Prayer, best preparation...

"The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers, because the shining 
splendor of that name causes His Word to be proclaimed
and heard.  And how do you think such an immense,
sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world, 
if not because Jesus was preached?" - St Bernardine of Siena

"Prayer is the best preparation 
for Holy Communion. 
Prayer is the raising of the mind to God.
When we pray we go to meet Christ Who is coming to us.
If our Creator and Savior comes from heaven with such great love, 
it is only fitting that we should go to meet Him.
And this is what we do when we spend some time in prayer."

St Bernardine of Siena

Italy ~ 1380-1444
Orphaned young
Franciscan friar, itinerant preacher, theological writer

Known as "Apostle of Italy"

for efforts to revive faith in 15th century 

Feast Day - May 20

Painting above: Women Praying at Kotel ~ Brocha Teichman

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, 

Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters

of the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun.

  

"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." ~ St Bernardine

Click here: Discovering our Saints - St. Bernardine of Siena - YouTube

Click here: St. Bernardine of Siena - YouTube (2 mins)

Catholic Culture Library: St. Bernardino Fostered Holy Name Devotion

St Bernardine, pray for us!

Prayer, best preparation...

"The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers, because the shining 
splendor of that name causes His Word to be proclaimed
and heard.  And how do you think such an immense,
sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world, 
if not because Jesus was preached?" - St Bernardine of Siena

"Prayer is the best preparation 
for Holy Communion. 

Prayer is the raising of the mind to God.
When we pray we go to meet Christ Who is coming to us.

If our Creator and Savior comes from heaven with such great love, 
it is only fitting that we should go to meet Him.
And this is what we do when we spend some time in prayer."

St Bernardine of Siena

Italy ~ 1380-1444
Orphaned young
Franciscan friar, itinerant preacher, theological writer

Known as "Apostle of Italy"

for efforts to revive faith in 15th century 

FEAST DAY - May 20

Painting above: Women Praying at Kotel ~ Brocha Teichman

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, 

Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters

of the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun.

  

"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." ~ St Bernardine

Click here: Discovering our Saints - St. Bernardine of Siena - YouTube

Click here: St. Bernardine of Siena - YouTube (2 mins)

Catholic Culture Library: St. Bernardino Fostered Holy Name Devotion

St Bernardine, pray for us!

Parting Gift par excellence...

"The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers, because the shining 
splendor of that name causes His Word to be proclaimed
and heard.  And how do you think such an immense,
sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world, 
if not because Jesus was preached?" - St Bernardine of Siena

 

Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore delivers the homily ~ June 2012 ~ Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption 

of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, Maryland ~ USA (CNS/Catholic Review/Tom McCarthy Jr.)

"But what hast Thou, O my Jesus, left us,

when quitting this world, in memory of Thy love?

Not, indeed, a garment or a ring, but

Thine own body, Thy blood,

Thy soul, Thy divinity,

Thy whole self, without reserve."

St Bernardine of Siena

Italy ~ 1380-1444
Orphaned young
Franciscan friar, itinerant preacher, theological writer

Known as "Apostle of Italy"

for efforts to revive faith in 15th century 

FEAST DAY - May 20

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus,

Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters

of the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun.

  

"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 morn, 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." ~ St Bernardine

Click here: Discovering our Saints - St. Bernardine of Siena - YouTube

Click here: St. Bernardine of Siena - YouTube (2 mins)

Catholic Culture Library: St. Bernardino Fostered Holy Name Devotion

St Bernardine, pray for us!

Prayer: best preparation

 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. ~ Psalm 134:2

 

St Catherine's Church ~ Bethlehem

 

"Prayer is the best preparation 

for Holy Communion. 

Prayer is the raising of the mind to God.

When we pray we go to meet Christ Who is coming to us.

If our Creator and Savior comes from heaven with such great love, it is only fitting that we should go to meet Him.

And this is what we do when we spend some time in prayer."

St Bernardine of Siena

Franciscan friar, itinerant preacher, theological writer

Italy ~ 1380-1444

Orphaned young

Known as "Apostle of Italy"

for efforts to revive faith in 15th century 

FEAST DAY - May 20

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus,

Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters

of the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun.

  

"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 morn, 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." ~ St Bernardine

Click here: Discovering our Saints - St. Bernardine of Siena - YouTube

Click here: St. Bernardine of Siena - YouTube (2 mins)

Catholic Culture Library: St. Bernardino Fostered Holy Name Devotion

St Bernardine, pray for us!

Name above all names!

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

January 3

 

At every Mass, before the priest begins the Eucharistic prayer,

we pray: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

St. Paul proclaims: “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him

the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.” - Phil 2:9-11

 

 

"There are two things that make it easy for souls to adore Our Lord in the Sacrament of His Love: they can seek His Human Face, though it be veiled by the appearance of the Sacred Host; and they can call upon Him by His Human Name.

These are the two things that people crave in a relationship: knowledge of a face and of a name. From these, one experiences the heart of the other, and so a relationship becomes a communion, an exchange in which one finds fulfillment, that is, joy and a response to one's love in the other. ... 

Come close to Him, then, who has made Himself so close to us. ...

 

This knowledge of Him -- of His Name and of His Face -- comes through Word and Sacrament in His Holy Catholic Church. Only there can souls come to experience Him as the Risen One with whom they can enter into a relationship so real that it is consummated in a Holy Communion, in partaking of His Body and Blood, and in becoming one with Him, even as He is one with His Father. ...

The Sacred Name and Sacred Face of Jesus are fire and light in this world that is becoming colder and darker by the day. In the end, the darkness will be forever vanquished by the fire of His Name and by the light of His Face, and then there shall be peace in His Kingdom fully revealed, and in the company of His saints who will sing praise to His Name and adore His Face, shining more brightly than a thousand suns, and this unto the ages of ages."

Dom Mark Daniel Kirby is Conventual Prior of Silverstream Priory in Stamullen, County Meath, Ireland.

 

Thoughts of St. Bernard of Clairvaux who wrote hymn "Iesu Dulcis Memoria"- sung today on the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus:

"The sweet Name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with noble sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good works, and nourishes pure affections. All spiritual food leaves the soul dry, if it contain not that penetrating oil, the Name Jesus. When you take your pen, write the Name Jesus: if you write books, let the Name of Jesus be contained in them, else they will possess no charm or attraction for me; you may speak, or you may reply, but if the Name of Jesus sounds not from your lips, you are without unction and without charm. Jesus is honey in our mouth, light in our eyes, a flame in our heart. This name is the cure for all diseases of the soul. Are you troubled? think but of Jesus, speak but the Name of Jesus, the clouds disperse, and peace descends anew from heaven. Have you fallen into sin? so that you fear death? invoke the Name of Jesus, and you will soon feel life returning. No obduracy of the soul, no weakness, no coldness of heart can resist this holy Name; there is no heart which will not soften and open in tears at this holy name. Are you surrounded by sorrow and danger? invoke the Name of Jesus, and your fears will vanish."

MORE on Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus:  http://www.fisheaters.com/holyname.html

 

MORE on the Wonders of the Holy Name of Jesus:

http://www.olrl.org/pray/wonders.shtml

 

MORE on spreading devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus:

http://www.nahns.com/

  

  Click here: Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus - YouTube (9:30 mins)

The fire of His Name

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

January 3

 

At every Mass, before the priest begins the Eucharistic prayer,

we pray: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

St. Paul proclaims: “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him

the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus

every knee should, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.” - Phil 2:9-11

 

 

 

"There are two things that make it easy for souls to adore Our Lord in the Sacrament of His Love: they can seek His Human Face, though it be veiled by the appearance of the Sacred Host; and they can call upon Him by His Human Name.

These are the two things that people crave in a relationship: knowledge of a face and of a name. From these, one experiences the heart of the other, and so a relationship becomes a communion, an exchange in which one finds fulfillment, that is, joy and a response to one's love in the other. ... 

Come close to Him, then, who has made Himself so close to us. ...

This knowledge of Him -- of His Name and of His Face -- comes through Word and Sacrament in His Holy Catholic Church. Only there can souls come to experience Him as the Risen One with whom they can enter into a relationship so real that it is consummated in a Holy Communion, in partaking of His Body and Blood, and in becoming one with Him, even as He is one with His Father. ...

The Sacred Name and Sacred Face of Jesus are fire and light in this world that is becoming colder and darker by the day. In the end, the darkness will be forever vanquished by the fire of His Name and by the light of His Face, and then there shall be peace in His Kingdom fully revealed, and in the company of His saints who will sing praise to His Name and adore His Face, shining more brightly than a thousand suns, and this unto the ages of ages."

Dom Mark Daniel Kirby is Conventual Prior of Silverstream Priory in Stamullen, County Meath, Ireland.

 

St. Paul was in a very special way the preacher and doctor of the Holy Name.  St. Thomas Aquinas says of him: 

"St. Paul bore the Name of Jesus on his forehead because he gloried in proclaiming it to all men; he bore it on his lips because he loved to invoke it; on his hands, for he loved to write it in his epistles; in his heart, for his heart burned with love of it.  He tells us himself:  'I live, yet not I, but Christ, liveth in me.' "

Click here: Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus - YouTube (9:30 mins)

 

MORE on Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus:  http://www.fisheaters.com/holyname.html

 

MORE on the Wonders of the Holy Name of Jesus:

http://www.olrl.org/pray/wonders.shtml

 

MORE on spreading devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus:

http://www.nahns.com/