Dear pilgrims of hope,
do we use, abuse or deny the Most Holy Name of Jesus?
Jesus – God saves. Do I believe that Jesus can save me? That there is power in His name? Do I call on His name in everything I do? Or do I keep it like a trump card in my back pocket for special occasions or when I am in trouble.
Mother Teresa used to start her day with saying “Good morning, Jesus”. What a beautiful way to acknowledge and invite Him into our day. There are so many opportunities to acknowledge Him throughout the day. Thank you Jesus for finding this parking spot. Thank you Jesus that I didn’t get angry at the person that cut in before me. One of the most beautiful ways is to meditate on His Holy Face and say His name slowly with love. Let us “use” His Most Holy name to invite him into our lives.
Then there are the ways of abusing His name. For example when people use His name as a curse word. When we hear someone abusing His Holy Name, how do we react? Do we ignore it, or maybe just make silent reparation? Does that not constitute denying Christ when we keep silent? If someone were to abuse our mother’s name, would we not speak up and stop them?
We don’t need to be aggressive or argumentative. I once simply informed a friend when he cursed with Jesus’ name that he is talking about my beloved and that I don’t appreciate Him using Jesus’ name as a swear word in my house. My friend then had a choice to continue or to leave. And if they want to continue, then it is better not to be around this.
We can deny Christ by being silent. When we say Grace at our dinner table at home, then we should also do it in a restaurant without fear of offending anyone or being embarrassed.
Simply live your faith openly, dear pilgrims of hope. Be a sign of hope to others who are struggling with their faith or have never experienced the faith at all. When we bless ourselves with the sign of the cross, we become witnesses to Christ.
