It is 3rd January 2020. We celebrate the memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. The Franciscans are the ones who began this feast. St.Bernardine of Sienna and his student St. John of Capistrano, Franciscans who promoted this devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. The Jesuits continued giving importance to the name of Jesus later period. The name of Jesus helps us in bodily needs as we constantly invoke this mighty name of Jesus. We are better able to deal with spiritual trials and attacks from Satan. “The name of Jesus is above every name.” (Phil.2:9). Invoking the name of Jesus, we can also face temptation and satanic intrusions. “…In my name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues, they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them, they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-19). Familiarising and pronouncing the name of Jesus fills us with grace and blessings in our life. “Then shall everyone be saved who calls on the name of the Lord” (Acts 2:21). Pope Cement VII in 1530 allowed the Franciscans to celebrate a feast day in honor of the Holy Name, and Pope Innocent XIII extended this to the universal Church in 1721; Saintly Pope John Paul II reinstituted the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus to be celebrated on January 3. Seldom we use the name of Jesus in our life. Let us not merely invoke the name of Jesus for obtaining favours but to promote the name of Jesus with love and devotion always. Today is the First Friday of the year 2020 dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. May the Lord Jesus have mercy on us all and our families as we wish to entrust our lives to Him. The readings are from 1 John 2:29-3:6 and the Gospel from John 1:29-34. Sin blinds our spiritual vision. We remain blind and refusing to come close to the one who offered salvation due to our affiliation with sins. St. John in the first reading invites us to be pure so to have dharshan of God. “No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.” (1Jn.3:6). There qualities to be and become the children of God. Respecting and creating a relationship with God is the paramount quality to be a child of God. Living without sin is in itself not enough to be a child of God; one has to show it through love and charity. The responsorial Psalm praises, “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” (Ps.97:3). The Gospel desires and demands from us that we point out Jesus, the Lamb of God through our faith and life. Nothing we say or do replace the person of Jesus in our life. Even if we have a valid reason not to invoke Him regularly through our personal communion and communication, we can still point out Him through our humble serve to the humanity. “Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that He is the Chosen One of God.” (Jn.1:34). May we revere the Most Holy Name of Jesus in our life always. May you have a good day. God bless you.

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