The Most Holy Name of Jesus

Español

 The feast of the Holy Name of Jesus has been celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church, at least at local levels, since the end of the fifteenth century.[2] The celebration has been held on different dates, usually in January, because 1 January, eight days after Christmas, commemorates the naming of the child Jesus; as recounted in the Gospel read on that day, "at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb."[3] Medieval Catholicism, and many Christian churches to the present day, therefore celebrated both events as the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, usually on 1 January. An Office and Mass were approved by Pope Sixtus IV.[2]

Observance of the feast was officially granted to the Franciscans in 1530 and spread over a great part of the Church. The Franciscans, Carmelites, and Augustinians kept the feast on 14 January, the Dominicans on 15 January. At Salisbury, York, and Durham in England, and at Aberdeen in Scotland it was celebrated on 7 August, at Liège (now in Belgium) on 31 January, at Compostela in Spain and Cambrai in France on 8 January.[2]

Around 1643 the Carthusians were granted permission to celebrate the feast on the second Sunday after the Epiphany. This was the date assigned to the celebration when, on 20 December 1721, it was inserted into the General Calendar of the Roman Rite by Pope Innocent XIII.[4] In the reform of Pope Pius X, enacted by his motu proprio Abhinc duos annos of 23 October 1913, it was moved to the Sunday between 2 and 5 January inclusive, and in years when no such Sunday existed the celebration was observed on 2 January; this is still observed by Catholics following the 1962 calendar.

The reform of the General Roman Calendar by the motu proprio Mysterii Paschalis of 14 February 1969 removed the feast "since the imposition of the name of Jesus is already commemorated in the office of the Octave of Christmas."[5] However, a newly composed Mass formulary of the Holy Name of Jesus was placed among the Votive Masses. The celebration was restored to the General Roman Calendar on 3 January with the promulgation of a revised edition of the Roman Missal in 2002. On this occasion an entirely new Mass formulary was composed for use on the memorial day, while the 1970 votive Mass formulary was kept unchanged. Catholics using the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII still observe the celebration on 2 January with the corresponding texts there prescribed.

Prayer: Jesus, Name full of glory, grace, love, and strength! You are the refuge of those who repent, our banner of warfare in this life, the medicine of souls, the comfort of those who mourn, the delight of those who believe, the light of those who preach the true faith, the wages of those who toil, the healing of the sick. To You our devotion aspires; by You our prayers are received; we delight in contemplating You. O Name of Jesus, You are the glory of all the saints for eternity. Amen.