www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Jesus Prayer ~ Holy Name

Dear beloved in Christ,

Today in the Latin Church is the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. This feastday used to be celebrated on Jan. 2nd, was then deleted following the reforms of Vatican II - but was restored in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

Here is a description of its origin:

When reading this I can't help but be reminded of the great significance of the Jesus Prayer in Eastern Christian spirituality. Do you think that the Pope with his Slavic background was particularily disposed to bring back the observance of this day to the Roman Church. In addition to this, the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal calls for the faithful to bow at the name of Jesus when mentioned in the liturgy. Some of my confreres have commented that this is hard to get used to since you need to do it many times during one Mass. I replied - "Try to keep up with all the times you cross yourself at the Divine Liturgy!"

PAX

Dear Benedictine monastic:

Pope John Paul II also sanctioned Mercy Sunday because of his devotion to Sister Faustina. Her mercy prayer is from the Byzantine Trisagion.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.

This Trisagion used to be part of the Good Friday Service in the Latin Rite before Vatican II. Let us pray that it is restored to the Mass once again.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us and save us.

Yours in Christ,
Elizabeth Maria

Dear Benedictine,

Christus Natus Est!

The Western Saint Leonard of Port-Maurice in his book on the Holy Eucharist makes mention of the Western Jesus Prayer devotion of saying 1,000 times daily "My Jesus, Mercy!"

St Francis of Assisi used to stop whenever he mentioned the Name of Jesus and then stick out his tongue to lick his lips - and this to gather all the spiritual honey that he said comes out to overflowing in one's mouth when the Holy Name is pronounced.

Interestingly enough, the Anglican martyr, Archbishop William Laud, was charged with "popery" since he insisted on bowing the head at the mention of the Names of Jesus and Mary - something that his King Charles I did as well.

Alex

Dear Benedictine,

Thanks for informing us about the restoration of the OM of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. My Father was a member of the Holy Name Society. I remember the monthly corporate communion and breakfast.

One thing does trouble me about having the feast on Jan 2. Jan 2 is also the feast of SS Basil and Gregory Nazianzen. I really like honoring these two giants of the Eastern Church.

I can't choose one feast over the other.

God bless you,

Paul

Dear Paul,

The Byzantine Church celebrates the Naming of Jesus on January 1st, Christ's Circumcision on the 8th day following His Birth according to Jewish law.

Why does the Western Church move it to the ninth day?

Alex

Dear Alex,

Welcome back!

The current liturgical calendar for the U.S. does not show a feast for the Circumision of Jesus.

I don't have a General calendar for the Roman Church nor for the Canadian RCC.

Are you getting your information from either of those liturgical calendars?

Paul

Dear Paul,

I have the Canadian Catholic calendar (Latin Rite).

The East not only observes the Naming of Jesus/Circumcision on the first of January - it also has the naming of new-born babies on the eighth day after birth as well!

I was so named and my priest friend with about eight children (now it was "eight" nine months ago, I don't know if his family has increased since ) - he always does this ceremony on the eighth day for his family and his parishioners.

The feast of the Naming of Jesus/Circumcision is revered as the second of three "Holy Nights" during the Nativity Season, but here it has tended to become a "Malanka" in honour of St Melania of Rome ie. a New Year's bash and dance.

But I've attended Holy Suppers with my Orthodox relatives on the eve of the Naming of Jesus Feast.

Alex

In the U.S. Liturgical Calendar, the 1st of January is the "Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God," a Holy Day of obligation.

(And on this date from Rome, the Holy Father issues his traditional call, and prayer, for world peace!)

AmdG

Dear Amigo Amado,

And a worthy commemoration, to be sure!

I guess we Easterners have difficulty with how you Westerners seem to change liturigical dates at will, it seems.

I'm still trying to understand how you guys separated "Epiphany" from "Theophany" and were allowed to get away with it.

Alex

Dear Alex,

I remember when January 1st was the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus in the Latin Church. Things have changed, but who can argue with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God?

Paul

Alex:

If the Western Church could "impose" on the world (except on some pockets of resistance ) the Gregorian Calendar, changes in liturgical calendars seem easy! :p

AmdG

Dear Paul,

On January 1st, we Byzantines celebrate the Feast of the Naming of Jesus AND the Marian feast of her apparition to St Basil the Great .

We have the best of both worlds, what can I say?

Alex

Dear Amado,

Yes, but only on some parts of the world . . .

Alex

Dear Alex

Kudos to the Byzantines!

Paul

I can see that! the best of both worlds is a great way to define our Christian journey.

I also received from St Francis de Sales a letter saying that the Pope wants to establish the appropriate reverence when receiving communion. (I can't remember the exact words) We should bend down before and after receiving the eucharist, my mother and uncle told me that this was the way it was done way back. The veneration in the Divine Liturgy is one of the things that I loved about the Byz Church and defineltey a reason why my brother converted from protestanism.