The Church reveals to us the wonders of the Incarnate Word by singing the glories of His Name. The name of Jesus means Savior.
Persons who played prominent roles in the history of salvation received their names from God Himself. Adam means “man of the earth”; Eve means “mother of all the living”; Abraham means “father of many nations”; Peter means “the rock”. Even the Savior’s forerunner (John the Baptist) was given the name which God assigned to him. Therefore, according to divine precedent, the name of the Redeemer should not be of human choosing, but given by God Himself, for His Name should express His mission. We read in Sacred Scripture how the Archangel Gabriel revealed that Name to Mary: “You shall call His name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) And to St. Joseph, the Angel did not merely reveal the Name but explained its meaning: “You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The Messiah should not only be the savior, but should be called Savior. This is why we must esteem His Name as sacred. Whenever we pronounce it, we ought to bow our heads; for the very Name reminds us of the greatest favor we have ever received – salvation.
Devotion to the Holy Name is deeply rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, especially in the Acts of the Apostles. It was promoted in a special manner by St. Bernard, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. John Capistrano and by the Franciscan Order. It was extended to the whole Church in 1727 during the pontificate of Innocent XIII.
The Catholic Church celebrates the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite this feast is kept on the First Sunday of the year; but if this Sunday falls on January 1, 6, or 7, the feast is kept on January 2. In addition, the month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. The feast day is intended to impress on Christians the dignity of the Holy Name of Jesus.
As the Holy Name of Jesus is the Patronal name of our church, we will celebrate this feast day on January 19, 2020 in lieu of the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time.