Today, we offer a grand old standby to begin the New Year right – St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Novena to the Holy Name of Jesus. This past September, we posted “The Language of Hell“ about blasphemy against Jesus and had intended to post a follow-up but got sidetracked. This Novena is a beginning, but much more needs to be said about the need for reparation and the great graces to be gained, by devotion to the Most Holy Name of Jesus. Towards the end of this very long post (sorry about that!) please see the highlighted note on the plenary Indulgence at the hour of death.
NOVENA TO THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
FIRST DAY
THE GIVING OF THE GLORIOUS NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, that the holy name of Jesus is not a name invented by man, but it comes from God, who wished it to be made known by the archangel Gabriel, as St. Luke testifies: “His name was called Jesus . . . by the angel.” St. Bernard also says that this name is not a simple figure of things, a shadow without reality, but it is a palpable truth. Jesus is a name that expresses perfectly the hypostatic union of the divine nature and of the human nature. The world could not have been saved by a pure God, because God is impassible, nor by a pure man, because man is limited and finite.
This is the reason why the holy name Jesus, which signifies the same as Saviour, as the angel declares, has been given to the Son of God, made man through Mary, in order to show that both as God and man He accomplished the redemption of mankind by delivering them from the slavery of sin at the same time. In short, Jesus is a name that comprises infinity, eternity, immensity, wisdom, justice, mercy, and all the adorable perfections of God. What happiness for us to be reconciled with the eternal Father through the merits of this divine Mediator who has had the goodness to pay our debt at the cost of His precious blood!
Adorable Jesus! If Thou hast sacrificed Thyself to deliver Thy people from the hands of their enemies in order to acquire an eternal name, it would be but fair that this name should surpass and eclipse every other name, even that of the seraphim, as St. Paul says: “Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath inherited a more excellent name than they.” And if the eternal Father has wished that this name should be that of His Son, mayest Thou grant that, having experienced on earth its happy effects, we may arrive at the complete happiness in heaven to praise Thee and to bless Thee for all eternity.
In honor of the giving of the glorious name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
SECOND DAY
SWEETNESS OF THE NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, that there is no name in the world that is equal to the name of Jesus in sweetness. “Nothing is sweeter to chant,” says St. Bernard, “nothing more agreeable to hear, nothing more charming to think of, than the name of Jesus, the Son of God.” To preach it, is to give light to the understanding, to inflame the will; to think of it is to feed the soul, to call on it is to win grace. In fact, we see that if a Christian find himself weighed down by sadness, as soon as the name of Jesus passes from his heart to his tongue, by the light of this divine name, darkness is dispersed, the mind becomes calm, the heart is strengthened, the faculties brighten up, and everything returns to life.
This is the reason why St. Paul, as soon as he received from the Divine Word Himself the commission to publish His glorious name, began to repeat it so often, not only in his discourses, but also in the Epistles that he addressed to the Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, Hebrews, and all other nations. He knew by experience how sweet is the name of Jesus, what is its virtue to dispel the darkness of error and bring back men to the happy paths of perfect belief. Oh, how happy shall we be if in all our trials, on all sorrowful occasions, we take care to invoke the glorious name of Jesus, and while invoking it with our lips to consecrate our hearts to it! Then our soul will taste an ineffable sweetness, which we can never find here below.
Most amiable Jesus, Thou art the master of the angels, the Creator of the world, the sovereign of the universe. Thou art my Lord and my God. I thank Thee for having wished to take this most holy name for our consolation, for our encouragement, and for our salvation; and as in this valley of tears, we have recourse in our needs to Thy glorious name by sweetly invoking it, grant that we may finish our lives in peace while saying, Viva Jesus! Viva our Saviour!
In honor of the sweetness of the holy name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
THIRD DAY
SALUTARY OPERATION OF THE NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, that the name Jesus signifies nothing else than Saviour; and St. Peter assures us that the Eternal Father has not given to men any other name by which they may be saved amidst the snares of this deceitful world, than the adorable name of Jesus. It is this name that makes the truth of faith shine everywhere, and that calls all men from the depths of darkness to the light of the Gospel. It is by virtue of this admirable name that the Apostle gave light to the blind, made the lame walk, healed the sick, raised the dead to life, and filled the whole world with astonishment.
And if the Angel at first announced that Jesus would bring life into the world by delivering it from the cruel slavery into which Adam had plunged it, this good Saviour confirmed this promise Himself when He declared that He had come so that His sheep might have life, and might have it more abundantly. By virtue of His name we see idolatry overthrown, to the great confusion of the pagan princes and priests, who did all in their power to maintain it. We see the Synagogue vanquished, to the shame of the Jews, who with threats of punishments had forbidden the Apostles to preach and invoke this powerful Name.
Ah! Since in this world there is no good that is not due to the efficacy of the name of Jesus, let us acknowledge with humility and with love the source of all these riches; and if in the past we have been unfaithful, let us once for all put an end to our ingratitude, and let us endeavor to repair all the wrong that we have done, and say:
O most holy name of Jesus! may the seraphim of heaven give to Thee on my behalf suitable thanks, and never cease to praise Thee by forever repeating that Thou dost merit all glory, all honour, and all power. My sweet Saviour, I hope to obtain, by virtue of Thy name, the salvation of my body and soul; I hope that with this glorious name in my heart and on my lips, victorious over the world and the flesh, I shall have the happiness to sing Thy praises and to bless the august Trinity for ever and ever.
In honor of the salutary operation of the name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
FOURTH DAY
EFFICACY OF THE NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, the efficacy of the adorable name of Jesus for the purpose of offering prayers pleasing to God, and of obtaining all that we ask of Him. This name opens for us the way to arrive promptly at the feet of the Most High, and to have our prayers heard at once. . .In consideration of the name of Jesus, God looks with a favorable eye upon our petition; He accepts it kindly and grants it, because He sees that it bears His seal, and is marked with the precious Blood of the Lamb that was immolated for us. For this reason Jesus exhorted the Apostles, and exhorts all, that we should ask in His name all that we ask of his Father, in order to be sure that we shall obtain it: “If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you.” It is enough for Him to hear the petition; and He will bestow upon us the favors that have been asked of Him in the name of His beloved Son, with whom He is well pleased, and who, in order to satisfy His offended justice, has shown Himself obedient ever unto death.
We should, then, know how to profit by the efficacious power of the holy Name of Jesus; being sure that our prayers will be heard. We should often throughout the day, repeat our prayers to the Eternal Father, and we shall advance in perfection on the road of the divine precepts, until we attain the happiness of seeing and possessing Him for all eternity in heaven.
O Sweet Jesus, our love and our hope! since Thou hast deigned to assume mortal flesh, in order to open to us the gate of pardon, and to render our prayers efficacious by virtue of Thy glorious name, grant that, in order to obtain from the heavenly Father necessary graces and gifts, our prayers for perseverance may be heard, so that, faithful to the divine law to the end of our lives, we may, with Thy holy name on our lips, pass from this valley of tears to the glory of paradise.
In honor of the efficacy of the most holy Name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
FIFTH DAY
CONSOLATION AFFORDED BY THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, that those who love Jesus are, by His sweet name, so much sustained and consoled in their afflictions and in all other evils that it is for them a happiness to suffer in order to be able to participate in these ineffable consolations. This, says St. Bernard, is the reason why the Spouse of the Canticles compares the name of Jesus to oil: “Thy name is as oil poured out”, for as oil gives light, food, and a remedy, so is the name of Jesus a light, food, and a remedy. All spiritual food without the name of Jesus is insipid and dry. No writing, however charming and interesting it may be, can be sweet nourishment to the heart if it does not contain the holy name of Jesus.
If in the sermons, discussions, and conversations, the name of Jesus is not mentioned, the soul tastes no sweetness. The name of Jesus is honey to the mouth, melody to the ear, joy to the heart. This name rendered sweet the pains and torments of the martyrs, of the virgins, and of all the saints, so that when reduced to the last extremity, while invoking the holy name of Jesus, they were comforted; they forgot their sufferings. Why should we then, be cast down in our tribulations, in the storms that arise against us to throw us perhaps, into the abyss of despair, when the name of Jesus alone can lighten the weight that oppresses us, and can carry us to heaven? Have, therefore, recourse to Jesus, faithful soul; attach thyself to Jesus; He is a secure haven in which we need not fear to suffer shipwreck; He is the morning star that guides us through the darkness to the way of salvation; He is the watchful sentinel that discovers the enemy and puts him to flight; in a word, He renders easy and sweet to you the yoke of the evangelical law.
O amiable name of Jesus! Thy devoted servants invoke Thee, since Thou art so prompt in coming to console them in their necessities. For pity’s sake, my good Master, come also to give consolation to my soul, which, though sorely pressed on account of its combat with redoubtable enemies, and which, because of bad conduct, is perhaps far away from Thee, yet like the prodigal son hopes to find in Thee the clemency of a Father, and dares to say to Thee, with St. Anselm, ‘O my Saviour! save me; save me, Jesus, and do not permit me to perish!’
In honor of the consolation that is afforded by the holy name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
SIXTH DAY
PEACE THAT IS GIVEN US BY THE NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, that Jesus being the King of Peace, whose presence was sought throughout the earth, as the Church proclaims in the Office, cannot but bring consolation to us. So, before His birth, in order to give a token that His coming was peaceful, His divine Providence wished that the whole world, under the reign of Cæsar Augustus, should be in perfect peace. And when He was born the voice of the angels chanted the heavenly song that was heard by the shepherds of Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.”
On this passage of the Psalmist: “In His days shall justice spring up, and abundance appear”, Origen remarks that the coming of Jesus, our Saviour, brought peace to the whole world. In fact, He reconciled us with the Eternal Father, from whom original sin had separated us; He also quieted in us the inferior powers which in consequence of the same sin had revolted against the spirit; so that, says St. Bernard, by virtue of the name of Jesus, the transports of passion are appeased, the movements of concupiscence are repressed, and the soul finds itself brought back to the state it would have enjoyed had it persevered in original justice.
This being the case, let us imitate St. Teresa, who, when asked by Jesus Himself about her name, answered, without knowing Him, “My name is Teresa of Jesus.” Let us also say that we belong to Jesus; in this way we shall enjoy a continual peace on earth, and while becoming peaceful, which quality makes us the chosen of God, we shall perpetuate it forever in heaven.
O amiable Jesus! Thou art truly the King of Peace and of tranquillity. This we experience when we invoke Thee in our trials. In the midst of the sad vicissitudes that afflict and harass us in this valley of tears, it is only in Thy very holy name that we find calm, peace, and repose. Ah! grant that we may hereafter be more fervent in the practice of good works, and that by faithfully following in the footsteps of the good Shepherd, like humble and docile sheep, we may be delivered from the nocturnal incursions of the infernal wolves, and seek shelter and protection in the fold of Thy very sweet heart.
In honor of the peace that is given by the holy name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
SEVENTH DAY
STRENGTH OF THE NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, that Jesus, impelled by the ardor of His infinite love towards mankind, without leaving the bosom of His Father, clothed Himself in our flesh, and came into the world to deliver us from its chains; that like an irresistible warrior He attacked man’s enemy, Satan, who had become the sole master of this world that groaned under his tyranny because of the transgression of the law of God. And that, finally, He conquered it, crushed it, and snatched from its grasp, as He Himself has said, the arms in which it had trusted, and divided the spoils of the conquered among His children, to whom He gave as their armor the sacraments and the sign of the cross.
This victory made Him so formidable to the demons of hell that His name alone causes all the powers of the abyss to tremble, and fills them with terror, as the Apostle says: In the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. When hearing this adorable name the angels of light prostrate themselves out of respect, to render homage and to testify their gratitude to their Redeemer; but the angels of darkness humble themselves by force, being compelled by virtue of the Most High to acknowledge their conqueror, notwithstanding the shame, the spite, and the rage that torments them. And as for ourselves, whom Jesus has principally redeemed, let us imitate the good angels in rendering on our knees due thanksgiving for the good He has done for us, and by remembering not only the profound veneration with which His glorious name should fill our hearts, but the firm hope He gives us to acquire by His merits a blessed life in eternity.
O Jesus! Thou who didst allow to shine forth the strength of Thy name, to deliver us from the servitude of sin and the slavery of the devil, deign now and always to preserve our souls from all unworthy subjection. Show that Thou art a perfect conqueror by preserving Thy conquest with vigilant care; protect it from the iniquitous robber, so that he may no longer attempt to take even partial possession of it. Grant that our souls may always be worthy of belonging entirely to Thee. We can do nothing of ourselves without the help of Thy grace; be Thou so good as to aid us, to protect us, and, prostrate at the feet of Thy throne, we shall gratefully sing forever of the power of Thy glorious name.
In honor of the strength of the most holy name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
EIGHTH DAY
POWER OF THE NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, that the name of Jesus is wonderful in the divine mysteries of His Incarnation, birth, life, Passion, death, resurrection, and ascension; all of which comprise things so profound and sublime that the angels themselves cannot comprehend them, and that the Apostle has said that they are a scandal in the eyes of the Jews and folly in the eyes of the Gentiles, while we see in them a celestial light that shows us the wisdom and the love of God. Yet consider, also, that it is wonderful in regard to its power. Jesus is the Word of the Eternal Father, and as nothing has been done without him, says St. John, and nothing is independent of his power.
It is by virtue of His name that the barbarians renounced idolatry to embrace the Gospel, the Apostles producing these marvelous conversions by the prodigies and miracles that astonished nature. It is by virtue of His name that the sun is resplendent, that the moon reflects its light, that the stars shine, that the planets follow their course, that men live on the earth, . . . for the Eternal Father has placed all things in the hands of His Son. Which of us will not render to Him the homage that is due to Him, when we know that it is owing to Jesus that we are Christians, and that in imitating Him, we can aspire to the glory of paradise!
O Jesus, all-powerful and truly wonderful! If the eyes of our soul had not been opened and enlightened by the light of faith, which Thou hast taught us, how should we ever have been able to know Thy divine mysteries! Without this aid, we should have always been buried in the darkness of ignorance and in the shadows of death. May thanks be always given to our sweet Jesus, who has had compassion on us, and in opening to us the gates of heaven has constituted us heirs of the eternal kingdom! And if our heart is entirely filled with joy for having received so great gifts, may our tongue never cease to praise Him who is the author of them.
In honor of the power of the most holy name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
NINTH DAY
TRIUMPHS OF THE NAME OF JESUS
Consider, devout soul, that the name of Jesus did not triumph only over death and sin by despoiling hell of its power, but it also expelled from the height of the cross the devil, who had usurped the dominion over this world. . . He not only triumphed over the persecutor, as He did over Saul on the road to Damascus, but He confounded His adversaries in Rome by means of St. Bernardine of Sienna and St. John Capistran. He also triumphed over the enemies of the faith in Hungary and Belgrade, where a small number of the faithful vanquished the grand armies of the Ottoman Empire. The children of St. Francis, animated by the example of this seraphic patriarch, were the first to revive the triumphs of the Name of Jesus by erecting to it the first altar at Auxerre, in France, until the coming of St. Bernardine, who was proclaimed the principal author of the renewal of this devotion by the declaration of Pope Eugene IV: “Bernardine has himself discovered the value of the name of Jesus, so that it might be venerated anew.”
Finally, the office and the veneration of the holy name of Jesus were extended to the whole Catholic world; and if the Seraph of Assisi revived the fervor of souls towards the Passion of our Redeemer, the Saint of Sienna, His son, everywhere revived the devotion to the adorable Name which was the origin of our redemption. To propagate this devotion Pope Sixtus V. granted an indulgence of a hundred days to those who salute each other with the words: “Praised be Jesus Christ,” and answering, “Forever.” Moreover, a plenary indulgence is granted to him who at the hour of death invokes the name of Jesus, if not with lips, at least in the heart. If, therefore, the glorious name of Jesus has done so much good for us, let us, after the example of St. Mechtilde, consecrate ourselves to Him,—our heart, our faculties, our words, so that everything in them may breathe the sweetness of Jesus; and also our actions, that one may see shine in them the virtues that Jesus practised on earth—His humility, His patience, His love. By this means we shall, after this life, rejoice in the triumphs of Jesus in heaven.
O sweet Jesus, our God, our Saviour! How can we, miserable creatures that we are, respond to the love that Thou hast shown and that Thou continue to show us? It is certain that Thou alone as God canst justly compensate Thyself, since before Thee we are as if we were not. And then, what have we that is not a gift of Thy bounty? All that we have comes from Thee; and we offer it to Thee in this novena in honor of Thy name. But, knowing that our love is agreeable to Thee, we give Thee specially our whole heart. Deign to receive it as belonging to Thee; and if it is not worthy of Thee, purify it of its imperfections and of its defects, so that we may see shine in it the name of Jesus, that, it loves only Jesus; that it thinks only of Jesus; and that, the superabundance of its affections communicating itself to our tongue, Jesus may be praised and blessed through all ages. Amen.
In honor of the triumphs of the holy name of Jesus, we pray:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.
Let us pray.
God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son Saviour of mankind, and didst command that He should be called Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from this time forth and evermore!
PRAYER TO HONOUR THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS
by Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Oh, that I had always called upon Thee, my Jesus; for then I should never have been conquered by the devil! I have miserably lost Thy grace, because in temptation I have neglected to call Thee to my assistance. But now I hope for all things through Thy holy name: I can do all things in Him who comforts me. Write, therefore, O my Saviour, write upon my poor heart Thy most powerful name of Jesus, so that, by having it always in my heart by loving Thee, I may have it always on my lips by invoking Thee, in all the temptations that hell prepares for me, in order to induce me to become again its slave, and to tempt me to separate myself from Thee.
In Thy name I shall find every good. If I am afflicted, it will console me when I think how much more afflicted Thou hast been than I am, and all for the love of me; if I am disheartened on account of my sins, it will give me courage when I remember that Thou camest into the world to save sinners; if I am tempted, Thy holy name will give me strength, when I consider that Thou canst help me more than hell can cast me down; finally, if I feel cold in Thy love, it will give me fervor, by reminding me of the love that Thou bearest me.
I love Thee, my Jesus! Thou art, and I trust Thou wilt always be, my only Love. To Thee do I give all my heart, O my Jesus! Thee alone will I love! Thee will I invoke as often as I possibly can. I will die with Thy name upon my lips; a name of hope, a name of salvation, a name of love. O Mary, if thou lovest me, this is the grace I beg of thee to obtain for me,—the grace constantly to invoke thy name and that of thy Son; obtain for me that these most sweet names may be the breath of my soul, and that I may always repeat them during my life, in order to repeat them at my death with my last breath. Jesus and Mary, help me; Jesus and Mary, I love you; Jesus and Mary, I recommend my soul to you. Amen.
Of course, another most excellent prayer to honor the Holy Name of Jesus is to pray the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus. If you’d like me to add it here, I’ll be happy to.
Thank you for reading. I pray for you all, always!
Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey: First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners.
† Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
