Day 280: The Christian Name (2156-2167)

• It’s Day 280!! 

• We are finishing the Second Commandment today

• The Catechism has put so much thought and prayer into these Commandments

• There may be some new aspects to the Commandments that you have never considered in the past

• THE CHRISTIAN NAME

• When you are baptized, you are baptized IN THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

• In Baptism, the Lord’s name sanctifies us

• The Christian receives his name in the Church

• So we can actually can lift up the Christian name, the name of God, by living the way He has called us to live

• We can also, in some ways, defame or blaspheme the Christian name by the way we live

• There is personal sin but there is no such thing as private sin

• Since we bear the name of Christ, then no sin we have is private

• There is a personal aspect to every sin

• There is also a communal aspect to every sin

• Because we bear the Christian name, we are called to live in a certain way

• When we do not live that way, there is scandal

• Let’s pray!!

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you thanks. In the name of your Son, we ask you to please send your Holy Spirit upon us in this moment. Send your Holy Spirit so that every action of ours, every word we speak, even every thought that passes through our minds glorifies your name. That every thought, word, and action reveals you and reveals the truth of your name, the truth of your identity, the truth of your goodness, your strength, your power, your justice to this world. Help us to never obscure your name by how we live. But to help us to reveal your name by how we live, how we speak, and even how we think. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”

• So there we have it!!

• Paragraph 2156 says, “The sacrament of Baptism is conferred ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ In Baptism, the Lord’s name sanctifies man, and the Christian receives his name in the Church. This can be the name of a saint, that is, of a disciple who has lived a life exemplary fidelity to the Lord. The patron saint provides a model of charity; we are assured of his intercession. The ‘baptismal name’ can also express a Christian mystery or Christian virtue. ‘Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to see that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian sentiment.’”

• An oath is calling upon the Lord God, taking God’s name to bear witness to one’s actions and to what one says

• AND YET…

• How do we begin our prayers?

• How do we begin the Mass?

• How do we begin every sacrament?

• IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

• Virtually every prayer that we pray is connected to oaths, in a certain sense

• I am calling upon God to bear witness to what I am about to do

• So often, we race past this part 

• When we pray in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we call upon God Himself to bear witness to what we are about to do and even to bless what we are about to do

• The Eucharist is a covenant meal

• It renews the Covenant every time we enter into this

• How?

• Partly because we are invoking the Lord’s name

• There is a covenant oath that is involved at every Mass

• There is a tradition when a Christian receives their name in the Church

• Let’s listen to Fr. Mike’s explanation about Mars…

• When they became Christian, they received a name associated either with the Old Covenant or the New Covenant

• So Mars could be baptized as Mark or something

• We have heard the phrase, “This is my Christian name…”

• So don’t give the baby a baptismal name of Lucifer, basically

• Paragraph 2157 says, “The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.’ The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior’s grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.”

• As laypeople, we can sanctify every moment, every hour of the day, by going into the world bearing the name of Christian

• The fact that we are bearing the name of Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit into our work, our family, we are sanctifying that day

• It makes sense that we do that by invoking the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

• We all should pray the Morning Offering Prayer every morning as we begin our day

• “Oh my Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass said throughout the world for all the intentions of your most Sacred Heart, for the conversion of sinners, for the reparation of sins, for the reunion of all Christians, for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for all the intentions of my family and friends, and for the intentions of the Holy Father, our Pope. Amen”

• Fr. Mike’s friends says the grace before meals prayer since we don’t mention food in it

• “Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts…”

• At any given moment, if you are facing temptation, to simply make the Sign of the Cross and say, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” will help you in this battle

• The battle is: are you willing to shut down the temptation?

• Would you rather fiddle with temptation?

• We are not going to shut the door completely and lock it and bolt it

• We just let it be outside the door

• Maybe there is a crack in the door 

• We don’t want temptation to get in the door

• But we don’t really stamp it out

• By making the Sign of the Cross, you are locking that door

• Temptation now has no space

• You are now putting a stop to the temptation to sin

• WE ALL SHOULD DO THIS!!

• Too many of us don’t want temptation inside, but we are also not willing to lock it outside

• The sign of the cross is a sign of worship and prayer and adoration

• Paragraph 2158 says, “God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it.”

• Your name is sacred

• Your name has dignity because of you

• The name you receive from the Lord is a name for eternity

• Paragraph 2159 says, “The name one receives is a name for eternity. In the kingdom, the mysterious and unique character of each person marked with God’s name will shine forth in splendor. ‘To him who conquers…I will give a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it.’ ‘Then I looked, and Lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.’”

• This is an image of God’s unique love for you

• How many times in the course of our lives do we think God loves us, but God loves everyone

• How special is God’s love for me when He loves everyone?

• God loves everyone infinitely

• AND YET…

• There is a name that is your name that ultimately only you and God will know this name

• Not only does God love you infinitely, but He loves you infinitely uniquely

• He knows you in a way He knows no one else

• You are going to have a relationship with God that He has with no one else

• God will have a relationship with you that He has with no one else

• God loves you already and He will love you for eternity with a love that is infinite and infinitely unique

• Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!

• Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!

• I cannot wait to see you before the end of the year!!