Holy Family - The Vatican
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:17
The church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Name each year on January 1st. This rarely aligns with a Sunday and therefore is missed as we continue our Christmas season celebrations. Nonetheless, it is a significant day in that naming rites have been an important part of human history. The Feast of the Holy Name honors the public naming of Jesus, which took place eight days after his birth. You can read more about the history of this feast day on the Episcopal Church website. As we prepare for this Sunday, I encourage you to consider what Jesus’s name means to you. “God” and “Spirit” are often used in personal prayers, but they are not proper names in the way Jesus is. What else can we learn about Jesus’ name and its sovereignty? As I consider Jesus’ name and this feast day, Hymn 435 from our primary hymnal comes to mind. Here is the first verse:
At the name of Jesus ev'ry knee shall bow, ev'ry tongue confess him King of glory now; 'tis the Father's pleasure we should call him Lord, who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
I hope you will be able to join us as we celebrate this feast and enter a New Year together at Ascension.
Blessings,
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