The Church of St. Paul and Incarnation, Jersey City NJ
January 1, 2021
The Feast of the Holy Name
Numbers 6:22-27
Psalm 8
Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 2:15-21
The Holy Name of Jesus at the Top of Our Page
Those of you who attended Catholic school may remember the practice of writing the letters “JMJ” at the top of homework assignments and tests.
“JMJ” stands for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Now, I don’t know how mindful most students were about this practice – they may have been just doing what the teacher said they had to do, but the idea is beautiful and important:
We should begin our work - begin all that we do - with a prayer.
We should ask God to bless our efforts.
And, we should strive to do our best, knowing that we glorify God when we use the talents and ingenuity that God has given us.
And, finally, “JMJ” is also a reminder of the power of holy names – Mary and Joseph, yes, but, most of all, the Holy Name of Jesus.
Today is the eighth day of Christmas.
It’s New Year’s Day.
And it’s the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.
In today’s gospel lesson, we heard the conclusion of the Christmas story according to Luke.
The shepherds depart, and Mary, who by now must be exhausted, excited, relieved, and frightened, ponders in her heart all that she has seen and heard.
Of course, since Mary and Joseph are faithful Jews, they follow the practice of their people by having Jesus circumcised on the eighth day. Jesus receives the physical sign of the covenant between God and God’s people.
And, Mary and Joseph name the child, giving him the name of Jesus – or, actually, in Hebrew, Joshua.
Which means, “God saves.”
Or, “God will save.”
Although they knew the promises of the angel, and had already seen some of those promises fulfilled, Mary and Joseph could have scarcely imagined just how the holy child would live up to his name.
God saves.
Just a few decades after Jesus’ earthly lifetime, Christians were already singing hymns about the Holy Name of Jesus. Paul quotes an early hymn in his Letter to the Philippians:
…at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
New Year’s Day is a good time to look back at the year just past and to make plans for the year that’s now just a few hours old.
After what we’ve been through we might not want to look back at 2020, but, although it was a hard and sometimes terrible year, it seems to me that this was the year that we put the name of Jesus back at the top of our page, back at the center of our lives.
In the midst of the pandemic, and economic collapse, and political instability, we prayed like maybe we’ve never prayed before.
You know I have to mention “Church By Phone,” which has been such a source of strength and comfort for many of us, including me.
And there’s also the fact that way more people have attended our Sunday services than when we were gathering in person. Many of our own parishioners have been here more often, and we’ve welcomed back people who’ve moved away, plus neighbors, and strangers.
We’ve even welcomed a couple of new parishioners, including one who still has never stepped foot in our church!
During a time of much fear and loss, we followed the example of Jesus by serving others.
We checked on each other.
We gave money and gifts.
We shared food.
Yes, in many ways it was a terrible year, but it was also the year that we put the name of Jesus back at the top of the page.
And now, while we dare to have high hopes for this new year, we also know that we’re not yet out of the woods with the virus and the political upheaval and our own personal challenges.
We know that each year brings a mix of joy and sadness, hellos and farewells. There are always surprises, both welcome and not so much.
So, my prayer today and in the days ahead, is that we’ll remember we learned during the old year, carrying those lessons into whatever the future holds.
Let’s remember that, in and through Jesus, God saves and God will save.
So, no matter what happens, let’s keep the Holy Name of Jesus at the top of our page.
Amen.
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