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It is Day 61!!
We’re reading Paragraphs 430 to 435, all about THE NAME OF JESUS
WHICH IS SO AMAZING!!
Yesterday we talked about this
The HEART of catechesis is JESUS CHRIST
At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, A PERSON
And that person is HISTORICAL
Jesus INCARNATE on this earth
BUT…
Also ETERNAL
The Second Person of the Trinity
The only Son of the Father
Today and the next couple of days we’re going to be talking about Jesus
Specifically, today we talk about the NAME OF JESUS
Tomorrow we’ll talk about the title, CHRIST
Then we’ll talk about how Jesus is referred to
He is described as THE ONLY SON OF GOD
We’ll talk about
Jesus is the LORD, and what that means
It is such an incredible thing to be able to speak the name of Jesus
THE NAME OF JESUS IS HIS PRESENCE!!
Whenever we say the name of Jesus, we call upon the Lord God
AND HE IS PRESENT WITH US!!
IN FACT…
In Paragraph 435, we’ll talk about how THE NAME OF JESUS IS AT THE HEART OF CHRISTIAN PRAYER
We’ll begin with just noting what the name Jesus means
It’s Hebrew, Yeshua
The name Jesus means GOD SAVES
So here’s the angel Gabriel that GAVE Jesus his proper name
AND YET…
That is the name that has become the name ABOVE EVERY OTHER NAME
Acts Ch 4 says, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
And he UNIQUENESS of Jesus in the world, because JESUS IS FULLY GOD AND FULLY MAN
BUT…
We’re just going to begin with the name of Jesus
Let’s just say a prayer and invoking the name of Jesus and calling upon God our Father in His name and asking for the Holy Spirit to come be with us!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in heaven, we know that you have revealed your Son. You’ve given your Son to us. And your Son has revealed you because he is the image, the perfect image of the Father. Lord God, we trust in your son Jesus Christ. We call upon His name. We make our prayer in His name. We ask that you please, through the work of Jesus Christ, your only Son, we ask that you please send us your Holy Spirit that we can truly have a real sense of reverence and awe for your being, of course. But also for your very name. Let the name of Jesus always be on our lips. Let the name of Jesus be tattooed upon our hearts. Let the name of Jesus always be closely present and guide our lives. Lord God, we make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen”
We are going to talk about what it is to talk about Jesus
WHO IS THE ONLY SON!!
WHO IS OUR LORD!!
The teaching today is just about the name of JESUS
And so before we go any further, I think it is worth it because it is so pervasive in our culture and in our society
While Jesus’ name is the name ABOVE EVERY OTHER NAME
It is also a name THAT IS WIDELY ABUSED
We are SO USED TO IT
We are so accustomed to TAKING THE NAME OF JESUS IN VAIN
Whether that is CARELESSLY
CASUALLY
IN ANGER
IN FRUSTRATION
IT IS TRAGIC!!
There was a young woman, who had gone to a Bible college, said one of her Bible college instructors pointed this out
He said, “Out of all religions in the world where they believe that they have a name for God, it’s only Christians who take the name of their God in vain on a regular basis like this.”
You’ll have fictional characters talking about these fictional gods like Greek gods or Roman gods
They’ll say something like, “By Zeus” such and such
But that seems to be more anachronistic
That might not be a thing that people actually do
But WE DO take the name of the Lord Jesus Christ so CARELESSLY
AND YET…
It is being taught to us SO CLEARLY
THIS IS THE NAME THROUGH WHICH GOD HAS SAVED US FROM OUR SINS!!
Paragraph 432 says, “The name Jesus signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his son made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation. And henceforth, all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his incarnation…”
Now think about this
God has made it possible
Remember that Tetragrammaton, the YHWH
That Holy Name of God that God revealed to Moses in the burning bush
Paragraph 433 says, “The name of the Savior God was invoked only once in the year by the high priest in atonement for the sins of Israel after he sprinkled the mercy seat and the Holy of Holies with that sacrificial blood.”
So you can only utter that name ONE TIME
ONE PERSON would enter the Holy of Holies and would say the sacred name of God
AND YET…
How do WE treat that name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ??
Paragraph 432 says, “It is the divine name that alone brings salvation and, henceforth, all can invoke his name.”
Jesus united himself to all of us so we can all invoke his name
AND YET…
WHAT DO WE DO????
This isn’t a lecture on taking the name of the Lord in vain
BUT, KIND OF!!
MAYBE A LITTLE BIT!!
WE can all invoke his name
AND YET…
How many of us are WILLING to take his name in vain?
When we realize how PRECIOUS something is
Then when it’s ABUSED
Then when it’s BROKEN
They when it’s MISUSED
We realize, “Oh my gosh, that’s horrible!”
If I don’t realize the VALUE of something
If I don’t realize the WORTH
If I don’t realize the WEIGHT of a thing
Then it gets MISUSED
It gets ABUSED
It gets WHATEVER
“Oh, yeah, meh, whatever.”
Sometimes we UNDERESTIMATE THE SIGNIFICANCE of the Divine Name of Jesus Christ
Lecture is over!!
BUT…
What is this section of the Catechism teaching us?
Paragraph 434 says, “Jesus’ Resurrection glorifies the name of the Savior God, for from that time on it is the name of Jesus that fully manifests the supreme power of the ‘name which is above every name.’”
Philippians Ch 2 says, “Here is Jesus who is the name above every other name…”
Paragraph 434 continues, “The evil spirits fear his name.”
THAT IS TRUE!!
IN FACT…
if you ever find yourself in a PLACE OF TEMPTATION…
If you ever find yourself in a PLACE OF SPIRITUAL BATTLE…
PRAYERFULLY UTTER THE NAME OF JESUS WITH YOUR LIPS!!
To even HOLD THE NAME OF JESUS IN YOUR HEART is to be GUARDED is to be DEFENDED by our Lord
THE EVIL SPIRITS FEAR HIS NAME!!
Paragraph 434 continues, “In his name his disciples perform miracles.”
In Acts of the Apostles where Peter and John are walking up to the temple area to pray, and there’s a beggar there who is lame and he can’t walk.
And he looks to Peter and John, because Peter and John are looking intently at him
And they’re like, “Oh Yeah, we have no gold or silver, we have nothing to give you. But IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, STAND!!”
And they give HEALING
Paragraph 434 continues, “In his name his disciples perform miracles, for the Father grants all they ask in this name.”
It is INCREDIBLE that we have the opportunity to even know who Jesus Christ is
THIS IS AMAZING!!
Fr. Mike invites YOU in this very moment…
If you’re in a place where you can do this
To let the name of Jesus be a prayer RIGHT NOW
Paragraph 435 says, “The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the words, ‘Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Hail Mary reaches its high point with the words, ‘And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.’”
THAT IS THE HIGH POINT!!
The whole thing is THE NAME OF JESUS, the CENTER of the Hail Mary
THE EASTERN PRAYER OF THE HEART is called The Jesus Prayer
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
There’s a way of praying that prayer that just goes throughout the whole course of the day
St Paul said, “Pray without ceasing.”
There are MANY WAYS to pray without ceasing
BUT…
One of the ways of praying without ceasing in the Eastern Church is this Jesus Prayer
It is recognizing that at any moment you can just simply just INHALE…
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God
AND EXHALE...
“Have mercy on me, a sinner.”
And let that be actually part of your day
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner”
You can insert the word “Living God” even though here in the Catechism this prayer is very simply “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
There’s even an EASIER WAY
“Jesus..” on the INHALE
“Mercy..” on the EXHALE
THE NAME OF JESUS ACTUALLY IS A PRAYER!!
LET THE NAME OF JESUS BE ON OUR LIPS!!
The name of Jesus is often on our lips AS A CURSE
This word that just falls from our lips CARELESSLY
But to allow the name of Jesus to BE A PRAYER
BECAUSE IT IS!!
HIS NAME IS A PRAYER!!
But to allow it to be a prayer IN YOUR LIFE
WITH YOUR LIPS!!
WITH YOUR VOICE!!
IN YOUR HEART!!
THAT IS REMARKABLE!!
Here is Fr. Mike’s invitation…
To simply utter the name JESUS in a prayer
“Father, let me pray the name of your Son, Jesus.”
“Come Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray Jesus.”
“Jesus be present.”
“Jesus be glorified.”
Just to be able to say the name Jesus
Fr. Mike was once on the Sea of Galilee and invited the people there to pray the name of Jesus OUT LOUD
The only people in this boat on the Sea of Galilee are other pilgrims, people who believe in our Lord and Savior Jesus
“Jesus”
Fr. Mike looked around and o one’s moving their lips
How hard is this?
That’s part of it, though
Once we really understand the SOLEMNITY and the HOLINESS of Jesus’ name
Sometimes it’s kind of hard to say Jesus
Because we don’t want to take it carelessly
We don’t want to utter it without meaning
But right now
The invitation is to PRAY THE NAME OF JESUS
Not only to pray the name of Jesus, but THE JESUS PRAYER
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Let that be the prayer that just PERMEATES YOUR ENTIRE DAY WITH EVERY BREATH…
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
THIS IS THE NAME ABOVE EVERY OTHER NAME!!
THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED!!
This is the NAME OF GOD who reconciled, IN CHRIST, the world to Himself
OH MAN!!
GOSH!!
THE NAME ABOVE EVERY OTHER NAME
I’ll say it five more times!
It is AMAZING
And you and I have ACCESS TO THIS NAME
Because you and I have ACCESS TO THIS PERSON
THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY!!
JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY SON, OUR LORD!!
Tomorrow, we’ll have the opportunity to talk about CHRIST
Because here’s Jesus Christ
We refer to our Lord and God and Savior as JESUS CHRIST
What does that mean?
And what does it mean in our lives as well?
Keep praying The Jesus Prayer
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
And I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!
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