The Name that united the world: Reflection and insight on the celebrations of the First Sunday of the Civil Year

How is it going?

It looks like we are going to be back to the normal grind in the coming weekdays, and so I would like to relate this reflection insight with our everyday activities as we celebrate the festivities this Sunday: the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus in the Extraordinary Form, and the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord in the Ordinary.

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READINGS AND PROPERS

Extraordinary Form (Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus)

This Feast is kept on the First Sunday of the Year; but if this Sunday falls on Jan. 1st, or 6th, or 7th, the Feast is kept on Jan. 2nd.

INTROIT ¤ Philip 2. 10, 11

In nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur, coelestium, terrestrium, et infernorum: et omnis lingua confiteator, quia Dominus Jesus Christus in floria est Dei Patris. -- Domine Dominus noster: quam admirabile est nomen tuum in universa terra! V.: Gloria Patri . . . -- In nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur . . .

In the Name of Jesus let every knee bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: and let every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. -- (Ps.8. 2). O Lord our Lord: how admirable is Thy Name in the whole earth! V.: Glory be to the Father . . . -- In the Name of Jesus . . .

   COLLECT.--O God, Who didst constitute Thine only-begotten Son the Savior of Mankind, and didst bid Him to be called Jesus: mercifully grant, that we who venerate His holy Name on earth, may fully enjoy also the vision of Him in heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end.

EPISTLE ¤ Acts 4. 8-12

Lesson from the Acts of the Apostles.

[This Name means Savior, "for there is no other name given to men whereby we must be saved."]

   In those days, Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them: Ye princes of the people and ancients, hear: if we this day are examined concerning the good deed done to the infirm man by what means he hath been made whole, be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel: that by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom your crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by Him this man standeth here before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner: neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.

GRADUAL ¤ Ps. 105. 47

Salvos fac nos, Domine, Deus noster, et congrega nos de nationibus: ut confiteamur nomini sancto tuo, et gloriemur in gloria tua. V.: Tu, Domine, Pater noster, et Redemptor noster: a saeculo nomen tuum.    Alleluia, alleluia. V.: Laudem Domini loquetur os meum et benedicat omnis caro nomen sanctum ejus. Alleluia.

Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations: that we may give thanks to Thy holy Name, and may glory in Thy praise. V.: (Isa. 63. 16) Thou, O Lord, our Father and our Redeemer: from everlasting is Thy Name.    Alleluia, alleluia. V.: (Ps. 144. 21) My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy Name. Alleluia

GOSPEL ¤ Luke 2. 21.

† Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke.

[Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ.]

   At that time, after eight days were accomplished that the Child should be circumcised: His Name was called Jesus, which was called by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb.

OFFERTORY ¤ Ps. 85. 12, 5

Confitebor tibi, Domine Deus meus, in toto corde meo, et glorificabo nomen tuum in aeternum: quoniam tu, Domine, suavis et mitis es: et multae misericordiae omnibus invocantibus te, alleluia.

I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Thy Name for ever: for Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon Thee, alleluia.

   SECRET.--May Thy blessing, O most merciful God, by which every creature lives, sanctify, we beseech Thee, this our Sacrifice, which we offer unto Thee to the glory of the Name of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that it may be well-pleasing to Thy Majesty for Thy praise, and profit us unto salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One god, world without end.

PREFACE

Preface of the Nativity

Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus: Quia per incarnati Verbi mysterium nova mentis nostrae oculis lux tuae claritatis infulsit: ut, dum visibiliter Deum cognoscimus, per hunc in invisibilum amorem rapiamur. Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militai coelestis exercitus, hymnum gloriae tuae canimus sine fine dicentes:

It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, for through the Mystery of the Word made flesh, the new light of Thy glory hath shone upon the eyes of our mind, so that while we acknowledge God in visible form, we may through Him be drawn to the love of things invisible. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Throne and Dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying:

COMMUNION ¤ Ps. 85. 9, 10

Omnes gentes quascumque fecisti, venient, et adorabunt coram te, Domine, et glorificabunt nomen tuum: quoniam magnus es tu, et faciens mirabilia: tu es Deus solus. Alleluia.

All the nations Thou hast made shall come and adore before Thee, O Lord, and they shall glorify Thy Name: for Thou art great, and dost wonderful things: Thou art God alone.

   POSTCOMMUNION.--O almighty and everlasting God, who didst create and redeem us, look graciously upon our prayer, and with a favorable and benign countenance deign to accept the Sacrifice of the saving Victim which we have offered to Thy Majesty in honor of the Name of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: that through the infusion of Thy grace we may rejoice that our names are written in heaven, under the glorious Name of Jesus, the pledge of eternal predestination. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end.

Ordinary Form (Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Year A)

Prophecy: Is. 60:1-6

Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thy eyes round about, and see: all these are gathered together, they are come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at thy side. Then shalt thou see, and abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense: and shewing forth praise to the Lord.

Responsorial: Ps. 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore Thee.

Give to the king thy judgment, O God,

and to the king's son thy justice:

To judge thy people with justice,

and thy poor with judgment.

In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace,

till the moon be taken away.

And he shall rule from sea to sea,

and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents:

the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:

And all kings of the earth shall adore him:

all nations shall serve him.

For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty:

and the needy that had no helper.

He shall spare the poor and needy:

and he shall save the souls of the poor.

Epistle: Eph. 3:2-3a, 5-6 (2-6)

Brethren, If yet you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me towards you: How that, according to revelation, the mystery has been made known to me…

(…as I have written above in a few words: As you reading, may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ…)

…which in other generations was not known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit: That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body: and copartners of his promise in Christ Jesus, by the gospel.

Gospel: Mt. 2:1-12

At that time: when Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him. And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet:

And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, privately calling the wise men learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them; and sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore him. Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the East, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him: and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country.

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REFLECTIONS AND INSIGHTS

O Lord, the Gentiles shall walk in Thy light (cf. Is. 60:3) for in the name of Jesus, every knee shall bend (cf. Phil. 2:10). O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is Thy Name over the earth! (Ps. 8:1)

The readings of the Ordinary Form are like pieces of a puzzle that is about the manifestation of the Son of Man to all nations, and in the wisdom and will of the Holy Spirit, they fit together to form one cohesive theme: that "every nation on earth will adore the Lord" (cf. this Sunday's Responsorial). Meanwhile, we shall also add to this insight the Introit for the feast celebrated in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite: "In the name of Jesus, every knee shall bend" (Phil. 2:10).

In the Epistle of the Extraordinary Form, it features Peter as the Prince of the Apostles addressing the Chosen People spread throughout the world about Jesus Christ being "the cornerstone rejected by the builders". We can see here that some ambiguous statements can be said by non-Catholics against us: that "ONLY the name of Jesus can save" and not the invocation to the Holy Trinity. The proper understanding of this concept of Jesus' saving name is that it is indeed powerful, that demons shudder and flee at the mention or even the inscribed sight of His name. But we have to remember that Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, and that He might have introduced the Sign of the Cross as He mightily ascended to heaven as He said "Go, therefore, and preach all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" (Mt. 28:19, emphasis supplied). So it is ridiculous to fall for the concept that only the name of Jesus saves and not the Sign of the Cross.

In reflecting all these Biblical passages, we might say that if the concept of a "worldwide trend" existed two thousand years ago, it was the Name of Jesus and His birth. We believe that in this concept, it is the name of Jesus that united the world.

And it still does today.

The highlight of the readings of the Ordinary Form are the wise men that followed the star until it stood by the place where Christ was: collectively called as the Magi.

These men (by tradition numbered as three, but Biblical scholars dispute that there might have been more than three) have understood the Prophecy of Isaias by basing it on mathematical calculations, astronomical observations, and other scientific endeavours. They were considered as Gentiles for they are from outside Israel; maybe from Arabia, Persia, India, or even China. Since scientists and scholars like them are looked up by the commoners of their day, they might even be considered as noblemen (and tradition call them kings, hence the monicker "Three Kings"). And since they have understood the Isaianic prophecy very well, they have brought gifts of gold (a symbol of princely power), frankincense (a symbol of divine identity), and myrrh (a perfume used for embalming, a symbol of death) to the Child who is to be called the Prince of peace, the Emmanuel, and the Suffering Servant of the Lord.

These men, by virtue of their ardent search for the Divine Child, became the reference of the very prophecy they have studied.

But the story does not stop there.

In the age of the Church, Peter (as featured in the Extraordinary Form) and Paul (in the Ordinary) extensively toiled to preach to the Jews and to the Gentiles, respectively, that Jesus was the Messiah promised by God. So in this light, we realize that the Prophecy of Isaias that we read today is extended to all of us; for we are called to holiness through the Church which Jesus built upon Peter, that we are called to adore Jesus in the Holy Eucharist just as the Magi adored Him as a child; and that through the Sacraments we are changed just as the Magi returned to their lands on a different route.

In summary, the Church has been generous enough to let us experience what these wise men experienced, even if in a microcosm. She, the Bride of Christ, does this so through the Holy Mass. In a nutshell, our experience of the Mass can be simplified as this:

We come inside the house of the Lord

to adore Him as he makes Himself known and seen,

as He willed to be with us

to challenge us to  bear Him wherever we go.

As we return to the normal grind of the world after the festivities of Christmas, I hope that we would do so with a new resolve, proclaiming Jesus, the Name above all names, in all that we do.

So we ask ourselves: Will I be brave to seek the Child of Bethlehem and bear the glad tidings of His birth on my way home? Am I committed to allow the Child Jesus to "enter under my roof" even if I am not yet ready? Like Mary, will I strive to keep her Son and the glories of His birth in my heart?

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PRAYING THE COLLECT

O God, Who didst constitute Thine only-begotten Son the Savior of Mankind, and didst bid Him to be called Jesus: mercifully grant, that we who venerate His holy Name on earth, may fully enjoy also the vision of Him in heaven. O Thou, Who on this day revealed Thine Only Begotten Son to the nations

by the guidance of a star, grant in Thy mercy, that we, who know Thee already by faith, may be brought to behold the beauty of Thy sublime glory.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Just as it is ridiculous to believe that the Sign of the Cross is not as powerful as the Name of Jesus, so are the materials circulated online saying that Pope Francis declared that "all religions are true", that there is no Hell, and other stuff that were misconstrued from him. Jimmy Akin, writing for the National Catholic Register, explains:

Some Internet sites are reporting that Pope Francis has declared that “all religions are true,” that there is no hell, and other provocative things.

But the whole thing is an Internet hoax.

Here are 5 things to know and share . . .

1) What is being attributed to Pope Francis?

Among other things, he is claimed to have said:

“Through humility, soul searching, and prayerful contemplation we have gained a new understanding of certain dogmas. The church no longer believes in a literal hell where people suffer. This doctrine is incompatible with the infinite love of God. God is not a judge but a friend and a lover of humanity. God seeks not to condemn but only to embrace. Like the fable of Adam and Eve, we see hell as a literary device. Hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul, which like all souls ultimately will be united in love with God” Pope Francis declared.

In a speech that shocked many, the Pope claimed “All religions are true, because they are true in the hearts of all those who believe in them. What other kind of truth is there? In the past, the church has been harsh on those it deemed morally wrong or sinful. Today, we no longer judge. Like a loving father, we never condemn our children. Our church is big enough for heterosexuals and homosexuals, for the pro-life and the pro-choice! For conservatives and liberals, even communists are welcome and have joined us. We all love and worship the same God.”

2) Where did the hoax come from?

It originally appeared on a blog called Diversity Chronicle.

The post that contains it apparently was written by the site’s creator, Erik Thorson.

Subsequently, the story has been recycled elsewhere on the Internet, such as in the “Entertainment” section of VacancyNigerians.com.

3) How do we know it’s a hoax?

Through several means. One is the fact that the piece itself claims Pope Francis was speaking at the conclusion of the Third Vatican Council:

For the last six months, Catholic cardinals, bishops and theologians have been deliberating in Vatican City, discussing the future of the church and redefining long-held Catholic doctrines and dogmas. The Third Vatican Council, is undoubtedly the largest and most important since the Second Vatican Council was concluded in 1962. Pope Francis convened the new council to “finally finish the work of the Second Vatican Council.” While some traditionalists and conservative reactionaries on the far right have decried these efforts, they have delighted progressives around the world.

The Third Vatican Council concluded today with Pope Francis announcing that Catholicism is now a “modern and reasonable religion, which has undergone evolutionary changes. 

Of course, there has been no Third Vatican Council.

If there had been, it would have been all over the news for months, and every semi-informed Catholic would be aware of it.

Ecumenical councils are huge events in the life of the Church, and modern media and the Catholic Internet would have focused on it intensively.

4) How else do we know it’s a hoax?

The site which originated it contains a disclaimer, which states:

The original content on this blog is largely satirical.

“I ceased in the year 1764 to believe that one can convince one’s opponents with arguments printed in books. It is not to do that, therefore, that I have taken up my pen, but merely so as to annoy them, and to bestow strength and courage on those on our own side, and to make it known to the others that they have not convinced us.” – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg.

It is in the spirit of the above quote that I write. Who am I you may ask? My name is Erik Thorson. I created this blog for my own personal amusement.

5) Are there other resources exposing this hoax?

Sure. For example, there is also a Snopes page on this subject.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/dont-fall-for-this-pope-francis-hoax-5-things-to-know-and-share

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I hope this article got it all sorted out.