“Our Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth.” -Psalm 8:9
On the third of January, the Church celebrates the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast of our Lord’s name has a unique history. It was first celebrated by local parishes across the Church in the fifteenth century. By the sixteenth century, the Franciscan Order was allowed to celebrate the feast day. In 1721 Pope Innocent XIII made the feast universal for the whole Church. In 1969 the feast was removed from the liturgical calendar, but was restored in 2002 after the revision of the Roman Missal.
On the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, the Church reads the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 2:21, the holy author writes: “After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” Before his birth, Christ was already going to be named Jesus. This is shown in the Gospel of Matthew, where the angel of the Lord appears to St. Joseph and instructs him in naming the child Jesus. Now, why is the name Jesus important? Why did God choose Jesus as His name? Finally, why is Christ’s name important for us Christians?
To begin, Jesus means savior, and this is important because God the Son was incarnated to bring salvation and eternal life to His people. In taking the garments of the poor slave, He was able to walk among His people. Even after His resurrection and ascension to heaven, He is still among His people through the Church and the Eucharist. Furthermore, the name Jesus also made Him approachable. For most of sacred history, He was out of reach. To end this, He took the name of Jesus to be approached by His people. He did this out of love for us, to show that He can be approached, and not just feared. By the Son making Himself approachable, the Father too became approachable, for the Son is the image of the Father.
Finally, the name of Christ is important for Christians because it signifies salvation for all of mankind. How are Christians then saved in the name of Jesus? How was salvation brought to mankind? To answer this, one must look again at the Gospel of Luke in the scene of Christ’s circumcision. In His circumcision, the faithful can see a foreshadowing of the shedding of Jesus’s blood at Calvary. His blood is shed in His circumcision. His name is given to Him to seal the pact needed to bring salvation to mankind. As in the sacrifices of the Old Testament, the blood of the sacrifice is first shed before a covenant can be formed and a new name given. In the shedding of His blood and the name given to Him, Jesus has sealed his pact to reconcile humanity. This is why the name of Jesus is important. In His blood, we are saved, we are reconciled with God, and we are given eternal life.