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In my Parish I work with the men of the Holy Name Society and also the women of the Sodality to ensure that the numerous sick in our parish are visited regularly. I try to visit the sick at least quarterly on a rolling basis to ensure they have had confession and anointing of the Sick. But, since I am without an assistant priest, as a general rule, I depend on them to bring communion regularly.We met as a group this past week and had an interesting discussion about a concern that a number of them expressed, that of reverence....

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus    This Feast is associated with the Feast of the Circumcision, for it is when a child was circumcized that he received a name and was accepted as a son of Abraham and a full member of his family (the Feast of the Holy Family will come soon, after the Feast of the Epiphany on the 6th). So honored is His Holy Name that devout Catholics bow their heads (men removing their hats) at the sound of "Jesus" (or "Iesus" in Latin), both inside and outside of the liturgy. To protect the sacredness...

Devotion to the Holy Name   Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS" ("And His Name was called JESUS") Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known My Name." Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord." Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name." Apocalypse 15:4 "Who...

What on earth could draw a crowd of men like you see pictured above? (No, it's not a diaconate ordination in Santa Barbara -- though it's close.) It's just a typical rally of the Holy Name Society for the Archdiocese of New York in 1936. As Dr. McNamara points out: Founded by the Dominicans in the thirteenth century to venerate the name of Jesus, the Holy Name Society was introduced to the United States in the 1860’s. By the 1950’s there were over two thousand societies in the United States, and it was common for most men in the parish...

Devotion to the Holy Name Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS" ("And His Name was called JESUS") Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known My Name." Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord." Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name." Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall...