+ January 3rd historically known as the feast of the Holy Name of
Jesus. In the first reading, from the
feast, we have St. Paul’s marvelous description of the condescension of Christ,
to become one of his own creatures: though
he was in the form of God… he didn’t grasp at that reality, but rather he
bounded from that form, and pitched his tent on earth, first in the womb of the
virgin, then, with bare feet planted firmly on the ground, as one of us,
completely, save sin, and became obedient to the Father’s reconciliatory will –
even with it meaning death on a cross, in all its stark nakedness:
because of this God highly exalted
him, bestowing on him the name above every other name in heaven and on earth:
JESUS, SAVIOR, LORD, KING, FRIEND, HEALER, RECONCILER! and, yes, every knee,
everywhere, should and will bend when the name is sounded, and every tongue
will one day confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory and honor of God,
his Father and ours!
The gospel passage shows the
beginnings of the humiliations (in a good sense) that Jesus underwent, during
his circumcision (the first shedding of his royal and precious divine blood for
us and for our salvation), his first act of self-sacrifice on our behalf, with
the conferral of the Name Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was
even conceived in Mary’s womb.
And in
his own name (with his own power) he cured every disease and illness among the people – and people
began to follow this Jesus, this Christ, who was unlike anyone else they had ever
met! And to those who followed and follow him now all the way – they are led to
the awesome display of a great shedding of his blood on a hill outside
Jerusalem – and a death unparalleled in all of history: God actually dying a
human death, for Fallen Creation.
May we today be among not only
his followers, but also among those who still have the deepest respect and
admiration for that adorable Name; and believe wholeheartedly in the power of
his name and his ability, by means of it, to lead us out of every darkness in
life, and heal us of everything we need healing of!
O
Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
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