Devotion to the name of Jesus is a practice rooted in the history of Christianity. From the earliest centuries, the faithful invoked the name of Jesus as a powerful prayer. His name was considered a source of comfort, strength and hope.
The Franciscan Order was a pioneer in the liturgical celebration of the Sweet Name of Jesus. In 1530, Pope Clement VII granted this order the privilege of celebrating its own office dedicated to this feast.
Although the Council of Trent(1545-1568) did not fix this feast, we can say that it provided the doctrinal and spiritual framework in which the devotion to the Sweet Name of Jesus could flourish and become an established practice in the Catholic Church.
Throughout the 17th century the devotion spread and became popular thanks to the preaching of St. Bernardine of Siena and other Dominican preachers. But it was in 1721 when Pope Innocent XIII established the feast of the Sweet Name of Jesus for the whole Church.
Different liturgical reforms have changed the date of its celebration, even eliminating the feast as such, turning it into a votive mass or of particular devotion. For a long time it was celebrated on January 1 together with the feast of Mary, Mother of God.
John Paul II, in 2003, restored the memory of the Sweet Name of Jesus, fixing it definitively on January 3.
Celebrating the feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus is a reminder that the name of Jesus permeates every aspect of our lives. It is an invitation to cultivate a personal and profound relationship with Christ that leads us to resemble him as a son resembles his father. to resemble him as a son resembles his father..
Let us simply bring his name to our prayer today: JESUS. May He comfort us, strengthen us and return us to a path of hope.
