Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 19 The pow er of the Holy Name We shall now quote a few examples to show the power of the Holy Name of Jesus. The World in danger, saved by the Holy Name In the year 1274, great evils threatened the World. The Church was assailed by fierce enemies from within and without. So great was the danger that Pope Gregory X called a Council of Bishops in Lyons in order to determine the best means of saving society from ruin. Among the many means proposed, the Pope and the Bishops chose what they considered the easiest and most efficacious of all: frequent repetition of the Holy Name of Jesus. The Holy Father then begged the bishops and priests throughout the whole world to call unceasingly on the Name of Jesus and to urge their faithful to place all their confidence in this almighty Name, repeating it constantly with boundless trust. The Pope entrusted the Dominicans especially with the glorious task of preaching the wonders of the Holy Name in every country, a work they accomplished with unbounded zeal. Their Franciscan brothers ably seconded them. Saint Bernardine of Siena, Saint John of Capistrano and Saint Leonard of Port Maurice were ardent Apostles of the Holy Name of Jesus. Their efforts were crowned with such success that the enemies of the Church were overthrown, the dangers that threatened society disappeared, and once more peace reigned supreme. This is a most important lesson for us, because in these our own days dreadful sufferings are crushing many countries and still greater evils threaten all the others. No government seems strong and wise enough to stem this awful torrent of evils. There is but one remedy, and that is prayer. Every Christian must turn to God and ask Him to have mercy on us. It is amazing what one person who prays can do to save his country and to save society. We read in Holy Scripture how Moses saved the people of Israel from destruction by his prayer, how one pious woman, Judith of Betulia, saved her city and her people when the rulers were in despair and about to surrender to their enemies. If the prayers of one person can do much what will the prayers of many not do? The Name of Jesus is the shortest, easiest and most powerful prayer of all. Everyone can say it, even in the midst of his daily work. God cannot refuse to hear it. Let us therefore invoke the Name of Jesus, asking Him to save us from the calamities that threaten us. The Plague in Lisbon In 1432, a devastating plague broke out in Lisbon. All who were able to, fled in terror from the city and thus carried the plague to every corner of Portugal. Thousands of men, women and children of all classes were swept away by the cruel disease. So virulent was the epidemic that men died everywhere: at the table, in the streets, in their homes, in the shops, in the market places, in the churches. Among those who assisted the dying with unflagging zeal was a venerable Bishop, Saint Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) A tireless preacher, he promoted the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, symbolized by the trigram J.H.S. (Jesus Saviour of Men).
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