In Philippians 2, Saint Paul tells us that "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." From the earliest days of Christianity, Christians have known the great power of Jesus' Holy Name. As the once-popular hymn commanded:
All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Small wonder, then, that the Church sets aside the first month of the year in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus. Through this devotion, the Church reminds us of the power of Christ's Name and encourages us to pray in His Name. In our society, of course, we hear His Name uttered quite often, but all too frequently, it is used in a curse or blasphemy. In the past, Christians would often make the Sign of the Cross when they heard Christ's Name uttered in such a manner, and that's a practice that would be worthwhile to revive.
Another good practice that we could take to heart during this Month of the Holy Name of Jesus is the recitation of the Jesus Prayer. This prayer is as popular among Eastern Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox, as the rosary is among Roman Catholics, but it's not well known in the West.
This month, why not take a few minutes to memorize the Jesus Prayer, and pray it during those moments of the day when you are between activities, or traveling, or simply taking a rest? Keeping Christ's Name always on our lips is a good way to ensure that we draw ever nearer to Him.
