The Holy Name of Jesus

Nativity Set Made by the Nuns.

Dear Friends,

On this Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate the great Feast of the Epiphany, I pray that the beautiful graces of Christmastide will continue to take root in your souls. It is a wonderful gift that, in the traditional calendar, Christmastide essentially continues until Feb. 2nd (after tomorrow taking on the particular colour of the Epiphany, but still very much adoring the Newborn King).

Today I had the bittersweet joy--but above all the joy--of giving thanks to God for so many graces received during these years of serving the congregations at Lanherne and in Plymouth. It has been a real privilege to serve the families here. It's hard to know how to put into words all that went through my mind and heart today, and I'm a bit wiped out and preparing in a few minutes to head to dinner with my local pastor, Fr. Anthony O'Gorman, Fr. Champagne, and Fr. Crean, but I wanted to at least share with you the beautiful words of St. Bernard that are given in the traditional breviary for this Feast. And I will post below a few photos of today's gathering in Plymouth.

After remind us that, in the Song of Songs, the Holy Ghost speaks of Bridegroom’s [who is none other than Christ] name as “oil poured forth” (Song 1:3), and that oil is light, food, and medicine; Saint Bernard says,[1]  “To preach [the Holy Name], is to give light; to think of it, is to feed the soul; to call on it, is to win grace and unction. Let us take it point by point. What, do you think, has made the light of faith so suddenly and so brightly to shine in the whole world but the preaching of the Name of Jesus? Is it not in the light of this Name that God has called us into His marvelous light, even that light wherewith we are enlightened, and in His light seeing light, Paul says truly of us “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.”

This is the Name which the Apostle was commanded to bear before Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel, the Name which he bore as a light to enlighten his people, crying everywhere “The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light, let us walk honestly as in the daylight,” He pointed out to all that candle set upon a candlestick, preaching in every place Jesus and Him crucified. How did that Name shine forth and dazzle every eye that beheld it, when it came like lightning out of the mouth of Peter to give bodily strength to the feet of the lame man, and to clear the sight of many a blind soul? For certainly Peter struck sparks when he declared, “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

The Name of Jesus is not only light, it is also food. Are you not strengthened whenever you meditate on it? What is its equal for enriching the mind that thinks about it? What else can so renew your fatigued spiritual powers, bolster virtue, make good and upright habits grow, foster pure affections? All spiritual food is dry if this oil is not mixed in with it, tasteless if it is not seasoned with this salt. Anything you write is without savor for me unless I read the name of Jesus in it. Your disputations and your conferences remain flat to me unless they ring with the name of Jesus. “Jesus” is honey to the mouth, sweet song to the ear, joyful delight to the heart. But it is also a medicine. Is someone sad among us? Let “Jesus” come into his heart and from there leap to his lips. And behold, as the light of His name arises, all clouds pass, and cheerfulness returns. Has someone lapsed into sin? Worse, is despair pushing him headlong into a trap where death awaits his soul? Surely, if he invokes the name of Life, he will be revitalized at once. 

May you savor that delicious food, find in the Holy Name medicine for your soul, and be guided by its divine light.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

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[1] “It is not idly that the Holy Ghost likeneth the Name of the Bridegroom to oil, when He maketh the Bride say to the Bridegroom: thy Name is as oil poured forth. Oil indeed giveth light, meat, and unction. It feedeth fire, it nourisheth the flesh, it sootheth pain; it is light, food, and healing. Behold, Thus also is the Name of the Bridegroom.”