Father Acervo’s Corner: January 15, 2017
The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, and on January 3, the Church celebrated the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. This is a great opportunity for us to reflect on the power of His Holy Name. The Second Commandment tells us, “Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord Thy God in vain”. The phrase “in vain” means carelessly, uselessly, or flippantly.
By honoring the Name of the Lord, we honor the One for whom the Name stands. The Catechism tells us what we already know: “The Lord’s name is holy.” For this reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it (n. 2143).
God is so holy that even His Name is holy. It is what we express when we say, “Hallowed be Thy Name”. When we say the name of a person, it evokes thoughts and images of that person. When we say the Holy Name of the Lord, we do more than bring Him to mind; we make Him present and we invoke His Divine Power.
The Name “Jesus” means, “God saves,” and so when we say His Name, we profess that God saves us through Jesus Christ. But His Name itself is the power to save us: “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus Himself told us to pray “in His Name”. And so we should always understand the great power inherent in His Name. This is why we should never use the Lord’s Name carelessly.
That’s why it’s important for to not only avoid misuse of the Holy Name, but also to seek to give honor to it. Obviously the first step is to only use the Name of the Lord respectfully and with great reverence. When we say “Oh, my God” as a sincere, heartfelt prayer (such as in the Act of Contrition), obviously there is no sin in this. But when we say it in a casual way, when it becomes a mindless expression of wonder, surprise, or disgust over something (especially if it is a trivial matter), then it becomes sinful. Those who text or are on social media should be mindful of what OMG stands for and should consider not using it or making it clear that they are not misusing the Name of God. This might seem like a small thing, but growing in virtue is about building up good and holy habits and not creating bad habits that start as little things. Instead, the Name of the Lord should only be used as a form of praise or prayer.
There’s also a longstanding custom of bowing one’s head at the Name of Jesus. In times past, gentlemen would remove their hats when the Name of Jesus is spoken. In the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, if a priest is sitting with his biretta, he briefly removes it when the Name of Jesus is pronounced. All of these are visible witnesses of the saving power of God’s Holy Name.
Certainly, avoid swearing by the Name of the Lord and understand the power of the words “swear to God”. That is taking an oath and calling on God to witness to the truth of what you say. And of course above all, never use the Name of the Lord as a curse. This would be considered gravely sinful and must be confessed immediately.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to watch TV for ten minutes without hearing someone using the Name of God in vain. Maybe we hang around with people who do it. If we are not careful, we can become desensitized to it. But this is a serious matter, and as Christians we bear the Name of Christ. That’s why we have to witness to the power of the Holy Name by not going along with the culture. Let’s be good witnesses by encouraging only reverent use of the Lord’s Name.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Acervo
