|
|
|
|
|
novena to the most holy name of Jesus FIRST
DAY. The
Giving of the Glorious Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, that the holy name of Jesus is not a name invented by man, but
it comes from God, who wished it to be made known by the archangel
Gabriel, as St. Luke testifies: His
name was ca/led Jesus... by the angel.(Lk 2:21)
St. Bernard also says that this name is not a simple figure of
things, a shadow without reality, but it is a palpable truth. Jesus is
a name that expresses perfectly the hypostatic union of the divine
nature and of the human nature. The world could not have been saved by
a pure God, because God is impassible, nor by a pure man, because man
is limited and finite. This is the reason why the holy name Jesus,
which signifies the same as Savior, as the angel declares, (Mt 1:21)
has been given to the Son of God, made man through Mary, in order to
show that both as God and man he accomplished the redemption of
mankind by delivering them from the slavery of sin at the same time.
In short, Jesus is a name that comprises infinity, eternity,
immensity, wisdom, justice, mercy, and all the adorable perfections of
God. What happiness for us to be reconciled with the eternal Father
through the merits of this divine Mediator who has had the goodness to
pay our debt at the cost of his precious blood.
Adorable Jesus if
You have sacrificed Yourself to deliver Your people from the hands of
their enemies in order to acquire an eternal name, it would be but
fair that this name should surpass and eclipse every other name, even
that of the seraphim, as St. Paul says: Being
made so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more
excellent name than they. (Heb 1:4) And if the eternal Father has
wished that this name should be that of his Son, may You grant that,
having experienced on earth its happy effects, we may arrive at the
complete happiness in heaven to praise You and to bless You for all
eternity. Our
Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father, etc., nine times,
in honor of the giving of the glorious name of Jesus. We finish with
the following versicle and prayer:
Sweetness
of the Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, that there is no name in the world that is equal to the name of
Jesus in sweetness. "Nothing is sweeter to chant," says St.
Bernard, "nothing more agreeable to hear, nothing more charming
to think of, than the name of Jesus, the Son of God."' To preach
it, is to give light to the understanding, is to inflame the will; to
think of it, is to feed the soul, is to excite its fervor; 'to call on
it, is to win grace and unction. In fact, we see that if a Christian
find himself weighed down by sadness, whether through the artifice of
our common enemy or in consequence of some misfortune that has
befallen him, as soon as the name of Jesus passes from his heart to
his tongue, by the light of this divine name, darkness is dispersed,
the mind becomes calm, the heart is strengthened, the faculties
brighten up, and everything returns to life. This is the reason why
St. Paul, as soon as he received from the divine Word himself the
commission to publish his glorious name, began to repeat it so often,
not only in his discourses, but also in the Epistles that he addressed
to the Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, Hebrews, and to all other
nations. He knew by experience how sweet is the name of Jesus, what is
its virtue to dispel the darkness of error and bring back men to the
happy paths of perfect belief. Oh, how happy shall we be if in all our
trials, on all sorrowful occasions, we take care to invoke the
glorious name of Jesus, and while invoking it with our lips to
consecrate our hearts to it! Then our soul will taste an ineffable
sweetness, which we can never find here below. Most amiable Jesus, You
art the master of the angels, the Creator of the world, the sovereign
of the universe. You art my Lord and my God. (Jn 20:28) I thank You
for having wished to take this most holy name for our consolation, for
our encouragement, and for our salvation; and as, in this valley of
tears, we have recourse in our needs to Your glorious name by sweetly
invoking it, grant that we may finish our lives in peace while saying,
Live Jesus! Live our Savior! Our Father, Hail
Mary, and Glory be to the Father, etc., nine times, in honor of the
Sweetness of the name of Jesus; versicle and prayer as above. THIRD
DAY. Salutary
Operation of the Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, that the name Jesus signifies nothing else than Savior; and St.
Peter (Acts 4:12) assures us that the Eternal Father has not given to
men any other name by which they may be saved amidst the snares of
this deceitful world, than the adorable name of Jesus. It is this name
that makes the truth of faith shine everywhere, and that calls all men
from the depths of darkness to the adorable light of the Gospel. It is
by virtue of this adorable name that the Apostle gave light to the
blind, made the lame walk, healed the sick, raised the dead to life,
and filled the whole world with astonishment. And if the Angel at
first announced that Jesus would bring life into the world by
delivering it from the cruel slavery into which Adam had plunged it,
this good Savior confirmed this promise himself when he declared (Jn
10:10) that he had come so that his sheep might have life, and might
have it more abundantly. By virtue of his name we see idolatry
overthrown, to the great confusion of the pagan princes and priests,
who did all in their power to maintain it. We see the Synagogue
vanquished,... who with threats of punishments had forbidden the
Apostles (Acts 4:17) to preach and invoke this powerful name. Ah since
in this world there is no good that is not due to the efficiency of
the name of Jesus, let us acknowledge with humility and with love the
source of all these riches; and if in the past we have been
unfaithful, let us once for all put an end to our ingratitude, and let
us endeavor to repair all the wrong that we have done, and say: O
amiable and holy name of Jesus! may the seraphim of heaven give to You
for me suitable thanks, and never cease to praise You by forever
repeating that You do merit all glory, all honor, and all power. My
sweet Savior, I hope to obtain, by virtue of Your name, the salvation
of my body and soul ; I hope that with this glorious name in my heart
and on my lips, victorious over the world and the flesh, I shall have
the happiness to sing Your praises and to bless the august Trinity for
ever and ever. Our
Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father,
etc., nine times, in honor of the salutary operation of the name of
Jesus; versicle and prayer as above. FOURTH
DAY. Efficacy
of the Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, the efficacy of the adorable name of Jesus for the purpose of
offering prayers pleasing to God, and of obtaining all that we ask of
him. This name opens for us the way to arrive promptly at the feet of
the Most High, and to have our prayers heard at once. The Gospel also
attests that the prayers of Jesus himself have always been heard by
virtue of his great name, and that he authorizes us to say, when
speaking to God, "Our Father, who art in heaven." In
consideration of the name of Jesus, God looks with a favorable eye
upon our petition ; he accepts it kindly and grants it, because he
sees that it bears his seal and is marked with the precious blood of
the Lamb that was immolated for us. For this reason Jesus exhorted the
Apostles, and exhorts all, that we should ask in his name all that we
ask of his Father, in order to be sure that we shall obtain it: If you
ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you. (Jn 16:23)
It is enough for him to hear the petition, and he will bestow upon us
the favors that have been asked of him in the name of his beloved Son,
with whom he is well pleased, and who, in order to satisfy his
offended justice, has shown himself obedient ever unto death. We
should, then know how to profit by the efficacious power of the holy
name of Jesus; being sure that our prayers will be heard we should,
often, every hour of the day, repeat our prayers to the Eternal
Father, and we shall advance in perfection on the road of the divine
precepts, until we attain the happiness of seeing and possessing him
for all eternity in heaven. O Sweet Jesus, our
love and our hope! since You have deigned to assume mortal flesh, in
order to open to us the gate of pardon, and to render our prayers
efficacious by virtue of Your glorious name, grant that, in order to
obtain from the heavenly Father graces and gifts, our prayers for
perseverance may be heard, so that, faithful to the divine law to the
end of our lives, we may, with Your holy name on our lips, pass from
this valley of tears to the glory of' paradise. Our Father, Hail
Mary, and Glory be to the Father, etc., nine times, in honor of the
efficacy of the name of Jesus; versicle and prayer as above. FIFTH
DAY Consolation
afforded by the Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, that those who love Jesus are, by his sweet name, so much
sustained and consoled in their afflictions and in all other evils
that it is for them a happiness to suffer in order to be able to
participate in these ineffable consolations. This, says St. Bernard,
is the reason why the Spouse of the Canticles compares the name of
Jesus to oil, "Your name is as oil poured out,'' (Cant. 1:2) for
as oil gives light, food, and a remedy, so is the name of Jesus a
light, food, and a remedy. All spiritual food without the name of
Jesus is insipid and dry. No writing, however charming and interesting
it may be, can be sweet nourishment to the heart if it does not
contain the name of Jesus. If in the sermons, discussions, and
conversations, the name of Jesus is not mentioned, the soul tastes no
sweetness. The name of Jesus is honey to the mouth, melody to the ear,
joy to the heart. This name rendered sweet the pains and torments of
the martyrs, of the virgins, and of all the saints, so that when
reduced to the last extremity, while invoking the name of Jesus, they
were comforted ; they forgot their sufferings. Why should we, then, be
cast down in our tribulations, in the storms that arise against us to
throw us, perhaps, into the abyss of despair, when the name of Jesus
alone can lighten the weight that oppresses us, and can carry us to
heaven? Have, therefore, recourse to Jesus, faithful soul attach
thyself to Jesus he is a secure haven in which we need not fear to
suffer shipwreck; he is the morning-star that guides us through the
darkness to the way of salvation; he is the watchful sentinel that
discovers the enemy and puts him to flight; in a word, he renders easy
and sweet to you the yoke of the evangelical law. O amiable name of
Jesus! Your devoted servants invoke You, since You art so prompt in
coming to console them in their necessities. For pity's sake, my good
Master, come also to give consolation to my soul, which, though sorely
pressed on account of its combat with redoubtable enemies, and which,
because of bad conduct, is perhaps far away from You, yet like the
prodigal son hopes to find in You the clemency of a Father, and dares
to say to You, with St. Anselm, O my Savior! save me; save me, Jesus,
and do not permit me to perish. Our Father, Had
Mary, and Glory be to the Father, etc., nine times, in honor of the
consolation that is afforded by the name of Jesus; versicle and prayer
as above. SIXTH
DAY. Peace
that is given us by the Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, that Jesus being the King of peace, whose presence was sought
throughout the earth, ... cannot but bring consolation to us. So,
before his birth, in order to give a token that his coming was
peaceful, his divine Providence wished that the whole world, under the
reign of Caesar Augustus, should be in perfect peace. And when he was
born the voice of the angels chanted the heavenly song that was heard
by the shepherds of Bethlehem: "Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace to men of good will." On this passage of the
Psalmist: In His days shall justice spring up, and abundance appear [cf
PS 84:11-14). Origen
remarks that the coming of Jesus, our Savior, brought peace to the
whole world. In fact, he reconciled us with the Eternal Father, from
whom original sin had separated us; he also quieted in us the inferior
powers which in consequence of the same sin had revolted against the
spirit; so that, says St. Bernard, by virtue of the name of Jesus, the
transports of passion are appeased, the movements of concupiscence are
repressed, and the soul finds itself brought back to the state it
would have enjoyed had it persevered in original justice. This being
the case, let us imitate St. Teresa, who, when asked by Jesus himself
about her name, answered, without knowing him, "My name is Teresa
of Jesus." Let us also say that we belong to Jesus; in this way
we shall enjoy a continual peace on earth, and while becoming
peaceful, which quality makes us the chosen of God, we shall
perpetuate it forever in heaven. O amiable Jesus
You art truly the king of peace and of tranquillity; this we
experience when we invoke You in our trials. In the midst of the sad
vicissitudes that afflict and harass us in this valley of tears, it is
only in Your very holy name that we find calm, peace, and repose. Ah!
grant that we may hereafter be more fervent in the practice of good
works, and that by faithfully following in the footsteps of the good
Shepherd, like humble and docile sheep, we may be delivered from the
nocturnal incursions of the infernal wolves, and seek shelter and
protection in the fold of Your very sweet heart. Our Father, Hail
Mary, and Glory be to the Father, etc., nine times, in honor of the
peace that is given by the name of Jesus; versicle and prayer as
above. SEVENTH
DAY. Strength
of the Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, that Jesus, impelled by the ardor of his infinite love towards
mankind, without leaving the bosom of his Father, clothed himself in
our flesh, and came into the world to deliver us from its chains ;
that like an irresistible warrior he attacked man's enemy, Satan, who
had become the sole master of this world that groaned under his
tyranny because of the transgression of the law of God; that, finally,
he conquered it, crushed it, and snatched from its grasp, as he
himself has said, (Lk 11:22) the arms in which it had trusted, and
divided the spoils of the conquered among his children, to whom he
gave as their armor the sacraments and the sign of the cross. This
victory made him so formidable to the demons of hell that his name
alone causes all the powers of the abyss to tremble, and fills them
with terror, as the Apostle says "In the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the
earth." (Phil. 2:10) When
hearing this adorable name the angels of light prostrate themselves
out of respect, to render homage and to testify their gratitude to
their Redeemer; but the angels of darkness humble themselves by force,
being compelled by virtue of the Most High to acknowledge their
conqueror, notwithstanding the shame, the spite, and the rage that
torment them. And as for ourselves, whom Jesus has principally
redeemed, let us imitate the good angels in rendering on our knees due
thanksgiving for the good he has done for us, and by remembering not
only the profound veneration with which his glorious name should fill
our hearts, but the firm hope he gives us to acquire by his merits a
blessed life in eternity. O Jesus! You who
did allow to shine forth the strength of Your name, to deliver us from
the servitude of sin and the slavery of the devil, deign now and
always to preserve our souls from all unworthy subjection. Show that
You art a perfect conqueror by preserving Your conquest with vigilant
care; protect it from the iniquitous robber, so that he may no longer
attempt to take even partial possession of it. Grant that our souls
may always be worthy of belonging entirely to You. We can do nothing
of ourselves without the help of Your grace; be You so good as to aid
us, to protect us, and, prostrate at the feet of Your throne, we shall
gratefully sing forever of the strength of Your glorious name. Our Father, Hail
Mary, and Glory be to the Father, etc., nine times, in honor of the
strength of the name of Jesus; versicle and prayer as above. EIGHTH
DAY. Power
of the Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, that the glorious name of Jesus is wonderful in what regards the
divine mysteries of his Incarnation, birth, life, Passion, death,
resurrection, and ascension; all of which comprise things so profound
and so sublime that the angels themselves cannot comprehend them, and
that the Apostle (1 Cor 1:23) has said that they are a scandal in the
eyes of the Jews and folly in the eyes of the Gentiles, while we see
in them a. celestial light that shows us the wisdom and the love of
God. Yet consider, also, that it is wonderful in regard to its power.
Jesus is the Word of the Eternal Father, and as nothing has been done
without him, says St. John, (Jn 1:3) so nothing is preserved, nothing
is governed independently of his power. It is by virtue of his name
that the barbarians renounced idolatry to embrace the Gospel, the
Apostles producing these marvelous conversions by the prodigies and
miracles that astonished nature. It is by virtue of his name that the
sun is resplendent, that the moon reflects its light, that the stars
shine, that the planets follow their course, that men live on the
earth, that the monarchs reign, that the humble are exalted, that the
proud are humbled, mountains are leveled, that valleys are filled up;
for the Eternal Father has placed all things in the hands of his Son (Jn
13:3). And which of us
will not prostrate himself to adore this name that is so great, so
majestic, that fills heaven and earth! Which of us will not render to
him the homage that is due to him, when we know that it is owing to
Jesus that we are Christians, and that in imitating him, we can aspire
to the glory of paradise. O Jesus,
all-powerful and truly wonderful! If the eyes of our soul had not been
opened and enlightened by the light of faith, which You have taught us
by Your own mouth, how should we ever have been able to know Your
divine mysteries ! Without this aid, we should have always been buried
in the darkness of ignorance and in the shadows of death. May thanks
be always given to our sweet Jesus, who has had compassion on us, and
in opening to us the gates of heaven has constituted us heirs of the
eternal kingdom ! And if our heart is entirely filled with joy for
having received so great gifts, may our tongue never cease to praise
him who is the author of them. Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father, etc., nine times, in honor of the power of the name of Jesus; versicle and prayer as above. NINTH
DAY. Triumphs
of the Name of Jesus. Consider, devout
soul, that the name of Jesus did not triumph only over death and sin
by despoiling hell of its power, but it also expelled from the height
of the cross the devil, who had usurped the dominion over this world
by drawing all things to himself. He not only triumphed over the
persecutor, as he did over Saul on the road to Damascus, but he
confounded his adversaries in Rome by means of St. Bernardine of
Sienna and St. John Capistran. ... The children of St. Francis,
animated by the spirit and the example of this seraphic patriarch,
were the first to revive the triumphs of the name of Jesus by erecting
to it the first altar at Auxerre, in France, till the coming of St.
Bernardine, who was proclaimed the principal author of the renewal of
this devotion by the declaration of Pope Eugene IV.: Characterem
norninis Jesu ipse Bernardinus de novo adorandum invenerat. "Bernardine
has himself discovered the value of the name of Jesus, so that it
might be venerated anew." Finally, the office and the veneration
of the holy name of Jesus were extended to the whole Catholic world;
and if the Seraph of Assisi revived the fervor of souls towards the
Passion of our Redeemer, the Saint of Sienna, his son, everywhere
revived the devotion to the adorable name which was the origin of our
redemption. To propagate this
devotion Pope Sixtus V. granted partial indulgence to those who salute
each other with the words: "Praised be Jesus Christ," and
answering, "Forever." Moreover, a plenary indulgence is
granted to him who at the hour of death invokes the name of Jesus, if
not with lips, at least in the heart. If, therefore, the glorious name
of Jesus has done so much good for us, let us, after the example of
St. Mechtilde, consecrate ourselves to him, our heart, our faculties,
our words, so that everything in them may breathe the sweetness of
Jesus; and also our actions, that one may see shine in them the
virtues that Jesus practiced on earth - his humility, his patience,
his charity, his zeal, his love, By this means we shall, after this
life, be able to take part in the triumphs of Jesus in heaven. O very amiable and
very sweet Jesus, our God, our Savior, our Father! how can we,
miserable creatures that we are, respond to the love that You have
shown and that You do not cease to show us? It is certain that You
alone as God can justly compensate Thyself, since before You we are as
if we were not. And then, what have we that is not a gift of Your
bounty? Yes, O supreme good! all that we have comes from You; and as
such we render it to You, in offering to You, in this novena that we
celebrate in honor of Your name, all that we are. But, knowing that
our love is agreeable to You, we give You specially our whole heart
which is the source of this love. Deign to receive it as belonging to
You; and if it is not worthy of You, purify it of its imperfections
and of its defects, so that we may see shine in it the name of Jesus,
that, it loves only Jesus; that it thinks only of Jesus; and that, the
superabundance of its affections communicating itself to our tongue,
Jesus may be praised and blessed through all ages. Amen. Our Father, Hail
Mary, and Glory be to the Father, etc., nine times, in honor of the
triumphs of the name of Jesus; versicle and prayer as above. "ver•si•cle
(vûr si-kúl) n. 1. A short verse. 2. A short sentence spoken or
chanted by a priest and followed by a response from the
congregation." American Heritage Dictionary. St. Alphonsus de Liguori, The
Incarnation Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ, Rev Eugene Grimm
Trans., Redemptorist Fathers, Brooklyn, Publishers (1927) pp. 451-464.
Imprimatur +Patrick Cardinal Hayes, 1927.
|
|