and pray to God for us with incredible fervor. Each time we say JESUS, we make an act of perfect love, for we offer to God the infinite love of His Son. The Holy Name of Jesus preserves us from countless evils and delivers us especially from the deceits of the devil, who is constantly seeking to do us harm. The Name of Jesus gradually fills our souls with a peace and a joy we never had before. It gives us such strength that our sufferings become light and easy to bear. The Saints and the Holy Name of Jesus All the Saints had an immense love for and trust in the Holy Name of Jesus. They saw in this Name, as in a clear vision, all the love of Our Lord, all His Power, all the beautiful things He said and did when on earth. They did all their wonderful works in the Name of Jesus. They worked miracles, cast out devils, cured the sick and gave
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4MjU1NQ==