History of Devotion to the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Devotion to the Holy Name falls loosely into three periods. The first phase is the very early Church and was encouraged by the Apostles and the early disciples. In this period devotion is to the Name of Christ, to the Name of Christ Jesus, to the Name of the Lord, and to the Name of Jesus.

The second phase is found in the early middle ages. Here devotion to the Holy Name was fixed specifically to the Name of Jesus. Pope Gregory X (1271 - 1276) and the Council of Lyons in 1274 initiated a call of the Universal Church to this special devotion. Through the works of Blessed John of Vercelli, the fifth Master General of the Order of St. Dominic, the Dominicans began preaching on the virtues of the Holy Name and built special altars where the lay faithful could venerate the Holy Name of Jesus.

The third phase was brought to life by St. Bernardine of Siena (1380 - 1444), the Franciscan who reformed his Order and preached fiery sermons all over Italy. St. Bernardine painted a special wooden tablet with the Monogram of the Name of Jesus surrounded by rays of the sun. During these very popular sermons, he would hold up for veneration the monogram of Christ's Name.
Because of the influence of St. Bernardine's work, the Name "Jesus" was added to the Hail Mary prayer, and the Feast of the Holy Name was later added to the calendar. The office of this Mass was written by Bernardine dei Busti, and it makes use of the beautiful 12th century hymn, Iesu Dulcis Memoria which speaks of His Name and was written by another who had devotion to it, St. Bernard of Clairvaux (A.D. 1090-1153). St. Bernardine's apostleship of the Holy Name was carried on by St. John Capistran, A.D. 1385-1456, and to them both is attributed the Litany of the Holy Name. St. Bernardine and his contemporary St. John Capistran popularized this devotion and made it so widespread that the monogram of the name of Jesus, even today, stands at the side of the cross as a symbol of Christianity.

Later in 1455, Pope Callistus III asked St. John to preach a crusade invoking the Holy Name of Jesus against the vicious Turkish Moslems who were ravaging Eastern Europe; victory came in their defeat at the Battle of Belgrade in 1456.

In 1597, Pope Sixtus V granted an indulgence to anyone reverently saying, "Praised be Jesus Christ!" Pope Cement VII in 1530 allowed the Franciscans to celebrate a feast day in honor of the Holy Name, and Pope Innocent XIII extended this to the universal Church in 1721;

In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.

Pope John Paul II reinstituted the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus to be celebrated on Jan. 3. Moreover, the reverential invocation of the Holy Name of Jesus as part of prayer or work, and the recitation of the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, still convey a partial indulgence for the reparation of sin. The Holy Name Society, first organized in 1274 and granted the status of a confraternity in 1564, continues to promote at the parish and diocesan levels an increased reverence for the name of Jesus, reparation for the sins of profanity and blasphemy against the Holy Name, and the personal sanctification of its members.

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Novena to the Holy Name of Jesus

(Say once a day for 9 days)

O Merciful Jesus, Who didst in Thy early infancy commence Thy office of Savior by shedding Thy Precious Blood, and assuming for us that Name which is above all names; we thank Thee for such early proofs of Thine infinite love. We venerate Thy sacred Name, in union with the profound respect of the Angel who first announced it to the earth, and unite our affections to the sentiments of tender devotion which the adorable name of Jesus has in all ages enkindled in the hearts of Thy Saints.

Animated with a firm faith in Thy unerring word, and penetrated with confidence in Thy mercy, we now most humbly remind Thee of the promise Thou hast made, that where two or three should assemble in Thy Name, Thou Thyself wouldst be in the midst of them. Come, then, into the midst of us, most amiable Jesus, for it is in Thy sacred Name we are here assembled; come into our hearts, that we may be governed by Thy holy spirit; mercifully grant us, through that adorable Name, which is the joy of Heaven, the terror of Hell, the consolation of the afflicted, and the solid ground of our unlimited confidence, all the petitions we make in this novena.

Oh! blessed Mother of our Redeemer! Who didst participate so sensibly in the sufferings of thy dear Son when He shed His Sacred Blood and assumed for us the Name of Jesus, obtain for us, through that adorable Name, the favors we petition in this novena.

Beg also, that the most ardent love may imprint on our hearts that sacred Name, that it may be always in our minds and frequently on our lips; that it may be our defense and our refuge in the temptations and trials of life, and our consolation and support in the hour of death. Amen.

Catholic Devotions

The Vision of Pope Leo XIII and the Prayer to St. Michael

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

Exactly 33 years to the day prior to the great Miracle of the Sun in Fatima, that is, on October 13, 1884, Pope Leo XIII had a remarkable vision. When the aged Pontiff had finished celebrating Mass in his private Vatican Chapel, attended by a few Cardinals and members of the Vatican staff, he suddenly stopped at the foot of the altar. He stood there for about 10 minutes, as if in a trance, his face ashen white. Then, going immediately from the Chapel to his office, he composed the above prayer to St. Michael, with instructions it be said after all Low Masses everywhere.

When asked what had happened, he explained that, as he was about to leave the foot of the altar, he suddenly heard voices - two voices, one kind and gentle, the other guttural and harsh. They seemed to come from near the tabernacle. As he listened, he heard the following conversation:

The guttural voice, the voice of Satan in his pride, boasted to Our Lord: "I can destroy your Church."

The gentle voice of Our Lord: "You can? Then go ahead and do so."

Satan: "To do so, I need more time and more power."

Our Lord: "How much time? How much power?

Satan: "75 to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service."

Our Lord: "You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will."

In 1886, Pope Leo XIII decreed that this prayer to St. Michael be said at the end of "low" Mass" (not "high", or sung Masses) throughout the universal Church, along with the Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen); and the practice of the congregation praying these prayers at the end of Mass continued until about 1970, with the introduction of the new rite of the Mass.

Scriptural Reference to Holy Relics

St. Jerome (ca. A.D. 340 - 420) clarified Catholic belief in his Ad Riparium:

We do not adore, I will not say the relics of the martyrs, but either the sun or the moon or even the angels -- that is to say, with the worship of "latria"...But we honor the martyrs' relics, so that thereby we give honor to Him Whose [witness] they are: we honor the servants, that the honor shown to them may reflect on their Master... Consequently, by honoring the martyrs' relics we do not fall into the error of the Gentiles, who gave the worship of "latria" to dead men.

Old Testament

Exodus 13:19 "And Moses took Joseph's bones with him: because he had adjured the children of Israel, saying: God shall visit you, carry out my bones from hence with you." 

4 Kings 13:20-21 "And Eliseus died, and they buried him. And the rovers from Moab came into the land the same year. And some that were burying a man, saw the rovers, and cast the body into the sepulchre of Eliseus. And when it had touched the bones of Eliseus, the man came to life and stood upon his feet."  

New Testament 

Matthew 9:20-22 "And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed. But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour." 

Acts 19:11-12 "And God wrought by the hand of Paul more than common miracles. So that even there were brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons: and the diseases departed from them: and the wicked spirits went out of them."

The earliest Christians saw things in the same way as the ancient Israelites and those in the New Testament accounts. St. Augustine (A.D. 354 - 430) wrote in City of God:

If a father's coat or ring, or anything else of that kind, is so much more cherished by his children, as love for one's parents is greater, in no way are the bodies themselves to be despised, which are much more intimately and closely united to us than any garment; for they belong to man's very nature,

Apologetics Catechism Holy Relics

Primacy of Peter and Papacy

St. Peter on the right side of Christ. The Place of honor and primacy
together with St. Paul and the Early Church Fathers

Primacy of Peter is an important teaching of the Bible. Non-Catholics have to disobey the Pope’s authority just to create their illegal, fake churches and to defend their false dogmas. It is so interesting to know how they misinterpret those Biblical parts to escape from the obedience to the Pope.

Peter is ‘the Rock’

Jesus was able to see the anarchy and divisions that Satan can create in the only one church He instituted. It was the great desire of Jesus that His followers must be united together. (Jn. 17:11) “Holy Father, watch over them…that they may be one just as we are.” He decided to make Peter the leader, so that all be united under Him.

Mt. 16:18-19 – “And I tell you, you are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus spoke in Aramaic and nicknames Simon “Kepha” (Cephas) which means ‘the Rock.’ Anti-Catholics try in vain to misinterpret it as the ‘Rock’ here is Jesus, not Peter. Jesus was not speaking to himself but to Simon, ‘you are Peter’ (the Rock) and upon you ‘this rock’ I will build my church. Here, ‘this rock’ is Peter not Jesus. The next sentence clarifies it. I will give ‘you’ the keys and what ‘you bind’ on earth will be bound. This word of the Lord supports beyond doubt that Peter is ‘the rock’ upon which Jesus built His church. To confuse people and to escape from the authority of Peter, anti-Catholic ministers will start to quote all the Bible passages where the word ‘rock’ comes. Usually, they use 1 Cor. 10:3-4 where comes a word “they drank of that Spiritual Rock…and that Rock was Christ.” This sentence has nothing to do with the institution of the church. They simply misuse this out of context just to support their lie.

More than that, if we accept their claim, it never contradicts the position of Peter. Catholics always believed Jesus is the invisible head or the spiritual rock of the church because the church is His body. But we consider the Pope as its visible head. When God the Father made a covenant with Abraham, He made Abraham the Father of Generations. But it didn’t take away the Fatherhood of God (Isa. 51:2). He remained the Spiritual Father forever.

Anti-Catholics may play another funny verbal gymnastic. When Jesus said ‘Rock,’ he used the Aramaic word “Kepha” which means only ‘rock.’ But when it is translated into Greek, it may get a gender change ‘pebble’ or ‘chip of rock.’ They may try on this word to show Peter is only a pebble. But the next sentence will correct them: “I will give you (not me) the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever ‘you’ (not ‘me’ Jesus, but Peter) bind on earth will be bound in heaven.

Peter is the Shepherd

In St. John 21:15-19, we find clear scriptural evidence that Peter was commissioned by Jesus to care for His flock. “Simon, son of John….shepherd my sheep! Simon, son of John….sheep.” We know Jesus is the good shepherd (Jn. 10:11) but here, he gives authority of the shepherd to Peter. So we call Peter and his successors, the Pope – Supreme Universal Church.

“Pope” means father. It is an affectionate title that the apostles used to express their responsibility to the faithful. St. Paul calls himself as ‘father’ (1 Cor. 4:14-16) “You are my beloved children….For I became your father in Christ.”

Did Peter Have A Successor?

As the Bible says, Peter and the apostles appointed their successors through imposition of hands. 

2 Tim. 1:6 - “For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.”

Apostle Paul himself was ordained by imposition of hands in the church of Antioch (Acts 13:2-3). When Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, apostles elected Matthias: “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘May his house become empty; may no one live in it.’ It is also written, ‘May someone else take his place of service.’ “- (Acts 1:20) The apostolic succession was by election and imposition of hands.

We have the clear historic evidence that the office of Peter was at Rome, where he became a martyr in 64 AD. His office in Rome was succeeded by Linus the 2nd Pope (67-76 AD) according to historians. In 96 AD Pope Clement sent a strong letter to the church at Corinth resolving a dispute there. The bishop of Rome interferes in the problem of another church, showing his authority to do so.

On his way to martyrdom in Rome in 110 AD, Ignatius of Antioch praised the Church of Rome “stamped with the Father’s name.”

The historian Eusebius, who lived in Caesarea in 265-340 AD, in his ‘church history’ writes: “After the martyrdom of Paul and of Peter, Linus was the first to obtain the episcopate of the church at Rome. Paul mentions him, when writing to Timothy from Rome, in the salutation at the end of the epistle…In the second year of his reign, Linus, who had been bishop of the church of Rome for twelve years, delivered his office to Anencletus…In the twelfth year of the same reign, Clement succeeded Anencletus after the latter had been bishop of the Church of Rome for twelve years.”

This unbroken chain of successors continues and reaches to Pope Benedict XVI the 265th successor of Peter. The historical evidence of this succession is more reliable than 2000 years history of any other country or kingdom in the world today. Obedience to Pope is obedience to Jesus, as the Holy Scripture supports it. - knowthecatholictruth Blog

Apologetics Church Fathers Papacy

Purgatory in the Bible

The Church teaches that when someone dies in the state of grace he does not immediately enters heaven but instead undergoes a state where he is purified. The Catechism of the Catholic Church thus states:

All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (1030)

This doctrine of purification is attacked by other christian denominations as not having any scriptural basis and thus a mere invention of the Catholic Church during only the Middle Ages. These christian denominations argues that since the term 'Purgatory' is nowhere to be found its existence is nothing but doubtful. Yet, the Church is also aware of this matter and on its succeeding definition of 'Purgatory' the Catechism of the Catholic Church holds:

The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: (1031)

Psalm 66:12 Thou didst let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet thou hast brought us forth to a spacious place.

References to purgatory exists in certain texts of the Bible though the term 'Purgatory' is not explicitly seen.  Psalm 66:12 is considered by Early Church Fathers to be proofs of 'Purgatory.' Waters of Baptism and Fires of Purgatory.

Isaiah 6:5-7 And I said: "Woe is me! for I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven."

This verse taken from Isaiah is the most widely used reference to purgation and the Church's belief on 'Purgatory' is very much exposed in this verse. That process [burning coal touching the lips] is 'Purgatory' the state of which results to purity [guilt taken away; sins forgiven].

Apologetics Catechism Purgatory