Epiphany of Our Lord Jan. 6th
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Novena to the Holy Name of Jesus Second Day. Sweetness of the Name of Jesus
(Taken from "The Incarnation Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ" by St. Alphonsus Liguori)
Consider, devout soul, that there is no name in the world that is equal to the name of Jesus in sweetness. "Nothing is sweeter to chant," says St. Bernard, "nothing more agreeable to hear, nothing more charming to think of, than the name of Jesus, the Son of God"
(Office of the Holy Name). To preach it, is to give light to the understanding, is to inflame the will; to think of it, is to feed the soul, is to excite its fervor; to call on it, is to win grace and unction. In fact, we see that if a Christian find himself weighed down by sadness, whether through the artifice of our common enemy or in consequence of some misfortune that has befallen him,
as soon as the name of Jesus passes from his heart to his tongue, by the light of this divine name, darkness is dispersed, the mind becomes calm, the heart strengthened, the faculties brighten up, and everything returns to life. This is the reason why St. Paul, as soon as he received from the divine Word himself the commission to publish His glorious name, began to repeat it so often, not only in his discourses, but also in the Epistles that he addressed to the Corinthians,
Galatians, Colossians, Hebrews, and to all other nations. He knew by experience how sweet is the name of Jesus, what is its virtue to dispel the darkness of error and bring back men to the happy paths of perfect belief. Oh, how happy shall we be if in all our trials, on all sorrowful occasions, we take care to invoke the glorious name of Jesus, and while invoking it with our lips to consecrate our hearts to it! Then our soul will taste an ineffable sweetness, which we can never find here below.
Most amiable Jesus, Thou art the master of the angels, the Creator of the world, the sovereign of the universe. Thou art my Lord and my God ("Dominus meus et Deus meus." -- John , xx. 28.). I thank Thee for having wished to take this most holy name for our consolation, for our encouragement, and for our salvation; and as, in this valley of tears, we have recourse in our needs to Thy glorious name by sweetly invoking it, grant that we may finish our lives in peace while saying, Live Jesus! Live our Saviour!
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"Respect His Holy Name" cards are available in our Store (http://olrl.org/mm5/merchant.mvc) for 2 cents ea. Order a good quantity to distribute this month of January -- dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus!
-- Sincerely in Christ, Our Lady of the Rosary Library "Pray and work for souls"
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