Devotion to the name of Jesus: invoke powerful graces

Da Paolo Tessione - February 28, 2020

DEVOTION TO THE SS. NAME OF JESUS
After "eight days, when the Child was circumcised, Jesus was given his name, as the Angel had indicated before he was conceived". (Lk. 2,21).

This Gospel episode wants to teach us obedience, mortification and crucifixion of corrupt flesh. The Word received the Name of Jesus glorious name, on which St. Thomas has so wonderful words: «The power of the Name of Jesus is great, it is multiple. it is a refuge for the penitents, a relief for the sick, an aid in the struggle, our support in prayer, because we are forgiven of sins, the grace of the health of the soul, the victory against temptations, power and trust to obtain salvation ».

The devotion to the SS. Name of Jesus is already present at the beginning of the Dominican Order. The Blessed Jordan of Saxony, the first successor of the Holy Father Dominic, composed a particular "greeting" made up of five psalms, each of which begins with the five letters of the name JESUS.

Fr Domenico Marchese reports in his "Holy Dominican Diary" (vol. I, year 1668) that Lopez, bishop of Monopoli, stated in his "Chronicles" how the devotion to the Name of Jesus had its beginnings in the Greek Church by of S. Giovanni Crisostomo, who would have founded a "confraternity" to extirpate from

people the vice of blasphemy and oath. All this, however, has no historical confirmation. On the other hand, it can be said that devotion to the Name of Jesus in the Latin Church, in an official and universal way, has its origins precisely in the Dominican Order. In fact, in 1274, the year of the Council of Lyon, Pope Gregory X issued a Bull, on September 21, addressed to the P Master General of the Dominicans, then B. Giovanni da Vercelli, with whom he entrusted to the Fathers of S. Domenico the assignment to propagate among the faithful, through preaching, love for the SS. Name of Jesus and also manifest this inner devotion with the inclination of the head in pronouncing the Holy Name, a use that then passed in the ceremonial of the Order.

The Dominican Fathers worked ardently, through the writings and the word, to implement the holy exhortation of the Pope. Since then, in every Dominican church, an altar dedicated to the Name of Jesus was erected in the circumcision scene, where the faithful gathered in deference or in repair of the offenses made to the SS. Name, according to the circumstances or the exhortation that the Dominican Fathers suggested to them.

The first «Confraternita del SS. Name of Jesus »was founded in Lisbon in Portugal following a particular prodigy. In 1432 the Portuguese Kingdom was afflicted by a cruel plague, reaping many human lives. It was then that the Dominican Father Andrea Diaz held solemn celebrations at the altar dedicated to the SS. Name of Jesus of the Convent of Lisbon, because the Lord wanted to put an end to this deadly disease. It was November 20 when the Father, after an inflamed sermon, blessed the water in the Name of Jesus, inviting the faithful to take and bathe those affected by the plague with water. Whoever was touched by that water was immediately healed. The news spread everywhere that there was a continuous rush of everyone to the Dominican convent eager to be bathed in that blessed water. It had not been Christmas that Portugal was miraculously free from the plague. In the meantime some more fervent ones tightened «The power of the Name of Jesus is great, it is multiple. it is a refuge for the penitents, a relief for the sick, an aid in the struggle, our support in prayer, because we get forgiveness of sins, the grace of the health of the soul, the victory against temptations, power and trust to obtain salvation ».

Around Fr. Andrea Diaz establishing the «Confraternita del SS. Name of Jesus », whose affiliates committed themselves not only to honor the SS. Name, but also to prevent blasphemy, swearing and abuse of the oath.

Meanwhile, they decided to give public thanks to the Lord by indicating a large party on the first day of the year with a solemn procession and on this occasion the founding of the Brotherhood became official, which then spread rapidly throughout Portugal and therefore throughout the world. This Brotherhood, present for centuries everywhere, produces beneficial spiritual fruits.

The Confraternity of SS. Name of Jesus met continuous favors of the Supreme Pontiffs. Pius IV, in 1564, confirmed the statute and granted Plenary Indulgence to the aggregates on the day of the Lord's Circumcision; Paul V ordered that this Brotherhood be founded

ì only in the Dominican convents and where these did not exist, to found it elsewhere the authorization of the Master General of the Dominicans was needed. Other particular concessions were made by the Supreme Pontiffs Gregory XIII (1575); Paul V (1612); Urban VIII; Benedict XIII (1727); Saint Pius X (1909).

The servant of God Fr. Giovanni Micon Spanish (+ 1555) instead composed a devout Crown in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus (on the model of the Rosary) approved by Clement VIII (with the brief «cum sicut accepimus» of February 2, 1598) , who granted various indulgences to the faithful who had recited it devoutly.

Another Dominican religious composed a simpler "chaplet" for members of the Confraternity of the Holy Name of Jesus, only three decades old, which present the three main mysteries for meditation:

1 the imposition of the SS. Name in the Circumcision;

2 his "elevation" in the "title" of the Cross;

3 his exaltation and glory in the Resurrection.

In some Dominican churches, on the second Sunday of the month, the procession in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus is used, in which the sweet hymn "Jesu dulcis memoria" is sung, with the participation of the members of the Confraternity. The presiding priest carries a figurine of the Child Jesus, with whom he then gives the blessing. Beautiful public attestation showing love and devotion to Jesus. This procession is with faithfulness maintained among the Dominican cloisters.

There are the Litanies of the SS. Name of Jesus, and it is nice to recite them during the month of January both for personal devotion and in community to obtain particular graces because, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles (3, 116; 16 1618; 19, 1317) "in his name they are fulfilled amazing prodigies ».