The Holy Name of Jesus

IHS...Jesus
Today we celebrate the Holy Name of Jesus. Our monastery is named Holy Name Monastery, so it is a special feast day here. Our Sisters have as a group a strong devotion to Jesus and have repeatedly said that we are blessed to have Mass daily. The quiet devotion of our chaplain monk from the next door Abbey who faithfully celebrates a Mass with us through rain, storms, sickness and all sorts of situations. Father Damian has ministered to us for over forty years...I will have to check on dates...it may be getting close to fifty years.

I personally see a connection between our reverence of the Holy Name of Jesus and our devotion to the Eucharist. A final connection is to St. Benedict who reminds us to prefer nothing to the love of Christ.

The body of Christ

Jesus 

The Gospel of Matthew

A Great Light Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
(Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.(

He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Last night, I read Scott Hahn's Article in this month's St. Anthony's Messenger.
http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Jan2005/Feature1.asp
As he reminds us much of the gospel of Matthew speaks of the Old Testament being fulfilled by Jesus. He also explains that the region of Zebulun and Naphtali is location of a previous great defeat. In the light of this further historical information, it appears that Jesus is healing the wounds of the past conflicts and defeats along with the wounds of the great crows who come to Him.

"The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light." The light of faith every day calls me back away from the darkness. The pride, consumerism, selfishness, sloth, greed all of the daily weaknesses and pitfalls come into my light so easily with almost not even seeing them enter until I turn in prayer again and again. Faith is a constant turning away from darkness to the light and path of Christ. It is a great light and strength and source of life, eternal life.