The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

Jesus Dulcis Memoria

(translated)

Jesu the very thought of Thee

With sweetness fills my breast;

But sweeter far Thy face to see,

And in Thy presence rest.

Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,

Nor can the memory find,

A sweeter sound than Thy blest Name,

O Saviour of mankind!

O hope of every contrite heart!

O joy of all the meek!

To those who fall, how kind Thou art!

How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? ah! this

Nor tongue nor pen can show:

The love of Jesus, what it is,

None but His lov'd ones know.

Jesu! our only joy be Thou,

As Thou our prize wilt be;

Jesu! be Thou our glory now,

And through eternity.

(Lovely for children to memorize!)

Some Good Ways to Honor the Holy Name

1.  Bow your head (and teach your children to do so) upon hearing the name of Jesus  "that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth..."  (Phillipians 2:10)

2.  Upon hearing His Name used in vain, immediately offer a prayer in reparation for the offense, such as:

* Blessed be His Holy Name.

* Jesus Christ have mercy on him/her/them.

*Laudetur Jesus Christus. - Praised be Jesus Christ.

*Jesus, Deus meus, super omnia amo te. - Jesus, my God, I love Thee above all things.

"In Vain" -- 1. fruitlessly, pointlessly, or unsuccessfully: We searched in vain for a solution. 2. in a disrespectful or blasphemous way.  (Encarta)

*Indulgences for prayers and ejaculations prayed in honor for the Holy Name can be found here, in the Racolta.

3. Make a point to always capitalize all titles referring to God in all three Persons of the Holy Trinity, including pronouns.

4.  Endear His Name to your heart by using the old terms of Thee,Thou, and Thine which originally implied closer relationship than You and Your.

5.  Honor the Holy Name of Jesus in prayer:

 

Prayers to Honor the Holy Name

O, Bone Jesu

O good Jesu! O most tender Jesu! O most sweet Jesu! O Jesus, Son of Mary the Virgin, full of mercy and kindness! O sweet Jesu, according to Thy great mercy, have pity on me! O most merciful Jesu, I entreat Thee by that precious Blood of Thine, which Thou didst will to pour forth for sinners, to wash away all my iniquities, and to look upon me, poor and unworthy as I am, asking humbly pardon of Thee, and invoking this holy Name of Jesus. O Name of Jesus, sweet Name! Name of Jesus, Name of joy! Name of Jesus, Name of strength! Nay, what meaneth the Name of Jesus but Saviour? Wherefore, O Jesu, by Thine own holy Name, be to me Jesus, and save me. Suffer me not to be lost, - me, whom Thou didst create out of nothing. O good Jesu, let not my iniquity destroy what Thy Almighty goodness made. O sweet Jesu, recognise what is Thine own, and wipe away from me what is not of Thee! O most kind Jesu, have pity on me, while it is the time of pity, and condemn me not when it is the time of judgment. The dead shall not praise Thee, Lord Jesu, nor will those who go down into hell. O most loving Jesus! O Jesu, most longed for by Thine own! O most gentle Jesu! Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, let me enter into the number of Thine elect. O Jesu, salvation of those who believe in Thee. Jesu, consolation of those who fly to Thee. Jesu, Son of Mary the Virgin, pour into me grace, wisdom, charity, chastity, and humility, that I may be able perfectly to love Thee, to praise Thee, to enjoy Thee, to serve Thee, and make my boast in Thee, and that all those who invoke Thy Name, which is Jesus, may join with me in these acts. Amen.

The Litany of the Holy Name

The Divine Praises (in reparation for blasphemies)

6. Develop a devotion to saints who taught and cherished the Holy Name:

Advocates of the Holy Name

"A special lover of the Holy Name was St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who speaks of it in most glowing terms in many of his sermons. But the greatest promoters of this devotion were St. Bernardine of Siena and St. John Capistran. They carried with them on their missions in the turbulent cities of Italy a copy of the monogram of the Holy Name, surrounded by rays, painted on a wooden tablet, wherewith they blessed the sick and wrought great miracles. At the close of their sermons they exhibited this emblem to the faithful and asked them to prostrate themselves, to adore the Redeemer of mankind. They recommended their hearers to have the monogram of Jesus placed over the gates of their cities and above the doors of their dwelling ."

(Catholic Encyclopedia)

(For a really cool image of St. Bernardine of Siena to color and assemble, go here!  Also, Charlotte has some coloring pages!  Go here and here.

7.  Sing in honor of the Holy Name:


(In my top five favorite hymns)