Let us extol His Name together

Another psalm I pray for you, dearest friend, and if my words do not reach your ears, God hears them, and may He deliver you from all troubles and bless you forever:

33 For David, when he changed his countenance before Achimelech, who dismissed him, and he went his way. [1 Kings 21.]

² I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth.

³ In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice.

⁴ O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together.

⁵ I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my troubles.

⁶ Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded.

⁷ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles.

⁸ The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them.

⁹ O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him.

¹⁰ Fear the Lord, all ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

¹¹ The rich have wanted, and have suffered hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.

¹² Come, children, hearken to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

¹³ Who is the man that desireth life: who loveth to see good days?

¹⁴ Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

¹⁵ Turn away from evil and do good: seek after peace and pursue it.

¹⁶ The eyes of the Lord are upon the just: and his ears unto their prayers.

¹⁷ But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things: to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

¹⁸ The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles.

¹⁹ The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit.

²⁰ Many are the afflictions of the just; but out of them all will the Lord deliver them.

²¹ The Lord keepeth all their bones, not one of them shall be broken.

²² The death of the wicked is very evil: and they that hate the just shall be guilty.

²³ The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall offend.

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Merciful Lord, Help and Refuge of the poor, in Whom we hope, grant to your servants pure, simple hearts, clarity of understanding, true contrition for our sins and reconciliation to Thee, almighty God. Lord please grant that Rebecca and I may meet again in friendship, and that together we may extol Thy holy name. Through Christ our Saviour, Thy Son, Who with Thee reigns in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, forever and always. Amen.


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Saint Paschal Baylon, Seraph of the Eucharist, pray for us, that we may be strengthened against self-serving pride and all the deceits of this world, so that we may finally enter the heavenly city, and dwell there in peace, united finally in perfect charity with each other and with the Blessed Trinity.  Through Christ our Lord.

The Most Holy Name of Jesus

O LORD, tame our hearts and lift our thoughts to Thee, so that with suitable words and actions we may glorify Thy Holy Name.

The Holy Name of Jesus

In the Name of Jesus let every knee bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: and let every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.

O Lord our Lord: how admirable is Thy Name in the whole earth!

(The last hymn of the last Mass in St. William's Catholic Church
Dorchester, Massachusetts, August 30, 2004).

The Most Holy Name of Jesus

Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Circumcision. Today, in the traditional calendar, or tomorrow, using the new Calendar, we celebrate the name our Savior received.

This Jewish website comments on the naming of a baby boy:

With the fulfillment of the commandment of milah [circumcision], G-d changed Abram's name to Abraham, giving him a totally new persona to complement his new role as the "father of a great nation." For this reason, we name a baby boy at his Brit.

According to Jewish tradition, the name of a person describes his or her essence. It provides identity and generational connection. It begins the process of shaping a human being. A name can influence the behavior of the person and provide a spiritual connection between the individual and his soul.

A name carries enormous potential. It can define the individual or describe his personality. It can be a portent for the future or a wish that the person live up to the potential expressed in the meaning of the name. It is important, therefore, to give much thought to a child's shem kodesh, sacred or Hebrew name.

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The name of our Lord, announced by the angel, certainly defined or described Him. The Holy Name Jesus (or Yahshua in Hebrew) means "Saviour", and it is through Him that His people is saved. The online Catholic Encyclopedia says the Holy Name, "when invoked with confidence":

• brings help in bodily needs, according to the promise of Christ: "In my name They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover". (Mark 16:17-18) In the Name of Jesus the Apostles gave strength to the lame (Acts 3:6; 9:34) and life to the dead (Acts 9:40).
• gives consolation in spiritual trials. The Name of Jesus reminds the sinner of the prodigal son's father and of the Good Samaritan; it recalls to the just the suffering and death of the innocent Lamb of God.
• protects us against Satan and his wiles, for the Devil fears the Name of Jesus, who has conquered him on the Cross.
• obtains for us every blessing and grace for time and eternity, for Christ has said: "If you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it you." (John 16:23) Therefore the Church concludes all her prayers by the words: "Through Our Lord Jesus Christ", etc.

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Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

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This essay (by the sort of fine protestant preacher that really ought to be Catholic) has some comments on the most holy name of Jesus that tie in with the pro multis controversy which, God willing, will soon be behind us.

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Colleen Hammond joins the Right Reverend Arthur Roche in an appeal to show reverence for the holy name of Jesus. Bishop Roche was mentioned previously in this blog, after he gave an admirable speech to a meeting of the American bishops. He is chairman of ICEL! Until recently, I would not have been able to use the words ICEL and admirable in the same sentence -- the ICEL was responsible for the execrable translation of the new Mass we currently use. A revised translation will be released within the next couple years. Slowly, slowly, slo-o-owly over the years and decades, the Church Militant is reorienting herself back towards right worship of the Divine.