When we see the child in the Bethlehem manger, God redeems us with love.
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. This celebration dates back to the 14th century, when Saint Bernardine of Siena, a Franciscan missionary, began spreading the veneration of the name of Jesus. He did this by carrying a tablet depicting the Eucharist with rays emanating from it, bearing the monogram “IHS,” meaning “Jesus the Savior of men.”
Today’s Gospel tells us that, according to the Law of Moses (Exodus 13:11-16), eight days after the birth of their firstborn son, his parents had to take him to the temple for circumcision. Forty days later, they returned to the temple for the mother to present the child to the Lord and to undergo purification.
It’s incredible to think that Jesus, our Redeemer, seems to be the one who is redeemed. It also tells us how Mary, who is pure, presents herself in the temple for purification. This Gospel tells us about the humility of both God and the Virgin Mary.
The Gospel teaches that Jesus and Mary fulfill God’s will, even though they don’t have to. They do so with joy. It often seems complicated to fulfill God’s will in our lives. How frequently do we rebel in the face of daily life’s difficulties and unforeseen events? So usually, we say no to God. We prefer our will to God’s. Jesus and Mary teach us true humility: fulfilling God’s will with joy. Saint Josemaría said that ‘prayer is the humility of a person who recognizes their profound poverty and the greatness of God and who turns to Him in love, expecting everything from Him and nothing from themselves.’ The Holy Family teaches us that it is worth doing God’s will because it is the path to our happiness.
The Gospel also illustrates the immense value that God places on sacrifice. According to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, the priests in the Temple sacrificed 256,500 lambs on the altar during the Passover of 70 AD alone. The sacrifices and offerings in the Old Testament were not intended to provide salvation, but rather to teach (cf. Gal 3:24). Through these sacrifices, the people of Israel learned to offer themselves freely to God and to embrace his will. This is the true meaning of sacrifice: making oneself available to God’s plans. As Christians, we take immense joy in the fact that we, too, can participate in Christ’s sacrifice during Holy Mass. This sacrifice is truly calcific.
The word ‘sacrifice’ comes from the Latin ‘sacrum facere,’ meaning ‘to make things sacred,’ ‘to honor,’ or ‘to give.’ Joseph and Mary sacrifice a pair of turtledoves and two young pigeons. By offering a sacrifice to God, they worship him and commit themselves to him, knowing that salvation comes from him. As Pope Francis says, ‘Salvation is in the name of Jesus.’ We must bear witness to this: He is the only Savior.”
We celebrate the Most Holy Name of Jesus on this day of remembrance because Jesus is our Savior. This means that we know God always looks at us with love. It is a mutual gaze. When we look at the child in the Bethlehem manger, God looks at us with love in that very moment. Let us turn to Mary to learn how to honor the name of Jesus throughout our day.
