The Holy Name Of Jesus.

Today we celebrate the feast of The Holy Name Of Jesus. I find it interesting that the Church has given us a feast in honour of someone's name. But what a name. Jesus himself told us to ask anything in his name and it would be given to us. To speak the name of Jesus is such a simple prayer but one
that has such a deepness that we can never get to the bottom of it. Down through the ages many saints have revered the name of Jesus and told of its immense value of just saying that one word. I, myself
find I am drawn to using the Aramaic word Yeshua, slowly and simply repeating it over, some would call it a mantra. But I think of it as just saying my beloveds name over and over. It brings with it a
 deep sense of peace. And sometimes it's the only prayer I can get out, especially when your heart is heavy.

St. Bernard, St Bernadine of Sienna  and St. John Capastrino all had a great love for this one word and  promoted devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.  In their preaching missions throughout Italy, they carried a monogram of the Holy Name   In its origin, the monogram  IHS represents the Latin Iesus Hominum Salvator, meaning “Jesus Savior of Mankind.”  St. Bernardine and St. John blessed the faithful with this monogram, invoking the name of Jesus, and many miracles were reported.  They also encouraged people to have the monogram placed over the city gates and the doorways of their homes.  Dispelling the objections of some who considered this veneration superstitious, Pope Martin V in 1427 approved the proper veneration to the Holy Name and asked that the cross be included in the monogram.

So as we continue this tradition why not get the children to paint a monogram which you could put into a frame and place by your front door asking God to make your home a place of peace and love.